Ancient Egypt and the Nile

Highlights IncludeDiscover Cairo’s intriguing ancient sites, including the Great Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, and Sakkara • Enjoy Old Cairo touring • Explore the renowned Egyptian Museum • View Abu Simbel’s dramatic temples • Experience a Nile felucca sail • Relax on a Nile River cruise • Visit the Aswan Dam and the temples at Kalabsha • Marvel at the ancient temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor and the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens

Day Itinerary Hotel Rating1 Depart U.S. for Cairo

2-4 Cairo Four Seasons at the Deluxe First Residence

5-6 Aswan Mövenpick Deluxe Resort Aswan7-9 Nile cruise M/S Hamees Deluxe

10-11 Luxor Steigenberger Sup. First Nile Palace Class

12-13 Cairo Four Seasons at the Deluxe First Residence14 Depart Cairo for U.S.

Ratings are based on the Hotel & Travel Index, the travel industry standard reference.

14 days from $5,897 total price from Boston, New York ($5,295 air, land & cruise inclusive plus $602 airline taxes and fees)

Accompanied by a Smithsonian Journeys Expert and Egyptologist, this small group journey through antiquity travels from vibrant Cairo and the Great Pyramids to Abu Simbel and Aswan, plus a classic voyage along the Upper Nile from Aswan to Luxor.

Aswan

Luxor

Nile River

CairoPetra

LakeNasser

Amman

EGYPT

JORDAN

RedSea

Mediterranean Sea

Abu Simbel

Overnight

Featured Site

Ship

Air

Extension (Motorcoach)

Extension (Air)

Giza

Avg. High (°F) Jan Feb Mar Apr Oct Nov DecCairo 65 67 72 81 82 73 68Aswan 74 78 86 94 94 83 75Luxor 73 74 82 91 91 82 74

Travel to the Giza plateau to see the legendary pyramids, built 5,000 years ago as royal tombs.

Days 1-2: Depart the U.S. for Cairo, EgyptArrive in the Egyptian capital and transfer to your hotel. As guests’ arrival times may vary greatly, no group activities or meals have been planned.

Day 3: Cairo After a morning briefing, your full-day tour begins at the acclaimed Egyptian Museum, the world’s greatest repository of ancient relics. Then tour the Citadel of Saladin housing the alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali. Tonight enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Cairo This morning discover the astounding Pyramids of Giza and the enigmatic Sphinx, whose leonine body and human face were carved from a single piece of limestone. This afternoon you encounter Old Cairo, the district where early capital cities once rose. Visit 5th-century St. Sergius Church, the Coptic church of el-Muallaqa, and Ben Ezra Synagogue, built in 882. (B,L)

Day 5: Cairo, Abu Simbel, Aswan Very early this morning fly to Aswan, where you connect with your flight to Abu Simbel. Here, on the west bank of Lake Nasser, visit the two massive rock temples guarded by statues of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari, featuring incredibly well-preserved murals within. Carved into a mountainside between B.C. 1264-1244, the temples were moved stone by stone to their current location

in 1968; otherwise, they would have been flooded and submerged by the creation of Lake Nasser. After touring this World Heritage site, return to the airport for the flight back to Aswan, where you have lunch at a local restaurant then check in at your hotel. Dine tonight at your hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Aswan Today see the Aswan High Dam, considered a marvel of engineering when completed in 1965 to control Nile flooding. Then tour the Temples of Philae, in antiquity a pilgrimage site for the cult of Isis and one of ancient Nubia’s – and now Egypt’s – most important temple complexes. Built between B.C. 380-362 on a small island in the Nile, Philae, like Abu Simbel, was relocated to save it from flooding; its current island site closely resembles the original. Move on to lunch at a local restaurant, then this afternoon visit the Nubian Museum, an acclaimed showcase of Nubian art and architecture. Mid-afternoon return to your hotel; dinner tonight is on your own. (B,L)

Day 7: Aswan After breakfast at your hotel this morning, board your ship and embark on a three-night Nile cruise, enjoying lunch together onboard. This afternoon, board small feluccas, replicas of ancient Nile sailboats, for a relaxing afternoon sail. Sailing along the Nile, pass by the Botanical Gardens on Kitchener’s Island, home of the British hero who helped tame the

Featuring Abu Simbel

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AFRICA

Sudan; see Elephantine Island, with its huge granite rocks; and the tomb of the Aga Khan. Then dine and overnight aboard your Nile ship in Aswan. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Nile Cruising – Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu Cruise today to the site of the ancient trading town at Kom Ombo with its unusual double temple and out-standing Nile views. Then sail on to Edfu, where tonight you are invited to a shipboard celebration. (B,L,D)

Day 9: Nile Cruising – Edfu and Luxor This morning sail to Luxor, the world’s “greatest open-air museum,” whose vast temple complexes, tombs, and statues dating from B.C. 2755 represent the pin-nacle of Egyptian architecture. Here tour the Luxor Museum, housing relics discovered at the site. Back on board, tonight enjoy a show of Middle Eastern belly dancing. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Disembark, Luxor, East Bank After disembarking your ship later this morning, explore the East Bank, home of Karnak, the greatest temple complex of them all, whose ruins stretch for more than a mile. Also visit Luxor Temple, whose builders included both Tutankhamun and Alexander the Great. Enjoy time at leisure this afternoon. Dinner tonight is at your hotel. (B,D)

