Family Discovery Tour Of Egypt

Flying into Luxor this evening we transfer to our hotel and check in, after which you may perhaps like to take a short stroll along the Corniche, or through the streets of this lively riverside town before bed.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)

Situated on the east bank of the Nile, Luxor is a vibrant mix of the traditional and the modern, where the daily bustle sees caleshes (horse drawn carriages), goats and splendidly robed Egyptians sharing the streets. This morning we travel by calesh, to visit the stupendous Temple of Amun at Karnak, built under the watchful eyes of numerous pharaohs. Dating from around 2000 BC, the scale and grandeur of the site is amazing, covering an area the size of 10 European cathedrals. An avenue of silent sphinxes leads up to the entrance, where the Temple Precinct encloses the Festival Temple of Tuthmosis and the Hypostyle Hall, built with 134 towering pillars carved with scenes from the life of the ancient King worshipping Amun (the principle God of Egypt at the time of the Middle Kingdom). We explore a myriad of chambers and temples and gaze across the Sacred Lake. After our guided tour of the principal sites of the temple we return to our hotel, after which your time is free to explore Luxor at your leisure. You may decide to take a calesh ride through Luxor’s busy souks and out to the nearby villages, offering a fascinating insight into everyday life in modern rural Egypt. Or you could cross the Nile and visit the fascinating tombs of Deir al Medina - the final resting place of the Workers who built and decorated the Tombs that make this area so famous. This evening there is the opportunity to return to Karnak to enjoy the spectacular sound and light show.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

This morning, we cross the Nile and travel by bus to enjoy the extraordinary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s only female Pharaoh, who usurped the throne from her son, the future Tuthmoses III. The scale of the temple and its magnificent setting are breathtaking, but perhaps even more remarkable are the details - look out for the fine carving of the ‘Expedition to the Land of Punt’. We then take a short ride to the Valley of the Kings’ to explore some of the more important sites made famous in 1922 by the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter. We visit three tombs. The rest of the afternoon is free, until we transfer to the bus station, to take a fascinating journey south along the Nile Valley to Aswan and the very edge of Egypt’s borders with its African neighbours.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Aswan is Egypt’s most southerly city, traditionally regarded as the frontier post of Upper Egypt. Sited on the east bank, just below the First Cataract, it is the meeting point of Arab culture with Nubia and black Africa. There is the option this morning to take an early morning bus or flight through the desert to the fabulous rockhewn temple of Abu Simbel, a major highlight of any tour to this region. Cut into the rock face, this enormous structure was raised 61m to save it from inundation by the artificial lake created by the Aswan High Dam. The 20m high statues represent Ramses II, known as the Great Builder and one of the most powerful Pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Those of you not wishing to travel down to Abu Simbel may like to spend your free time exploring the mystical island temple of Philae, or perhaps visiting the impressive Aswan High Dam and the granite quarries, from where the pharaohs cut many of the huge stones that went on to take the shape of towering obelisks and grand statues. You may of course prefer to spend your time enjoying Aswan’s bustling spice markets, or cruising amongst its river islands by traditional felucca, perhaps visiting the impressive botanical gardens on Kitchener Island. This evening we will cross the Nile by motor launch, to enjoy the hospitality of a local Nubian family, as we enjoy a unique dinner amongst these most hospitable of people.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we transfer by launch to the west bank once more, to be transported across the sands to St Simeon’s by our very own ‘ships of the desert’. One of the largest Coptic monasteries in Egypt, St Simeon’s was built in the 7th century and finally abandoned in the 13th century. It now sits in splendid isolation at the end of a desert valley, an impressive sight indeed, looking more like a desert fortress than a place of worship, and what better way to approach this imposing edifice than on the back of a camel. After our visit we transfer back to the east bank, where there will be time to wander through the streets of this fascinating town and explore the excellent souq, which reflects the fusion between Arab and African cultures. Later this evening we transfer to the railway station to board our overnight sleeper train to Cairo.

Overnight Train (U) Included meals: Breakfast

Arriving in Cairo this morning we will transfer by charter bus to the last remaining wonder of the ancient world, the magnificent Pyramids of Giza. It has been written that. “…all things fear time, but time fears the Pyramids”, underlining the age of these magnificent monuments. Sandwiched between the sprawling mass of Cairo and the open desert which stretches away west, eventually to the Atlantic, even today the mighty Pyramids can evoke awe and wonder in the visitor. The Great Pyramid of Cheops, the largest of the group, originally 145m high and measuring 232m at its base, dominates the plateau. It was built over a period of some 20 or so years, in about 2600 BC, using only the simplest of implements and without the aid of draught animals or even the wheel! Second in size is the Pyramid of Chephren, whilst the smallest - still sizeable - of the trio is that of Mykerinos. Braver souls can opt to venture inside one of the pyramids which are open on a rotating basis; alternatively visit the magnificent Solar Boat, designed to transport the Pharaoh’s soul to the afterlife (both these visits are optional). The complex also includes the Granite Temple and the enigmatic and mysterious Sphinx, the ‘Father of Terror’ to the Egyptians, a crouching lion with a human head, carved from a single piece of solid rock. From the Pyramids we head for the Egyptian Museum, via a papyrus institute, where you can learn something of the ancient methods of paper making in the Egypt of the pharaohs. The museum itself is a spectacular repository of some 120,000 items encompassing all aspects of the world of the ancient Egyptians, from ornate jewellery and towering granite statues, to creepy mummified remains and, of course, the remarkable golden treasures of Tutankhamun himself. You may even have the opportunity to build your own Pyramid in the Childrens Museum!  After our visits we transfer to our hotel, where the rest of the day is free to relax, or perhaps explore the bustling markets of the Khan el Khalili, or the sumptuous grandeur of Islamic Cairo.

Overnight Standard Hotel (H+) Included meals: Breakfast

Included meals: Breakfast