chase the sun - 9 days

Tour Information
Starts in: Cairo
Ends in: Cairo
Departure: Sat 18th October 2008
Prices:  Click Here
Local Payment Required: No 
Breakfast: 8, Lunch: 2, Dinner: 2
Hotel rating: 4 - 5
Egyptian Tour Leader: Yes

Day 1: Cairo
Welcome to Egypt and the start of an amazing holiday. Arrive Cairo airport and included transfer to your hotel. Overnight - Cairo.

Day 2: Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara
Cairo - Aswan - breakfast. Visit to the famous pyramids and lion-headed Sphinx at Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu), the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. Continuing to Saqqara, we can explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s step pyramid - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 27 BC! We later enjoy a chance to relax, freshen up and have dinner. Overnight train to Aswan. Upgrade to sleeper train available. Overnight - train.

Day 3: Aswan and Philae temple
Aswan - breakfast box. Arrive Aswan. We enjoy a visit out of town to the mighty High Dam. A modern feat of engineering, the by–product is Lake Nasser, the world’s largest artificial lake! Continuing, we enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island for Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Later, free time to perhaps do some shopping in the colourful souks and markets or simply relax in this attractive town which straddles the River Nile. Overnight - Aswan.

Day 4: Aswan markets
Aswan - breakfast. A free morning to explore this colourful Nile side city on your own. Head to the souq (market) for a bargain or take a walk along the majestic Nile corniche, framed by rolling sand dunes of the Sahara Desert. Later this afternoon drive south to Abu Simbel, in readiness for tomorrow’s Sun Festival at the Sun Festival of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel. Lunch, dinner and overnight 3 - 4  hotel – Abu Simbel.

Day 5: SUN FESTIVAL - TEMPLE OF KING RAMSES II - ABU SIMBEL

Abu Simbel – Aswan – Nile Felucca Cruise - breakfast. Possibly the most awe-inspiring temple of all ancient Egypt, with its gargantuan rock-cut façade, the great Sun Temple of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel was created to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler King Ramses II. Ramses the Bold, Ramses the Great, Ramses the Narcissist are perhaps all apt titles for one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful rulers. Celebrating a life that spanned nearly a centenary, Ramses had plenty of time for his more than 200 wives and concubines who produced him some 96 sons and 60 daughters.

Built by Ramses II to demonstrate his political clout and divine backing to the ancient Nubians, Abu Simbel is an awesome self-tribute. Guarding the entrance to the temple (built between 1290 and 1224 BC) hewn into the side of a mountain are four famous colossal statues of the pharaoh himself, which sit majestically staring out across the desert, seemingly since time began. Over the centuries, the desert sands imperceptibly shifted until the temple was all but lost to humanity. It was rediscovered by chance in 1813 by a Swiss explorer called John Lewis Burkhardt. Only one of the heads of the pharaohs was showing and only a small part of the rest of the colossal temple peeked above the desert sands. It wasn’t until the British happened upon Abu Simbel and starting excavating, that the full glory of the temple of Abu Simbel was revealed to the modern world. The other rock cut temple at Abu Simbel is the Temple of Hathor, which is fronted by six massive standing statues. Four of them represent King Ramses II, whilst the other two are of his beloved wife, Queen Nefertari.

The temple was dedicated to the deified Pharaoh, King Ramses II, known also as the great builder and the gods Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ptah. In a fit of precision and architectural egotism, Ramses II had the entire temple carefully angled and oriented in order that the sun’s rays would align twice a year on his date of his ascension to the throne (21 February) and on his birthday (21 October) and illuminate the inner sanctum of the temple. This incredible natural phenomenon provides for a most spectacular sight, which has come to be referred to as the Sun Festival of King Ramses II. Crowds pack in to the temple before sunrise and watch the shafts of light slowly creeping through the rock hewn inner Hypostyle Hall (replete with further statues of the king) and through to the Sanctuary. Significantly, the sun illuminates statues of Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ramses the god, whilst the statute of Ptah - the god of darkness - remains in the shadows.

Famously, the temple was re-located in a multi-million dollar operation in 1972, further up from the shoreline of Lake Nasser, which had threatened to erode the foundations of this monolithic temple complex. For this reason, the sun now strikes a day later than Ramses had originally planned, though the event this morning itself is no less stunning. After the event, there will also be plenty of time to explore the Sun Temple of King Ramses II and also the Temple of Hathor and take plenty of pictures. Afterward we drive back to Aswan and take a motorboat to meet up with our felucca and fellow travellers. Afternoon sailing, late lunch on felucca, dinner and overnight - felucca.

Day 6: Kom Ombo and Edfu temple
Nile Felucca Cruise - Kom Ombo - Edfu - Luxor – breakfast. Disembarking our felucca, we visit the riverside Temple of Kom Ombo and continue onward to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, before driving north to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year old Luxor is ancient Egypt at it’s best. Enjoy some rest and relaxation. Tonight, an optional visit is available to the Temple of Luxor with a restaurant dinner afterwards. Transport is by traditional horse and carriage. The excursion is at nominal cost, payable locally. Rest of evening free. Overnight - Luxor.


Day 7: The Valley of the Kings
Luxor - Cairo - breakfast. An early start with an optional hot air balloon flight over Luxor. See the temples or tombs or villages from high above as we drift over ancient Thebes. Starting early to avoid the heat, we venture to the awesome Valley of the Kings. Highlights of our visit include the Colossi of Memnon, a massive pair of statues that stand silent against a backdrop of history, the legendary Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The Valley of the Kings is studded with often highly decorated tombs, constructed to once house the regal sarcophagi enclosed mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting their passage into the after-life. Later this afternoon after time to relax, we visit the Temple of Karnak, a spectacular temple on a gigantic scale dedicated to the Theban gods. Karnak is ancient Egypt at it’s very best. You’ll feel like an extra in a Hollywood epic, as you stroll around this place. Tonight, we return to Cairo by train, (Sleeper train upgrade available) Overnight - train.

Day 8: Cairo and Egyptian museum
Cairo – breakfast. Arrive Cairo and transfer to hotel. Afternoon guided visit to the Egyptian Museum. See the famous Tutankhamen Gallery and opt to see the Royal Mummies, if you dare. Remainder of the day free to relax, shop and explore Cairo. An optional Cairo city tour is also available locally. Overnight - Cairo.

Day 9: Cairo
Cairo – breakfast. Hotel check–out and included onward transfer to airport.

If you're planning ahead, we offer the chance to see the phenomena in conjunction with our Jewel of the Nile: 10 days Sun Festival departure on 16 October 2009.