SITE SUMMARY  The Desert Part of the beauty of this tour is the stunning natural scenery. From lush green oasis to desolate dunes, there is plenty to see on the way to each of these fascinating sites. All of this is done from the comfort of air-conditioned Toyata Landcruisers with excellent picnic lunches along the way. Cairo: Cairo Museum, Giza, Sakkara. Bahariya: Temple of Alexander, Ain Muftillah, Qarat Qasr Salim Tombs, Golden Mummies Museum Siwa: Birket Zeitun, Shali, Aghurmi, Temple of Umm Ubayd, Temple of the Oracle, Gebel Mawta, Ain Juba (Cleopatra’s Bath), ‘House of Siwa' Museum. Alexandria: El Alamein, Kom el Shuqafa, Serapeum & Pompey’s Pillar, Anfushi,  Kom al Dikka, Alexandria Museum.

Day 1– Saturday 8th October - London to Cairo

Fly London to Cairo with EgyptAir and on arrival transfer to the Movenpick Hotel at Giza for two nights on a room and breakfast basis.

Day 2 – Cairo Museum

After breakfast we head to the city centre and the amazing Egyptian Museum for a guided tour looking at all the major collections. After our tour there will be plenty of free time to explore and perhaps visit the Mummy Room or return to a favourite exhibit. The Tutankhamun collection; the Tanis Treasures; the Amarna galleries and the limestone statue of King Djoser, whose pyramid we visit later in the tour, and much more all beckon. Our coach heads back to the hotel at lunchtime but you can stay on at the Museum and make your own way back later if you prefer. The afternoon is at leisure.(B)

Day 3 – Desert Drive

This morning we load up our four wheel drive vehicles, leave the city and set off for the desert. We will have a picnic lunch en-route to the Oasis. On arrival in Bawiti, the ‘capital’ of Bahariya, we check-in to the Qasr Bawiti Hotel. This hotel is set in a lovely quiet location, is stone built in traditional style and has two spring-fed pools within the gardens. Enjoy an afternoon in the hotel grounds or maybe take a walk into the town. We stay here for two nights. (BLD)

Day 4 – Alexander’s Route

Today we have several sites to visit while enjoying the more relaxed pace of life in an Oasis. First to the Temple of Alexander, thought to have been founded by Alexander himself when he passed through, en-route from Siwa to Memphis. Next, to the tomb chapels at Ain Muftillah dating from the Late Period. We ride to Qarat Qasr Salim to visit two extraordinary tombs, that of Zed-Amun-ef-Ankh and his son Bannentui. The colours in the tomb of Bannentui are unique to the area as artists have painted using the yellows and reds of the sandstones found in the Oases. We end our day at the small antiquities museum dedicated to the Golden Mummies. A chance to see some of the finds as the actual valley site is closed for excavation work. We will have a picnic lunch and this evening dinner will be at the hotel. (BLD)

Day 5 – Darb Siwa

An early start as we begin our long drive to Siwa Oasis. We head through some extreme landscapes, spectacular huge dunes, lakes fed by underground springs and small ruined oases sites. This isolated route is the adventurous way to travel to Siwa. We will have a picnic lunch at a convenient time and continue to cross the great salt lake of Birket Zeitun before arriving at the old town of Siwa. We check-in to the Siwa Paradise Hotel for three nights. This comfortable hotel, set in a quiet location surrounded by palm groves, has a pool and is just a short walk from the town square. (BLD)

Day 6 – Siwan Oracle

We have our first day to explore this wonderful Oasis and head to the ruined town of Shali were we will gaze on the ruins of the mudbrick fortress now set in a crumbling protective wall. Time to discover the abandoned village of Aghurmi, the original settlement of the oasis before we visit the legendry Temple of the Oracle. We know that Alexander the Great consulted the Siwan Oracle and we will learn much more on site. The Temple of Umm Ubayd, dedicated to Amun, was joined to the Temple of the Oracle by a causeway and now lies neglected in a lovely palm grove. Next, to Gebel Mawta, Mountain of the Dead where we can enter the tombs that are open including the beautifully decorated tomb of Si-Amun. We move on and look at Ain Juba also known as Cleopatra’s Bath, famous to travellers since the days of Herodotus. Legend maintains that Cleopatra swam in this spring with its bubbles racing to the surface from the bottom of the pool. Lastly we visit the wonderful ‘House of Siwa Museum’ to look at some aspects of traditional life in the area. (BLD)

