This is a tour designed for families with children ranging in age from preschool to teens. While the program features introduction to the major historic sites of Egypt it does so in a “hands on” environment by exposing them (the children) to a living history example of what life was like in ancient Egypt for both the royal families and the workers. Instead of being “tombed out” by repetitious visitations to places that after a few days all resemble one another, they are transported in time to relive the adventure and thrill of events as they occurred.  Not only that, but they will be entertained by camel rides into the desert, sailing on the Nile in a Felucca (native sailboat), entering a pyramid and feeling the mystery, climbing around old fortresses and perhaps, should you desire, a hot air balloon ride over the Necropolis of Thebes. They will come to know the sophisticated city children of Cairo and the village children of upper Egypt (plus if you elect a visit to the Sinai,

exposure to life as the nomadic Bedouin live it).

And yet they will have time to enjoy the family oriented first class hotels, chosen especially for this tour, that offer not only fine accommodations but giant swimming pools, entertainment centers, playgrounds and all kinds of sports activities.

Regardless of anything else it is the guide who makes a trip special.  Your guides are all fathers and grandfathers, men who have raised children and know their moods and levels of interest and understanding plus how to keep them entertained.

While each of these tours are custom designed just for your family a sample tour would be:

9 days/8 nights (Cairo, Aswan, Luxor)

Day 01:  Arrive Cairo, be met by our staff who will assist with clearing immigration and customs and transfer you to a five star hotel for the evening. O/N Cairo.

Day 02:  A visit to the Pharaonic Village.  This living history museum and educational village offers children of all ages something to learn. You will enjoy a short boat ride on the Nile to an island filled with adventure and entertainment including a complete reproduction of King Tut’s tomb as it was discovered, interactive live action representations of ancient Egypt and more. O/N Cairo. (B)

Day 03:  A morning tour of the Giza Plateau with the seventh wonder of the world, Cheops Pyramid and the inscrutable Sphinx.  Then on to the Egyptian museum where you will view the Pharaohs treasures and the mummy room (don’t get to close or one might grab you), then on to the Khan el Khalili bazaar where travelers have found bargains since the middle ages. Then depart on the first class overnight sleeper train about 8PM for Aswan. O/N train. (B, D)

Day 04:  Arriving Aswan our staff will transfer you to the beautiful Basma Hotel.  Located on the highest elevation in the area it offers commanding views of the Nile river, the desert and the city of Aswan.

Featuring a giant pool, entertainment and activity center.  Walk across the street to the Nubian Museum, a world class presentation on the Nubian history and culture.

Take a horse drawn carriage down the hill to the famous historic Old Cataract hotel, where Agatha Christie lived while writing her novel “Death on the Nile”.  Visit the local souk and have an artist apply “Henna” tattoo's (they come off).  O/N Basma.

Day 05: Step aboard your Felucca, native sailboat, for a ride across the Nile to the west bank where you will climb on a ship of the desert (camel) for a 30-45 minute ride in the desert to St. Simeons monastery. This abandoned fortress monastery near the Aga Khan Mausoleum on the west bank at Aswan is considered to be notably typical of early Christian Monasteries, and was one of the largest Coptic Monasteries in Egypt, with perhaps thousands of residents. It was begun in the 6th century, but it is believed that most building took place in the 7th century. It was first dedicated to Amba Hadra (Amba Samaan, Anba Hadra) , a bishop of Aswan and saint of the late 4th century. It was said that just after his wedding, he encountered a funeral procession which inspired him to live the remainder of his life as a hermit. (Don’t guess his wife was happy about that!) The structure originally had walls ten meters (over 32 feet) tall, with keeps or towers which were used as lookout posts against enemies, and two levels. The lower level of stone is mostly intact, but the upper level of mud-brick has all but vanished. The monastery was rebuilt in the 10th century, but destroyed in 1173 by Saladin who feared that it might serve as a refuge of marauding Christian Nubians who made forays into southern Egypt.

