Nov 2014 Tour to Egypt Itinerary

Journey of a Lifetime Retreat Tour to Egypt
November 1st – 17th 2014

(All activities listed below will happen, but maybe not necessarily in the order stated! Be prepared – spontaneous changes are part of the fun and surprise activities are guaranteed when you take a tour to Egypt with us.)

Day 1, Saturday, Nov 1 – Arrive Cairo/Welcome Dinner

Arrive at Cairo Airport where you will be met by your Quest Travel Tour Managers. They will assist you through customs before transferring you to your luxury accommodations at the Mena House Hotel in Giza. This beautiful hotel is right next door to the Pyramids which is a great introduction to your journey. From the moment you get off the plane you will have the feeling of beginning to relax. You are on Egypt Time now and ahead of you is 17 days of wonderment, adventure, excitement, laughter, and rejuvenation. We’ll get together this evening and enjoy our first dinner together on your Journey of a Lifetime tour to Egypt. (Dinner)

Day 2, Sunday, Nov 2 — Giza Plateau/Sphinx / Great Pyramid

We begin our day very early with a special private and exclusive visit to the Giza Plateau, when the area is closed to the public so it will be just our group. Listen closely as you awaken before Sunrise. As you reluctantly come alive, you will hear the incredible sounds of the entire city being called to prayer. Listen to the cacophony of sound– Feel the energy of the dawn spirits. We are off to discover some of the most awesome Wonders of the World to touch them and to feel them – the Great Sphinx, the Pyramids and the Valley Temple of Chephren on the Giza Plateau.

We study them and pay particular attention to the Sphinx. There is nothing more awe inspiring than to stand between the mighty paws of the Sphinx and gaze up at its wondrous face as the first rays of sunshine break over the horizon. Our guide, who is an encyclopaedia of Egyptology, will give us detailed examinations of various controversial theories surrounding these amazing structures.

After an invigorating Sunrise we are back to our hotel for a wonderful buffet breakfast.

This afternoon, we have a special private visit in the Great Pyramid where we will explore the chambers before a guided meditation in the Kings Chamber for those who would like to take part. Meditation is the best way to capture the energy of these chambers. We will activate the pyramid with sound and have the experience of tapping into the energy and harmonic resonances of this mighty structure. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 3, Monday, Nov 3 — Dahshur / Sakkara

This morning we’ll drive to Dahshur where we visit the White, Black & Red Pyramids; this area was closed for over 25 years and just opened recently for visitors and is considered to be one of the Virgin Historical sites that still keeps its own powerful energy. There will be an opportunity to climb into the Red Pyramid for those who feel fit. The pyramids at Dashur are not on the itinerary for every tour to Egypt but are an important part of the Giza Plateau. Enjoy a late lunch at a typical Egyptian restaurant in the countryside. We then visit Sakkara to view the Old Kingdom pyramids that rise on the west bank near ancient Memphis. About, 2630 B.C. Imhotep, architect to King Djoser (Dynasty III), masterminded the Steppe Pyramid at Sakkara. The world’s oldest freestanding stone structure, this pyramid consists of six tiers atop a mastaba, faced with cut stone.

We will explore the massive Sakkara complex with its numerous tombs including a visit to the awesome newly opened Serapeum that houses the massive granite sarcophagus of the Appis Bulls. The Serapeum has only been open a few months and is a very special place to visit.

On the way back to Cairo we visit one of the carpet schools where Egyptian children make handmade carpets out of their own imagination. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 4 Tuesday, Nov 4 – Meidum Pyramid/Fayoum Oasis/ Cairo Museum /Khan Il Khalili Bazaar

Meidum Pyramid

This morning we take a short trip to Fayoum Oasis to explore the Meidum Pyramid. The pyramid of Meidum was originally a seven-stepped pyramid but was enlarged to an eight-stepped pyramid. Eventually the steps were filled in and a smooth outer facing turned it into a true pyramid. Sadly at some point the outer casing of the pyramid collapsed. It is a huge structure that is surrounded by the debris from the casing that collapsed. When the casing collapsed is uncertain. The pyramid stands on the desert’s edge and is the only structure in the vicinity.The Meidum Pyramid is thought to have been started by Huni, the last ruler of the third Dynasty, and then completed by his son, Sneferu who was the first Fourth Dynasty pharaoh (2613 – 2494 BCE). This pyramid is rarely on the tourist trail but is well worth a visit. If time permits, we will also explore the nearby Fayoum Oasis.

After lunch we return to Cairo to visit the Cairo Museum in downtown Cairo.

Our Egyptologist will guide us through this famous museum with a collection of over 200,000 ancient Egyptian artefacts, dating back to 4,000 BC. Visiting the museum is an opportunity to see the statues and artefacts that originally were located in the temples, this paints a fuller picture when you go the temples, like seeing the original furniture designed for a house in ancient Egypt. There you will also experience first-hand the different periods of ancient Egypt and the individual artistic and architectural styles of each period.

One of the many highlights of this museum is the visit to the treasures of Tut-Ankh-Amun. Stand before the breathtakingly beautiful gold death mask and marvel at the treasures that travelled with this boy king to the afterlife.

