Spirit of the Pharaohs

Discover the magic of Giza city and explore the famous Giza pyramids area and Sphinx. You will start visiting the symbol of Eternity and the only wonder that still survives among the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Great Pyramid of Cheops(Khufu). While you stare at this incredible monument, your guide will thoroughly explain the area's history, including the other pyramids of Chephren and Mycerinus, answer all your questions, and give you free time for photography. You will have the chance to take pictures of the area. You will spend more than four hours at the site to have enough time to enter the excellent pyramid chamber. You may like to have fun and explore the edge of the desert by having a camel ride around the area. We will do a private visit to the Osiris shaft, located under the causeway of the second pyramid. From inside the Valley temple, we will enter a shortcut to the Sphinx. Moving to the Sphinx area.

After breakfast, you will fly to Suhag, and upon arrival, you will visit the archeological site of Abydos. The site is always famous for being the cult of Osiris and Isis. It is also the place for many temples and tombs. Touring the site of Abydos, visitors will have the chance to see the major attractions there, such as the temple of Osiris, Seti I, and the temple of Ramses II. You will visit the main attractions in the company of your Egyptologist guide, who will tell you the history of the temples and explains the walls and columns reliefs. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel in Suhag.

The temple of Dendera was dedicated to the goddess Hathor, the goddess of maternity and love. The temple is distinguished by its well-preserved wall paintings and ceilings, broad and massive entry, and detailed carvings. Many pieces of evidence show that many religious structures go back to the Old and New Kingdoms that reflect the holiness of the area. However, the current temple dates back to the Greek period, with many additions and expansions during the Roman era. The birth house or (Mamisi) dates back to the late period. Your private guide will explain the essential parts of the temple and basic reliefs. Back to Luxor to visit the temple of Luxor and overnight there.

At the beginning of your tour, you will cross the Nile to the West Bank, where you will visit the Valley of the Kings. The Pharaohs were hiding their mummies and treasures in this barren desert area. Many of these treasures were found in these beautiful colored tombs. You can visit three graves to enjoy the colors and murals on the walls. The tombs were carved deep in the mountain rock; you have the option to see other royal tombs such as Tut Ankh Amun. Then continue your tour on the west bank and drive to the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. She was the first female pharaoh in ancient Egypt who ruled the kingdom for 20 prosperous years. This temple is called El Deir el Bahari as the early Christians used the Northern monastery, as it was a Coptic monastery. Unlike the other temples, this was built of limestone and partly hewn in the mother bedrock. It has three terraces, and its focal point is to tell the story of the Divine birth of the Queen. The final stop will be at the colossi of Memnon. The Colossi of Memnon are two monumental statues representing king Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. They are located west of the modern city of Luxor and face east, looking toward the Nile River. The statues depict the seated king on a throne with some other carvings of his mother, his wife, the god Hapi, the Nile god, and other symbolic engravings. Both are carved from single sandstone blocks, and the name refers to the Greek hero Memnon who fell in the Trojan War. Board on your Nile cruise

The tour begins with the Karnak temple, a complex of temples. The temple is dedicated to Amun Ra, the chief god in Egyptian mythology. Enjoy the Great Hypostyle court, and the reliefs and murals added through the generations. Feel astonished at the tall obelisks 70 feet high and cut from a single piece of granite. Look at the statues of the different pharaohs who want to show their loyalty to Ra. Particular entry to the temple of Sekhmet. Keep an eye on the magnificent tall columns and their papyrus and Lotus capitals while their shafts are loaded with hieroglyphics.

Continue sailing on the Nile and visit this unique temple of Kom Ombo. The temple was dedicated to two Egyptian Deities: Horus with the falcon head and Sobek with the crocodile head. The temple has two entrances, one for each of the two gods. The temple is beautifully located on a high mound. This location gives the visitor the chance to enjoy the view of the Nile. At the end of the tour, you will drive back to yours.

Enjoy a relaxing day tour of Aswan to the Temple of Philae. The magnificent Temple was dedicated to the Cult of the Goddess Isis. Still, it became submerged after the first Aswan dam was built in 1902, and it was not until the sixties that many countries attempted to save the Temple. All these countries, together with UNESCO, moved the Temple to Agilika Island. The Egyptians built the Temple during the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine eras; every ruler was keen on adding and expanding the Temple to show his reverence to the Egyptian deities. Your Egyptologist guide will explain all the different reliefs, courts, and towers of the Temple before riding a motorboat back to your next stop. Stare at the massive obelisk in Aswan. In the granite quarry of the city lies the giant obelisk. It is called the Unfinished Obelisk because it was never erected. It would have measured about 137 feet (42 meters) if completed and is estimated to weigh around 1164 tons. It is believed that the female pharaoh Hatshepsut ordered carving it during the 18th dynasty.

