6000 years of history call for some post-diving adventure! Explore Cairo's markets, the Cairo museum and the nearby pyramids and Sphinx.
Then fly to Luxor to be amazed by the Temple of Karnak, the Valley of Kings; the Valley of Queens, and take a Nile cruise to Aswan.
Cairo:
- The Cairo Museum
- The Pyramids of Cheops (Khufu) – The Great Pyramid is situated in Giza and was one of the Seven Wonders on the World. Cheops, the second Pharaoh of the IVth Dynasty, built it. It once rose to a height of 146 meters. Owing to natural wear and tear, however, its present height is only 137 meters.
- The Sphinx – The Sphinx is one of the most famous and the greatest of the monument of ancient Egypt. It stands as a guardian of the ancient necropolis.
Luxor (Nile Cruise boat):
The Temple of Karnak
Built in the 20th century B.C., it is the biggest of the ancient Egyptian temples and was the seat of the god Amun, and the administrative capital of the country. A visit to the temple begins at the sacred quay, decorated with a Nilometer showing flood levels of the Nile and then passes through an avenue, bordered by statues of ram-headed sphinxes, to the temple itself. Inside the temple there is an open courtyard with a smaller temple on the left-hand side. Then there is a large hypostyle hall, built during the reigns of Seti I and Rameses II, containing 134 pillars, twelve of which are topped with capitals in the form of open papyrus flowers.
The Luxor Temple
This was built by Amenhotep III as a private residence for god Amun, but Rameses II later added statues of himself to either side of the temple: two seated and two standing. Inside there is an open coutyard built by Rameses II, comprising a pillared colonnade; and a second courtyard by Amenhotep III with pillars decorated with papyrus designs. The Luxor Museum contains a remarkable collection of ancient Egyptian sculpture found during the course of restoration at the Karnak and Luxor temples.
 The Valley of the Kings
This site contains a large number of tombs of the Kings and Pharoahs, including the tombs of: Seti I, Rameses II, Horemheb and Tutankhamun, which was the only tomb to be discovered more or less intact.
The Valley of the Queens
The area contains tombs of approximately eighty Ancient Egyptian queens and tombs of their children. Here is located the beautiful tomb of Nefertari, recently opened to visitors.
The Temple of Edfu
This dates to the Ptolemaic period and is the largest and most complete of the different temples situated along the banks of the Nile. It is located in the city of Edfu. It was a center of the cult of Horus.
The Temple of Kom Ombo
The double temple dates to the Prolemaic period and its inscriptions contain references to the Ptolemies and to the Roman Emperors, Domitian, Trajan, and Caracalla.
Detailed Itinerary
The tour has been structured around our Red Sea liveaboard and includes flights between Cairo and Hurghada, as well as an extra hotel night before the liveaboard.
Travel to Egypt
- October 1, 2009 (Thursday) Depart JFK for Cairo
- October 2nd – arrive Cairo and overnight at airport hotel in Cairo
- October 3rd (Saturday) Fly to Hurghada. Board the ship with possible overnight in port (depending on Coast Guard Clearance)
Liveaboard Diving
October 4th – 9th (Sunday – Friday) 6 days of 3-4 dives a day. No night diving in Marine Parks (Brothers, Daedalus, Rocky, Zabargad)
Land Tour of Egypt
- October 10 (Saturday) Disembark from liveaboard and fly to Cairo. Hotel overnight
- October 11 (Sunday) Full day tour of Cairo including Pyramids, Sphinx & Egyptian Museum. Hotel overnight.
- October 12 (Monday) Early morning flight to Luxor. Embark on Nile Cruise ship (MS Ti-Yi or similar), followed by Luxor sightseeing (Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor) Dinner on board. Overnight in Luxor.
- October 13 (Tuesday) After breakfast cross to the West Bank of the Nile: Visit Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and possibly the Colossi of Memnon. Afternoon sail to Esna to cross the Lock and arrive Edfu for overnight.
- October 14 (Wednesday) After breakfast visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu then sail to Kom Ombo. Afternoon visit the Temple shared by two Gods Sobek and Haroeris and overnight in Kom Ombo.
- October 15 (Thursday) After breakfast sail to Aswan to visit the High Dam and the Temple of Philae. Afternoon view of the Elephantine Island by felucca (sailing boat) & the Agha Khan Mausoleum. Overnight in Aswan.
- October 16 (Friday) Breakfast, check out and transfer to airport for flight to Cairo. Overnight Airport Hotel.
Return home
- October 17 (Saturday) Morning transfer to airport for return flight to JFK.
Please note: Nile Cruise itinerary may vary.
Included:
- 2 nights Cairo Airport Hotel – Concorde El Salam (Oct 2 & 16)
- 2 nights Cairo Le Meridien Pyramids, or similar (Oct 10 & 11)
- 1 full day tour of Cairo, including the Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum, and Khan El Khalili Bazaar (lunch at own expense)
- Breakfast daily (no other meals)
- 4 night Nile Cruse from Luxor to Aswan
- Domestic airfare (Hurghada, Luxor, Aswan), airport meet & greet and all required transfers
- English speaking guide throughout, entrance fees
- Land tour gratuities
Excluded:
- Airfare from/to US to Cairo (must arrive by October 2nd)
- Emperor Elite liveaboard tariff of $2040
- Egyptian Visa ($20 upon arrival)
- Trip Insurance (recommended)
- Lunch & dinner during land touring
Deposit:
A $500 deposit is due upon booking. Balance due 120 days prior to departure.
To book this Undersea Expedition, contact your travel agent! |
