“The Delights of Egypt”

DAY 5 – Friday: Kom Ombo Temple, Nile Cruising to Edfu.
Hotel: Our own private dahabiya Nile Cruise, night #2. Meals: BB, L, D  

Today we visit our second Greco-Roman temple (Philae Isis Temple was the first). These are temples that were built during the time the Greeks ruled Egypt (332 BCE – 30 BCE and afterward). The Philae, Kom Ombo, and Edfu Temples are all from this era.

The Kom Ombo Temple sits high on a hill above the Nile. It’s a special feeling when we approach it. This temple has two parallel entrances, one for each of the deities it honors. Sobek was a crocodile god and Haeoris was an aspect of the hawk-god Horus. The medical instruments carved on the walls long before the Christian Era are easily recognizable to us today. There is also a hieroglyph representing a woman giving birth and an ancient calendar that shows us the seasons, months, and days.

After our temple visit, we will continue sailing down the Nile to Edfu.

For many of our travelers, these days on the dahabiya boat are some of the most pleasant memories of their time in Egypt. The soothing rhythm of the boat, the many birds and wildlife that we watch from the sundeck, the locals with their animals… it is easy to forget which century we are in. It could be the 1800’s, biblical times, or just last year. It is an experience that feels transcendent.

DAY 6 – Saturday: Edfu Temple, Nile Cruising to Esna.
Hotel: Our own private dahabiya Nile Cruise, night #3. Meals: BB, L, D  

Our temple visit today is to the Edfu Temple. It is one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. Built during the Ptolemaic era on an older site, it is dedicated to the god Horus. Horus was the original superhero. Even the word hero is derived from Heru, his name in the Ancient Egyptian language. He is the savior and redeemer, the one who fights for what is right. He is represented as a falcon (a type of hawk).

We continue sailing to Esna where there is a lock that regulates the height of the river. We will dock on the south side of the lock and not go through. Tomorrow we will be leaving the boat and making the short drive from Esna to Luxor.

DAY 7 – Sunday: Driving from Esna to Luxor, Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple Complex with Open Air Museum, Jewelry Shop, Luxor Street Bazaar.
Hotel: Luxor Hotel night #1. Meals: BB, L  

We disembark from our Nile Cruise boat this morning. I know, no one ever wants to leave our cozy haven on the Nile, but we have more to see! More to do!

We continue our journey north, this time by road. Soon we arrive in Luxor. Luxor has been a tourist attraction from long before the New Testament era. The Greeks looked to Egypt as the place of great wisdom and were enthralled by the temple ruins they found there. We begin our visits here with the Luxor Temple. Both gently beautiful and full of awesome grandness, this temple was the “Bride of Karnak” during the annual Apet festival.  There is an Avenue of Sphinxes that connects Luxor Temple with Karnak Temple and it is one of the newly opened attractions! You may have seen the extravagant ceremony that was broadcast recently when it opened. Youtube video.

After an early lunch, the splendors of Karnak fill the rest of our day. Karnak was the center of government during the New Kingdom and each Pharaoh wanted to leave something impressive there. The largest temple complex in Egypt, we see multiple temples, obelisks, great gates, and the famous hypostyle hall – unequaled to this day.  We also see the Sacred Lake, the Festival Hall and Botanical Garden of Tutmosis III (a precursor of Napoleon’s later record of the fauna and flora found in Egypt).

Also at Karnak, we visit the fascinating Open Air Museum where we view the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut and Tutmosis III (Karnak’s original Holy of Holies) and Senwosret’s White Chapel with its finely-carved Middle Kingdom hieroglyphs.  These are in raised relief – some of the best to be found anywhere.  There is something new each time we visit, as the reconstruction of new pieces is ongoing.

When the temple closes in the late afternoon, we visit a shop that sells jewelry with Egyptian motifs  If you enjoy bargaining and shopping, or just plain people-watching, you might enjoy an evening visit to the Luxor Street Bazaar. Souvenirs, scarves, dresses, and more. You can even try smoking the shisha (flavored tobacco) in a water pipe.

DAY 8 – Monday: OPTIONAL. Early morning Balloon Ride* over the West Bank.
TOURING: Luxor West Bank sites – Valley of the Kings (Tomb of King Tutankhamen and Ramesses V&VI), Colossi of Memnon, Deir El Bahari (Hatshepsut’s Temple), Visit with Village Children.
* The cost of the balloon ride is not included in your tour.
Hotel: Luxor Hotel, night #2. Meals: BB, L  

If you don’t mind getting up in the morning before sunrise, you might like to take the optional balloon ride this morning. We cannot guarantee the availability of this, as it is dependent on the weather (wind), but if you would like to try it you will feel like a drone flying over the West Bank of Luxor. 

