Israel & Egypt

Thursday: En Route

Depart the U.S.A. on your flight to Israel.

Friday: Tel Aviv

Arrive Ben Gurion Airport; special meeting, assistance and transfer to your hotel in trendy Tel Aviv’s Mediterranean beach. Tonight, Get Together Dinner.  (D)

Saturday: Tel Aviv

Morning walking tour through the city’s well known streets including Dizengoff Square ending at Ben Gurion House, former residence of the First Prime Minister.  See his personal belongings and his expansive library. Remainder of the day is at leisure.  (B)

Sunday: Tel Aviv / Haifa

Depart Tel Aviv and drive to the extraordinary Israeli Museum at the Yitzhak Rabin Center. Continue to ancient Caesarea; explore the Roman and Crusader ruins including the impressive 2,000-year-old theater and aqueduct.  Arrive in Nazareth, the sacred town where Jesus spent part of his youth; visit the Church and view Mary’s Well.  On to the sparkling port city of Haifa; check into your hotel atop Mt. Carmel. Evening: Enjoy Dinner and a special cultural presentation (subject to min. 10 participants).  (B.D)

Monday: Haifa

View the golden-domed Baha’i Shrine and the breathtaking “Hanging Gardens”, – a UNESCO World Heritage site. Drive along the coast to Rosh Hanikra; descend by cable car to see the magnificent underwater grottoes. Time to enjoy some fine wines at a local winery. Then, continue to the timeless Crusader city of Acre; walk through the subterranean city and bazaars that recall the colorful middle Ages. Return to your hotel for overnight. (B)

Tuesday: Haifa / Jerusalem

Depart en route to Safed, one of Judaism’s holiest cities; visit the ancient synagogues and the charming Artists’ Quarter. Then, onto Capernaum, overlooking the Sea of Galilee, to see the fantastic ruins of the ancient synagogue. Ascend the strategic Golan Heights and learn about the 20^th and 21st century battle that helped shape and change the State of Israel. Continue for a visit to a former Syrian army bunker at Kibbutz Kfar Charuv, settled by Americans and Israelis together. Enjoy a late lunch in the communal dining room.  Then drive south to Jerusalem, stopping first for a blessing and a hope filled toast to the future and our arrival in the eternal city.  Overnight in Israel’s capital. (B.L)

Wednesday: Jerusalem

Drive to Hadassah Medical Center to the see the sublime Chagall Windows. On to Yad Vashem, Israel’s National Memorial and Museum of the Holocaust, visit the Children’s Pavilion and Avenue of the Righteous. Then, continue to Mount Herzl to pay respects to Israel’s founders and heroes. Pass the Supreme Court and the Knesset (Parliament) en route to the Shrine of the Book, home of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Walk through the Israel Museum and the Billy Rose Sculpture Garden; see the Scale Model of ancient Jerusalem. Evening: Night Tour of illuminated Jerusalem followed by a restaurant dinner and the “Night Spectacular” Sound & Light Show at the Citadel Museum (weather and schedule permitting). (B.D)

Thursday: Jerusalem

Drive to Mt. Zion to visit the Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper. Enter the Old City to the restored Jewish Quarter; walk along the Cardo – the main street of Byzantine Jerusalem. Continue to the Western Wall, the last remnant of the Second Temple and view the Dome of the Rock. Proceed through the Hasmonean Tunnel (tunnel schedule permitting) or tour the Herodian Mansions, a completely excavated residential quarter from 2000 years ago. Follow the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; stroll through the exotic bazaars. End today with a visit to the fabulous Friends of Zion Heritage Center before returning to your hotel; or, an optional visit to Bethlehem (conditions permitting) may be arranged. (B)

Friday: Jerusalem

Descend through the Judean desert to the Dead Sea, lowest point on Planet Earth. Ascend Masada by cable car and see this last stronghold of the Zealots in their struggle against the Romans. Visit the excavations, Herod the Great’s palace, synagogue and bathhouse. Then, opportunity to enjoy an “unsinkable” swim in the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea. Drive via the Qumran Caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, on your return to Jerusalem. Stop at the Western Wall, time permitting, beautifully illuminated on this Sabbath eve before arriving to the hotel.  This evening, a traditional dinner and overnight in Jerusalem.  (B.D)

