Joining Dutch Travelers
On this program you will join Dutch travelers who have booked through Djoser, Netherlands. (All North American residents must book through the Djoser, USA branch). There will be a maximum of four North American participants on this trip.  A Dutch guide will accompany the group as a logistics coordinator, not a lecturer. He/She will address the group, first in Dutch, and then will repeat important information in English. Almost everyone from the Netherlands has a total command of English. At the major sites, a local Egyptologist will assist the group with historic information.

The days of the trip have been numbered to match the 25-day Dutch program. Our extra travel day from the States is designated as +1 in the itinerary below. So although the last day appears to be Day 21, you will be returning to the States on the 26th day of the trip.

Day (+1) Depart U.S.
Day 1 in transit - Cairo
Day 2 Cairo
Sometimes, your flight from the States will correspond with the flight from Amsterdam, carrying our Dutch travelers. In that case, we will let you know in advance so you can make contact in the airport in Cairo and ride to the hotel with the group. Otherwise, you will be picked up at the Cairo airport by our representative and you will meet your fellow travelers from the Netherlands at the hotel. We will inform you about this in advance.

The metropolis of Cairo is best explored on foot. This is by far the best way to experience the city and meet its friendly inhabitants. To get an idea of the size of Egypt’s capital, walk to the Cairo tower, where an elevator takes you to the top floor for a magnificent view from where, weather permitting, you may catch your first glimpse of the impressive pyramids of Giza. On the way back to the hotel immerse yourself in Egyptian artifacts at the Egyptian museum. An official guided tour lasts two hours, although one could easily spend this in the Tutankhamen’s gallery alone. After all your museum meandering, you might like to indulge your taste buds in a sample of the Egyptian specialties from one of the many vendors lining the city’s street.

You will want to wander in Coptic Cairo, the oldest part of the city. You can visit the Coptic museum, several old churches and a synagogue. Here you can take the subway to Khan el Khalili, Cairo’s buzzing bazaar, where you can find gold and silver, spices, cloth, traditional mahogany and mother-of-pearl furniture, even belly-dancing costumes! Barter to your hearts content, then enjoy a cup of coffee or smoke sheesha with the locals in Cairo’s oldest coffee shop – “Fishawy”. On Wednesday and Saturday evenings you may even catch a free show featuring the spectacular whirling dervish dancers. Be sure to arrive very early to get a seat. After all that bargaining, the square facing the Hussein mosque offers a wide variety of places to eat. Wander back to the hotel or, as you may have a lot to carry, hop in a taxi. Don't worry....if you can't fit everything into your first days in Cairo as you will return at the back end of the trip.

Day 3 Cairo - Giza - Bahariya
Day 4 Bahariya
Day 5 Bahariya - jeep safari White Desert

On the way to Bahariya, we visit the three pyramids and the famous Sphinx. On the way you will get acquainted with the remote desert area. Petrified pieces of wood are proof that millions of years ago there were vast forests here. Bahariya is beautifully located between the Black Hills, which get their color from the underlying minerals. The oasis has some beautifully located springs. You can take a cleansing bath in the iron-rich waters which reach 120 degrees.

Excavations are in full swing  in search of the Roman artifacts in the small village. Recently, archeologists discovered hundreds of tombs holding gold-covered mummies, which you may visit. Outside the small town, you find the Karat el-Faragi, a cemetery with animal mummies, including ibis. From atop the 150 foot high Jebel Al-Ingreez, there is a beautiful view of the oasis, the small villages and the lush farmland.  The climb is especially rewarding at sunset. In the distance you can see the windblown, shifting sands which threaten to overwhelm the surrounding settlements.

The Oasis Farafra exists of only one inhabited village with a few cheerfully, painted houses. It is the most isolated oasis in the Libyan Desert and is known because of its adherence to traditional ways of life. In and around the village you will encounter many Bedouins. The oldest part of the village contains the Farafra Fort, which is situated against a hill and flanked by a strip of green land with shady palm trees. Between the oases Bahariya and Farafra you will find the Black Desert, so named because of the existence of black, iron-rich stones. Past the village Hayz, closer to Farafra, you arrive in the White Desert. Wind and weather have eroded the white chalk rock formations that shoot up like mushrooms. Because there was once an ocean here millions of years ago, layers of chalk formed containing fossils of shells and snails. Included in this trip, we have a very special overnight in the open air, in the area of the Bedouins who prepare an evening meal under the stars….an unforgettable experience.

Day 6 arrival Farafra - Dakhla
Day 7 Dakhla
Day 8 Dakhla, jeep safari -  Nubian Desert

The Dakhla Oasis is about a 160 mile drive from Farafra. The roads are usually easily traveled although sometimes can be covered with sand. We drive to an area with vast sand dunes that are part of the vast sand sea. The Dakhla Oasis consists of fourteen different settlements and has around 70,000 inhabitants. It is flanked to the north by reddish brown rock formations. After the trip through the desert, the green fields and palm trees surrounding Dakhla have a surreal appearance. Everything can be grown in the oasis; not only different vegetables, but also rice, peanuts and delicious fruits. We spend the night in the largest village, called Mut. Here you find, in a traditional house, the Museum of Inheritance, which will give you a good insight of the rich traditions and customs of the oasis. You can take a trip to el-Qasr, an old Islamic city with mosques dating back to the 10th century. The drive is about 25 miles. The center of this old town is a true labyrinth of narrow streets and clay houses. A bit further down the road you will find the graves of Muzawaka where you can see mummies dating back to the Roman era. Near Hagar you will find a temple dating back to days of Nero. At the end of the day, you can clean off the dust by taking a dive in one of the hot springs or take a wonderful camel ride through the dunes to see the sunset.

