This is a tour for those who have earned the right to enjoy the finer details of life. You will be treated like visiting royalty from the moment of arrival until departure. Only the finest transportation, top hotels, most experienced and entertaining guides plus an introduction to Egypt’s elite society are all part of this tour.

A sample tour is:

Day 01: Arriving Cairo you will be met by our staff who will assist with clearing immigration and customs and transfer you to the Four Seasons (or similar).

Day 02: A full day tour to Memphis, Sakkarra (including Hormoheb Tomb), and Dahshur with it’s fantastic Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid. Dahshur forms the southernmost area of the Memphis Necropolis and contains a number of pyramid complexes and monuments. Dahshur has only recently been opened to the public, having been a military zone until 1996. As a result, the area is not as developed commercially as Giza, and there is a certain peace and tranquility to the site still. It is most noteworthy for being the site that best demonstrates the change from the "step" pyramid to the "true" pyramid that occurred during the Third and Fourth Dynasties.

The Third Dynasty Pharaoh Huni began construction on a true pyramid at Meidum, utilizing a step pyramid as a base for the construction. But it was his son, Sneferu (2613-2589 BC), first Pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, who would take monument-building to a new level. Sneferu began by completing the work on his father's pyramid, then constructed a step pyramid of his own at Meidum. Yet once it was completed, Sneferu had a design for a new monument, utilizing what he had learned in his previous efforts.

 Sneferu's second pyramid was to be a true pyramid from the beginning, unlike Huni's, which had been built around a step pyramid "core." Unfortunately, Sneferu's plans were curtailed. As construction neared the halfway point, the angle of the sides was reduced from the steep 54° to a gentler 43°. It is thought that this was done to alleviate stresses that had become evident in the lower part of the pyramid, either in the foundation blocks or the ground underneath. This resulted in a rhomboid or "bent" silhouette, and makes Sneferu's pyramid the most distinct structure at Dahshur.  It is also distinct for another reason: it still has much of its outer casing intact. 

No doubt dissatisfied with a pyramid that appeared to "hesitate" on its rise to the heavens, Sneferu began construction on a second pyramid approximately two kilometers to the north. This is the famous "Red Pyramid" (named for the red limestone used in its construction), the oldest true pyramid in Egypt and the immediate predecessor of the pyramids that would come later. It has a slope angle of 43°, and is second in size only to the Great Pyramid at Giza, built by Sneferu's son Khufu. In fact, the Great Pyramid is a mere 10 meters larger than the Red Pyramid. When completed, it must have been an incredible sight, for its name translates to "The Shining Pyramid." Lunch at Andrea’s or the Sakkarra Country Club. (B,L,D)

Day 03: A full days tour to the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Solar Boat museum and the Egyptian Museum and it’s famous mummies room, with time to enjoy lunch at El Arabesque, a historic, classic, Egyptian restaurant. Dinner as you watch the sunset over the river on the Nile Maxim cruising restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 04: Full day tour of the Citadel of Salah el Din, Islamic Cairo & Gayer Anderson house. Designed by the Greek architect Yussuf Bushnaq, The Mohammed Ali (Alabaster) Mosque in the Citadel was begun in 1830 (finished in 1857) in the Ottoman style by Mohammed Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt, and founder of the country's last dynasty of Khedives and Kings. The mosque is the Tomb of Mohammed Ali and is also known as the Alabaster Mosque because of the extensive use of this fine material from Beni Suef. Its two slender 270 foot minarets are unusual for Cairo

 From the arcaded courtyard, visitors have a magnificent view across the city to the pyramids in Giza. Just off the courtyard is the vast prayer hall with an Ottoman style dome which is 170 feet above. The parapet to the southwest offers a good view of the Sultan Hassan and Ibn Tulun Mosques and of Cairo itself. Perhaps because of its location, it is one of the most frequented Mosques by tourists.

