Jan 4, Sun: Arrival - Cairo

• Arrival at Cairo International Airport.
• Meet and assist through customs and formalities.
• Transfer to an airport hotel.
• Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

Jan 5, Mon: Giza

• After breakfast, transfer to Giza.
• Visit the Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.
• Optional: enter inside any pyramids.
• After viewing the three great Pyramids from a panoramic viewpoint, visit the famous Great Sphinx of Giza.
• Then transfer to visit Saqqara Step Pyramid, built by King Djoser, of the third dynasty.
• Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

Jan 6, Tue: Giza-Luxor

• Check out after breakfast.
• Transfer to visit The Grand Egyptian Museum.
• Transfer to Cairo airport to fly to Luxor.
• Transfer to the hotel.
• Dinner and overnight in Luxor.

Jan 7, Wed: Luxor

• After breakfast transfer to visit Karnak Temple. Walk among the pillars of the temple dedicated to the god Amun Ra and along the avenue of the Sphinxes at Karnak.
• Then visit the illuminated Luxor Temple.
• Optional: Horse Cart tour in Luxor.
• Dinner & overnight in Luxor.

Jan 8, Thu: Luxor

• After early breakfast, drive to the west side of Luxor: explore the great Valley of Kings, where generations of Pharaohs were buried in crypts cut into the cliffs
• Optional: visit Tutankhamun’s tomb.
• Visit the Valley of Queens.
• Stop by the Colossi of Memnon, then proceed to visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
• Dinner and overnight in Luxor.

Jan 9, Fri: Luxor-Cairo

• Check out after breakfast.
• Transfer to the west bank to visit Madinet Habu temple and Ramesseum, the funerary temple of Ramses II
• Transfer to Luxor airport to fly back to Cairo.
• Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

Jan 10, Sat: Cairo

• After breakfast, transfer to Visit the Egyptian Museum located in downtown Cairo, housing thousands of pieces of the ancient Egyptian civilization, including the most famous collection of the young king Tutankhamun with its fascinating treasures.
• Transfer to Khan el-Khalili Bazar.
• Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

Jan 11, Sun: Cairo

• After breakfast, transfer to Fustat, the heart of medieval Old Cairo.

• Highlights include a stop at the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, one of the oldest Coptic churches in Egypt, dating to the 4th century. Its main attraction is the crypt claimed to be the place where Mary, Joseph, and infant Jesus stayed during their Egyptian exile. While Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country, it retains a vibrant Coptic Christian minority with a rich and deep history.

• Visit the Ben Ezra synagogue, the supreme Jewish monument in Cairo, dating to the 9th century. Today, the synagogue is no longer an active place of worship, but it served the Jewish community of Cairo for about 1000 years. Most importantly, it is the site of the Cairo Geniza (synagogue storeroom), where 300,000 medieval Hebrew and Arabic documents were found during the 1890s. These documents, including Bible manuscripts and much more, have revolutionized our understanding of the transmission of the biblical text, medieval Jewish history, and much more. The great Jewish sage Maimonides (1140 – 1204) served as rabbi in this synagogue, and thus the Geniza yielded numerous documents, including drafts of his legal and philosophical works, written in his own hand.

• Dinner and overnight in Cairo.

Jan 12, Monday: Flight Home

• Transfer to Cairo airport for final departure

Gary Rendsburg

Gary A. Rendsburg is the Blanche and Irving Laurie Professor of Jewish History in the Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University. His teaching and research focus on the literature, history, and archaeology of ancient Israel, but he also publishes on ancient Egypt, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Hebrew manuscript tradition, and Jewish life in the Middle Ages. [More Bio]

• International Roundtrip Air Fare from major cities in the US (New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco) to Cairo
• Cairo-Luxor flight
• Luxor-Cairo flight
• Meet and assist at Cairo airport upon arrival.
• 2 nights at 5 stars hotel in Cairo at Movenpick Media City Hotel or similar
• 3 nights at 5 stars in Luxor at Sonesta Luxor or similar
• 3 nights at 5 stars hotel in Cairo at Ramses Hilton Hotel or similar
• Daily breakfast and dinners at the hotels
• Entrance fees to all archeological sites included in the program.
• English Speaking licensed tour guide throughout the itinerary.
• Transfers & transportation by private A/C mini bus or bus.

• Egypt Visa ($25) - Subject to increase if applied by the government.
• Lunches and Drinks
• Tips to the guide and driver (Suggested tipping: $50 for guide, $20 for driver per person)
• Personal expenses, any other item which is not included.
• Optional tours