Temples of the Pharaohs (15 days)

On arrival we will transfer to our comfortable hotel and look forward to the next two weeks of exploring some of Egypt’s Pharaonic heritage.

We start with a journey to the Giza plateau where from time immemorial the Pyramids and Sphinx have gazed out over the city. A visit will let you make your own mind up which construction theory to believe as you gaze in awe at these truly stunning masterpieces of building. Braver travellers can pay an entry fee to enter into the heart of one of the pyramids or another option is to see the remains of the solar barques, the oldest ships in the world, located in a museum at the site. Of course we also see the Sphinx, now slowly decaying after millennia of erosion by the desert sands.

After our visit we head back to the city, perhaps accompanied by the sound of the muezzin in this city of mosques. We make our way to the Egyptian Museum, where quite literally countless treasures sit on display and in the vaults of what is the world’s greatest repository of Pharaonic wonders. Explore the many rooms seeing some of the most famous exhibits before finally heading into Tutankhamun’s hall to see his sarcophagi and - the jewel in the museum’s crown - the boy-king’s gold funerary mask.

Our journey south begins with a visit to the Step Pyramid at Saqqara and then further on the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur. Little-visited this superb site rewards with unique pyramids that in reality can rival their more famous cousins at Giza.

The Red Pyramid is the world’s first true pyramid, that is, one with smooth sides. Named for the red limestone from which it is constructed it stands 101m high, some 40 metres taller than the smallest of Giza’s pyramids. Later we arrive in the oasis town of Fayoum, known throughout the country as the garden of Egypt so rich and fertile are its lands.

At Meidum we pause to explore what is regarded as the first attempt to build a pyramid in Egypt. Prior to pyramids the ancients built mastaba tombs and here at Meidum we can see how, some 4,600 years ago, these mastabas evolved into pyramids. What we see today is the impressive inner core of a pyramid built for the Pharaoh Snefru and which collapsed some 2000 years ago, the outer casing literally sliding away. After our visit we travel on to El Minya in the heart of Middle Egypt.

We leave El Minya early as today we have much to see and a long distance to travel. We first cross the Nile on our way to our first stop at Beni Hassan. This is a Middle Kingdom necropolis (1980-1801BCE) and contains some 39 rock tombs of military commanders and local notables, in contrast with other tombs. The tombs here are neither as elaborate or as extensive as those in, say, the Valley of the Kings, but what they lack in size they make up for in sheer style.

Beautiful fluted columns and wonderful paintings depicting scenes from daily life almost 4,00 years ago, with wrestling, agricultural and day to day tasks such as people playing board games or visiting the barber represented.

Later we visit ancient Amarna, one-time and short-lived capital of the heretical pharaoh Akhenaten and his queen, Nefertari. In the 14th century BCE Akhenaten left Thebes to establish a monotheistic capital based on the worship of the sun disc, the Aten, leaving behind the polytheistic temples and traditions of Thebes, today’s Luxor. We learn his story, one of intrigue, and of his links with Tutankhamun, during our visit. Tonight we overnight in Assiut.

We are looking forward to arriving in Luxor, but before we do we have two more important and interesting stops to make. At Abydos we see the famous temple and shrine dedicated to the god of the afterlife, Osiris. This shrine was a place of pilgrimage for all Egyptians that could afford to visit, for to do so cleared the way for life after death. Next we make our way to Dendera where, in the 18th century, the artist David Roberts eloquently captured the majesty of the temple in his painting of the scene at that time.

Dedicated to Hathor the cow-headed goddess of love, sensual pleasure and drunkenness the temple here lacks the usual pylons, visitors entering via an Outer Hypostyle Hall of 18 Hathor-headed columns, organised into groups of 3; the ceiling is well preserved with much of the original roof covering. The holy of holies further on is completely preserved here at Dendera. Following our visit we continue to Luxor.

Luxor, ancient Thebes. For those that wish to there is first the opportunity to take an optional hot-air balloon ride, the perfect way to get your bearings of this ancient capital and a thrilling ride to boot.

