Walking in the Footsteps of Moses
Day 1 – Depart USA
Day 2 – Arrive in Cairo
Arrive in Cairo and be welcomed by your tour representative who will help you obtain your entry visa. Transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 3 – Route of the Exodus
Travel east from Cairo and see the Suez Canal and remember the parting of the Red (Reed) Sea before crossing into the Sinai Peninsula. Stop at the oases on the route that the Israelites followed on the Exodus before arriving at St. Catherine. Enjoy a Bedouin dinner in the desert this evening before overnighting in your desert accommodations.
Day 4 – Mt. Sinai
This morning you can opt to climb Mt. Sinai, where tradition says Moses received the Ten Commandments. Everyone will experience a visit to the fortified St. Catherine’s Monastery, built in the 6th century, and one of the oldest working monasteries in the world with the world’s oldest continually operating library. Both the Codex Sinaiticus and Syriac Sinaiticus, important early Biblical manuscripts, were discovered here. Even Mohammed found refuge here, and the site is sacred to all three monotheistic religions. Remember the story of Moses and the Burning bush which tradition places inside the monastery. Continue to Sharm el Sheik for dinner and overnight at your hotel located on the shores of the Red Sea.
Day 5 – Day of Rest
Enjoy a day of rest at your Red Sea resort. Enjoy a relaxing day by the pool or optional activities like a glass-bottom boat ride over the stunning reef or other water activities.
Day 6 – Luxor & Karnak
This morning fly from Sharm el Sheik to Luxor, ancient Thebes, which served as the Egyptian capital during the New Kingdom and time of Moses. Visit the magnificent Temple of Luxor with its avenue of sphinx statues and mighty monumental columns. Continue to the Karnak Temple which was built over 2,000 years ago and is the largest religious building ever constructed, and see the famed Hypostyle Hall, the Obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut and Tutomosis III, and the temple of Amon, the Granit Scarabeus and the sacred Lake. board the Iberotel Crown Empress and enjoy dinner.
Day 7 – Valley of the kings and Edfu
This morning enjoy sunrise over the Nile River before your visit to the Valley of the kings. Tombs were constructed here for the kings and powerful nobles of Egypt for nearly 500 years. The valley stands on the west ban of the Nile, across from Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis. See the Colossi of Memnon, made of sandstone brought from Gabal El Silselah. Each colossus, including the pedestal and the crown, is about 21m tall and represents King Amenhotep III. Seethe Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, one of only a handful of female rulers in Ancient Egypt. Her reign was the longest of all the female pharaohs. Enjoy lunch and afternoon teas as you cruise down the Nile to Edfu.
Day 8 – Edfu & Kom Ombo
Visit the Edfu Temple on the west bank of the Nile. Dating to the Ptolemaic period, the temple was dedicated to the worship of god Horus represented as a falcon. It is one of the most beautiful Egyptian temples distinguished by its huge, splendid structure blending Pharaonic and Greek architecture. Sail to Kom Ombo to visit the Kom Ombo Temple. Build on a hillside, this temple was constructed in the Ptolemaic Roman era for the worship of the gods Haroeris and Sobek. It is noted for the relief engravings on it walls which show ancient surgical tools, bone saws and dentistry tools. Nearby view the three mummified crocodiles in Hathors chapel.
Day 9 – Aswan
Set sail on a smaller boat across the Nile to visit the temples at Philae including the Temple of Isis, one of the greatest Temples in Egypt occupying a quarter of the island. Next, visit the High Dam, one of the most outstanding architectural achievements of the twentieth century. It was constructed to replace the old Aswan dam built in 1902. The 3,6000-meter-long dam was constructed to protect Egypt from the floods as well as provide irrigation and electricity to its citizens. View the Unfinished Oblelisk, made of red granites brought from the quarries of Aswan. Enjoy dinner and overnight onboard.
Day 10 – The Pyramids of Giza
After breakfast, disembark your cruise vessel and transfer to the airport for y our short flight to Cairo. Visit the Pyramids of Giza, constructed over 1,000 years before the birth of Moses. See the great sphinx and have the opportunity to ride a camel in the desert near the Pyramids. See modern Cairo as you travel to your hotel on the Nile river for dinner.
Or, take an optional excursion (must purchase) to visit the monumental Temple of Abu Simbel, located 150 miles south of Aswan on Lake Nasser. The temples were raised piece by piece just before the completion of the Aswan High Dam and are lasting monuments to Ramses II and his Queen Nefertari. After touring, fly to Cairo to meet the group for dinner.
Experience the Pyramids in a different light during this evening’s sound and light show.
Day 11 – Cairo
This morning visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities to view the unique collection of Pharaonic art and the renowned treasures of King Tutankhamen. Tour the Citadel of Saladin, build in 1183 A.D., and view the Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali. lastly, in old Cairo visit the Abu Serge church built over the traditional site of the house where the Holy Family lived during their stay in Egypt. Dinner and overnight in your Cairo hotel.
Day 12 – Return to USA
or fly to Amman for optional Petra and Dead Sea extension