Just across from the Mohammed Ali Mosque, the An-Nasir Mohammed Mosque is the best preserved Mameluke building and was once the principle mosque within the Citadel. Constructed in 1335 by Sultan an-Nasir Mohammed as a congregational mosque, it has two unique minarets topped in a pincushion design with glazed faience decoration and is all that remains of the Sultan's massive building program within the Citadel. There are two entrances to the mosque. One entrance was used by the soldiers, and is in the form of a trilobite arch, while the other, used exclusively by the Sultan, has an inscribed arch decorated with stalactites. Within the mosque, there was once marble panels, but these were removed by Sultan Selim I and sent to Istanbul in 1517. Within the arcaded courtyard, many of the columns were derived from pharaonic, Roman and Byzantine buildings, but seem to fit together surprisingly well as a whole. The restored qiblah has a large dome, and the wooden ceiling and stalactites make this mosque well worth a visit.

Built by Ahmed Ibn Tulun in 879 (265 H), the Ibn Tulun Mosque in the Sayyedah Zeinab district has an atmosphere of tranquility unlike that of any other mosque in the city. Ahmed Ibn Tulun was sent to govern Cairo by the Abbasid Caliph in Baghdad, which explains the Mesopotamian influence. It is the oldest original mosque and the largest in Egypt. It incorporates a number of unique features, such as the external spiral staircase of the unusual minaret (the only one of its type in Egypt) which is similar to the famous Samarra Mosque in Mesopotamia. Its design is simple, consisting of an open sahn with an ablution fountain in the center, surrounded by four riwaqs, the largest being the Qiblah riwaq.

There are five naves on the Qiblah side (the side facing Mecca), and two on the remaining sides. The building style follows that of the Abbasid type, characterized by pilasters on which slightly pointed arches are applied, and which have a slight inward curve at the bottom. The rectangular building surrounding the sahn has a rampart walk and the high walled additions (Ziyyadahs) are found on the south, west and north. Within the prayer niche, or mihrab, constructed of marble and gilded mosaic and bordered by four columns with leaf like crowns, is a wonderful pulpit, or minbar of 13th (Marmeluke) century origin. Many of the 13th century restorations were carried out by Sultan Lajin, who at one point took refuge in the mosque and vowed to restore it. The stone carvings on the interior walls are elegant and the designs of the roundels {128 latticed windows made of gypsum} are distinct and unusual.

 Running around the interior of the four arcades are original Koranic inscriptions carved in sycamore. It was used as a military hospital by Ibrahim Pasha during the 19th century and was later used as a salt warehouse and beggar's prison prior to its restoration in 1918.

The Gayer-Anderson Museum, in the Ibn Tulun area, was founded in 1937 in two ancient residences. They are the Beit el-Kiridiliya from 1632 and the Beit Amna Bent Salim from 1540. The museum includes the private collection of Major Gayer-Anderson, (a retired English Major) who in the 1930’s and 40’s refurbished the two mansions. He filled them with his collection of Orientalist furniture, glassware, crystal, carpets, silks and embroidered Arab costumes. It presents an excellent example of what life was like for wealthy merchants in Egypt in the 1700’s. If you are a movie buff or James Bond fan you might remember this museum from a tryst and murder in the film “The Spy Who Loved Me”. Lunch at Rossini. Cocktails and dinner at the Cairo Capital Club (Cairo’s most exclusive club). O/N Cairo. (B,L,D) 

Day 05: Visit to Old Cairo including its famous churches and synagogues including The Hanging Church (El Muallaqa, Sitt Mariam, St Mary) which derives its name from its location on top of the southern tower gate of the old Babylon fortress with its nave suspended above the passage. The church was first built, in Basilican style, near the end of the 4th century. However, at that time it is unlikely that the church would have been constructed in this location. In fact, we know that it was destroyed in the ninth century and later rebuilt, after which in 1039, it is known that the Coptic patriarchate was moved from Alexandria and seated in this church. 

