Historic Hotels of Egypt: Cairo, Luxor & Aswan

Upon arrival into Cairo International airport you will be met by Goway's local representative and transferred to your historic hotel, where you will stay for the next 3 nights. The rest of the day is at leisure.

After breakfast you will begin your full day tour to the Pyramids, Sphinx and Egyptian Museum. The Pyramids and Sphinx were reckoned by the Greeks to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A single pyramid is built of 2,300,000 blocks, each weighing an average of two and one-half tons. In the face of such immensity, one cannot help but feel the wonder and awe that so many writers and artists have sought to convey over the centuries. The Cheops Pyramid is especially interesting since the interior burial chambers are open for inspection by the public. Not far from the Pyramids is the Great Sphinx of Giza, which dates from the time of Chephren (2620BC). Hewn from natural yellowish limestone & standing 65 feet high & 187 feet long, this unforgettable statue combines the head of a Pharaoh with a lion's body. The Egyptian Museum is the most important depository of Egyptian antiquities anywhere in the world. It features artifacts from the Pharaonic and Graeco-Roman periods, including the celebrated mummies of ancient Egypt's king and Tut Ankh Amun treasures. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Today you will enjoy a medieval atmosphere while walking through the old gates of Cairo with its heritage of mausoleums, mosques, palaces and schools. Lunch is included at Al Ahzar Park. Visit the Ibn Tulun Mosque and the Gayer Anderson Museum, where the James Bond movie, "The Spy who loved me" was filmed.

This morning you will be transferred to Cairo Airport for your flight to Luxor. On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel for the next 3 nights. The rest of the day is at leisure.

After breakfast you will embark on a half day tour to the Karnak and Luxor temples. Many festivals were celebrated in Thebes. The Temple of Luxor was the center of the most important one, the festival of Opet. Built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramses II, the temple served as a setting for the rituals of the festival, which was held to reconcile the human aspect of the ruler with his divine office. The procession of images of the current royal family began at Karnak and ended at the Luxor temple. Karnak was erected in 1928 BC as a small shrine dedicated to Amun, god of Thebes then. The Temple of Karnak comprises three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples - all constructed over 1300 years. The three main temples of Mut, Monthu and Amun, are enclosed in enormous brick walls, with the temple of Amun at the center. Karnak is now the largest.

Today's half day sightseeing includes an excursion to the West Bank to visit the burial places of the Pharaohs - the Valley of the Kings - where Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Continue to the adjacent Valley of the Queens, the mortuary temple of Hatshepsuit and the Colossi of Memnon.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before being transferred by road to Aswan. A visit is made to Edfu and Kom Ombo en route. Stop to explore the wonderfully preserved Temple of Horus at Edfu and experience the horse drawn carriage ride back and forth to the temple. Thereafter visit the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning sun. On arrival into Aswan, check into your hotel for next 3 nights and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Visits are made to the Aswan High Dam and the Old Dam. Just north of the border between Egypt and Sudan lies the Aswan High Dam, a huge rock fill dam which captures the world's longest river, the Nile, in the world's largest artificial reservoir, Lake Nasser. The dam, known as "Sadd El-Aali" in Arabic, was completed in 1970 after 10 years of work.

You will also visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam's construction. A short trip on a motorboat will bring the visitor to a magnificent vista of the island, before landing at what would have been the ancient quay on the south side. The temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis and has many legends connected to it. The most well-known legend tells the story of how Isis found the heart of Osiris here after his murder.

Your tour starts by sailing to Sohail Island to visit a typical Nubian village. You will get to see how the Nubians still live and will be invited into a home to view their décor and enjoy a cup of tea.

Today you will be transferred back to Aswan Airport for your flight back to Cairo. Thereafter you will be assisted to your onward international flight.