Wed 15

Christchurch or Auckland-Singapore

8.40am

10.00am

10.05am

12.05pm

6.55pm

(If leaving from Christchurch) Depart Christchurch on Air New Zealand flight NZ508.

Arrive Auckland.

Final check-in at Auckland International Airport.

Depart on Singapore Airlines flight SQ286.

Arrive Singapore.

You will be met and transferred to your hotel for overnight.

Thu 16

Cairo

10.40pm

Day at leisure.  Transfer to Singapore Airport.

Depart on Singapore Airlines flight SQ492.

Fri 17

Cairo

Arrive Cairo.

Welcome to Egypt.  On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Sofitel Le Sphinx Hotel where you are reserved for two nights. Remainder of day is at leisure.  This evening is a Welcome Dinner at the hotel. This evening attend the spectacular Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza. (D)

Cairo has been the heart of Egypt for more than 1000 years and it demonstrates the dichotomy of all things Egyptian. It's in Cairo where the medieval world and the contemporary western world come together.  Each of the Pagan, Christian and Muslim civilisations which Cairo has hosted, has left its imprint on the city in the form of customs, celebrations, monuments and artefacts.  Monuments such as the Pyramids, Sphinx, lively bazaars, famous Islamic mosques and ancient Coptic churches’ open a window on a glorious past. Cairo will strike one as a land of vivid contrasts.  Its ancient civilisation, unique history and culture blend harmoniously with the modern refinements of the 20^th century.

Sat 18

Cairo

This morning discover the famous Pyramids of Giza and the enigmatic figure of the nearby Sphinx. The Cheops Pyramid, reckoned by the Greeks to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World is especially interesting since its interior burial chambers are open for inspection by the public. There is an opportunity to go inside the Pyramid. Not far from the Pyramids, you will also visit the Great Sphinx of Giza hewn from natural yellowish limestone and standing 65 feet high. Either take a camel or donkey ride at Pyramids. Visit a perfumery.               

 (B)

Sun 19

Cairo-Luxor

Transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight to Luxor.  On arrival transfer to the Mercure Hotel for overnight. (B)

Mon 20

Luxor-cruising

Transfer to your Nile Cruise Boat, which will be your floating hotel for the next four nights. Experiencing the Nile for the first time one can understand the words of Herodotus ‘Egypt is the gift of the Nile’. This afternoon, in an unforgettable excursion, drive to the Luxor Temple built by two kings Amenophis III and Ramses II.  After touring the temple continue to Karnak Temple, the main centre of worship in ancient Egypt. Overnight in Luxor. This evening transfer to and from the Sound & Light Show by horse and cart.  (B,L,D)

Luxor has often been called the worlds’ greatest open-air museum, as indeed it is and much more. The number and preservation of the monuments in the Luxor area are unparalleled anywhere else in the world that we know of. Actually, what most people think of as Luxor is really three different areas, consisting of the City of Luxor on the east side of the Nile, the town of Karnak just north of Luxor and Thebes, which the ancient Egyptians called Waset, which is on the west side of the Nile across from Luxor. To say that the Luxor area is a major attraction for tourists in Egypt would be an understatement. It has been a tourist destination since the beginning of tourism. Even in ancient times, during the late Dynasties of the Greek and Roman periods, the area drew tourists, and has been doing so ever since.

Tue 21

Luxor-Edfu

This morning cross the Nile to the West Bank. Today is full of highlights including the Necropolis of Thebes and the Valley of the Kings, where you’ll find the tombs of the Theban rulers including Tutankhamun. (Entrance fees to Tutankhamun’s Tomb to be paid direct. Currently EGP40.00pp - subject to change).  Tour the Mortuary Temple of Hatchepsut, the only woman Pharaoh to rule ancient Egypt.  See the famed Colossi of Memnon facing the Nile. This afternoon join your ship at Esna before sailing on to Edfu. (B,L,D)

Wed 22

Edfu-Aswan

 This morning visit the famous Edfu Temple site where remains from the Old Kingdom can be viewed as well as the Temple of Horus and houses of the Byzantine period. This afternoon visit the Kom Ombo Temple, completed during the reign of Ptolemy during 181-146BC. This temple was shared by the two Gods, Sobek and Haroeris. See the beautiful murals, bas relief and fine views of the river. Continue to Aswan.(B,L,D)

Thu 23

Aswan

Highlights today will include the Aswan Dams at the end of Lake Nasser, the re-sited Temple of Philae and the granite quarries which provided stone for Karnak & Luxor Temples. This afternoon you will sail by felucca (Egyptian Sailboat) around Kitchener Island and the Agha Khan Museum. Overnight in Aswan.  Sound & Light Show at Philae Temple this evening. (B,L,D)

 Aswan, Egypt's sunniest southern city and ancient frontier town located about 81 miles south of Luxor, has a distinctively African atmosphere. Its ancient Egyptian name was Syene. Small enough to walk around and graced with the most beautiful setting on the Nile, the pace of life is slow and relaxing. Days can be spent strolling up and down the broad Cornish watching the sailboats etch the sky with their tall masts. In Aswan the Nile is at its most beautiful, flowing through amber desert granite rocks, round emerald islands covered in palm groves and tropical plants. Explore the souk, full of the scent and colour of spices, perfumes, scarves and baskets. Aswan has been a favourite winter resort since the beginning of the nineteenth century, and it's still a perfect place to get away from it all.

