EGYPTIAN KINGDOM

10 OR 13 DAYSEgypt

Day 1 Flight

Overnight flight to Egypt • Relax as you fly across the Atlantic.

Day 2 Cairo

Arrival in Cairo • Touch down in Cairo, Afri-ca’s largest city. After clearing customs, you are greeted by your EF Tour Director, who will re-main with you throughout your stay. A private motorcoach then takes you to your comfortable hotel for check-in. Day 3 Cairo

Guided excursion to Memphis, Sakkara and

Giza • Your full-day guided excursion begins where Egyptian history begins: in the ancient city of Memphis, dating back to 3100 B.C. Memphis was the fi rst capital of a united Egypt. Next stop is Sakkara, site of the oldest Egyptian pyramids, including the Step Pyramid built by

Zoser during the 3rd Dynasty (c. 2980–2900 B.C.). Continue on to Giza to view the Great Pyramid of Cheops, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Narrow passageways lead to the king’s chamber, deep in the heart of the 6-million-ton mausoleum—which still remains one of the world’s largest architectural structures. Depending on restoration work in progress, you will visit either the second or third pyramid of Giza. You’ll also see the beguiling 4,500-year-old limestone Sphinx. Some believe that the man-headed lion portrays the face of Pharaoh Cheops himself.

Day 4 Cairo • Nile Cruise

Morning flight • Board your morning flight bound for Luxor.Board your Nile cruise • Arrive in Luxor, where you’ll embark on an unforgettable four-night cruise along Egypt’s legendary Nile River.

EGYPTIAN KINGDOM

Experience Egypt like the Pharaohs of old—from a cruise along the River Nile. Marvel at the treasures of Egypt’s Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, as you stare up at the Great Pyramid of Cheops, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and look into the eyes of the beguiling Sphinx. From the Temple of Horus to the Valley of the Kings, step back into a time when kings and queens were considered gods and goddesses.

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PROGRAM FEE INCLUDES: ■ Round-trip airfare

■ 3 overnight stays in hotels with private

bathrooms (plus 3 nights with extension)

■ 4 nights cabin accommodations

■ 1 night couchette accommodations

■ Breakfast and dinner daily

■ 3 meals daily during cruise

■ Full-time EF Tour Director

■ Select guides and entrances to special

attractions as per itinerary

OPTIONAL: ■ Abu Simbel

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Day 5 Nile Cruise

Sail to Edfu • Pass the Esna locks as you sail to Edfu, located on the banks of the Nile River, between Esna and Aswan. The Tem-ple of Horus, located here, is one of the best-preserved examples of a Ptolemaic temple. Near the temple, see the remains of the ancient settlement, Tell Edfu.Temple of Horus • See the Greek-built Temple of Horus in Edfu, situated on the western banks of the Nile. Dedicated to the Sky god and Pro-tector god, Horus, the 2,000-year-old temple is the second-largest in Egypt and certainly the best-preserved. The fact that the temple is so intact has helped researchers fi ll in many gaps in knowledge about the Pharaonic architecture it imitates. Marvel at its majestic statue, wall paint-ings, sacrifi cial scenes and historical inscriptions.

Day 6 Nile Cruise

Sail to Kom Ombo • Th en sail to Kom Ombo, noted for its twin sandstone temple dedicated to both the crocodile-headed god Sobek and the falcon-headed god Haroeris. Ptolemy VI be-gan building the temple around 180 B.C., but most of the work was completed under Neos Dionysos (80–51 B.C.). Sail to Luxor • Th en sail to Luxor. Nowhere else in the world have monuments from ancient civilization remained so intact. The age-old city was fi rst known as Th ebes of the Hundred Gates, an appropriate name as the town drew visitors from all over the world. Th e city’s cur-rent name dates back to the Arab conquest; the Arabs were so impressed by the grandeur of the temples that they dubbed the town Aloskor (City of Palaces).

