EGYPT & ISRAEL

Morning visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities which includes the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic artifacts and the treasures of Tutankhamen’s tomb. Then, drive to Old Cairo to visit Al Moallaka Church (Hanging Church) and Ben Ezra Synagogue. Stop for lunch, then enjoy an afternoon visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the enigmatic Sphinx. Overnight in Cairo. (B,L)

After breakfast, transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight to Luxor. Upon arrival, transfer to your cruise ship. Accommodations onboard consist of outside cabins with private facilities. Visit the Temple of Karnak and Luxor Temple as well as the West Bank, including the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon. In the evening, enjoy an optional sound and light show at Karnak Temple. (B,L,D)

Early this morning, you will sail to Edfu via Esna, where you will pass through the Esna Lock. (B,L,D)

After breakfast, travel by horse-drawn carriage to the Temple of Horus, considered the bestpreserved ancient temple in Egypt and the second largest after the Temple of Karnak. Back onboard, sail to Kom Ombo and visit the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris before continuing to Aswan. (B,L,D)  

This morning, visit the High Dam, the Granite Quarries and the temple of Isis at Philae. Later, sail on board a felucca, a traditional Egyptian sailboat, and view Kitchener’s Island Botanical Garden and the Agha Khan Mausoleum. (B,L,D)

After breakfast, disembark and transfer to Aswan Airport for your flight back to Cairo or you may participate in an optional tour to Abu Simbel and visit the colossal Temple of Ramses II and the temple of his beloved Queen Nefertari. Both temples were carved out of a hillside beside the Nile in the 13th century B.C. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairo. Upon arrival you will be escorted to your hotel. This evening you may enjoy an optional sound and light show at the Pyramids. (B)

Transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight to Tel Aviv. Upon arrival, you will be met and assisted though customs and transferred to your hotel in Jerusalem. (B)  

Drive to Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city. Enter the Old City and walk through the Armenian and Jewish quarters to the recently excavated and restored Cardo, the Roman road. See the Western Wall, the Kotel, and continue to the Christian Quarter. Walk along the Via Dolorosa and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Continue to Bethlehem for an overview of Shepherds’ Field, visit the Church of Nativity and Manger’s Square. Return to hotel in Jerusalem. (B)  

After breakfast, morning drive via the Judean Desert to Masada and the Dead Sea. In Masada, ascend by cable car and tour the mountain fortress built by King Herod, where the Jewish zealots of the first century made their last stand against the Romans. Visit the remains of the walls, palaces, synagogue, water cisterns, mosaic floors, Roman baths and other findings. Continue to the Dead Sea. After lunch, enjoy the unique opportunity to swim and float on the Dead Sea that many believe has therapeutic effects. On the way back, view the Qumran caves, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. (B)  

After breakfast, enjoy a beautiful day watching the outstanding landscape of the Lower Galilee. Depart Jerusalem on the Coastal Road for Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent his childhood. Visit the Basilica of Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph. Continue, via Kafr Kanna, to Tiberias, the lovely resort town. Drive along Lake Kinnereth to visit Capernaum and view the ruins of the ancient synagogue where Jesus taught. Continue to Tabgha, the site of the Miracle of Fish and Loaves, located at the foot of the Golan Heights. After lunch, continue to Yardenit, the famous baptismal site, where the Jordan River leaves the Sea of Galilee towards Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. (B)

After breakfast, transfer to Ben Gurion Airport for your departure. (B)