Tuesday November 4 – Vancouver to Frankfurt
We commence our great adventure with an overnight Lufthansa flight from Vancouver to Frankfurt. Dinner, breakfast and drinks on board.

Wednesday November 5 – Frankfurt
On arrival in Frankfurt we will transfer to our hotel for overnight.

Thursday November 6 – Frankfurt to Cairo
This morning we will make our way back to Frankfurt Airport and connect to our onward Lufthansa flight to Cairo.  On arrival in Cairo we will be met and transferred to Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel for overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

Founded on the site of Babylon, near the ruins of ancient Memphis, Cairo has been the largest city in Africa for centuries.  Modern Cairo encompasses many former cities and their monuments: the pyramids of Pharaohs; early Christian monasteries and churches; Salah Al-Din's Citadel; mosques of the Mamluk and Ottoman sultans.  Five thousand years of culture are concentrated here, at the centre of three continents.  Travel through time in a city that is a living index to civilization.  Enjoy the comforts of a cosmopolitan twentieth-century capital.

Discover Cairo...a city of history, bursting with life and excitement. The breathtaking pyramids and the traditional Egyptian hospitality are a visitor's delight.  During this time you will visit the Egyptian Museum to view, amongst many other wonderful relics, the treasures of Tutankhamun and mummy of Ramses II.  You will also tour the Citadel of Salah Al-din, various mosques including the Alabaster and Ibn Tulun Mosques, as well as the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, considered by many to be the true heart of Cairo.

This majestic resort hotel is beautifully set in its own landscaped gardens and provides unrivalled views of the Giza Pyramids, one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, and is only 15 minutes from the centre of Cairo. The hotel offers a spectacular swimming pool complex including a health club with sauna and massage, as well as a Royal Club floor and a variety of superb restaurants with oriental, Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines. Le Méridien Pyramids has an exquisitely designed swimming pool, with waterfalls, four hydro-jet units providing underwater massage, a special pool for children and two floodlit tennis courts. Other facilities include 24-hour room service and Concierge Desk, a shopping arcade, beauty salon and 24-hour currency exchange. Le Méridien Pyramids has a variety of international restaurants to choose from and live entertainment every evening; Al Shams - a perfect setting with sumptuous international buffet and à la carte menu and is a 24-hour restaurant; The Med - elegant atmosphere for the finest Mediterranean cuisine; Laredo - for the best Tex-Mex food in a fun and informal setting; Nubian Village - outdoor and indoor dining, overlooking the pool and offering a wide selection of oriental and Lebanese dishes; Harris Café - offering freshly prepared cakes, pastries and breads; and the Shisha Café - for a typical oriental Egyptian evening with specially flavoured shisha (water pipe) and drinks.

Friday November 7 - Cairo
After breakfast at the hotel we will drive to Memphis, capital of the ancient kingdom, one of ancient Egypt's most important cities.  Most of its ancient splendours have been destroyed, but the Alabaster Sphinx built in the 18th Dynasty still remains, as does a beautifully carved statue of Ramses II.  You will continue to Sakkara for a visit and also visit the Pyramids of Cheops, Chephran and Mycerinus which were thought, by the Greeks, to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A single one of the 2,300,000 blocks weighs an average of two and one-half tons. In the face of such immensity one cannot help but feel the wonder and awe that so many writers and artists have sought to convey over the centuries. The Cheops Pyramid is especially interesting since its interior burial chambers are open to the public for an extra ticket that you can pay for if you choose the option of going inside.  The additional cost is US$8.00.