The church consists of a courtyard surrounded by two wings with pointed arches, and a long aisle lined with marble columns. In the eastern wing, there are three altars (haykals) with beautiful ebony and ivory inlaid wooden screens. The center alter is dedicated to Christ, while the left sanctuary is dedicated to St. George and the right to St John the Baptist. On the right wall of the church as you enter are many ancient icons, including a 10th century icon of the Virgin and Child, Egyptian faces and Byzantine crowns.

The Church of Abu Serga (St. Sergius) is another 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.

Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra, c.1089-1164, was a Spanish Jewish scholar. His Bible commentaries combined traditional Jewish interpretation with a critical method of exegesis and emphasis on grammar; his philosophical work followed the Neoplatonic tendency (see NEOPLATONISM) in medieval thought. Ibn Ezra translated an astronomical work from the Arabic into Hebrew, creating a Hebrew prose style for scientific purposes. Liturgic poetry fascinated him; many of his hymns were included in the prayer book of the synagogue. Ibn Ezra traveled widely throughout his life and won many admirers. He was probably the model for Robert Browning's poem "Rabbi Ben Ezra."

One of the great Jewish scholars, theologians, and Talmudists of the past century, Solomon Schechter, b. Romania, Dec. 7, 1847, d. Nov. 19, 1915, was a spokesman for Conservative Judaism in the United States. In 1896, while teaching at Cambridge University, England, he discovered a Genizah (archive) in the Cairo synagogue that contained more than 100,000 manuscripts, one of which he identified as an original fragment of the Book of Wisdom. From 1902 until his death, Schechter served as president of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In 1913 he founded the United Synagogue of America, which eventually
encompassed 850 Conservative congregations. Lunch at a beautiful restaurant and dinner at Justines or Les Trefles. O/N Cairo. (B,D)

Day 06: Full day to Tanis / Tel Basta. Though no longer, Tanis was an important City in the pharaonic period. It is located just outside the town of San al-Hagar which is about 44 miles northeast of Zagazig. Many believe that this was the Biblical city from which the Exodus began, but many will also remember it as the location where Indiana Jones discovered the 'Lost Ark' in the movie.

Tanis was called Djane by the Egyptians and Zoan by the Hebrews. We believe it was founded around the time of the 20th Dynasty and became the capital of the Fourteenth Nome of Lower Egypt. During the 21st and 22nd Dynasties, it became the capital of Egypt. However, to due flooding problems, it declined during the Roman occupations, and by the 14th century, the region was deserted.

 The current nearby town of San al-Hagar was founded in 1821 as a result of land reclamation. The site has been under excavation since 1722, first by a French priest, Father Claude Sicard, who discovered the site, and then Flinders Petrie, Pierre Montet, who discovered the royal necropolis of the kings of the third Intermediate period, then Jean Yoyotte, Philippe Brissaud, and the work continues on today.

Leading to the main temple, the Gate of Shoshenq III, which has no foundation, is approached from an avenue bordered by carved stone blocks and fragments of colossi of Ramses II. The gate itself is made from carved blocks removed from other sites. The pink granite triad is of Re, Ramses and Ptah-Tatenen, and beyond that are the remains of the columns of Ramses II. There are double mud brick walls around the temple. The inner wall was built by Psusennes I, while the outer was built during the 30th Dynasty.

Inside the remains of the walls, little is left of the temple complex of Amun. The necropolis is inside the walls built by Psusennes, and contain 21st and 22nd Dynasty tombs. These include, from south to north, three unknown tombs built of material removed from other sites, the Tomb of Osorkon II, Psusennes I, and Shoshenq III. Osorkon II's tomb contains a large granite sarcophagus of of Osorkon II, and the sepulcher of Prince Hornakht, his son. One chamber within the tomb is also that of Takelot II.