Day 11: Luxor and West Bank This morning tour the haunting Valley of the Kings, where 34 royal tombs feature magnificent paintings; the Valley of

the Queens; and the dramatic Temple of Hatshepsut, honoring one of the few female pharaohs. Also see the massive Colossi of Memnon, two 64-foot high statues of Amenhotep III that once guarded the gates of his own tomb. As an added highlight you will also tour the village of Deir el Medina; home to the artisans who constructed the Valley of the Kings. Enjoy lunch together before returning to Luxor late this afternoon. Dine together this evening at your hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 12: Luxor and Cairo Fly to Cairo today, where this afternoon you visit Khan el Khalil bazaar. Dinner this evening is on your own. (B)

Day 13: Cairo Begin today’s exploration at the open-air museum at Memphis, Egypt’s first capital believed to be some 5,000 years old. Your next stop is at nearby Sakkara the vast burial ground for Memphis, with various pyramids (including the famous Step Pyramid) and decorated chambers. Also see the lesser-visited site of Dahshur; home to the Bent and Red pyramids. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner at your hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 14: Depart for the U.S. Very early this morn-ing transfer to the airport for your return flight to the U.S. (B)

M/S Hamees

Your Post-Tour Extension Price Includes• Air transportation Cairo/Amman• 4 nights accommodations: 2 nights in Petra at Mövenpick

Resort Petra (Superior First Class); 2 nights in Amman at Grand Hyatt Amman (Deluxe)

• 9 meals: 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners• Extensive sightseeing included: Madaba (City of Mosaics);

Mt. Nebo pilgrimage site; full day at Petra; Amman’s Roman theatre and Citadel; Roman ruins of Jerash

• Services of a professional Tour Director• Private motorcoach transportation• Gratuities for Tour Director, dining room servers, airport and

hotel porters, and all drivers

Jordan: Petra & Amman5 days/4 nights from $1,795 total price

Single Supplement: $395

Discover the fabled “rose-red city, half as old as time” on this exciting exploration,

plus ancient Jerash and the capital of Amman.

Post-Tour Extension

Your Tour Price Includes• Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights

within Egypt• 12 nights accommodations: 9 nights in Deluxe and

Superior First Class hotels; 3 nights aboard a Deluxe ship • 29 meals: 12 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 8 dinners• Sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees• Planned and informal talks by a Smithsonian

Journeys Expert• Services of a professional Tour Director• Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip,

including shore excursions• Luggage handling for one bag per person• Gratuities for Tour Director, local guides, dining room

servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers

Sail traditional feluccas along the Nile

2021/2022 Tour Dates and Prices including international airfare and all taxes, surcharges, and fees

2021 2022 Nov 13 Jan 1 Nov 27 2022 Jan 8 Dec 4 Mar 5 Feb 5 2021 2022 Mar 12 Feb 12 Oct 9* Apr 9 Mar 19 Feb 19

Boston, New York $5,897 $5,997 $6,197 $6,397

Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, $6,197 $6,297 $6,497 $6,697 Washington, DC

Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, $6,297 $6,397 $6,597 $6,797 Houston ,Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami

Denver, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland (OR), $6,397 $6,497 $6,697 $6,897 San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa

Land Only $4,895 $4,995 $5,195 $5,395

Please call if your city is not listed. Prices are per person based on double occupancy in an outside cabin on the cruise and include airline taxes, surcharges, and fees of $602, which are subject to change until final payment is made.

Single travelers please add $1,295. All 2021/2022 tour prices above (excluding airline taxes, surcharges, and fees) are guaranteed.

Post-Tour Jordan Extension: $1,795 Oct-Dec; $1,995 all other dates. Single Supplement: $395 all dates

*Accommodations in Petra on Post-Tour Extension: Hyatt Zaman

Airline upgrades on round-trip transatlantic flight: Business Class – $3,495 per person; Premium Economy – $1,495 per person (upgrade is on request and pricing is subject to change).

Please note: This trip involves considerable walking on uneven terrain and at sites of ancient ruins. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour to its fullest.

Highlighted Smithsonian Journeys ExpertRozenn Bailleul-LeSuer received her Ph.D. in Egyptology in 2016 from the University of Chicago. She now divides her time between teaching in the Department of Anthropology at the College at Brockport, SUNY, and acting as

historian and curator for a local historical society. Rozenn has lately centered her research on the ancient Egyptians’ relationship with their environment, most especially the avifauna encountered in the Nile Valley and surrounding deserts. She has worked as a consultant for the Art Institute of Chicago and the Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago, where she curated the exhibit “Between Heaven and Earth: Birds in Ancient Egypt.” Rozenn will lead the Oct. 9 and Feb. 12 departures. See our website for the full list of experts.

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GUARANTEED SMALL GROUP

Just 16-24 Smithsonianguests per departure