We will continue with the tour and visit the Pyramids of Giza.  We will also visit the imposing figure of the Sphinx, which dates from the time of Chephren (2620 BC). Hewn from natural limestone and standing 65 feet high and 187 feet long, this unforgettable statue combines the head of a pharaoh with a lion's body.  Legends and superstitions abound about this relic of antiquity.  Lunch is included at Caviar restaurant.  After the tour we will return to the Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel for overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

Saturday November 8 - Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel and the day is at leisure.  An optional tour of Coptic Cairo to see the Hanging Church, one of the oldest Christian places of worship in Egypt, might be of interest.  Overnight at the Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

Sunday November 9 - Cairo
After breakfast at the hotel we will be taken on a tour to explore Islamic Cairo, including the Alabaster Mosque and the medieval citadel of Salah Al Din.  The Citadel and Khan el Khalili is situated on a spur of the Muqattam Hills.  The Citadel dominates Cairo's skyline and was the heart of the city and Egypt for almost 700 years. Its construction was initiated in 1176 by Saladin and completed by Muhammed Ali. Mameluke sultans and Turkish governors later made it their residence, building palaces and mosques within the Citadel walls.  Facing the citadel is the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, built between 1356 and 1363 and is perhaps the most majestic monument of Arab architecture in Egypt. The tour also includes a visit to Khan el Khalili, a famous Cairo bazaar dating back to the late 14th century, where shopping is an exotic as well as a rewarding experience. 

After enjoying lunch at Mahfouz Restaurant we will visit the Egyptian Museum, which is the most important depository of Egyptian antiquities anywhere in the world. It features artifacts from the Pharaonic and Graeco-Roman periods, including the celebrated mummies of ancient Egypt's kings and Tutankhamun treasures.

Overnight at Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

Monday November 10 - Cairo to Aswan
Today we will be transferred to Cairo Airport in time for our flight to Aswan.  On arrival in Aswan we will be transferred to the Basma Aswan Hotel for overnight on a bed and breakfast basis. A visit to the Nubian Museum has been included today

Basma Hotel is perched on Aswan's highest hill, commanding a breathtaking view of the city and the Nile. Landscaped & decorated by two of Egypt's leading artists, the hotel incorporates lush tropical gardens, a beautiful swimming pool and a rich collection of contemporary Egyptian artwork.  The hotel facilities include a restaurant, as well as a splendid terrace with a panoramic view of Aswan.  The hotel has 179 rooms and suites. Each room features a colour T.V. with in-house movies & satellite dish, radio & in-house music, balcony, private bath & shower, mini-bar, telephone with direct international dialling and individually controlled air-conditioning.  Guest services include 24-hour room service, same-day laundry service, bank, travel agency, beauty salon, clinic, shopping arcade, courtesy bus & free parking facilities.

Tuesday November 11 - Aswan
After breakfast we will be transferred to the airport and fly to Abu Simbel. We will visit the temples in Abu Simbel, King Rameses II and his wife Queen Nefertari. Threatened by the waters rising behind the High Dam, an international effort raised these huge monuments from their original site. After the tour we will fly back to Aswan and board the Sonesta Sun Goddess Cruise Ship. We will spend the next 4 nights on board on a full board basis.

The Sonesta Sun Goddess will take us between Aswan and Luxor onis a sail of a lifetime. The ship features 58 standard cabins, two senator suites, one presidential suite, and one royal suite with private lounge. All cabins feature broad panoramic windows, private, direct-dial telephones, hairdryers, safety deposit boxes, three channel music systems, television, and video remote control. Bathrooms are equipped with full-size bathtubs.

Restaurant and bars include the Main Dining Room - serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner; the Sun Deck Bar - open daily from 9:00 a.m. until sunset; and the Lounge - open daily for lunch and dinner. The ship’s Discotheque is open each evening; additionally, a belly dance show, Captain's welcome cocktail party, fancy Galabya Party, and Nubian folkloric show are scheduled during your cruise. Amenities include an outdoor swimming pool with bar service, room service available until midnight, billiard table, table tennis, fully equipped board room for up to 16 persons and a gift shop. Water is fully purified, filtered, and softened before distribution, and there is a clinic on board with a certified doctor.

This afternoon we will sail on the Nile in a traditional felucca around Kitchener's Island and Agha Khan Mausoleum. On board there will be afternoon tea, dinner and a Nubian Folkloric Show. Overnight on board in Aswan.

