Jerusalem and Secrets of the Egyptian Nile

Arrival at Tel Aviv airport (Ben Gurion). After customs our transfer will be waiting for you to continue by road to JERUSALEM. Accommodation.

TODAY´S HIGHLIGHTS: Full day visit of Jerusalem.

Breakfast. Full day visit. We will start going up the Mount of Olives, where we will appreciate a magnificent view over the city. We will also visit the Garden of Gethsemane. We will enter the Old City, where we will walk the Via Dolorosa to reach Golgotha, place of the crucifixion of Jesus and the Holy Sepulchre. Already in the Armenian quarter, we will discover the legends that are hidden in the tower and citadel of David, where we will explore some of the most exciting archaeological treasures of this ancient settlement, the first foundations of present-day Jerusalem. Free time for lunch. Next, visit to the complex of the four Sephardic synagogues. We will visit the upper part of the Hurva synagogue (allowed for non-Jewish tourists), where we will have the possibility to learn their customs and traditions. From its terrace we will have an unparalleled view of the Jewish quarter of the city. We will admire the exterior architecture of this group of temples, which also treasure a very particular history, to finish the route we will approach the Western Wall, where we will also know the Tunnels of said Wall with its huge quarry stones that today are part of the foundation of ancient Jerusalem 2000 years ago. We can even see some grottoes that make improvised churches or sacred rooms that serve for the prayers of the most religious. Return to the hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Departure to the Sanctuary of the Book in the Israel Museum, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are exhibited, and where the Model of Jerusalem in the time of Jesus is located. Visit the neighborhood of Ain Karen where the Church of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is located, and visit of Yad Vashem, Museum and Holocaust Memorial. Visit the lively Mahane Yehuda Market where Orthodox Jews, Palestinians, Armenians, Arabs mingle with tourists creating a multicultural atmosphere. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon we enter PALESTINE to visit the city of Bethlehem. We will visit the Mosque of Omar (exterior) and the Church of the Nativity with the Grotto of the Manger, the Basilica of Santa Catarina and the Grotto of Saint Jerome. Short walk through the old city before returning to Jerusalem. On the outskirts of Bethlehem stands the Salesian monastery of Cremisan where the only Palestinian wine is made. Return to the hotel Accommodation.


Note: Don´t forget to bring your passport to cross into Palestine.

After breakfast we leave for the south of Israel. We will skirt the Dead Sea and traverse the beautiful landscapes of the Negev Desert. Arrival at EILAT, a modern and touristic city with its excellent beaches. A relaxing time for lunch and walking. After lunch departure to the border of EGYPT. Passage to Sinai, on our route we photograph the island of the pharaoh with the powerful fortress of Saladin. Continuation to SAINT CATHERINE -Arrival, dinner included and accommodation.


NOTE: In the passage from Israel to Egypt, entry / exit taxes must be paid by the traveler in the different countries. Israel: 32 $ (exit tax), Egypt: Entrance fee to Taba: 25$, Entry visa: 45$ (which is actually 25$ visa + 20$ processing fee)

At the foot of Mount Sinai, we visit the impressive walled monastery of SAINT CATHERINE. According to tradition, this is where Moses saw “the Burning Bush that burned without being consumed”. The monastery, which is a sacred place for Jews, Christians and Muslims, belongs to the Orthodox Church and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then continue on through the Sinai Desert’s picturesque landscapes. Lunch included in route. Stop at the WELL OF MOSES, a biblical site that looks like a small oasis. We will leave Sinai through the tunnel under the SUEZ CANAL. Arrival in CAIRO at the end of the afternoon. Accommodation.

Full day visit where we explore the famous Pyramids of Cheops, Kefren and Micerinos (tickets to go inside the pyramids are not included), and also the impressive Sphinx, which is sculpted from rock. Visit to the Egyptian Museum with its ancient art and where the treasure of the Lost Tomb of Tutankhamen is kept. Lunch included. Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. We will take a walk through the Coptic neighborhood where we visit the Hanging Church built above a Roman fortress.

Distance: 510 km
Landscapes: Spectacular landscapes, lakes and deserts of multiple colors.
Note: We suggest comfortable shoes and bring water on visits. Sometimes, police checkpoints can delay the route. We suggest always carrying your passport at hand.