We begin our touring on Luxor’s West Bank with the famous Valley of the Kings (where King Tut’s tomb was found). There are many tombs there, and excavations are still going on, as well as renovations to tombs that have been uncovered for a long time. One never knows which tombs will be open that day, but there will be a variety to choose from.  The special tickets for the remarkable Tomb of Ramesses V&VI and the Tomb of King Tutankhamen are included in your tour, in addition to 3 other tombs of your choice. The Ramesses V&VI is the tomb you may have seen with the spectacular scene of the sky goddess Nut arched across the ceiling.

On our way to lunch, we will stop to see the “Colossi of Memnon.” They are actually two huge statues of Amenhotep III which stood at the entrance to a temple that no longer stands. During our first tours of Egypt, there were fields of grain behind these statues. Today it is an active archeological site with new artifacts being discovered on a regular basis.

In the afternoon we visit one of the earliest New Kingdom temples.  Called “The Most Splendid of All” by the ancient Egyptians, Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple, the famous Deir El Bahari, has inspired many, including the founders of modern architecture. One of the outstanding features is the picturesque Hathor columns in the Hathor Chapel on the second Level. The third level has now also been opened to the public.

At the end of our sightseeing, we will visit a local village. The kids there are always delighted to see us and to practice their English. After all our sightseeing, it is a delightful change of pace to spend time with them. Their exuberance and delight in making friends with us is a favorite part of the trip for many. Ruth brings school supplies and candy to share with the kids, and there is always lots of fun and playfulness when we visit.

USE FULL SCREEN (bottom right square icon) to watch the video below of the burial chamber of Ramesses V&VI Tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

The Ceiling of the Burial Chamber of the Tomb of Ramesses V&VI

DAY 9 – Tuesday, October 22, 2024: Flight from Luxor to Cairo, Old Coptic Cairo Churches and Synagogue, Papyrus Demonstration/Shop.
Hotel: Cairo Airport hotel, Novotel or similar, night #1. Meals: BB, L  

We fly from Luxor back to Cairo this morning. After lunch in downtown Cairo, we visit the Old City with its fascinating medieval architecture.

Often simply called “Old Cairo,” we will walk the cobblestone streets, see the Babylon Fortress (more info), some Coptic Christian Churches, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue. Egypt became a mostly Christian country in the 1st Century when Saint Mark brought the faith to Egypt. The Islamic faith came with the Arab conquest in 641 AD.

The Coptic literature tells us that the Holy Family visited a number of sites in Egypt when they fled from King Herod – see Matthew 2:12-23. These sites now are holy places in Egypt. Here in the old city of Cairo, we visit the Hanging Church (more info) and the Saint Sergius and Bacchus Church which is said to have been built over a place where the Holy Family rested during their journey (more info about this church). It is also suggested that Joseph may have worked on the Fortress of Babylon here in Coptic Cairo.

The ancient Egyptian “paper” was made from the papyrus plants that grew in the marshy areas of the delta and Nile River. We will visit a papyrus shop this afternoon where they will demonstrate how this “papyrus paper” was made, and of course, there will be a wide variety of papyrus pictures for sale. Many of these have representations of Ancient Egyptian art from the walls of the tombs. The objects from the King Tut collection are also a favorite subject of these hand-painted papyri.

If people are interested, we may also visit a perfumery with perfume oils from local Egyptian flowers. It certainly is a fun place to visit!

DAY 10 – Wednesday, October 23: FINAL DAY. Museum in Cairo, Khan El Khalili (Historic Street Bazaar), Farewell Dinner.
Hotel: No hotel is included. Meals: BB, L, D.

We have high hopes that the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) will be open at the time of these tours. Just as the name implies, this will be a world-renowned museum. It is the largest museum in Africa and will also house the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities.

If for some reason the GEM is not open yet, we will visit the Cairo Egyptian Museum.

The historic Khan El Khalili is both colorful and full of history. Enjoy your last chance at Egyptian-style bargaining (for this trip at least, we hope you will come back!) or relax and take in all the sights from one of the street cafés. This place is teeming with life, and people from all over Egypt and the world at large come to shop here.

It’s hard to believe our time has reached an end. We have a final meeting and dinner together before going our separate ways. Most people will fly home late tonight. If your flight does not leave until tomorrow morning, you will need to add an additional hotel night.

Farewell Egypt! You will continue to live in our hearts!