Day 7 – Real Siwa

Siwa is different and often referred to as North African rather than Egyptian, so today we have arranged a day of leisure in this friendly oasis. Take time to walk through the palm groves and olive gardens. Siwa is said to produce the best dates and oil in North Africa. Walk into the market on Midan el-Souk to view the numerous handicraft shops unique to this oasis. Traditional crafts such as pottery fired in bread ovens, palm frond baskets, intricate embroidery and silver jewellery flourish here. Your guide will be on hand to give advice. (BD)

DEPARTURE DATE Thursday 8th October 2011 TOUR CODE AWSO081011   Basic Holiday Price: £2,492 Single Supplement: £330     Price without Flights: £1,924  Book tour

Day 8 – To Alexandria

An early start as we begin our journey on the Masrab al-Istabl route travelling northeast across the desert sands towards the Mediterranean Coast and Mersa Matrouh. We will stop for a picnic lunch before continuing towards Alexandria. En-route we will take some time to visit the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in El Alamein. A tranquil and moving site planted with trees and flowers where we can pay our respects to those lost in the Second World War. On arrival in Alexandria we will check-in to The Sofitel Cecil on the corniche for two nights on half board basis. Time this evening to walk along the waterfront, perhaps to view the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Qaitbay Fort or just relax in a local coffee house. (BLD) 
 

Day 9 – Alexander’s City

After breakfast we set off for the catacombs of Kom el Shuqafa, the hill of treasures, discovered in 1900. This rock-hewn necroplolis is laid out on three levels under the city. Egypt’s largest known Roman burial site, the main attraction is the Central Tomb with its reliefs of Anubis in the guise of a Roman legionary. We continue to the Serapeum and Pompey’s Pillar. Here we can enter the subterranean galleries and take time to enjoy this open-air museum. Our last visit of the morning will be the Necropolis of Anfushi with its tombs decorated with geometric motifs. We have some free time back at the hotel before setting out to Kom al Dikka, site of a Roman Amphitheatre discovered just over forty years ago. To end our day we will go to the Alexandria Museum where we will see some very fine pieces from the area. (BD)

Day 10 – Road to Cairo

This morning we leave the Mediterranean coast and head back to Cairo. We will stop for a picnic lunch on the journey and on arrival in Cairo we will say goodbye to our desert team. We check-in to the Movenpick Hotel Giza for two nights on room and breakfast basis. Free time this afternoon to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities or perhaps take a trip to the Khan El Khalili. (BL)

Day 11– Divine Pyramids

A full day sightseeing to end our tour as we take the short ride to the Giza Plateau where we have a guided tour of the Great Pyramids, Queens’ Pyramids and surrounding area. There will be time for those that wish, to enter a pyramid or visit the Solar Boat Museum. We then visit the mighty Sphinx and Khafre’s Valley Temple. Then we drive to the Sakkara Palm Club where we have a chance to freshen up and enjoy a relaxing local lunch before continuing to Sakkara. First we will get acquainted with an orientation of the necropolis in the Imhotep Museum and see some interesting pieces from the site we are about to explore. Then we will ascend the main plateau to the Step Pyramid Enclosure. King Djoser’s funerary complex heralded the start of the pyramid age and is a vast site constantly being excavated. We will see other pyramids close by, including that of Teti, and also the finely decorated Old Kingdom Mastabas. A wonderful day to end our tour. (BL)

Day 12 – Wednesday 19th October

Fly Cairo to London arriving later the same day. (B)

Expert: Dylan Bickerstaffe is a popular lecturer, the author of ‘Identifying the Royal Mummies’, numerous articles, and part of the official report on the Royal Cache tomb. He specialises mainly on the New Kingdom era, and has featured in a number of TV documentaries, including Channel 5’s recent ‘Secrets of Egypt’ series.

AWT is an agent of Bales Worldwide Ltd.