Egypt

Meet your tour director and check into hotel.

Gazing serenely over the surrounding desert, the mysterious Sphinx has become one of the most recognizable symbols of ancient Egypt. The other? The pyramids. See them all as you explore the pyramids of Giza, the oldest of which dates from about 2500 BC. The pyramids were built both as funeral chambers for the pharaohs and as symbols of their empires' greatness, and they are the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing.

The Sphinx, designed as a lion's body with a man's head, was carved out of the soft limestone that remained after the blocks for the pyramids were quarried. The image used to have a beard -- Napoleon's troops used the Sphinx for target practice, knocking it off.

See the Unfinished Obelisk, still connected to the stone quarry it was made from, which would have been the largest Obelisk ever constructed had it been completed. Visit the impressive Philae Temple, perched on an island in the Nile River, which was the seat of Christian Religion as well as Egyptian faith in the early part of the century. Then see an example of modern Egyptian architecture when you visit the High Dam which was constructed to control the annual flooding of the Nile River that kept the region fertile for thousands of years.

Visit a Nubian village where you will visit a Nubian house to learn about Nubian culture. Local artists will teach you the techniques of local handicrafts. Enjoy some free time with villagers to explore the area.

The sail boat's private chef will lead a cooking class onboard. Enjoy learning about local Egyptian cuisine and learning the techniques involved. Reward your hard work with a taste of the finished product!

Kom Ombro has a strong zoological pull -- Ptolemy VI used to train his military elephants here, and the area attracted many ancient crocodiles (some of whom are mummified in a nearby chapel). The Temple of Sobek and Haroeris is the main draw, however. Standing along the Nile, the temple rises imposingly over the water, and seems to be split in two. The right side is dedicated to the crocodile-god Sobek and his family, the left to aspects of Haroeris.

Construction of the enormous sacred complex lasted through the reign of six emperors (one of whom, Ptolemy VII, was affectionately known as "Fatty"!). Its chapels, sanctuaries, and hallways are all inscribed with episodes from the life of Horus. The creator god, Horus is often depicted as a falcon who flew up into the beginning of time. The sun and the moon were called his eyes, which meant that on the night of the new moon, when neither the sun nor the moon is present, he was blind. In one story, the new moon occurred while Horus was in the midst of battle, and his blindness caused him to behead all the gods fighting on his side.

Find serenity at the picturesque Luxor Temple or the overwhelming temple at Karnak, whose main hall could hold both Rome's St. Peter's and London's St. Paul's--the two largest churches in the world!

Luxor brings starry-eyed travelers, big-throated bazaar merchants, and scurrying urchins together in a cacophonous, energizing mix. The grand Temple of Ramses III once held boats used in sacred processions. In the Deir El Medina, the village where the construction workers for the enormous nearby temples lived, you can find ancient graffiti diary entries recording labor strikes, personal grudges, and romantic gossip.

One of Egypt's most popular seaside town resorts.

The stable weather and shallow, crystal-clear waters around Hurghada make for ideal snorkeling conditions for beginners and experts alike. The excursion includes expert guides, snorkeling equipment, and lunch.

The Bedouins are a group of nomadic tribes who have lived in the Sahara Desert for many hundreds of years. Amid the peace of the desert, a visit to one of these ‘villages’ provides a fascinating insight into the history and lifestyles of Bedouins in Egypt - an experience of a lifetime.

The largest city in Africa and the Middle East since 1258, Cairo overwhelms your senses to draw you fully into Egypt's frenetic capital. Its population of 18 million crowds its streets and bazaars, and its thick layer of monuments crowds every available nook and cranny. The Citadel is the most dramatic, with a forest of minarets piercing the sky. In 1811, the pasha Mohammed Ali, modernizer of modern Egypt, invited 470 of Egypt's former aristocrats to the Citadel, provided a feast for them, and then had them slaughtered to solidify his power. He died insane in 1849, and was buried in the mosque that bears his name within the Citadel.

Our rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as our Tour Director accompanies us to the airport on our final day.