15 Days Wings Over the Nile Tour Package

Duration : 15 Days / 14 Nights
Priced From : $5,795 pp.dbl.occ.
Dates : Oct- Nove, Janu- Mar , Sep-Oct

We fly on a scheduled flight to Cairo, Egypt. On arrival, we check in to the Mena House Oberoi Hotel in nearby Giza.  (Meals Aloft)

Day 3
Pyramids / Great Sphinx

The Giza Pyramids — the last remaining of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — are the only vestiges from their time to survive in their original form. We explore them today and also view the Solar Boat, the well-preserved funeral boat that carried Cheops’ body. If you choose, you can even ride a camel. Tonight, we gather for a welcome reception, dinner, and folkloric show at the Mena House Oberoi’s Rubayyat Restaurant. (B,D)

Day 4
Sakkara / Memphis / Pyramids

We visit Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis, site of the limestone colossus of a young Pharaoh Ramses II, and of the Alabaster Sphinx. We continue to Sakkara to see the Step Pyramid Complex of King Djoser. After a barbecue lunch and relaxing afternoon, join us under the star-filled Egyptian sky for a sound and laser light show at the Pyramids. (B,L)

Day 5
Abu Simbel / Aswan / Embark Oberoi Philae

Our chartered private plane whisks us to the magnificent Temple of Abu Simbel, where we’ll also visit a smaller temple, dedicated to Ramses II’s favorite wife Nefertari. Next, we continue by private plane to Aswan, site of the High Dam built to harness the power of the Nile. We transfer to the Oberoi Philae for our four-night cruise. Later, we enjoy a short jaunt aboard an Egyptian “felucca” (traditional sailboat). (B,L,D)

Day 6
Aswan / Cruising the Nile / Kom Ombo

This morning, we see the High Dam and visit the Temple of Isis at Philae. We then cruise to Kom Ombo, whose lovely Greco-Roman temple’s aesthetic proportions are beautiful. We enjoy an Egyptian dinner and costumed “galabeya” (a long, loose Egyptian garment) party on board this evening. (B,L,D)

Day 7
Edfu / Cruising the Nile / Luxor

The ancient Greeks called the site of Edfu “Apollonopolis,” after the god Apollo. The nearly intact Temple of Horus is one of Egypt’s finest examples of Ptolemaic art. Next, we cruise a bit farther downstream to Luxor, on the Nile’s East bank at the site of ancient Thebes, where our ship will dock for the night. (B,L,D)

Day 8
Luxor

A morning visit to Luxor’s West Bank brings us to the remote Valley of the Kings. Sixty-four of the Egypt’s rulers were buried here in ornate subterranean chambers, and we visit some of the tombs. We also visit the Valley of the Nobles and marvel at the Colossus of Memnon. This afternoon, we explore the massive temples of Karnak and Luxor, including the immense Hypostyle Hall — largest of any temple in the world. (B,L,D)

Day 9
St. Catherine’s Monastery / Cairo

We disembark the Oberoi Philae and fly by chartered private plane to remote St. Catherine’s Monastery, in the Sinai Desert. Built in the 6th century in a dramatic setting at the foot of Mt. Moses, around what tradition holds to be the burning bush, the monastery holds priceless icons, illuminated manuscripts, paintings and hanging lamps. We then fly back to Cairo, where you’ll enjoy a Nile-view room at the elegant and well-located Grand Hyatt Hotel. In the early evening we’ll attend a special talk by a guest speaker. (B,L)

Day 10
Cairo

We tour Old Cairo, seeing the Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque, then continue to the colorful Khan el-Khalily bazaar and enjoy a lunch of local specialties at Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant. Later, we have a guided visit to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum and see the treasures from the tomb of boy-king Tutankhamon and the Royal Mummies Room. (B,L)

Day 11
Cairo / Petra, Jordan

There’s free time this morning to explore more of the city on your own, perhaps visiting Coptic Cairo. Rather than take a scheduled flight, we take a chartered private plane to Aqaba, Jordan, and drive to Petra — the fabled city that lay hidden to the world until its 1812 discovery. You’ll enjoy a two-night stay at the Petra Mövenpick Hotel. (B,D)

Day 12
Petra

Today we follow the Siq, a narrow, winding gorge, on a walking exploration that includes Petra’s impressive Treasury, royal tombs, colonnaded street, and amphitheater. The architecture itself is astonishing, yet the colors — deep rust, banded with grays, yellows, and every hue in between — are spectacular in their own right. Tonight, join in the fun with an interactive meal at Petra Kitchen. (B,D)

Day 13
Dead Sea

We drive through rolling countryside to Madaba, where there are remarkable Byzantine mosaics, and visit Mount Nebo — the site where Moses is said to have gazed on the Promised Land. We continue to the Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa, located on the Dead Sea’s eastern shore. Enjoy the afternoon and evening to relax. You can float in the waters of the Dead Sea, use the swimming pool or try out the resort’s extensive spa services. (B,L)

Day 14
Dead Sea / Jerash

We explore the well-preserved walls, colonnaded streets, temples, public baths, plazas, and theaters of ancient Greco-Roman Jerash. We then spend the rest of the afternoon at our Dead Sea resort. Tonight, there is a festive farewell dinner to toast the journey. (B,L,D)

Day 15
Amman, Jordan / U.S.

We drive to Amman airport for our flight back to the U.S. (B)

• You’ll have the great comfort and convenience of flying in a privately chartered de Havilland Dash 7 between stops in Egypt and to Jordan. You’ll be able to visit places not included on other itineraries, and you’ll minimize time spent in airports and in transit.

• Egypt has many of the greatest monuments of the ancient world, including the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the temples and courtyards of Luxor and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel. St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai is a place of transcendent importance. And Cairo is a city full of life, with many contemporary and ancient sites to see.

• The art of Egypt has spoken eloquently to people for millennia. The paintings, reliefs, sculpture were done with inspiration and artisanship.

• Petra in Jordan is one of the great sites of antiquity (voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World), with large and exquisite tombs and temples carved into the red rock. The Dead Sea and Jerash in Jordan are extraordinarily interesting as well.

• Egypt and Jordan’s people are exceptionally welcoming. Hospitality is a longstanding tradition, and the experience of visiting is relaxed and enjoyable.

• Egypt and Jordan’s accommodations are worth the journey in their own right. On our program, you stay in great hotels and the beautiful Oberoi Philae Nile cruise ship.

10/09