Day 7 Nile Cruise

Optional visit to Abu Simbel • Pay tribute to the ancient Pharoahs, immortalized in stone out-side the entrance of the temples of Abu Simbel. On this optional excursion, you’ll learn how, in 1965, this majestic sanctuary was carefully relocated from its original position along the banks of the Nile to save it from rising fl oods. Inside the Great Temple of Ramses II, the walls

Visit to the Valley of the Kings • Visit the ne-cropolis of Th ebes, located on the western bank of the Nile. Then journey along an ancient road to the famed Valley of the Kings, the spec-tacular burial site used by Egyptian rulers of the New Kingdom period (1570–1070 B.C.). Six-ty-four Egyptian tombs have been discovered at this site, beginning with that of Seti I, found by Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni in 1817. Most of the tombs were carved deep into solid bedrock and were intended to preserve the royal mummies for eternity. They con-tain numerous rooms with carved and painted hieroglyphic texts and scenes. Th e last tomb discovered (1922), that of Tutankhamen of the 18th Dynasty, contained more than 5,000 items buried with the young king. To help pro-tect the tombs from the eff ects of tourism, only a small number of tombs are ever open at any one time. You’ll also view the Colossi of Mem-non and Queen Hatshepsut’s uniquely terraced tombs at Deir el-Bahari.Visit to the Temple of Luxor • Th e mysterious mile-and-a-half-long Avenue of the Sphinxes connects the Temple of Karnak with the awe-inspiring and sun-soaked Temple of Luxor. Lo-cated on the eastern bank of the Nile in the heart of the city, Luxor was built as a mere chapel to complement the Great Temple of Karnak but comprises royal courts, ram-headed sphinxes, pillared gates and porticoes. You’ll also see the fa-mous pink granite obelisk, whose mate was taken to Paris in Napoleonic times. In 1799, French soldiers were so awed by the sight of the temple that they immediately—and spontaneously—fell into rank and saluted it!Visit to the Temple of Karnak • Experience unparalleled grandeur as you visit Karnak, a vast and monumental city of temples. The sacred barks of the divinities were once brought up the Nile to be delivered here during religious ceremonies. The enormous complex consists of royal courts, papyrus columns, gigantic pylons, pillared sanctuaries, festival halls, tem-ples, chapels and colossal statues of kings. Try to decipher a hieroglyph or two!

highlight the lives of Ramses, the Pharoah who reigned over Egypt from 1290 to 1224 B.C., and his wife, Nefertari, telling vivid stories of battles won and lost in 1300 B.C.

Day 8 Aswan • Night Train

Aswan High Dam and granite quarries •

See the 3,800-meter-long Aswan High Dam, built to tame the Nile. Th is is one of the great-est engineering feats of the 20th century. You’ll also see the granite quarries and unfinished obelisk of Aswan, from which ancient Egyptians obtained the materials needed for their temples and sarcophagi. Overnight train to Cairo • Board an overnight train bound for Cairo.

Day 9 Cairo

Arrival in Cairo • Return to Cairo.Guided sightseeing of Cairo • Your guid-ed tour of Cairo takes you to the spectacular mosques, monuments and minarets of Sultan Hassan, Rifai and Mohammed Ali as you jour-ney to the 12th-century Citadel (entrance fee to Mohammed Ali mosque is included). On a clear day, you’ll have a panoramic view of the Nile and the Pyramids. Join your tour director for a treasure hunt at Khalili market.Visit to the Egyptian Museum • You’ll also visit the Egyptian Museum, containing the larg-est and most comprehensive collection of Phara-onic art in the world. Here, you can view the extraordinary treasures discovered in King Tut-ankhamen’s tomb—including his gold mask.

Day 10 Home

Return home • Your tour director assists with the transfer to the airport, where you’ll check in for your return fl ight home.

EXTENSION

Day 10 Cairo • Alexandria

Transfer to Alexandria • Alternatively, your

YOUR CURRICULUM ON A GLOBAL SCALE efcollegestudytours.com

ITN0108EGYAItinerary subject to change. 2010/Spring

group can extend its stay for three days. Transfer to the Mediterranean coastal city of Alexandria. Egypt’s second-largest metropolis was founded by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C.

Day 11 Alexandria

Tour director-led sightseeing of Alexandria •

Your tour director, also a professional Egyptolo-gist, introduces you to Alexandria, which served as Egypt’s capital for over a millennium. You’ll visit the white-marble Greco-Roman theater, the only one of its kind ever found in Egypt. Your next stops are the royal Montaza Gardens and

Pompey’s Pillar, a marble monument brought to Alexandria from Aswan. Alexandria has borne a strong Roman infl uence ever since Rome de-feated Egypt in 31 B.C.

Day 12 Alexandria • Cairo

Transfer to Cairo • Return to Cairo for one more night.

Day 13 Home

Return home • Your tour director assists with your early morning transfer to the airport, where you’ll check in for your return fl ight home.

For complete fi nancial and registration details,

please refer to the Booking Conditions.

Cert no. SW-COC-002508