Site Summary - Cruise Only Passengers Dendera,  Abydos, Esna, Kom Ombo, Elephantine, Sehel Island, Nubia Museum, Abu Simbel (optional), Kubbet el-Hawa, Unfinished Obelisk, Philae, Gebel Silsila & Edfu. Full Tour Passengers: Desert expedition to Wadi Abbad and the temple of Kanais, a picnic in the desert and Rock Art. Full Tour and 'Luxor Only' Passengers. Wadi Qash, Winkler's ‘Site 18,’ Wadi Hammamat, Valley of The Kings, Western Valley, Meretsegar Mountain Walk, Medinet Habu,  Deir el Medina, Colossi of Memnon, Deir el Bahri, Asasif, Ramose Group, Roy & Shuroy, Temple of Seti I, Ramesseum, Abu Hagag Mosque, Avenue of Sphinxes, Karnak Temple excavations, Temple of Khonsu, Luxor Temple, Karnak at Dawn, el Kab, Mo’alla & el Tod.

Day 1 – Monday 19th September

Fly London to Luxor with EgyptAir and on arrival we take a private transfer to our luxury Nile cruiser the S/S Misr docked alongside the Luxor Corniche. This elegant boat will be our home for the next seven nights on full board basis.

Day 2 – Mystical Abydos

Our cruiser will set sail in the early hours and after breakfast we will visit the Ptolemaic Temple of Dendera. The columns and ceilings of this beautiful temple are in the process of being cleaned and we can now see the lovely blue painted scenes that are free of soot for the first time in hundreds of years. We head back to the boat for lunch and then set out for Abydos, a site that held mystical fascination for pharaohs from the earliest times. We will see some of the finest reliefs in Egypt and the famous ‘King List’ carved on the walls in the Temple of Seti I. We walk the ‘Corridor of the Bulls’ out to the intriguing Osireion regarded as the burial place of Osiris. Then we will walk over the desert sands to the remains of the Temple of Ramesses II. Here we see some wonderful scenes of the Battle of Kadesh on the outer walls and well preserved colourful scenes that survive inside the temple. We head back to our cruiser and as the sun goes down we set sail for Luxor to overnight. (BLD)

Day 3 – Temple of Khnum

Late morning we arrive in Esna and we will walk to the Ptolemaic Roman Temple of Khnum the ram headed creator god of ancient myth. Until the 1800’s the entire temple was buried to the tops of its columns and was cleared by Auguste Mariette, much of this complex still lies hidden under the modern town. The hypostyle hall has a fine astronomical ceiling and the forest of columns is unique in that they feature variegated capital heads with lovely flower, bud and leaf carvings. This afternoon we sail towards Kom Ombo and overnight close to the temple. (BLD)

Day 4 – The Southern City

After breakfast we have a guided tour of Kom Ombo famous for the Ptolemaic Temple of Haroeris and Sobek. We see many reliefs of Sobek the crocodile god and falcon headed Haroeris, the ‘Good Doctor’. Well preserved reliefs show us the surgical instruments of two thousand years ago; Ptolemy in a Macedonian cloak and Marcus Aurelius making offerings. We return to our cruiser and sail to Aswan where we will overnight. This afternoon we visit Elephantine Island and view the ruins of ancient Yebu including the Temples of Khnum and Satis. Excavations are still underway here and there are monuments dating from the Old Kingdom to the Graeco-Roman period. Back on the river we sail to Sehel Island and climb to see the most famous inscription on the granite boulders, the ‘Famine Stele’. This evening we will visit the Nubia Museum displaying some wonderful pieces from the area. (BLD)

Day 5– Abu Simbel

This morning the chance to take the optional excursion to Abu Simbel by air and enjoy a guided tour of the two spectacular temples built by Ramesses II on the West Bank of Lake Nasser. This afternoon we continue our exploration of Aswan with a short boat ride to the Nobles’ Tombs of Kubbet el-Hawa. These Old and Middle Kingdom tombs have some fascinating inscriptions including a request from a young Pepy II to Harkhuf for a ‘dancing dwarf’ from the land of spirits. Then to the Open-Air Museum of the Unfinished Obelisk to view the abandoned worksite of this flawed monument. Next a motor boat to the Island of Agilikia and the Temple of Philae. This beautiful temple built by Ptolemaic and Roman rulers to honour the cult of Isis was saved by UNESCO in the late 1970’s when it became clear it would be lost forever with the building of the new High Dam. We overnight in Aswan. (BLD)

Day 6 – Horemheb and Horus

We head north this morning and pull in at a site rarely visited by anyone. This is an AWT special and is a feature of our private charter. At Gebel Silsila, where the cliffs of Nubian sandstone enclose the river, we find the huge quarry site used for the blocks of stone that built Aten’s Temple at Karnak. There are many shrines dedicated to officials, priests and pharaohs including Seti I, Merneptah, and Ramesses II. We will also see the rock-cut chapel of Horemheb, unfinished when he died and later taken over for the Ramesside kings. We sail on to Edfu where we will overnight. This afternoon we will go ashore and visit the Temple of Horus with its scenes of battles between Horus and Seth. (BLD)