The great site is located miles south of Aswan. Your guide will pick you up to drive 145 miles to Abu Simbel. There are two temples there; both were erected by the famous pharaoh Ramses II in 1240 B.C.The two temples were carved into the mountainside. The large of them contains four huge seated statues of the pharaoh; each of them is 70 feet high. The second one is smaller and for his wife Nefertari. This one has six statues on its façade, two of them for the queen and four for the king During the tour, your Egyptologist guide will explain the history of the temples and the pharaoh outside the temples, and then you will have enough free time to explore the interior of the temples and enjoy looking at the wall painting and hieroglyphics. Ramses is defeating his enemies and showing himself as a god. What is astonishing about these temples in addition to the grandeur of their size is the astrological phenomenon that happens twice a year. On the 22nd of February and October, the sun shines into the sanctuary of the temple and falls on three seated statues, one of them for Ramses II. These dates are believed to be the birth and coronation days of the king. When Egypt built the High Dam in Aswan, the temples in Abu simples were flooded due to the rising of the Nile water, so there is another interesting story of the relocation of the temples, dismantling and reassembling of their huge blocks in the 1960s.

Take a domestic flight back to Cairo and visit The Egyptian museum. It is one of the largest museums in the world. You will explore the treasures of the museum (opened in 1901). A guided tour will look at the remarkable monuments and artifacts in its different halls. Although the museum has tens of thousands of artifacts in this short tour, your Egyptologist guide will focus on the highlights and masterpieces of the museum. Visit the Tut Ankh Amun Wing on the first floor and see his incredible collection of historically significant artwork. The treasures are mainly golden, and they cover a pretty large section of the museum. This museum area includes important statues, furniture, and gold sculptures. After enjoying the guided part of the tour, take some free time to browse the museum.

After meeting your guide to start your day, you will have an easy and comfortable drive for 3 hours from Cairo in an air-conditioned vehicle. The day tour to the city includes visits to the major attractions there, such as the Catacomb’; the Fort of Qaitbay, and the modern library of the town. With your private tour guide, discover the impressive mixture between Egyptian art, architecture, and burial traditions with the Roman ones through your visit to the Catacomb of Kom El Shoqafa. A 1900 years old Roman subterranean tomb where cremated and mummified bodies were preserved. Enjoy the best view over the city and the sea from the Fort of Qaitbay, a 15th fort built on top of the original location of the Lighthouse that was gone. The defense was meant to protect the Eastern harbor of the city. Moving to the modern library, you will spend some time touring that huge and contemporary library built as a revival of the ancient one. During the day tour, you will have free time to consider the seafood and café culture that the city has been famous for for a long time ago. At all the sites you visit, your tour guide will provide all the information and history. At the end of the tour, you will drive back to Cairo.

Sakkara was the main cemetery of the old kingdom era. It is an amazing archeological site where the famous and multi-titled architect Imhotep built the oldest pyramid in Egypt. The first stone structure is 4800 years and was erected in the form of substantial solid steps on top of each. (The name Step Pyramid is quite suitable). In the complex step pyramid, you will learn the development of the royal tomb structure. Your tour guide will accompany you inside one of the nobles' tombs (tomb of Kagmini) to see murals reflecting daily life activities in ancient Egypt.

Moreover, you have the chance to enter the pyramid of Titi, where you can see the oldest form of the pyramid text on the chamber walls (4340 years old. The next stop will be at Dahshour, and this archeological site is five miles away from Sakkara. There are three pyramids in this untrodden place: the Bent pyramid, the North or Red pyramid. Both belong to the pharaoh Snefru, the founder of the 4th dynasty, while the third pyramid belongs to his wife, Queen Step Heres. In this place, you will visit the Bent Pyramid, which was the first try to develop the shape of the Step pyramids. This pyramid looks fascinating with its two-level form and beautiful soft casing layer. Move around this pyramid and look at the small pyramid of the queen. Then, stop at the Red or North pyramid. This one is the first accurate and complete pyramid in ancient Egypt. You will be told about the development of the royal tomb structure in the Old Kingdom. You can enter the chamber of this pyramid, which is quite an experience to go through the narrow tunnel to the section. At the end of the tour, drive back to your hotel.

On this day, you will have a private visit to the great pyramid and Sphinx after the closing hours. Free morning and after lunch, we visit Giza Plateau at 16:00 to do a personal visit, then we will gather for a farewell dinner.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will check out and be driven to Cairo International Airport for your final departure.