Fri 24

Abu Simbel –Cairo

Disembark this morning. Transfer to Aswan Airport for your flight to Abu Simbel.

You will be met by an Emeco representative and transferred to the Temples of Ramses II where you will be met by your guide. Marvel at this incredible legacy of one of the greatest Pharaohs, as well as at the tremendous engineering feat that saved it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

Abu Simbel is one of the most impressive archaeological sites in all of Egypt, not only for its historical significance, but for the great engineering success in moving these temples to their present location.

Of all the temples of Egyptian antiquity, amongst the most spectacular and best preserved are the Temples of Abu Simbel.  The master builder was Ramses II, one of Egypt’s greatest Pharaohs.  The larger temple celebrates the Pharaoh himself while the smaller one honours his wife Queen Nefertari.  When the new Lake Nasser Dam was built in the 1960s, the temples were moved to save them from a watery grave. In an amazing feat of engineering, the temples were hewn into huge blocks of thirty tonnes each and relocated 180m further inland.

A note of caution:  The Sun Temple and Colossi of Ramses II are located on a sandy cliff overlooking Lake Nasser.  To approach this monument site you walk along a rocky and uneven sandy path.  Anyone who has walking difficulties should be advised that disabled facilities are not available at this archaeological site. 

Return to Aswan by flight. Connect with your flight to Cairo.  On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Ramses Hilton Hotel where you are reserved for two nights. (B)

Sat 25

Cairo

This morning visit the Egyptian Museum where you can view the treasures from the Tomb of the Boy King Tutunkhamun.  Your tour ends with a visit to the 14th century Khan El Khalili Bazaar where many bargains may be found. Here you can visit a Cartouche stand with the opportunity of purchasing a cartouche with your names spelt in hieroglyphics on it. Lunch to day is included at the bazaar. (B,L)

Sun 26

Cairo-Amman

Transfer to airport for your flight to Amman. On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Ramada Hotel for overnight. Welcome to Jordan dinner is included this evening.  (B,D)

Mon 27

Amman-Petra

Travel south of Amman via one of the oldest highways on Earth, the King’s Highway.  This fascinating road into history will include highlights of Madaba where you can view the oldest known map of the ‘Holyland’ inlaid in mosaics and their handicraft centre,  Mt Nebo where Moses looked out over the ‘Promised Land’, St George Church and Kerak Crusader Castle. Two nights at  Petra Crown Plaza. (B,L)

Tue 28

Petra

Today is a full day in Petra with a guide throughout. Lunch is included at the Petra Basin restaurant. (B,L)

Petra  is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in South Jordan more than 2000 years ago.  From a remote staging post, they dominated the trade routes of ancient Arabia, levying tolls and sheltering caravans laden with Indian spices and silks etc. The Nabatean Kingdom endured for centuries and Petra became widely admired for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels. Ultimately, however, the Roman Emperor Trajan annexed the Kingdom. By the 16^th Century it was completely lost to the west, and was so until 1812 when it was re-discovered. Most of Petras appeal comes from its spectacular setting deep inside a narrow desert gorge.  Various walks and climbs reveal literally hundreds of rock cut tombs and temple facades, funery halls and rock relief's.

Wed 29

 Petra-Wadi Rum-Aqaba

Transfer to Wadi Rum. Lunch is at Jamal Rum Camp. Camel ride for approx one hour.  Transfer to Aqaba for two nights at the  Movenpick Hotel. (B,L)

Thu 30

Aqaba

Today is a Boat ride on the Red Sea. (B)

Sharm El Sheikh- Situated between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, Sharm El Sheikh has some of the finest snorkelling and diving sites in the world. It is a world famous summer and winter resort destination. It is a great place for sun worshippers, water sports enthusiasts and divers as there are a multitude of on-land and sea activities, from horse and camel riding or desert safaris to diving, snorkelling and windsurfing.

Fri 01

Aqaba-Dead Sea

Today transfer via the Desert Highway to the  Dead Sea Spa for two nights accommodation at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel. (B)

The Dead Sea is 75 kilometres long and from 6 to 16 kilometres wide. It is fed by the Jordan River, but it has no outlet. As its name suggests, the Dead Sea is entirely devoid of plant and animal life. This is due to an extremely high content of salt and other minerals—350 grams of salt per kilogram of water, as compared to about 40 grams in the world’s oceans. This concentration is caused by a rapid rate of evaporation. These natural elements give the waters of the Dead Sea certain curative properties, recognized since the days of Herod the Great over 2000 years ago.

Sat 02

Dead Sea

Day at leisure.  (B)

Sun 03

Dead Sea – Amman Airport – Cairo - Singapore

8.45am

10.15am

12.25pm

Transfer to Amman Airport for your homeward flight.  (B)

Depart on Royal Jordanian flight RJ501.

Arrive Cairo.

Depart on Singapore Airlines flight SQ493.

Mon 04

 Singapore-Christchurch or Auckland

5.50am

Arrive Singapore.

In transit.

Depart Singapore.

Tue 05

Christchurch

Arrive Christchurch or Auckland. Welcome home.