Day 7 – Voyage to Luxor

We spend today relaxing on a leisurely cruise back to Luxor. Time to sit back and enjoy the scenes of daily life acted out on the banks of the river. The pace of life unchanged for centuries, we sail past villages and farmland all the while watching the birdlife on sand banks and islands. As the river narrows the Theban Hills welcome us back to Luxor where we moor for our last night on board. (BLD)

Day 8 / 1– Monday 26th Sept – Homeward Bound

After our breakfast, we all disembark the cruiser. Those returning to the UK will be transferred to Luxor airport for the EgyptAir flight to London arriving early afternoon. (B)

Day 8 / 1 – Ancient Trade Routes

Those passengers taking both Parts 1 and 2 of this extraordinary adventure will board four wheel drive vehicles for a journey south into the Eastern Desert. We head towards Edfu before turning east into the Wadi Abbad. Here we find the small rock-cut Temple of Kanais dedicated to Amun-Re, built by Seti I, to mark the reopening of an ancient route across the desert to the Red Sea and the gold mines of Wadi Barramiya. We can see the well, cut into the valley floor by Seti’s men, and explore the Roman military guard post. Close to the temple and all along the rock face we find rock art, some left by Seti’s expeditions but also much earlier graffiti. There are many depictions of boats, some are very fine carvings with figures, crew and cabins, others just crude outlines. There are many etchings on the rocks; ostrich, elephant, ibex, bovid, hunting hounds and hunting scenes. David will point out all the main features of the site and explain his theories behind the styles, dating and abundance of art we see. While we are busy exploring, our driving team will prepare a picnic lunch for us. After a rest we pack up and drive further into the Wadi Barramiya where we will pull off the tarmac road to view more important rock art sites, many with huge boats depicting large numbers of crew. We return to Luxor and check-in to our hotel for the next seven nights, The Old Winter Palace, Garden Pavilion Wing. (BL)

Those passengers joining us tonight direct from London on the EgyptAir flight for the second part of this tour will be met at Luxor Airport and transferred to our hotel for the week, the superb Old Winter Palace, Garden Pavilion Wing, our home for the next seven nights. Set in beautifully manicured gardens, all the facilities of the historic Palace building are available to us. This hotel is convenient for all the local sites and situated on the Corniche just a short walk from Luxor Temple. We are booked on room and breakfast basis.

Day 9 / 2 – Wadi Hammamat

Our Traveller’s theme continues as our week in Luxor starts with a real expedition. We set off in four wheel drive vehicles heading north before taking the Qift road through the desert towards the Red Sea but we soon leave the tarmac and head for Wadi Qash where our adventure begins. We drive through some spectacular landscapes before arriving at the famous ‘Site 18,’ a site recorded by Hans Winkler in the 1930’s but then lost until 2004 when an AWT Eastern Desert survey team relocated it. It is still possible to see Winkler’s chalk markings highlighting the art in the cave but we also see ancient serekhs, Pharaonic, Greek and Roman inscriptions. Our driving team will prepare a picnic lunch for us while we explore. After lunch we head back to the road and continue our journey to an amazing rock art site set in an area of dark and shaded rock known as the Hammamat ‘Schist’ Quarries. Now, in fact, identified as ancient ‘Bekhen’ stone, we can see that these quarries, worked during the Pharaonic period, are a canvas to hundreds of hieroglyphic inscriptions. We also investigate the broken sarcophagus left abandoned on the hill where it shattered; the huts of the workers and many quarried pieces in situ. David will point out areas of greatest interest and we will have time to wander and photograph the beautiful carvings before we pack up and head back to our hotel late in the afternoon. (BL)

DEPARTURE DATES Cruise Week - Monday 19th September 2011 Luxor Week - Monday 26th September 2011   The S/S Misr has only 24 cabins and becauase of this we are having to limit the number of cabins for single occupancy to four. Applications above that will be wait listed. The opportunity to share with someone else may be offered at a later stage.    PART 1 - CRUISE Cruise  Tour Price (Full Board):   £2,660 Cruise Single Supplement: £420 Cruise Without Flights: £1,985 PART 2 - LUXOR Luxor Week Price: £2,135 Luxor Week Single Supp: £180 Luxor Without Flights: £1,478 PARTS 1 & 2 FULL TOUR Full Tour - Cruise & Luxor: £3,260 Full Tour Single Supplement: £600 Full Tour Without Flights: £2,403 OPTIONALS Optional Abu Simbel: (Part 1) £215 Luxor Balloon: (Part 2) £85   Booking This tour will be on general sale shortly. For the time being, advance registration is taking place for those who expressed interest in the 'Long Cruise'. A newsletter will be sent out when booking opens.

