Philae Colonnade
	Aswan man in white
	Luxor – Valley of the Kings doorway
	Nile felucca
	Luxor – Deir el-Medina
	Luxor – Deir el-Medina mummy
	Edfu – Falcon God
	Edfu – temple carving
	Dakhla – Al Tarfa cottage
	Farafra dunes
	Dakhla – Al Tarfa room

Tentative Itinerary
Winter 2013 (dates TBD)

Day 1

• Depart U.S. for Egypt.

Day 2

• Arrive in Cairo.
• Transfer to the Oberoi Mena House Hotel overlooking the colossal pyramids of Giza.
• Evening on your own.

Day 3

• Morning visit to the pyramids of Giza and Sakkara and the Sphinx.
• Afternoon tour of Memphis, the ancient capital of Lower Egypt.
• Opening dinner at the Oberoi Mena House.

Day 4

• Tour of central Cairo, including Tahrir Square, the Egyptian Museum crammed with the treasures of ancient Egypt and the central market.
• Dinner on your own.
• Overnight at the Oberoi Mena House.

Day 5

• Fly to Abu Simbel, in Nubia, Southern Egypt, to visit two enormous stone temples, originally carved out of the cliffs along the Nile by Pharaoh Ramses II. Before the water of Lake Nasser rose to cover them, they were moved to their current location above the Nile.
• Afternoon flight to Aswan to board the Oberoi Philae cruise ship for our 4-day cruise down the Nile.
• Evening free to walk through the old city of Aswan.
• All meals included on the cruise.

Day 6

• Begin our trip with a visit to the Temple of Philae—a huge temple moved to its current location when the original Aswan Dam was built, the famous Aswan Dam and the unfinished obelisk.
• Set sail for Komombo to visit the Temple of Sobek.
• Sail to Edfu with overnight in Edfu and time to walk through the village.

Day 7

• Begin the day with a visit to the enormous Temple of Horus in Edfu.
• Relax on the deck, watching the farming life of Upper Egypt as we sail to Esna to traverse the Esna Lock and continue on to Luxor.
• Overnight on the boat in Luxor.

Day 8

• Visit the West Bank of the Nile, the Valley of the Kings with its magnificent and mysterious tombs, cut deep into the cliffs and covered with gorgeous paintings of Egyptian gods and goddesses and daily life.
• Continue to Deir El Madina, an ancient village that was the home of the artisans who built and painted the tombs in the Valley of the Kings; Madinet Habou, a temple built by Ramses III, and Colossi of Memnon.
• Lunch included on the boat.
• Afternoon visit to the huge temples of Luxor and Karnak.
• Overnight on the boat in Luxor.

Day 9

• Morning check-out.
• Depart for our drive across Egypt's Western Desert to the Dakhla Oasis, crossing part of the vast Sand Sea and stopping to hike to the tops of the sand dunes.
• Picnic lunch en route.
• Check in to al Tarfa Desert Sanctuary Lodge.
• Evening at the al Tarfa Desert Sanctuary Lodge with its charming setting looking across the desert to the escarpment.
• Dinner at al Tarfa.

Day 10

• Visit the interesting sights of the desert, including the mummies
  of the al Mizawaka tombs, the ruined Roman temple of Deir al Hagar
  to see one of the farthest outposts of the Roman Empire, and local villages.
• Lunch included.
• Overnight at al Tarfa.
• Dinner included at al Tarfa.

Day 11

• Fly from the Oasis to Cairo, continuing on to Amman, Jordan.
• Lunch on the flight.
• Overnight at Four Seasons Amman.
• Dinner included.

Day 12

• Drive to Jerash to visit the beautiful Roman ruins.
• Lunch in Jerash.
• Afternoon bus tour of Amman.
• Overnight at Four Seasons Amman.
• Dinner on your own.

Day 13

• Drive to Petra via Wadi Rum, a beautiful desert area south of Amman, with time to take a 4-wheel drive through the desert.
• Picnic lunch included.
• Continue to Petra.
• Check in to Moevenpick Petra Resort, at the entrance to the ancient city of Petra.
• Dinner included.
• Overnight in Petra.

Day 14

• Spend the day visiting the ancient city of Petra, carved into the valley walls, with time to hike to more remote ruins.
• Lunch included.
• Afternoon free to relax or visit the town of Petra.
• Overnight at the Moevenpick Petra Resort.
• Dinner on your own.

Day 15

• Drive to Amman via the Dead Sea, stopping at a resort to swim in its buoyant waters.
• Lunch included at the resort.
• Continue to Amman.
• Closing dinner included.
• Overnight at Four Seasons Amman.

Day 16

• Transfer to airport for flights home to the U.S.

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