HIGHLIGHTS OF EGYPT WOMEN ONLY
DEPARTURE ITINERARY:
THURSDAY - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30-31 - USA or
Canada/Cairo, Egypt
Board an overnight flight to Cairo. On arrival you are met
by your Abercrombie & Kent representative and assisted through
Immigration and Customs formalities. Then transfer to your
historic hotel, built as a palace for the Empress Eugenie when
she visited Egypt for the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.
Mena House Oberoi, Pyramids View Room
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 01 - Cairo
The morning is at your leisure. This afternoon visit the
world-famous Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, housing relics that
date to 4000 BC. The highlights of your museum visit are the
treasures of Tutankhamun and the Mummy Room. Return to your
hotel where a private instructor demonstrates Egypt's
traditional art of belly dancing. You have time to freshen up
before gathering for a welcome cocktail and a lecture on "Women
in Egypt" by Ms. Manal Saad, a licensed Egyptologist and
researcher on the modern history of Egypt and the Middle East.
Her master's thesis work led her to further research focusing on
the public and political roles of 19th-century Egyptian women,
and she is currently involved in bridging the cultural gap
between the Western and Middle Eastern civilizations. Mena House
Oberoi, Pyramids View Room B, D
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 02 - Cairo
After breakfast, drive to Memphis, the capital of the
ancient kingdom. Its splendor has been destroyed, but the
alabaster Sphinx, built during the 18th Dynasty, still remains,
as does a beautifully carved statue of Ramses II. Continue to
the necropolis of Sakkara, whose surviving pyramids include the
world's oldest stone structure, King Zoser's 27th-century BC
step pyramid. After lunch visit the famous Sphinx and the
Pyramids of Giza that include the great pyramid of Cheops, one
of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Stop at the nearby
Solar Boat Museum, housing Cheops's 142-foot funerary boat,
considered to be one of the most important archaeological finds
of the 20th century. Later, you may attend the Sound and Light
performance at the Giza Pyramids. (Please note: the Sound and
Light performance is an optional excursion, available at an
additional fee.) Mena House Oberoi, Pyramids View Room B, L
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 03 - Cairo/Luxor
Early this morning fly south along the Nile to Luxor, known
to the ancient Egyptians as Thebes, and the launching point for
the Nile cruise portion of your tour aboard the luxurious 'Sun
Boat IV.' Later this morning, travel to the East Bank of the
Nile with your Egyptologist for a guided tour of the
awe-inspiring Temple of Karnak, a huge complex 2,000 years in
the making. The Hypostyle Hall within the temple covers
50,000-square-feet with 134 columns that once supported an
enormous roof - an extraordinary engineering feat for the 12th
century BC. View the massive statues of Ramses II and
Tutankhamun, and the obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis
I. After lunch on board, explore the Nile's West Bank, including
the necropolis of Thebes where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom
were buried. Wander through Valley of the Kings where 64 tombs
have been discovered. Continue to the terraced funerary temple
of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's first female pharaoh, before
arriving at the Colossi of Memnon. These two enormous seated
statues of Amenhotep III were known in ancient times for their
haunting voices at dawn. When you return to 'Sun Boat IV,' your
boat manager introduces you to the staff. After he reviews
on-board facilities and your cruise program, pause for
cocktails, canapés and dinner.
MS 'Sun Boat IV' B, L, D
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 04 - Luxor/Denderah/Qena/Luxor
There is time to rest and enjoy the lovely scenery this
morning - far from the crowds and other cruise ships - while you
cruise to Qena. Disembark and continue overland to Denderah,
site of the darkly beautiful Ptolemaic Temple of Hathor, the
goddess of pleasure and love. The wonderfully preserved temple
complex has a massive stone roof, dark chambers, underground
passages and towering columns inscribed with hieroglyphs. Return
to 'Sun Boat IV' and enjoy lunch as you return to Luxor.
Sometime during your cruise, join the on-board chefs for a
unique cooking lesson. Later, return to the East Bank to explore
the graceful Temple of Luxor, built by Amenhotep III,
Tutankhamun, Haremhab and Ramses II and dedicated to the god
Amun.
MS 'Sun Boat IV' B, L, D
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 05 - Luxor/Edfu/Kom Ombo
Your time is your own this morning. This afternoon, in Edfu
visit the preserved Temple of Horus (the falcon god), built in
230 BC by Ptolemy III. Return to the ship for afternoon tea as
you cruise to Kom Ombo. Dress in a traditional galabeyya and
join your fellow travellers this evening for an "Egyptian Night"
costume party. Dinner is a lavish buffet of Egyptian
specialties, followed by Arabic music and dance.
MS 'Sun Boat IV' B, L, D
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 06 - Kom Ombo/Aswan
Explore the Greco-Roman temple dedicated to Haroeris (the sun
god) and Sobek (the crocodile god). Built in the third century
BC, it stands at a bend in the Nile where sacred crocodiles once
basked in the sun. Return to 'Sun Boat IV' for lunch as she
sails toward Aswan. Visit Aswan's High Dam, the world's largest
rock-filled dam. Take a short boat ride to the exquisite Temple
of Philae on the island of Agilika. Recently moved from the
submerged island of Philae, the temple was reconstructed stone
by stone on Agilika and was dedicated to Isis and decorated with
the image of her alter ego, Hathor. Continue to the granite
quarries that supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the
hard stone used to construct the pyramids and temples. This is
also the site of the enormous Unfinished Obelisk. Weather
permitting, board a traditional Nile felucca (a typical Egyptian
sailing boat) to sail around Elephantine and Kitchener's
Islands. A local artist joins you aboard 'Sun Boat IV' for
afternoon tea and demonstrates the delicate art of henna
painting. Later, white-gloved waiters serve gourmet cuisine at
your gala farewell dinner. MS 'Sun Boat IV' B, L, D
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 07 - Aswan/Abu Simbel/Cairo
Leave the ship today and board a short flight to Abu Simbel,
site of the magnificent temple of Ramses II. Impressive in
itself, this great temple is further remarkable in that it was
moved up the hillside when threatened by floodwaters from Lake
Nasser and the high dam project. Return to Aswan and connect to
Cairo, where you are met and transferred to your hotel. The
balance of the day is at your leisure, a perfect opportunity to
indulge in a pampering spa treatment at your hotel.
Sofitel El Gezirah Cairo B, L
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 08 - Cairo
Explore Cairo's Islamic culture this morning. Caliph Amr
conquered the Roman fortress at Cairo in AD 640, and since then
Islam has played a significant role in Egyptian culture. Today
there are 250 mosques that represent works by the rulers of the
ensuing centuries. Visit the medieval Citadel of Salah El Din,
with its Ottoman style alabaster mosque of Mohammed Ali. Stroll
from Bab El Fotouh, the city gates, to the Khan El Khalili souk
(bazaar), once part of the old walled city. As you shop the
stalls for bargains, your Egyptologist fascinates you with
stories of shopkeepers who sell everything from licorice tea to
obscure spices and birds. Additional staff members are available
to help you bargain for treasures. Return to the hotel for
leisure time on your own. Tonight, join Gihan El-Sadat, Egypt's
former first lady, for a special farewell dinner in her home.
Sofitel El Gezirah Cairo B, L, D
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 09 - Cairo/United States
Board your homebound flight. B
Special Notes: The sequence of daily sightseeing may vary
due to local conditions, as well as the arrival and departure
times of the cruise ship. Your local Abercrombie & Kent staff
keeps you apprised of any itinerary changes if/as they occur.
Please also be aware that some flights within Egypt depart quite
early in the morning.
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