The antechamber to the Tomb of Psusennes I is reached by a vertical shaft, and is decorated with images of protective gods, including one where Psusennes I is shown worshipping Osiris. Artifacts from several kings are found within the tomb. In the antechamber is a sepulcher of Heqakheperre Shoshenq, apparently a king we know little or nothing about. Rooms leading off the antechamber contain the kings Psusennes and Amenemope, but the room where Amenemope was buried was intended for Queen Mutnedjemet. Other chambers contain the sepulcher of Ankhefenmut and General Wundebawdjed.

The Tomb of Shoshenq III is built from 21st Dynasty carved limestone blocks, mostly removed from other locations. In fact, the King's own sarcophagi was taken from another site. The Tomb is reached though a shaft, and in the burial chamber are scenes from the Book of the Dead and the Book of Night.

There are several other Temples in the vicinity. North of the Amun Temple is what remains of the Temple of Nectanebo, dedicated to Khonsu. To the east and outside the Psusennes walls is the small Temple of the East, which has palm columns removed from of Ramses II origins. To the south and opposite the gate of Ptolemy I is a 30th Dynasty temple, while to the southwest of the area is a Temple of Anta dedicated to Mut and rebuilt during the Saite and Ptolemaic periods. Excavations continue in this area, and more discoveries are being made. While little yet is known, there is also a Third Intermediate period necropolis in the area, perhaps several more temples, including one that appears to have been as large as the the the Great Temple of Amun. O/N Cairo. (B, box lunch)

Day 07: Our staff will take you to the airport, check you in for a flight to Aswan where our staff will transfer you to the Old Cataract hotel with a Nile view room. Tour to the Nubian Museum. Dinner at the 1902. O/N Old Cataract. The Old Cataract is where Agatha Christie lived while writing her novel “Death on the Nile”. King Farouk maintained an apartment in the hotel and it has hosted Presidents, Emperors and European royalty. (B,D)

Day 08 : Fly to Abu Simbel, visit the temples and return to Aswan to board the Queen of the Nile, the M/S Philae. Enjoy lunch then a felucca (native sailboat) will take you to visit the botanical gardens on Kitchener's Island and to see the Agha Khan mausoleum plus Elephantine Island. Return to the ship for afternoon tea and a cocktail reception before dinner. After dinner entertainment including dancing fills the evening. O/N Aswan (B,L,D)

Day 09: Visit the high dam, the old dam, the unfinished obelisk and the temple of Philae. Cruise to Kom Ombo where you will have lunch on board before visiting the temple. Cruise on to Edfu, have afternoon tea and dinner is an Egyptian buffet. The evening features a galabya and costume party (furnished by the ship at no charge). O/N Edfu (B,L,D)

Day 10: Visit the temple of Horus in Edfu by Caleche. Cruise to Esna and visit the temple of the god Khnum. A buffet lunch is served, the ship crosses the river locks and sails on to Luxor. En route you will enjoy a video presentation on Upper Egypt before having afternoon tea. Black tie dinner in the evening with after dinner dancing and entertainment. O/N Luxor (B,L,D)

Day 11: Visit the West bank’s Necropolis of Thebes to see the Valley of the Kings and Queens, Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon. Return for lunch and take the afternoon to relax. Afternoon tea, dinner and after dinner dancing. O/N Luxor (B,L,D)

Day 12: Visit the East bank sights including the Temples of Karnak and Luxor before returning to the ship for lunch. Sail on to Quina. Afternoon tea, dinner and dancing. O/N Quina. (B,L,D)

Day 13: Visit the temples of Dendara and Abydos by bus. Return for lunch then sail back to Luxor. Tea, Dinner, Dancing. O/N Luxor (B,L,D)

Day 14: Disembark the Cruise and transfer to the Old Winter Palace. Visit to the Luxor Museum. Dinner at the 1886. Sound and light show. (B,D)

Day 15: Visit to El Kab and El Ahmar. In general, this area is called El Kab but it is really the two ancient cities of Nekheb El Kab on the east bank of the Nile and the older Nekhen, now known as Kom el Ahmar (the Red Mound) on the opposite bank. Both cities were religious centers that date from the pre-Dynastic period. Nekheb was the Greek city of Eileithyiapolis. The City was very important prior the building of Memphis, and was later the capital of the local nome. It was the birthplace of the nobles of the Middle Empire who retook Egypt from the Hyksos invasion. The city was protected by the goddess Nekhbet (the white goddess).