Later we join horse-drawn carriages called caleshes as we ride the 3km to Karnak Temple. Once an avenue of sphinxes linked the two great temples of Karnak and Luxor and a project is ongoing to re-link them. We enter through this famous avenue to explore the vast interior of the temple. Highlights include the grand Hypostyle Hall, where dozens of massive pillars once held aloft the roof, Hatshepsut’s obelisk and the Sacred Pool. We look forward to our return visit to explore the famous Valley of the Kings.

This morning a 3hr train ride brings us to Aswan, a frontier town on the ancient border between Egypt and Nubia. It’s a city of tall dark-skinned Nubian, the limpid Nile, souqs and feluccas - the lateen-sailed boats used for thousands of years here on the river.

We set off by road and then boat to visit Philae Temple, surely Egypt’s most romantic temple. Located on an island, the temple was moved, stone by stone, from its original location nearby to save it from the rising waters created by Aswan’s High Dam. It’s both atmospheric and beautiful at the same time, a real testament to ancient and modern engineering techniques.

This morning we set out to visit Abu Simbel, Ramses the Great’s vast temple complex close to the Sudanese border. Our trip by road takes several hours, indicating the extent of ancient Egypt’s borders, and once at Abu Simbel we gaze in wonder at the size and splendour of these massive temples, testaments to his power and designed to impress invaders heading north.

Returning to Aswan we are at leisure until the souqs reopen. Here all manner of goods are on display catering to both locals and travellers and it’s a great place to stock up on spices at bargain prices. Be warned though – haggling is expected!

Your time prior to us boarding our boat just after lunch is free. There are many things to see and do in Aswan, from the remains of the ancient Khnum Temple on Elephantine Island, to the Botanical Gardens and excellent Nubian Museum. An optional camel ride is a fun way to get to the now abandoned St Simeon’s Monastery located in the desert on the west bank opposite Aswan town.

Later we join our comfortable cruise boat and head off north towards Kom Ombo. Accommodation and facilities are comfortable and generally consist of twin cabins with en-suite facilities, air conditioning, a small swimming pool, deck bars and restaurants. This is the perfect way to see the Nile Valley as small villages slip by as you enjoy sunsets much as the early Victorian travellers before you did.

Our time aboard the boat is a great opportunity to relax and look forward to places we have yet to visit. If not done yesterday we start with a visit to the temple at Kom Ombo, unusual in that it is dedicated to two gods – falcon-headed Haroeris and the crocodile-headed god, Sobek. Later we arrive at Edfu where we disembark to enter the great pylon gateways of the massive Horus temple.

In the evenings enjoy a sundowner as we cruise past fields of sugar cane and lush green vegetables grown in the fertile silt deposited by the Nile over many millennia. We arrive in Luxor in the afternoon of our last day, enabling additional, optional sightseeing perhaps to the Valley of the Queens, Medinat Habu, Deir el Medina or the Ramesseum.

As the sun climbs into the sky we cross the Nile this morning to join our donkeys for the ride to the Valley of the Kings. The donkeys follow the path taken by the original workers who built the tombs those many thousand years ago.

On arrival we can choose to enter 3 of the tombs currently open and descend into the earth, past stunning scenes painted on the walls of the shafts, deep into the tombs of the pharaohs themselves. The detail and quality of the artwork is amazing, made more so by its antiquity. This is truly a highlight of any visit to Luxor.

Our return journey takes us down to the wonderful temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s only female pharaoh. Here we see the famous frieze which shows the trading expedition to the Land of Punt.

This evening we board the comfortable sleeper train for our journey back to Cairo.

Our last full day is spent at leisure. You may like to shop in the souqs of Islamic Cairo for oriental souvenirs and visit the dramatically located Citadel. Cairo is overflowing with attractions with several museums, such as the Beit al Suhaymi, to discover along with the Cities of the Dead, countless mosques, the Street of the Tentmakers and Fishawi’s coffee-shop – the perfect end to a journey with many highlights.