07.00 hrs.- Cairo. We will leave Cairo early; we will visit an Egypt that you probably had never imagined: a country of great lakes in the middle of the desert!
08.30 hrs. Pyramid of Meidum- Entrance included in this pyramid, considered as the first pyramid that the ancient Egyptians tried to build, 2600 years before Christ, with its amazing, stepped structure. We can climb to the door that gives access to the burial chamber (after descending 75 meters) and see the large mastabas that house the tombs of some relatives of the pharaoh.


09.15 hrs- Pyramid of Meidum, departure. We head towards the Al Fayoum Oasis and outline the great Lake Qarum that allows the irrigation of the entire oasis making this area "the garden of Egypt". The shores of the lake have numerous leisure points for Egyptians. Al Fayoum is also known for "the Al Fayoum portraits," the oldest portraits in the world that are now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
11.15 hrs- Tunis Village, - Stop at this nice place with great ceramic craftsmanship. Lunch included.


12.15 hrs- Tunis Village. Departure, we enter among magnificent desert landscapes,
13.00 hrs- Wadi Rayyan. A few kilometers away, we stop at the saltwater lake declared a National Park, where rare species of birds and gazelles live. Time for a walk next to the small falls.


13.45 hrs- Wadi Rayyan. We continue our journey into the desert.
14.45 hrs- Wadi al Hittan- Arrival and entrance included to the so-called "Valley of the whales", declared by Unesco a World Heritage Site. The number, concentration, and quality of the fossils, as well as their location in a protected landscape of great beauty, make the site an exceptional place in all aspects. We get to visit the museum about fossilized whales and climate change and we will walk to see the skeletons of fossilized whales.


15.45 hrs- Wadi al Hittan, departure.
19.45 hrs- Menia, arrival in this city of 300 000 inhabitants where we can have an active and pleasant walk along the Nile River. Dinner included.

Distance: 210 km
Landscapes: Great landscapes on the Nile Valley.
Notes: We suggest comfortable shoes. Sometimes police controls can delay the route, we suggest always carrying the passport at hand. The program may be modified by security regulations given by the police during the trip. In the Coptic temples visited we suggest wearing appropriate clothing. According to the schedule, we can visit Deir al Muharraq before the tombs of Mir.

08.00 hrs- Menia. Exit. We start another exciting day in the center of the Nile Valley.
08.30 hrs- Zawiyyet Sultan. Stop and entrance included in this immense cemetery, called place of the dead, at the foot of a small pharaonic necropolis, whose peculiar architecture of vaulted adobe mausoleums leads us to feel "in another world".

09.15 hrs- Zawiyyet Sultan, we continue our route.
10.00 hrs- Beni Hassan. A new stop to visit the necropolis that stands on cliffs above the Nile Valley, 39 tombs (four are visited) dating from 2125 to 1795 years b.C. and offer us a fascinating idea of the daily life of that time. Entrance included.


11.30 hrs- Beni Hassan, departure. We continue touring the Nile Valley. Lunch included en route.
14.15 hrs- Tombs of Mir. Entrance included to visit this new necropolis, open to the visit, of nine tombs of the Old and Middle Kingdom. The solitude of the place is impressive (practically without tourism).


15.15 hrs- Very close to the tombs we make a new stop.
15.30 hrs- Deir Al Muharraq. Arrival at the monastery and entrance included to this place of Coptic pilgrimage. Monks indicate that here, in a cave, Mary and Jesus lived for six months after fleeing from Herod. According to tradition the church was built around the year 60, being "the oldest Christian church in the world".


16.30 hrs- Deir Al Muharraq- departure.
18.00 hrs- Assiut, arrival in the provincial capital. Dinner included.

Distance: 420 km
Landscapes: Interesting landscapes following the Nile Valley and stretches of arid deserts with different colors.
Notes: We suggest comfortable shoes. Sometimes police controls can delay the route, we suggest always carrying the passport at hand. The program may be modified by security regulations given by the police during the trip. In the Coptic temples visited we suggest wearing appropriate clothing.