Wednesday November 12 - Aswan to Edfu
After breakfast we will tour the high dam, the granite quarries, and the Temple of Philae.  On the island of Philae, now situated between the High Dam and the "old" dam, was the sacred complex of monuments built for the cult of Isis and Osoris. Philae was built under the Ptolemies and finished in Roman times.  

We then sail for Kom Ombo.  After lunch we will visit the Temple of gods Sobek and Haroeris in Kom Ombo.  Kom Ombo is 40 kilometres north of Aswan and since earliest known times, has been receiving visitors who have travelled through the Libyan and Arabian deserts from Sudan caravan routes. The town of Ombos gained administrative importance during the Ptolemic age as it protected the southern border of Egypt. In the Roman period it was a military station. The temple has a double sanctuary and is dedicated to two divinities, Haroeris (Horus the Elder), and Sobek, the Crocodile God.

Sail for Edfu with afternoon tea and a Captain's welcome cocktail party (smart casual attire).   Edfu lies 100 kilometres south of Luxor and is the site of one of the greatest and best preserved temples of ancient Egypt. The temple, which is dedicated to Horus, has provided a wealth of information through its inscriptions that describe the founding and construction methods of similar temples, as well as various daily rituals and myths of ancient times. The temple of Horus was completed during the Ptolemic age (305-30 B.C.)  

We will have dinner and dancing with overnight on board in Edfu.

Thursday November 13 – Edfu to Luxor
After breakfast we visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu.

We continue to sail to Luxor with lunch and afternoon tea on board.  Luxor stands where ancient Thebes, the "City of the Thousands Gates" once stood.  Luxor, which means in Arabic, the Palaces, reflects its name with a rich array of magnificent temples and tombs.  Dinner and a Galabya Party with an overnight on board in Luxor.

Friday November 14 - Luxor
After breakfast we visit the West Bank - The Valley of the Kings and Queens, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at El Deir El Bahari and Colossi of Memnon facing the Nile.

For our tour of the West Bank we cross the Nile from Luxor and visit the Valley of the Kings, which includes the tombs of the Thebian rulers. Next we can tour the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, the only woman pharaoh to reign in ancient Egypt (in the new Kingdom). Her temple, with its impressive architecture, is traditionally associated with the goddess of love and joy - Hathor. It was formerly surrounded by tropical gardens with plants imported from Somaliland.  Later, we continue touring the Valley of The Queens and then the famous Colossi of Memnon, which once guarded the entrance to the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. An earthquake destroyed the temple but the Colossi still remain.

After lunch we will visit Karnak and Luxor Temples.  In an unforgettable excursion, we will be driven to the Luxor Temple, which was built by two great pharaohs, Amenhotep III and Ramses II. After touring the temple, we travel along an avenue of ram headed Sphinxes, extending for about 2 miles, which link Luxor Temple with the Karnak Temple, the main centre of worship in ancient Egypt. No site in the world makes a more overwhelming and lasting impression than this "Temple of all Temples."

We have afternoon tea on board with dinner & Belly Dancing Show.  Overnight on board in Luxor.

Saturday November 15 - Luxor to Cairo
After breakfast we will disembark with the morning at leisure. . We will later be transferred to Luxor Airport in time for our flight to Cairo, where we will be met and transferred to the Intercontinental City Stars Hotel with dinner included tonight.

The InterContinental City Stars Hotel provides guests and business travellers a choice of 790 rooms & suites. The Hotel offers all types of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, casino, health clubs, swimming pools, and is located right next door to Stars Centre, the largest retail and leisure complex in the Middle East and Europe.

Sunday November 16 - Cairo to Petra
This morning we will be transferred to Cairo Airport in time for our flight to Amman. On arrival at Amman Airport we will be transferred for our three hour drive to the Rose City of Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We will check into the Crowne Plaza Hotel for overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

Set against a breathtaking view of the Petra Mountains, Crowne Plaza Petra Hotel is the only real choice for your visit to discover 9000 years of history. Besides the unique view provided from the hotel's patio of the dramatic Petra Mountains, the Crowne Plaza Resort Petra is only steps away from the visitor's entrance to the Siq and the old city with its world famous archaeological sites.