There will be time to explore the museum on your own and to feel the sometimes eerie presence of energies from the past that still linger within the statues.

Shopping in Khan il Khalili Markets Cairo

After our visit to the Museum, we will take some time out to visit the local shopping area for some retail therapy Egyptian style and we will also visit the famous Khan il Khalili Markets in Downtown Cairo. Soak up the local atmosphere and mix with the locals. No tour to Egypt is complete without visiting this famous location. (Breakfast, Lunch)

 

Day 5 Wednesday, Nov 5 – Cairo to Abu Simbel

This morning we check out of our hotel and take our Egypt Air flight to Abu Simbel. Upon arrival we will check into our hotel the Seti I which is right on the lake. We will have lunch together and then your afternoon is free to enjoy this peaceful hotel. Tonight you may like to get your first taste of the amazing temples at Abu Simbel that have been hewn out of a mountain for Ramses II during the optional Sound and Light Show. (Breakfast, Lunch,Dinner)

Day 6 Thursday Nov 6 – Abu Simbel to Aswan and Afandina

We are up before the Sun this morning to explore the temples at Abu Simbel.These magnificent temples are both an ancient and a modern engineering marvel. The Abu Simbel temples are the symbols of an international salvage campaign in the 1960s to save these monuments from the rising waters of the mighty Aswan Dam. These temples are truly magnificent and a very special moment is quietly watching the Sun rise on the lake and seeing the sunlight on the Temples. See the Temple for Ramses II and the beautiful temple for his wife Nefertari. Our Egyptologist guide will assist us to see us to see the full beauty of these temples through translating the images on the walls and giving us the history of the temples and of Ramses the Great.

After breakfast we take a short flight to Aswan. Aswan city is considered to be everyone’s favourite Egyptian city because it is beautiful and peaceful.It is called the “Pearl of Egypt”. We then check into our beautiful private Yacht “Afandina”. Afandina will be our very own private luxury floating hotel for the next 8 days. We will discover not only the temples along the Nile River but all the many surprises that lie hidden along the banks of the Nile River that large cruise boats do not get to see. This part of your tour to Egypt will be an unforgetable experience as your relax into the lulling beauty that is the majestic Nile River.

The Afandina is a traditional sailing vessel of the Nile known as a dhahabeya. Dhahabeyas have travelled the length and breadth of the Nile for centuries and today it reminds us of a world from long ago when life was gentle and time seemed to stand still. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar are said to have honeymooned on a dhahabeya. This gorgeous sailing boat, with an almost 1:1 ratio of staff to guests, will be our home for the next 8 days. The Afandina, boasting incredible materials, workmanship and design, is a truly world-class experience that harkens back to an earlier era of travel. Nothing can prepare you for the magic of sailing the Nile on the Afandina. Enjoy 5 star comfort sleeping in beds that have been borrowed from the clouds. Your private chef will tempt you with sumptuous and delicious organic Egyptian cuisine.

There are a total of 8 cabins for guests arranged strictly on a twin share basis so bring a friend with you.

• Each cabin has its own private bathroom and shower

  

  Double or Twin Cabins on Afandina with Ensuite to all Cabins

• Each cabin offers a fresh air screened window
• Each cabin equipped with TV, mini bar, air-conditioned self-control, and safe deposit box
• Each cabin is equipped with alarm and fire system
• Full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Spa Pool on sundeck one
• Oriental tent on sundeck two
• Sound system in public areas on both decks

  

  Relax on Afandina as You Sail the Nile River on Your 8 Day Nile Cruise

• Living room that offers LCD TV screen, DVD, library that carries the best historical books
• Four channels Satellite
• Internet access for an additional fee
• Safety life jacket in each cabin for each person

There is plenty to keep you entertained as we gently sail the Nile stopping at will at various sites and points of interest along the way discovering not only Ancient Egypt but also the real Egypt of today. The next 8 days will truly be magical as you relax and settle into the rhythm that is life on the beautiful Nile River. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Day 7, Friday, Nov 7 – Philae Temple / Isis

We rise very early this morning and take a short coach ride to the lakeshore and transfer to a motorboat. We travel on the Nile River to the island of Philae where we will visit the Philae Temple privately. This island represents a fusion of three great civilizations – Egyptian, Greek and Roman. The presence of Isis is felt very strongly in the inner sanctum, the Holy of Holies of her temple. We’ll take ample time here to experience the healing energy of Isis and her lovely island complex. Visiting this temple at Dawn is one of the highlights of the Journey of a Lifetime Tour of Egypt that you will remember for a very long time. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner).