Saturday: Jerusalem

Enjoy a full day at leisure for relaxation and on your own exploration. Overnight in Jerusalem.   (B)

Sunday: Jerusalem / Tel Aviv / Cairo

Transfer to Ben Gurion Airport; enjoy our Expedited Check-in Service.  Board your flight to Cairo; meeting and transfer to your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure.  Overnight in Cairo. (B)  (Note: Flight from Tel Aviv to Cairo is not included and must be added as additional)

Monday: Cairo / Luxor

NILE CRUISE

Transfer to the airport for an early morning flight to Luxor. Arrive and transfer to your Nile Cruise for a 5 Day/4 Night Cruise. After lunch, visit the Avenue of the Sphinxes and the imposing Temple of Luxor with its grand colonnades, standing alone in the heart of town. Continue to the vast Karnak Temple-Complex, built by generations of Pharaohs over a 2000-year period. Evening, enjoy on board entertainment featuring belly dancing. Overnight in Luxor. (B.L.D)

Tuesday: Luxor / Esna

NILE CRUISE

After breakfast, visit the Valley of the Kings containing the secretive tombs of New Kingdom Pharaohs. On to the beautifully terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari. Pass the famed Colossi of Memnon, standing nearly 70 feet tall. Sail to Esna. Balance of the afternoon at leisure. Join your Captain for a welcome cocktail before dinner. Overnight in Esna. (B.L.D)

Wednesday: Esna / Edfu / Kom Ombo

NILE CRUISE

Early morning set sail to Edfu. Visit the Temple of Horus, the best preserved of all large Egyptian Temples, built over 180-year period. In the afternoon, arrive in Kom Ombo, a hill town over-looking the banks of the Nile. Visit the Greco-Roman Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to Horus, the Sun God, and Sobek, the Crocodile God. This evening, a traditional fun-filled Galabeya party. Overnight in Kom Ombo. (B.L.D)

Thursday: Kom Ombo / Aswan

NILE CRUISE

Morning set sail to Aswan. Visit the Aswan High Dam and the granite quarries where the stone for the ancient monuments and modern dam of Aswan were cut. View the gigantic, unfinished Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut. Continue by motorboat to the beautiful island of Philae to see the exquisite, gleaming white Temple of Philae. After lunch, sail on a traditional Egyptian “felucca” (sailboat) which glides along the Nile, passing by Lord Kitchener’s Island and the dramatic white marble Aga Khan Mausoleum. Nubian Show this evening after dinner on board. Overnight in Aswan. (B.L.D)

Friday: Aswan / Cairo

After disembarkation, return flight to Cairo where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure. Or, join an optional tour to Abu Simbel*, please reserve at time of booking. Overnight in Cairo. (B)

*Optional Tour to Abu Simbel: Fly from Aswan to Abu Simbel where you will be met by your Isram guide. Marvel at the temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari, carved into rock over 3,000 years ago. The temples were relocated to save them from flooding – an incredible feat of modern engineering preserving ancient glory.  Return flight to Cairo and transfer to your hotel.

$495 per person. Please reserve at time of booking.

Saturday: Cairo

Begin the day with a visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The Museum presents a rich, deep insight into Egyptian culture through the ages; enter the fascinating Mummy Room housing all 22 Mummies. Then continue to Giza to see the Three Great Pyramids, the oldest surviving structures built by man; enter one of the Pyramids. Stand in awe at the magnificent Sphinx carved out of a single piece of stone, guarding the Giza plateau. Try a camel ride before continuing for lunch at a local restaurant. On to the new, spectacular, must-see Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), (subject to museum opening), the largest archaeological museum in the world with objects covering 5000 years of ancient Egyptian civilization. GEM is host to over 100,000 artifacts, including King Tut’s entire treasure collection. Return to Cairo for overnight. (B.L)

Sunday: En Route

 Transfer to Cairo Airport for your departure flight; or extend your journey to Jordan or Dubai, please inquire.  (B)

Please Note: The cruise line reserves the right to alter the sailing schedule.