Crowne Plaza Resort Petra has 147 rooms recently expanded and renovated including 3 suites and 30 superior rooms and 31 newly renovated hillside chalets tucked into the Petra rock face overlooking the visitor's entrance to the site. All of Crowne Plaza's guest rooms are equipped with High Speed Internet Access, satellite TV, radio, direct dial telephones, trouser press, Tea and Coffee tray, voicemail, mini-bar and in-room safe. There is a heated outdoor swimming pool and terrace bar, Jacuzzi, sauna and tennis court, 3 Restaurants, lobby bar, evening cocktail lounge with dance floor, conference room. A 2000 year old "Nabatean Tomb," the Cave Bar is fronted with a large piazza.

The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race have nothing in common with modern civilisation, and ask nothing of it except to be appreciated at their true value - as one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by Nature and Man. Although much has been written about Petra, nothing really prepares you for this amazing place. It has to be seen to be believed. Often described as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, it is without doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over 1 kilometre in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80 metres high cliffs. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in itself. The colours and formations of the rocks are dazzling. As you reach the end of the Siq you will catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh (Treasury).

This is an awe-inspiring experience. A massive façade, 30m wide and 43m high, carved out of the sheer, dusky pink, rock-face and dwarfing everything around it. It was carved in the early 1st century as the tomb of an important Nabataean king and represents the engineering genius of these ancient people.

As you enter the Petra valley you will be overwhelmed by the natural beauty of this place and its outstanding architectural achievements.There are hundreds of elaborate rock-cut tombs with intricate carvings - unlike the houses, which were destroyed mostly by earthquakes, the tombs were carved to last throughout the afterlife and 500 have survived, empty but bewitching as you file past their dark openings.

There are obelisks, temples, sacrificial altars and colonnaded streets, and high above, overlooking the valley, is the impressive Ad-Deir Monastery – a flight of 800 rock cut steps takes you there.

Within the site there are also two excellent museums; the Petra Archaeological Museum and the Petra Nabataean Museum both of which represent finds from excavations in the Petra region and an insight into Petra's colourful past.

A 13th century shrine, built by the Mameluk Sultan Al Nasir Mohammad to commemorate the death of Aaron, the brother of Moses, can be seen on top of Mount Aaron in the Sharah range. Inside the site, several artisans from the town of Wadi Musa and a nearby Bedouin settlement have set up small stalls selling local handicrafts, such as pottery and Bedouin jewellery and bottles of striated multi-coloured sands from the area.

Monday November 17 - Petra
After breakfast at the hotel we will have a full day guided visit of Petra including a horse ride up to the Siq. Overnight at the Crowne Plaza Petra Hotel.

Tuesday November 18 - Petra to Amman
Today we will have a full day excursion to Wadi Rum followed by an overnight at the Crowne Plaza Amman Hotel.

Crowne Plaza Amman is only 30 minutes drive from Queen Alia International Airport and perfectly situated in the heart of Amman's City Center, business district and major shopping areas. The Hotel has 279 air-conditioned rooms which include Standard, Crowne Plaza Club Floor and Suites. All of Crowne Plaza's guest rooms are equipped with High Speed Internet Access at 4 MEGA, satellite TV, radio, direct dial telephones, trouser press, Tea and Coffee tray, voicemail, mini-bar and in-room safe. The hotel's leisure facilities are outstanding with indoor and outdoor heated Swimming Pools, Sauna, Jacuzzi, Turkish Bath and two Tennis Courts. Crowne Plaza has a great choice of restaurants including Pool Side Il Giardino Restaurant which serves Italian specialties, as well as the main hotel restaurant, Brasserie Oasis, which offers an International Buffet with daily live cooking stations. In addition, Crowne Plaza Amman's Street Side Cafe Vienna is a very popular meeting point in Amman, where guests may enjoy a wide variety of drinks or snacks.

Wednesday November 18 – Petra to Frankfurt and Vancouver
Early this morning we will be met at our hotel and transferred back to Amman Airport in time for our Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, where we will connect to our onward Lufthansa flight to Vancouver.