08.00 hrs- We will leave Assiut for the region of Sohag, in Upper Egypt. We are located in one of the main Coptic areas of Egypt.
10.30 hrs- White Monastery (entrance included). Stop to visit this Coptic monastery, built in the fourth century (destroyed several times) and powerfully walled. For the construction of this monastery the stones that came from pharaonic temples were used and we can find, in some of its ancient blocks, pharaonic gods and hieroglyphics of that time. At the time, this monastery housed the largest library in Egypt.


11.15 hrs- After that we visit the Red Monastery (entrance included), one of the most impressive Christian buildings in Egypt. Its old chapel of the fourth century, has most of its surface covered with frescoes (restored) that give us an idea of what religious buildings were like at the time.


12.15 hrs- Red Monastery, departure.
13.45 hrs. Abydos. Entrance included to the most important place of worship of Osiris -God of the dead. Lunch included. The necropolis of Abydos was a place of pilgrimage for more than 4500 years (from 4000 years BC to 600) and there are still many unexcavated tombs. It highlights the impressive temple of Seti, one of the most complete and beautiful in Egypt.16.00 hrs- Abydos, departure. We continue to Luxor. Accommodation.

During our stay in Luxor we will get to know one of the most impressive ancient cities on the planet. Early, from our hotel we will take a private boat to cross the Nile River, with its peace and breathtaking views early in the morning, we pass to the west bank. We visit the "Valley of the Artisans" Deir el-Medina, a place that is not visited often, here lived and are currently located the tombs of great builders and craftsmen who built and decorated the royal tombs of ancient Egypt; we will visit three tombs, their paintings show scenes of daily life of that time. Subsequently, transfer to the ship, boarding procedures on the cruise and accommodation. Full board on the ship. In the afternoon, visit to the impressive temple complex of Luxor and Karnark. Accommodation on board.

Full board on board. Breakfast at 05:00. We leave the ship at 06:00. Visit of the Necropolis of Thebes, comprising the famous Valley of the Kings, which is 18 km from the boat. Arrival at the Valley of the Kings around 06:45 and we finish the visit around 08:30. Then, at about 4 km, we will have the panoramic visit of the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Deir Al Bahari, by bus 10 minutes away is Deir Bahari. The visit lasts an hour and then it takes another 10 minutes by bus to reach the temple of Medinet Habu located about 4 km from the temple of Hatshepsut and another hour to visit the temple and on the way back to the boat, a stop to see the Colossi of Memnon. After the visit, return to the boat. Navigation to Edfu crossing the Esna lock. Luxor is 120 km from Edfu It takes 4 hours to reach the Esna lock; we need to wait for the turn to pass and sail for another 4 hours to reach Edfu. Accommodation on board.

Breakfast is from 06:00 to 07:00. Full board on the ship. At 7.00 AM visit of Temple of Edfu. The temple is 1km from the boat. The transfer of the boat to the temple of Edfu is done in carriages. It is almost 15 minutes each way, and an hour and a half in the temple. The Temple is dedicated to the Falcon God Horus and is the best preserved in Egypt as well as being the second largest in the country. At 09:00 return to the boat. Navigation to Kom Ombo. It takes almost 6 hours to get to Kom Ombo. Arrival around 17:00. Departure to visit the Temple of Kom Ombo; we walk there because it is very close to the boat, about 200 meters. The visit lasts a total of an hour and a half. It is the only temple dedicated to two Gods: Haroeris, who had a falcon´s head and Sobek, with a crocodile head and God of fertility. At Kom Ombo, we will also visit the Nilometer, used by the ancient Egyptians to measure the water level of the Nile. After the visit return to the ship at 18:30. Navigation to Aswan (almost 4 hours).

Arrival to ASWAN. Possibility of getting the optional tour to Abu Simbel (visit NOT included in the itinerary), located two hundred and eighty kilometers from Aswam, visit the western desert and the temples carved on the cliff by Ramses II during the twelfth century BC, with 20 meters high statues, dedicated to the god Amon Ra, and the Temple of Nefertari, dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Visit the Red Granite quarry where is the famous 41 meters high Unfinished Obelisk. We will also visit the Aswan Dam, one of the largest in the world, which created Lake Nasser with a length of more than 500 km. We will visit the beautiful Temple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis and located on a small island that can only be accessed by boat. In the afternoon, a felucca cruise on the Nile, typical sailing boats in the area, heading to the island of Kitchener where the Botanical Garden is located. Full board. Accommodation on board.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.