Egypt & The Eternal Nile

Accompanied by an expert Egyptian guide, this singular journey through antiquity reveals a storied land’s many treasures.  Your small group of no more than 24 travelers begins its 15-day immersion in Egypt’s unsurpassed historic atmosphere in Cairo and its environs with the open-air museum at Memphis, Egypt’s first capital.  Next is splendid Sakkara, burial site of royalty for 3,000 years; then the astounding Pyramids of Giza guarded by their enigmatic Great Sphinx.  Traveling to Abu Simbel, embark on a fascinating three-night Lake Nasser cruise through ancient Nubia.  Visit the massive Abu Simbel temple complex and watch a dramatic sound-and-light show amid the statuary.  After stops to explore the outstanding temples at Amada, Wadi el-Seboua, and New Kalabsha, tour the massive Aswan High Dam and the reconstructed Temples of Philae.  Then depart from Aswan on a classic three-night Nile voyage, enjoying a leisurely sail on a traditional felucca along the way, and visiting Kom Ombo’s unusual temple and Edfu’s Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best-preserved temple.  Sail on to Luxor, the world’s “greatest open-air museum,” for a two-night stay, encountering the East and West banks’ wonders:  the awe-inspiring Karnak and Luxor temple complexes, the haunting Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, the dramatic Temple of Hatshepsut, and the massive Colossi of Memnon.  Returning to Cairo for three nights, tour the exotic Khan el-Khalili bazaar and historic Old Cairo, and visit the acclaimed Egyptian Museum.  Discover fabled “rose-red” Petra, ancient Jerash, and Amman with an optional 5-day/4-night post-tour Jordan extension.