This site has never been systematically excavated, but religious functions were centered in the lower part of the site, while living quarters and working areas were in the upper. Thick walled keeps or towers served as lookout posts, and as a last line of defense in case the outer walls were overrun. In the lower level there is some remains of early Coptic paintings on the walls. Arches within the keep also demonstrate an early form of ventilation.  Riding back to the river you will board your Felucca for a short sail to Elephantine Island which is the largest of the Aswan area islands, and is one of the most ancient sites in Egypt. With artifacts that date to

predynastic periods. This is probably due to its location at the first Cataract of the  Nile, which provided a natural boundary between Egypt and Nubia. As an island, it was also easily defensible. In fact, the ancient town located in the southern part of the island was also a fortress through much of it's history. At one time, there was a bridge from the mainland to the island.  

Elephantine is Greek for elephant. In ancient times, the Island, as well as the southern town, was called  Abu, or Yabu, which also meant elephant. The town has also been referenced as Kom, after it's principal god of the island, Khnum (Khnemu). It is believed that the island received it's name because it was a  major ivory trading center, though in fact, it was a major trading post of many commodities. There are large boulders in the river near the island which resembled bathing elephants, particularly from afar, and  this too has been suggested as a reason for the island's name.

The island is very beautiful, and while many of the artifacts there are in ruin, there is still considerable to  see. One of it's main attractions is it's Nilometer, which is one of only three on the Nile, which was used to  measure the water level of the Nile as late as the nineteenth century. There has been an ongoing  excavation at the town for many years by the German Archaeological Institute, and some of the finds along with many other island artifacts, including a mummified ram of Khnum, are located in the  Elephantine Museum. Another major attraction is the ruins of the Temple of Khnum. Elephantine Island  was considered to be home of this important Egyptian god, and while this structure dates back to the Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty, there

are references to a Temple of Khnum on the island as early  as the 3rd Dynasty. There are also ruins of a Temple of Satet, who was Khnum's female counterpart (the  three local deities were foremost Khnum, but also Satet and a local Nubian goddess Anqet. These gods  were worshipped here since the earliest dynasties), also build by Queen Hatshepsut, a shrine to Hekayib  from the 6th Dynasty, a local governor who was deified after his death. His cult flourished during the  middle kingdom, and some fine statues from the shrine are now in the museum. You will also find a 3rd  Dynasty granite step pyramid which is now just visible, and to the north, the mud-brick vaults of the late period which housed the bodies of the royal rams. On the south end of the island is a small one room Ptolemaic temple which was constructed from materials removed from the Kalabsha Temple. Here, there  are decorations attributed to the Nubian Pharaoh Arkamani from the 3rd century BC. The building seems to have been finished by the Romans with reference to Caesar Augustus. Other artifacts and archaeological sites have been removed or destroyed.

Prior to 1822, there were  temples of Thutmose III and Amenhotep III, both of which were relatively intact, but they were destroyed in that year by the Turkish government. A rare calendar, known as the Elephantine Calendar, dating to the  reign of Tuthmosis III, was found in fragments, and a Papyrus dating to the 13th dynasty and known as the Elephantine Papyrus was also discovered. It is unclear where these artifacts are currently located. A stela  with inscriptions commemorating the repairs made on a 12th Dynasty fortress which honored Senwosret  III was also found, and is now in the British Museum.

Elephantine Island is a beautiful place to visit, with wonderful gardens and some truly significant artifacts.  It is also a good place to spend some leisure time, wandering among the Nubian villages where the  people are friendly and the houses are often very colorful. The houses often have paintings or carvings with a crocodile at the bottom, a fish in the middle and a man on top, with a woman's hand made of brass as a door knocker between the fish and man. Others will have a sacred black cube of Mecca, with a  painting depicting the means of the owner's pilgrimage to Mecca.

