RSS Feed

Related Articles

Related Categories

Cairo, cruise and Coxon!

22nd August 2011 Print
Pyramids

Ancient Egypt Tours in association with TV Chef,Author and Food Archaeologist Alan Coxon, launch a 10-day fully escorted Cultural Food Tour of Egypt.

Alan will be on hand throughout this extraordinary tour of Ancient Egypt, looking at the very ingredients that made this country the power and force of the ancient world "food" !.

This luxurious tour takes in the sights, sounds and smells without compromise, and aims to stimulate all the senses in a relaxed, fun and enjoyable manner.

The itinerary aims to cover all aspects of food, ancient recipes, ingredients and of course, award winning museums, incredible architecture and stunning diverse scenery.

This itinerary aims to offer a Taste of the past with memories for the future!!

Tour dates : March 16-25 & April 20-29, 2012

Itinerary

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, welcoming our guest and presenting the itinerary.

Visit of the 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. We see bread, beer, wine, fowl, Nile fish and cattle.
 
Day 3 Sunday: Egyptian Museum, Khan el Khalili Bazaar
Visit of the Egyptian Museum, the treasure house of Ancient Egypt with the famous golden mask of the boy-king Tutankhamun. Lunch 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. After lunch we visit the Khan el Khalili bazaar 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
Transfer to the airport. Morning flight to Aswan at the southern border, the gateway to Nubia. Transfer to the cruise ship. Lunch on board. During the afternoon we sail on the Nile with a felucca, a traditional sailing boat, and visit the lushly green botanical island.
During the evening our guests can stroll on the 'souk', the Nubian market, famous for its superb spices, herbs, dates etc.  The markets and shops are open till about 11 pm.

During the cruise, while the boat is sailing, there will be time for lectures and/or demonstrations of food preparation either in the restaurant or in the salon.

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. Another 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. This is the best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt. There are numerous reliefs, 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 (no shorts, no slippers).

Day 7 Thursday: Royal Tombs, Hatshepsut's temple, Karnak temples, Luxor Temple
During the early morning we enter 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 a way to connect 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.

The magnificent Temple of Luxor is at the heart of ancient Thebes. Upon entering the temple 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 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 and 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 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 experience at the beach.

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

During the evening flight Hurghada-Cairo. Transfer to Le Meridian Heliopolis.

DAY 10 Sunday
Transfer to the airport for our flight home.
                                                                                                           
Accommodation in Double Room : 2175 Euro
Single Room Supplément : 610 Euro

Included in the price are the following services :

Accommodation
3 nights in the Oberoi Mena House 5* (Cairo), Garden section, including incl. Buffet Breakfast

3 nights / 4 days Luxury Nile Cruise 5* (Aswan to Luxor) full board from lunch on first day till breakfast on last day of cruise

2 nights at Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel 5* (Red Sea Hurghada), incl. Buffet Breakfast
1 night at Le Méridien Heliopolis 5* (Cairo near the airport), incl. Buffet Breakfast

Excursions
Including transfers, entrance fees, English speaking Egyptologist
Great Pyramids & Sphinx
Saqqara
Egyptian Museum
K2han el Khalili Bazaar
Felucca sailing on the Nile, visit Botanical Island
Obelisk
Temple of the goddess Isis
Temple of Kom Ombo
Temple of the god Horus
Valley of the Kings
Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
Temples of Karnak
Temple of Luxor

In addition to the historical sightseeing: Alan's Ancient Egyptian food lessons during the tour.

Other Services
Meet & assist at the airports
Two Domestic Flights : Cairo/Aswan & Hurghada/Cairo
Luggage handling
Transfers in airconditioned van / coach
Current VAT taxes

Not included are :
Intercontinental flights
Entry to the Great Pyramids and Mummy Room in the Museum. Extra tickets are available on the spot.
Extra excursion to Abu Simbel by air during the morning of day 4. Currently 225 Euro per person incl. Flights Aswan/Abu Simbel, entrance fee, guide, transfers
Entry visa, to be obtained upon arrival at Cairo airport (15 Euro)

For booking and inquiries of the tours, visit egypt-tours.org

More Photos - Click to Enlarge

Pyramids