Crusaders, Petra & Pyramids (Family)

Upon your arrival you will be transferred to your hotel in Cairo. No activities are planned so you may arrive at any time. Rooms are generally available after 1.00 pm. Your tour leader will meet you tomorrow morning, shortly after breakfast. There will be a message at the hotel giving details.

Our tour briefing today will be held after breakfast, before we start our sightseeing. Our first stop is the Egyptian Museum where we see all the major exhibits. Our guide explains the complexities of Egypt’s many dynastic periods, starting with the Old Kingdom and ending with the Greco-Roman occupation, and we visit the fabulous gold room of King Tutankhamun. This contains many fine pieces including the celebrated Golden Mask. We also make a special visit to the Mummy Room, where we the body of King Ramses II, the greatest pharaoh of all. It is incredible to think that his body is over 3200 years old. After our visit we travel out to the nearby Western Desert to visit the pyramids and the nearby Sphinx. There may be a chance to even to go inside one of the pyramids (entry fee not included – availability of tickets varies). We return to downtown Cairo, where some day use rooms are available until it is time to go to the train station for the overnight sleeper train to Aswan. Sleeping berths (beds and linen) are provided in private cabins and a pleasant ‘airline-style’ dinner is served on board. A toilet is located at the end of each carriage. We suggest that light sleepers bring ear-plugs and eye-shades.

Aswan one of our favourite places. Despite the fact that it is Egypt’s third-largest city, it has an easy-going, laid-back atmosphere that belies its size. After checking in to our hotel, we visit the incredible Nubian bazaar, a hive of activity which snakes through the backstreets of town, with an endless number of things to see and buy. In the afternoon we take a traditional felucca boatride on the Nile, the life-blood of Egypt, sailing around the islands for a relaxing change of pace. This sort of boat has been used on the Nile for thousands of years for trade and travel, and it’s easy to imagine that we are time-travellers returned to another age. The same applies later in the day when we enjoy a fun camel ride towards St. Simeon's Monastery, with great views out over the river. It’s a bit bouncy, but there’s a fairly comfortable saddle. Make sure the camel takes your photo!

The visit to Abu Simbel will occur this morning for those who booked this option with the tour leader back in Cairo. In the late 1960s the temple was moved, stone by stone, and re-sited in its current position above the rising waters of Lake Nasser. Alternatively, for those staying in Aswan you can have a late start, wander into the Nubian bazaar again and perhaps visit the excellent little Nubian Museum. For greater detail, see the section later in these notes headed Optional Tours. Around midday we are transferred to our cruise boat, our home for the next three nights. After lunch on board we set sail in the afternoon and begin cruising towards Kom Ombo. Dinner is served on the boat, and the sunsets on the Nile are often spectacular. As you sail towards Luxor there will be ample opportunity to relax on board and watch the passing scene - you may want to bring a few small games, cards etc to help you while away the hours. Please refer below to the note below regarding cruise schedules.

Today we visit the Temple of Sobek (the crocodile-headed God) that lies, classically ruined, on the edge of the Nile. Its most spectacular view is undoubtedly from the river itself, but a short walk around the temple also provides an interesting insight into the Greco-Roman period. We then continue cruising to Edfu where we visit the Temple of Horus, the falcon-headed God. We also have time to explore the local bazaar in the bustling town centre. Returning to our boat we spend the rest of the day cruising downstream, enjoying views of the desert and everyday life that are almost as timeless as the monuments themselves.

We pass through Esna lock, which can sometimes be a slow process, depending on the number of vessels waiting to get through, and continue our journey upstream to Luxor. In the afternoon we head to Karnak Temple, one of the world’s most celebrated temple complexes, built over a period of some 200 years. We return to our cruise boat in the late afternoon and the rest of the day is free to relax, shop in the bazaar (which stays open quite late), or experience the atmosphere of a local coffee shop.

Rising early (very early in summer time!) we drive across to the west bank of the Nile, to visit the Valley of the Kings. Along n the way we have the chance to stop at Colossi of Memnon, the remaining two magnificent figures each cut from a single block of stone and weighing 1000 tons, were only a small part of the largest temple ever built in Egypt. Our next stop is the impressive Temple of Hatshepsut, almost hidden in the base of the towering cliffs above and another of Egypt's stunning surprises. In the Valley of the Kings our guide explains the funerary rites of the ancient Egyptians and the significance of the many tomb paintings and hieroglyphics which date back thousands of years. We visit three of the more important tombs and then head back to the east bank, where we check into our hotel. If we want to see more of Ancient Egypt, Luxor Temple is well worth a visit and the small Luxor Museum is a gem. Alternatively, Luxor boasts a large and extensive bazaar where we can happily spend a few hours haggling over prices. The afternoon is free to explore or for those wanting to relax can head for the hotel pool.