Leaving Elephantine you will return to the east bank on your Felucca and spend time reflecting on the day’s events.  O/N Basma (B)

Day 06:  This morning you will depart for Luxor by train, a three hour trip or if you prefer a day trip by air-conditioned van to visit the temples at Kom Ombo and Edfu.  Arriving Luxor you will enjoy the hospitality of the Movenpick resort.  Located on an island along the Nile on the southern edge of Luxor the complex has great swimming pools, playgrounds, activities to keep you entertained and even a small zoo. O/N Movenpick. (B)

Day 07: This morning you depart for the west bank and the Necropolis of Thebes where you will see the Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Queen Hatshupsut and the valley of the Kings (care for a donkey ride?).  You will visit an alabaster factory and see how the stone is turned into various objects just as it was done thousands of years ago.  If you like we can arrange to have you start the day early with a hot air balloon ride. O/N Luxor. (B)

Day 08: The morning is free to enjoy the pool and hotel before heading out in the late afternoon for a visit to the famous Temples of Karnak and Luxor.  Then board your overnight first class sleeper train to Cairo.  O/N Train (B,D)

Day 09: Arrive Cairo about 6AM where our staff will transfer you to the airport, assist with departure formalities and checking you in for your international departure.  (B)

OR

16 days/15 nights including Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, the Sinai.

Day 08: Instead of boarding the train you will fly from Luxor to Sharm el Sheikh at the base of the Sinai peninsula.  Although it is less than an hour flight you have now left Africa and are landing in Asia!!  Staff will transfer you to the beautiful Ghazala hotel, right on the beach at Naama Bay in the heart of the Red Sea Riviera.  Free day to enjoy the sights. O/N Ghazala (B)

Day 09: A day at the beach where you can snorkel or snuba.  (Snuba is a way to dive without tanks by using a compressor on the surface to supply air via a hose to a regulator.  This way you do not have to surface for air and can go down up to 20-30 feet if you desire). O/N Ghazala (B)

Day 10: Depart in the morning for the famous Sinai mountains.

"...a journey through Feiran is to

      pass through an entire chapter

      of the Old Testament itself..."

Few places are as steeped in Biblical mystery as the great Wadi Feiran-the Sinai's largest wadi and one of it's most archeologically important stretches of terrain. It was here, according to locals, scholars, and legend, that Moses struck a rock with his staff, bringing forth a spring so his people could drink. Feiran is also the site of Rafadim, the fabled oasis where the Hebrews camped and battled the Amelecites.

For the pilgrims and believers who have been coming to this wadi for centuries, a journey through Feiran is to pass through an entire chapter of the Old Testament itself, Exodus 17. Given such prominence in the Old Testament, it is no surprise that Feiran is littered with the ruins of dozens of ancient churches; some dating back to the 4th century AD, when Feiran began to develop into a major religious center for monks and pilgrims, many on their way to Mt. Sinai and St. Catherine Monastery further east.

The Wadi's chief religious sites are the rock from which Moses drew water, which convention places at the western entrance to the oasis, and Mount Tahoun, which Moses supposedly used as an observation point to view  the battle with the Amelecites. Atop the mountain is an ancient cross, and the ruins of a small church dating back to the 4th century.

As captivating as the Wadi's biblical lore, are its natural spectacles. Chief among these is the Oasis of Feiran, the largest oasis in all of Sinai. The heart of the oasis is a spectacular and luxuriant sprawl of palms that stretches over four kilometers in length, the reason why Feiran is called the "Pearl of Sinai." Along the edges of the oasis and the wadi are the dramatic, often sheer cliffs of the wadi wall, which contribute to the valley's secretive and  paradisiacal atmosphere. Drive on to end the day at the foot of Mt. Sinai in St. Catherines village. O/N Mt. Sinai (B)

Day 11: Rise well before dawn and climb Mt. Sinai to see the sunrise on the mountain where God gave Moses the 10 commandments.  Return to the base to visit St. Catherines monastery and the Chapel of the Burning Bush.

