DAY 1 Friday: Arrival & Welcome to Egypt
You will be welcomed upon arrival at Cairo airport. Transfer to Mena House, a beautiful Arabic style historic hotel at the foot of the Pyramids. It has a 19th century 9-hole golf course which might be appreciated by some of our guests.

DAY 2 Saturday: Great Pyramids, Saqqara
Morning meeting.
Visit of the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. A ride through the countryside takes us to Saqqara, the necropolis of Memphis. Here we find the Step Pyramid of king Djoser and we can enter the Pyramid of Pharaoh Teti. Once inside we see that the walls are covered with pyramid texts. The giant mastaba of Mereruka is of special interest to us because of the exquisite reliefs of Mereruka's daily life in ancient Egypt.

DAY 3 Sunday: Egyptian Museum, Oriental Khan el Khalili Bazaar
We visit the Egyptian Museum, the treasure house of Ancient Egypt with the famous golden mask of the boy-king Tutankhamun. Lunch (obtional) at the Arabic atmosphere Naguib Mahfouz café/restaurant (the famous award winning writer of the Cairo trilogy) for excellent local food. This restaurant is in the historic Khan el Khalili area dating back to the 14th century. It is an immense conglomeration of markets and little shops offering gold, silver, brass work, belly-dance costumes and a special section for herbs and spices. Here we have a chance to practice our bargain skills and enjoy a tea at Fishawy, the coffeeshop with antique mirrors which for the last 200 years has been continuously open 24 hours a day.

DAY 4 Monday: Flight to Aswan, embarkation Cruise Boat for 4 days of sailing on the Nile
Morning flight to Aswan at the southern border, the gateway to Nubia. Lunch on board. During the afternoon we sail on the Nile with a traditional felucca, and visit the lushly green botanical island.
During the evening we have the possibility to stroll the 'souk', the Nubian bazaar, famous for its superb spices, herbs, dates etc. The markets and shops are open till about 11 pm.

While sailing the Nile, Alan gives presentations and demonstrations of ancient Egyptian food preparation.

DAY 5 Tuesday: Obelisk, High Dam Nasser Lake, Temple of Isis
During the morning we see a giant unfinished obelisk, abandoned by the stonemasons because of a flaw appeared in the rock. It would have been the heaviest single piece of stone ever fashioned.
A motorboat takes us to the small island of Algilkia with the sacred temple of the great mother goddess Isis.

The cruise boat leaves Aswan and sails to Kom Ombo with the double temple of Sobek the crocodile god and Horus the Elder. Mummified crocodiles from the nearby necropolis can be seen in the small Hathor sanctuary. An other interesting feature are the hieroglyphs of surgical instruments.
The boat sails to Edfu.

DAY 6 Wednesday: Temple of Horus
By calesh, a horse-drawn carriage we visit the temple of Edfu, dedicated to the falcon god Horus. In this best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt we find numerous reliefs on the walls, including a depiction of the Feast of the Beautiful Meeting, the annual reunion of the god Horus and Hathor, the cow-headed goddess of love.
During the afternoon the boat reaches Luxor. Rest of the day is free at leisure. Opportunity to visit the local market, the exquisite Luxor Museum or enjoy high tea at the Victorian Winter Palace.

DAY 7 Thursday: Royal Tombs, Queen Hatshepsut's temple, Karnak temples, Luxor Temple
During the early morning we enter colorful Royal tombs in Valley of the Kings hidden in the Desert Mountains. This is followed by a visit to the magnificent Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Food was presented to the spirits of the deceased and as a daily offering in the temples, appeasing the gods and goddesses. Offering food was an important way of connecting the worlds of the living, the afterlife and the gods.

On the east bank of the Nile we find the temples of the gods. Upon entering the temple complex of Karnak an overwhelming feeling emerges from the sight of giant columns representing papyrus stalks which together with the first mount rose out of the primeval waters. Successive pharaohs expanded the temple complex over a 2000 year period. Important features are the Hypostyle Hall, two of the largest granite obelisks ever erected, the imposing scarab representing the young sun god Kephera and the Sacred Lake which served the priests for their daily purification rites.

Karnak was connected with the Temple of Luxor by a ceremonial avenue lined with Sphinxes. Parts of this avenue is still intact.
Upon entering the magnificent temple of Luxor at the heart of ancient Thebes, visitors are welcomed by two giant statues of Ramses the Great. This temple was dedicated to the fertility god Amun-Min, his wife Mut and their beautiful son the Moon God Khonsu. The inner walls feature details of the lives of the pharaohs. Evidence that the temple was once being used as a Christian sanctuary can be seen on the colorful Christian murals, while the mosque of the local saint Abu El Haggag, built on the wall of the temple, makes this site an ongoing place of worship.

During the afternoon transfer through the scenic desert to the Red Sea to enjoy a few days of relaxation and explore the fascinating underwater world. Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel 5*.

DAY 8 Friday: RED SEA
Relaxation and hands-on food preparation at the resort's private beach.

DAY 9 Saturday: RED SEA
As above.
Optional sea safari.