After breakfast, we fly from Luxor to Cairo. Upon arrival in Cairo we head for our hotel. After time to ‘freshen up’ we dive straight into the heart of downtown Cairo, we explore Khan El Khalili bazaar – a chaotic jumble of shops and stalls that have traded goods and gossip since the Middle Ages. This is a great chance to pick up some souvenirs, but, as always, be prepared to bargain! We then have time for some great views over Cairo from the hilltop Citadel. The afternoon is free – you may want to relax at the hotel or undertake some final exploration or some further shopping for souvenirs.

This morning we travel east towards Suez where we drive through the Suez Canal tunnel and then turn south towards Mt. Sinai. It’s a long day’s drive (around 8 hours) and on the way we stop for a light lunch. We reach our hotel in the late afternoon where there may be time to relax before dinner.

UPDATE: Please note that due to security concerns we are presently forced to avoid Mount Sinai and St Catherine's until such time as it is safe to return - in the meantime we go directly from Cairo to Dahab where we spend the night before taking the ferry the next day.

Those wishing to ascend Mt. Sinai to watch the sun rise over the peninsula will be woken up between 2.00am and 3.00am (depending on the season). It is a fairly steep climb (with stairs all the way) and most people take about an two and a half to three hours to reach the summit. It’s well worth the effort and you return to your hotel for a well-earned breakfast. Note that during the winter months (Oct-Mar) it can get very cold on the mountain and may even snow during the height of winter. Please ensure you have warm thermal clothes during this period. Around mid-morning we drive to Nuweiba to board the hydrofoil to Aqaba. Please read the notes below regarding the ferry journey. On arrival in Aqaba we are transferred to our hotel where the balance of the day is at leisure.

With our guide we enjoy a brief orientation of Aqaba. We can visit the old castle (time permitting). We then drive to Wadi Rum. We have lunch in the small village of Rum, and can browse the new (and very good) visitor centre, before we meet our Bedouin friends and ride camels to our traditional Bedouin tent, deep within Wadi Rum. There's plenty of time to explore our surroundings and enjoy a memorable sunset. Wadi Rum is a truly beautiful place, with towering sandstone mountains rising from the desert. It fully deserves the amount of time we spend here, as wind-sculpted rock formations change hue throughout the day as the sun rises and sets. Wadi Rum is home to Bedouin tribes who live in scattered camps throughout the area. We enjoy an evening with our friend Mzied in his Bedouin camp – it has an amazing location! Wadi Rum is probably best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18. Much of David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia was filmed in Wadi Rum.

It’s well worth rising early and watching the cliffs change colour as the sun comes up. We enjoy a walk in the morning (the length of the walk will depend on how energetic you’re feeling!), and scaling one of the large dunes affords sensational views of the surrounding area - and keen photographers will be delighted! We then take 4WDs from our camp back to the main entrance. The visitor centre is a great spot to buy some well made jewellery and knick-knacks – most are made by a women’s co-operative which aims to support traditional industry. We then continue our journey to Petra. There is time in the afternoon to check out the town, withdraw or change money, or just relax…ready for a big day exploring Petra tomorrow!

For most people the image of Petra is a narrow chasm with glimpses of the ‘Treasury’ building in the distance, and you are likely be quite surprised by the size of this ancient city. With our guide we explore the old roman road, ampitheatre and several old tombs. We also climb up to the ‘Monastery’ for a fine view of the entire site. It’s a memorable day and one of the highlights of the trip. There is a cafeteria on site where we purchase a light lunch. In the mid-afternoon we return to our hotel and your tour leader will try hard to persuade you to take a Turkish bath! This is a great experience and Petra is an excellent – and safe - place to try one. The cost is around US$14 per person. The rest of the day is at leisure.

This morning we drive along the King’s Highway, a road that dates back to the time of the Old Testament, and beyond. We reach Shobak Castle, originally built to protect the eastern flank of the Latin Kingdom and its trade routes to the sea before falling to Saladin in 1189. We enjoy a walk through the site and continue to the Dead Sea. There is plenty of time to experience the warm waters, which have an unusually high saline content, or to relax on the shore. We expect to arrive in Amman in the late afternoon, and this evening we can try one of several fine restaurants. Please note that Kerak Castle is not included in your tour, as it can get very congested and busy. However, if there is sufficient interest among members of the group, your leader can arrange to visit Kerak. Most people, however, prefer the extra time in Amman.

Your trip ends today after breakfast. If you have arranged a private airport transfer you will be advised of the pick-up time.