Located at the foot of Mount Moses, St. Catherine's Monastery, was constructed by order of the Emperor Justinian between 527 and 565. It is built around what is thought to be Moses' Burning Bush, which has a chapel built atop it. It is a spectacular natural setting for priceless works of art, including Arab mosaics, Greek and Russian icons, Western oil paintings, paintings on wax, fine sacerdotal ornaments, marbles, enamels, chalices, reliquaries, including one donated by Czar Alexander II in the 19th century, and another by Empress Catherine of Russia in the 17th century. But of perhaps even greater significance is that it is the second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts (The Vatican has the largest). The collection consists of some 3,500 volumes in Greek, Coptic, Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew, Slavic, Syriac, Georgian and other languages. Around the year 1850, the fourth century Codex Sinaiticus, which is now in the British Museum in London, was discovered here. The Monastery even has a small 10th or 11th century mosque which was probably built to appease the Islamic authorities of the time. There is also a small chapel (the Chapel of St. Triphone, also known as the Skull House) which houses the skulls of deceased monks.

St. Catherine's has a rich history indeed. So rich that it is a sparkling example of an undiscovered Jewel of travel. It has been called the oldest working Christian monastery, though St. Anthony's predates it, and the smallest diocese in the world. The Monastery was originally ordered built by Empress Helen, the mother of Constantine the Great, but was actually built by Emperor Justinian to house the bones of St. Catherine of Alexandria. St. Catherine, whose body was reportedly carried away by angels, was discovered five hundred years later at the top of the peek that now bears her name. Her relics are stored in a marble reliquary in the Basilica. We have additional pictures of this church, and of its interior.

St. Catherine's is also a formidable fortification, with granite walls 40 to 200 feet tall, surrounded by gardens and cypresses. Prior to probably the twentieth century, the only entrance to St. Catherine's was a small door 30 feet above ground, where provisions and people where lifted with a system of pulleys, and where food was often lowered to nomads. It has withstood numerous attacks over its 14 hundred year existence thus protecting a rich store of art, and today, while it is one of the oldest monasteries in the world, it’s original, preserved state is unmatched.

Though established and patronized most of its history by the Russian Orthodox Church, it is now under the auspices of  the Greek Orthodox Church. Most of its monks are also of Greek origin. Departing St. Catherines travel to the Rock of Inscriptions where travelers have left messages and directions for over 5000 years.  Visit Ein Kudra, the Hazarot of the Children of Israel.  Then either camp overnight Beduin style or retire to a nice hotel at Nuweiba on the Gulf of Aqaba. (B)

Day 12: A visit to the colored canyon then head back to Sharm el Sheikh to overnight. O/N Ghazala (B)

Day 13:  Fly to Cairo in the morning or have a free day at the beach. Overnight in Cairo or Sharm depending on your decision. (B)

Day 14: Fly to Cairo in the morning and tour Old Cairo with it’s famous churches, synagogues and mosques including the Church of Abu Serga (St.

Sergius) is a 4th Century church, dedicated to two early martyrs and supposedly built on the spot where the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary and the infant Christ, rested at the end of their journey into Egypt. They may have lived here while Joseph worked at the fortress. However, the church is dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, who were soldier-saints that were

martyred during the 4th century in Syria by Maximilan. The original building was probably done during the 5th century. It was burned during the fire of Fustat during the reign of Marwan II around 750. It was then restored during the 8th century, and has been rebuilt and restored constantly since medieval times, however it is still considered to be a model of the early Coptic churches. Again, the most precious and ancient of the icons are on the southern wall. A vast central hall is divided into three naves by two rows of pilasters. In much the same style as the Hanging Church, Abu Serga has 12 unique columns decorated with paintings of the Apostles. This church resembles religious structures in Constantinople and Rome. The main attraction, situated directly under the choir, is the crypt. This crypt contains the remains of the original church where tradition says the Holy Family lived. Originally  this crypt was the sanctuary, but became the crypt after the larger church was built. O/N Cairo. (B)

Day 15: A day tour to Fayoum or to Alexandria or a day to simply relax and enjoy your surroundings.

Day 16: Our staff will transfer you to the airport, assist with departure formalities and checking in for your international departure.

This tour is available year round with a minimum party of two.

Tour cost: Tour cost: Email us or call 1 (877) 778-3497 for current pricing.