Day 8, Saturday, Nov 8– Kom Ombo Temple

Columns at Kom Ombo Temple

Relax on deck as we sail to Kom Ombo. There, we visit the only dual temple in Egypt. This dramatic temple poised between the edge of the river and the encroaching desert sand was dedicated to two gods – Sobek the crocodile god of strength, fortitude, fertility and rebirth, and Horus the hawk-headed son of Isis and Osiris. We will dock our dhahabeya at an island near Kom Ombo for the night. (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner)

Day 9, Sunday, Nov 9 – Edfu Temple

We continue sailing to Edfu, where we will visit the Temple of Horus, one of the most beautifully preserved in Egypt. Here, we follow the pattern of the hero’s quest as we learn how Horus and his followers (the Shemsu Hor) conquered chaos, and we see the sacred marriage of the king and queen as the embodiment of Horus and the goddess Hathor. Look forward to a very powerful meditation in this temple. The side chambers of the temple show the complexity of the rites that include a healing chamber, a perfumery, and singer’s rooms. One chamber, called the House of Life, stored all of the sacred texts used in seasonal and daily rituals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) .

Day 10, Monday, Nov 10 – Esna Temple

Today we sail on to Esna. The temple of Esna is dedicated to the creative triad of Khnum, Neith and their offspring Hak or Sobek. The site is a prime example of the power of the Nile at inundation. Its hieroglyphs have only partially been translated, and thus the temple represents the mystery and power of an as yet untranslated text. Overnight at Esna on our dhahabeya the Afandina. (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Day 11, Tuesday, Nov 11 — The Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, Colossi of Memnon

This morning we make a sunrise pilgrimage to Deir el Bahari, the funerary temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut. We also visit the Necropolis of Thebes on the West Bank of the Nile. The West Bank holds the tombs of the pharaohs that are inscribed with sacred transformative texts, including the books of knowing light and dark, the book of what is in the underworld, the book of caverns, and naming and taming the hours of the night. Here are the tombs of Ramses III and VII. We will also see the mortuary temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner).

Day 12, Wednesday Nov 12 — Dendera/Abydos/Afandina

See the Beautiful Hathor Columns at Dendera

Today on our Journey of a Lifetime tour to Egypt, we travel to the exquisite Dendera Temple dedicated to Hathor, the goddess of abundance, love and joy. The temple is built with a zodiacal ceiling that recalls the origins of Egypt. The wall paintings here are absolutely beautiful with many of the colours still visible despite the passing of thousands of years. The massive columns are dedicated to Hathor and carvings of Hathor are everywhere in the Temple.

Today you will discover life in modern day Egypt as we pass through small villages where they are still practicising many of the old ways that have been passed down through the ages over thousands of years.

We then continue north to the temple at Abydos, dedicated to Osiris,

The Temples at Abydos Have Some of the Best Painted Walls in Egypt Where Many of the Original Colours Are Still Evident

and housing the nine great beings (the Ennead). This temple rests next to and above the most ancient Osirion, one of the premier power places on the planet. Here you will see the famous carving of the flower of life that is said to hold within it all the keys to modern day geometry. Abydos includes a more recent temple built by Seti I, which contains the most beautiful Bas reliefs of any temple in Egypt.

No tour to Egypt is complete without a visit to both these exquisite temples (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner).

Day 13, Thursday, Nov 13 — Karnak / Luxor Temple

The next stop on the Journey of a Lifetime Tour to Egypt is Karnak. Karnak, is one of the largest temple complexes in the world. Karnak recalls us to the powerful acts of creation, of beginning anew, and of building on the divine plan. It has been home for more than 3,500 years to the living statue of the lioness goddess, Sekhmet. We will visit her temple privately. Many who visit this temple are deeply moved by the beauty and the unexplained energy in the chamber.

We visit the Luxor Temple in the stillness of the evening. This temple really comes to life under lights at night. Feel the powerful energy within you as you wander through the ancient hallways touching the stones as you go. This temple is known as the Temple of Man and has a rich history that our Egyptologist Guide will bring to life as he guides you through the many halls of this temple. See the massive statues of Ramses II.(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner)

Day 14, Friday, Nov 14 — Luxor / Hurghada

Today we depart Luxor and the Afandina and drive to Hurghada on the Red Sea where we will check into our 5 star resort for 2 days of rest and play. (Breakfast).

Villa at the Sahl Hasheesh Oberoi Resort Hotel Hurghada

Day 15, Saturday, Nov 15 – Hurghada

Today is at leisure to enjoy the resort – snorkel in the Red Sea or spend some relaxing time in the Day Spa. Perhaps you might like to take the optional tour to the Beduoin Village to discover how they live in the desert. (Breakfast)

Day 16, Sunday, Nov 16 – Hurghada to Cairo

This afternoon we return to Cairo and check into the Mena House hotel. Tonight we will enjoy our farewell dinner together to reflect on our experiences during the past 16 days (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 17, Monday, Nov 17 – Transfer to Airport

Following breakfast, check out of your hotel before being transferred to the Cairo International Airport for your journey home. (Breakfast)

 

There are many tours to Egypt available but our tour to Egypt is the ultimate Journey of a Lifetime. On this Tour to Egypt you will not only discover Egypt both ancient and modern and have a great and memorable holiday, but you will also rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit and return home with a new outlook on your life.  Our aim is to ensure that the experience and the memories that you take home with you will have you wanting to return to Egypt for another visit and to bring your friends and family with you.

Click the link below to contact us to find out how you can reserve your place on this fabulous Journey of a Lifetime Retreat Tour to Egypt.