Day 10 / 3 – West Bank I

Today we take our first visit to the West Bank. We board our motor launch to cross the Nile and meet our coach and head to the Valley of The Kings. We begin with a walk along the rarely visited West Valley to enter the Tomb of Ay with its richly decorated walls. Then to the Valley of the Kings proper, where we have tickets for three tombs. We discuss the best choices for visits of those open when we arrive.

Then a real highlight of the day, we will walk out of the valley over the mountain of Meretsegar, ‘She who loves silence’. The views over the Nile Valley from the vantage point on the mountain are spectacular. Those that don’t want to do the walk can rejoin the coach and go for refreshments before meeting up with the walkers for lunch at the Africa Restaurant. This afternoon we enter the huge Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III, Medinet Habu. Much of the original brightly coloured paint remains and gives an idea of how other temples would have looked in ancient times. Next, we go to Deir el Medina to see the Workmen’s’ Village, the homes and tombs of the craftsmen and artisans who built the royal tombs in the valley. A final stop to view the imposing Colossi of Memnon that once stood guard to the Temple of Amenhotep III. (BL)  

Day 11 / 4 – Karnak

An early start as we leave our hotel before sunrise to enter the Temple of Karnak as soon as it opens and before the crowds of the day arrive. We will walk straight to the Sacred Lake where the reflections of the temple in the water make for stunning photography. We usually find we are alone at this time of the morning so it is well worth the early start. We have a guided tour of the temple with plenty of free time. We return to the hotel for a late breakfast but you may stay on in Karnak if you prefer. There is a café by the Sacred Lake and taxis are always available for the short ride home if you take this option. Late afternoon we will walk with our guide to Luxor Temple. We will view the temple and have a guided tour as the sun goes down and the floodlights come on. (B)

Day 12 / 5 – West Bank II

We board our launch to cross the Nile to view sites on the West Bank, our first stop being at Deir el Bahri, the Temple of Hatshepsut. Here we find the famous Punt Reliefs and we inspect the colonnades and the Upper Terrace. Then to the twenty sixth Dynasty Asasif Tombs to enter the Tomb of Pabasa the steward. We continue to the Tombs of the Nobles where we will enter three incredible tombs. First Ramose shows us the art of classical and Amarna style and then Userhat and Khaemhat somewhat smaller but still lovely. Next, entry to the Tombs of Roy and Shuroy at Dra Abu el-Naga. A refreshing lunch is taken at the Africa Restaurant before we set out for the afternoon. First to the Temple of Seti I, rarely visited by other tour groups and then finally to the Ramesseum, Mortuary Temple of Ramesses the Great and the inspiration for Shelley’s poem ‘Ozymandias’. (BL)

Day 13 / 6 – An AWT Special

We are delighted that Mansour Boraik, Director of Egyptology for Upper Egypt has invited this AWT group for a private exploration of some of the new exciting projects on the East Bank. We will be able to view the newly discovered reliefs on the columns and lintels within the Mosque of Abu Hagag atop Luxor Temple. Now cleaned of the overlaying plaster, many inscriptions have been revealed. We will also see newly excavated areas along the Avenue of Sphinxes. Dr. Mansour will walk with us to some of the newly discovered Sphinx bases, Roman gates and market areas and we will hear of plans for the future. We will then head to Karnak Temple where we will have a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about the excavations in front of the Pylons. We will look at the Ptolemaic bath area and view many new discoveries as the work continues. We are indeed privileged that we are invited to the Temple of Khonsu, son of Amun and Mut, a closed site that has recently undergone restoration work by the ARCE team. This well preserved temple has some lovely reliefs. This promises to be a truly wonderful day with much detail that only the SCA can provide. (B)

Day 14 / 7 – A Journey South

This morning we set off on the southern road out of Luxor and head towards some rarely visited sites. First to el Kab where we will enter rock cut tomb chapels including that of Paheri, Mayor of el Kab from the Eighteenth Dynasty. Further into the wadi we find ‘Vulture Rock’ which is covered in drawings and inscriptions dating from prehistoric times. We also visit the small chapel of Amenhotep III that still retains some brightly coloured scenes. Our next visit will be the provincial cemetery of Mo’alla. Here we will enter the tomb of the Governor Ankhtify of the First Intermediate Period as well at that of Sobekhotep. Next, to el Tod to view the Temple of Montu. Here we see the remains of a quay with an avenue of sphinxes, evidence of a small sacred lake and the columned hall of Ptolemy VIII. The origins of this site date back to the fifth Dynasty and the cult of Montu, although most of the site we see now dates from New Kingdom to Roman Times. We return to Luxor late afternoon. We will have lunch boxes provided by the Old Winter Palace today. (BL)

Day 15 / 8 – Monday 3rd October

Fly Luxor to London on EgyptAir arriving early afternoon. (B)

Cabins & Suites

A wide range of differently styled cabins and suites are avaible and details will be published here shortly. 

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