There are actually two sections to Nekheb, which lies on a plain situated at the mouth of a wadi. The first is the ancient city, which is surrounded by a huge (1740 feet square), thick (38 feet thick) wall, where visitors enter from a west gate. Within lies a Roman temple and a sacred lake, which is a depression to the east of the town. In a smaller enclosure is the Temple of Nekhbet, with its several pylons, hypostyle hall in front, a mamissi (birth house) dedicated to Nekhbet (the embodiment of Hathor). The temple was begun around 2700 BC, and enlarged in by later pharaohs of the 18th through 30th dynasties, including Tuthmosis III, Amenophis II, and the Ramessids The second part of the ruins is the necropolis, which is situated on a rocky outcrop. There, the most important tombs are those of Ahmose, Renni, Paheri and Se, which date from the 18th Dynasty and the Ramesside period.

About 1 1/2 miles away at the entrance to Wadi Hellal at a place which is locally known as El-Hammam (the bath) is the Temple of Thoth. The chapel here was built by Setau, viceroy of Nubia during the rule of Ramesses II, restored by the Ptolemies, and dedicated to a number of deities. There is also a cave-temple up a nearby flight of rock hewn steps dedicated to Nekhbet, who became the lioness Hathor-Tefnut. Here there are two vestibules which finally lead into a vaulted chamber. In the early Christian period, this was converted into a Coptic monastery. Beyond this space deeper into the wadi is a rock outcrop known as Vulture Rock which has drawings and inscriptions dating as for back as pre-Dynastic times. 

Further on is the Temple of Amenhotep III, which was built by him and Tuthmosis IV, dedicated to Nekhbet-Hathor. The portico is gone, but inside are relief's that were largely destroyed by Amenhotep IV but restored by Seti I. North of here are several rock-cut tombs with good relief's.

Nekhen, also called Kom el-Ahmar, which was the Greek city of Hieraconpolis, lies on the other side of the Nile (west bank). Nekhen predates Nekhbet as the capital of the Nome. Here, there is a vast necropolis which dates from pre-Dynastic times and stretches for miles as well as the ruins of the ancient city itself. In the nearby wadis' there are tombs from the Middle and New Kingdom. Nekheny, in the form of the falcon with long plumes on his head and who was associated with Horus was worshipped as the local god. O/N Old Winter Palace. (B)

Day 16: Our staff will take you to the airport for a flight to Cairo where staff will transfer you to the Four Seasons (or similar). (B)

Day 17: Depart early for Alexandria, the city of Cleopatra, where you will visit the Greco-Roman museum, Pompey’s pillar, the Catacombs and the Montazah Palace. Lunch at San Giovanni restaurant. Return to Cairo to overnight. (B,L)

Day 18: Staff will transfer you to the airport, assist with departure formalities and checking in for your international departure.

This tour includes: Five star hotels (based on double occupancy), domestic flights within Egypt pertaining to the tour, five star cruise with outside Nile view, air-conditioned cabin with private bath (based on double occupancy), meals as outlined by B: Breakfast, L: lunch and D: dinner, ground transfers pertaining to the tour, fees for visiting antiquity sites and museums. Services of an English speaking licensed Egyptologist, air-conditioned car/driver for private tours in Cairo, Abu Simbel, Aswan and Luxor and a English speaking guide with you being part of a small group while on the cruise. Service charges and taxes. Travel Insurance for those departing from the USA or Canada.

Not included are: items of a personal nature such as entry visa (about $18), phone calls, laundry, bar bills, beverages during meals other than coffee or tea unless otherwise noted in the tour outline, any items not specifically covered in the included items.

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