On the way to the Oasis of el-Kharga you are quite often confronted by sandstorms. You find temples dating back to the Roman Empire. About a century ago, Kharga consisted of nothing more than a fort and was the only rest stop on the way that formed the slave trade route between North Africa and the tropical south. Near the center of town you find Hibis, the temple of Amun. It is one of the few Persian monuments in Egypt with enormous engravings of King Darios on the outside walls. Further up the road you find the Necropolis al-Bagawat. Here Christians were buried in small chapels. Some are decorated inside with beautiful, Coptic wall paintings. The most well-known chapel is the Chapel of the Peace with images of Adam and Eve. Again, we spend the night under the stars in the desert.

Day 9 Arrival Abu Simbel

The last phase of the desert trip ends on the shores of Lake Nassar in magical Abu Simbel. Because most travelers that visit the rock temples of Ramses II and his wife, Nefertari during the day, you find a very pleasant quiet atmosphere of the Egyptian province city. The temple complex is the most beautiful when the morning sun shines on the exterior.

Day 10 Abu Simbel - Aswan
Day 11 Aswan, Philae
Day 12 Aswan

Several days in Aswan allow us to get to know this city and its friendly atmosphere. Using Aswan as a base, we will make several excursions to interesting sites. A great way to get “the lay of the land” is to take a horse and carriage ride (caliches) through the city early on. This will give you an idea of neighborhoods you might want to visit during your stay here

We will have a look at the High Dam, which created the Nasser Lake, six miles south of Aswan. On the way back we will embark for a boat ride to the temples of Philae. At these Ptolemaic temples there is plenty of time to walk around. On our way back to Aswan we will stop at a quarry, where an unfinished obelisk will show you how massive blocks of granite were handled and worked in ancient Egypt.

Day 13 Aswan, board felucca for sailing
Day 14 Sail to Kom Ombo - Edfu – Luxor

From Aswan we make a two-day sailing trip on a felucca on the Nile. During this trip, all meals are included. You are responsible for purchasing your own drinks. We sleep on cushions in the open area of the sailboat (with canvas covering).The first day we sail north and spend the night close to Kom Ombo. The second day we reach Kom Ombo where we disembark and explore the temple. Via the temple of Edfu, we drive by bus to Luxor.

Day 15 Luxor
Day 16 Luxor, excursion Thebes
Day 17 Luxor

The great Luxor temple is situated in the center of this busy little town, and is located two minutes by foot from our hotel. From the impressive entrance gate of the temple, the alley of sphinxes leads to the Karnak temple, a few miles north of Luxor. Luxor is  great place to hire a caliches (a horse driven carriage) to see the sights. Or for as little as three pounds a day you can rent a bike, which is a charming way to explore the Karnak Temple and its surroundings.

A trip in the countryside near Luxor is highly recommended. You might choose to go to the weekly camel market, it is also very easy to reach the West Bank of the Nile by bike and visit the famous temples and graves. A Djoser excursion to the Valley of the Kings is a fixed item on the itinerary during our stay in Luxor. If the relatively strenuous bike ride to the Valley of the Kings does not appeal to you, it is easy to hire a taxi or take a bus to visit the graves of Tutankhamen and other great pharaohs. On the way back you will pass the temple of Hatshepsut and Medinet Habu. You have enough time on one of the three days in Luxor to have a look in the Valley of the Queens or at the laborers village of Deir el-Medina or visit a local market.

Day 18 Luxor - Hurghada - Suez
Day 19 Suez - Wadi Feiran - St. Catharine’s
Day 20 St. Catharine’s - Dahab
Day 21 Dahab
Day 22 Dahab

From Luxor we drive by bus to Suez. We depart early in the morning, arriving in Hurghada around noon time. This beach resort on the Red Sea has beautiful white beaches and is renowned throughout the world. Late in the afternoon we depart with the convoy to Suez, the city located on the canal by the same name. This forms the sea route to Asia. On the other side of the tunnel is the Sinai Desert. On the way to St. Catherine, we visit desolate, rocky places that are closely connected to the roots of Christianity, such as the well of Moses. Next we visit St. Catherine, the famous Greek Orthodox Cloister complex, surrounded by a wall nestled in between steep mountains. We rise early in the morning and in the footsteps of Moses we climb Mt. Sinai and enjoy the magnificent sunrise. (This hike may be strenuous for some). Be sure to dress warmly for this trip. This area can be quite cold on winter mornings. 

Later that day we drive to Dahab where we spend four nights in a hotel located on the beach. During the day there are ample opportunities to enjoy the bay, the sun and the sea. Or, you can visit small towns in the surroundings. You can take an optional excursion by jeep to the Colored Canyon in the Sinai mountains. We will drive back to Cairo and will arrive mid-afternoon. The following day we there is plenty of time to wander around and buy souvenirs.

Day 23 Dahab - Cairo
Day 24 Cairo
Day 25 Cairo - Arrive in U.S.

(Again, the days have been numbered to match the Dutch program. Because of our extra travel day at the beginning of the program from the States, you are actually returning to the States on the 26th day of the program).