Egyptian Highlights: From Cairo to Luxor With Professor Bob Brier and Art Historian Patricia Remler
December 4 – 13, 2009
As the Greek Historian Herodotus said in the 5th century BC, “Egypt has more wonders in it than any other country in the world and provides more works that defy description than any other place.” Truly there is no place like Egypt! With its plethora of Pharaonic monuments, Islamic art and architecture, and visible remnants of the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine empires, Egypt offers a rare glimpse into one of the most complex and fascinating civilizations of the ancient world.
Travel with Far Horizons Archaeological and Cultural Trips, Inc. on a 10-day journey to 
explore the highlights of this historic land with one of the world's leading Egyptologists. Begin at the pyramids of Saqqara and Dahshur, and stop for a glance at the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. Continue to Luxor, ancient Thebes, known as the City of a Thousand Gates for the monumental entrances to its temples. Visit Karnak and Luxor Temples, connected in antiquity by an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes and it was between these two famed holy places that the festivals honoring Egypt's many gods unfolded. Cross the Nile to the west bank to enter tombs and mortuary temples of the pharaohs. Return to Cairo to explore monuments of the Islamic section of the city - a maze streets containing medieval mosques, exquisite wooden mansions, and exotic bazaars. And finally, marvel at the Great Sphinx, and enjoy a private opening of the Great Pyramid, one of the Severn Wonders of the Ancient World, to view for ourselves the intricacy of Khufu’s tomb.
This is the quintessential Egypt trip for the discerning individual with a limited number of days to travel. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to explore with Bob Brier in the footsteps of the Pharaohs – they may have regrets, but you won’t!
(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
Day 1: Depart the USA for our overnight flight to Cairo.
Day 2: Upon arrival, transfer to the 5-star Cairo Marriott Hotel, built around a 19th century palace on an island in the Nile River and our home for the next two nights.
Day 3: Today, we drive along the picturesque Nile Canal, to Dahshur to see the newly opened Red and Bent pyramids of Sneferu, father of Khufu. Then it’s on to Saqqara, site of the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, forerunner of the great Giza pyramids. As we return to the hotel, we will stop to see the remains of Memphis, once the capital of all Egypt. Gather this evening for our welcome dinner party in one of Cairo’s fine restaurants. If available, Dr. Salima Ikram of the American University in Cairo will meet the group to discuss her work on the North Kharga Oasis Project. (B/L/D)
Day 4: After an early morning flight to Luxor, transfer to our hotel to freshen up and have breakfast. The celebrated Egyptian city of Thebes, modern Luxor, was described by Homer as “the city of a hundred gates” because so many of its temples had the monumental entrances favored by contemporary Greek architecture. Thebes was twice the capital of ancient Egypt. It was from Thebes that Ahmose restored the unity of Egypt and inaugurated the New Kingdom. Today’s afternoon tour includes spectacular Karnak and the Temple of Amun. Arguably the most remarkable religious complex ever built, it contains 250 acres of temples, chapels, obelisks, columns and statues built over a period of 2,000 years and incorporating the finest aspects of Egyptian art and architecture. At lunch, galabeya makers will come to take measurements and orders for the typical Egyptian robe for those who want to purchase one. In the afternoon we will see the remarkable artifacts found in nearby excavations housed in the Luxor Museum. After an early dinner at the hotel, we will experience an evening walk through the magnificent Temple of Luxor, which is spectacularly illuminated at night. This has always been a sacred site and was the power base of the living divine king and the foremost national shrine of the king’s cult. 
The temple’s southern end was the dwelling place of the holy of holies, the principal god, Amun. Overnight in the boutique Al Moudira Hotel, designed with traditionally styled architecture incorporating beautiful pieces saved from old Egyptian buildings. Each of its 52 enormous bedrooms are individually appointed and hand-painted with unique designs. And the trompe-l'oeil architectural details and curtains painted on the walls add to the idiosyncratic charm of this hotel, our home for the next three nights. (B/L/D)
Day 5: Begin today on Luxor’s west bank at the royal necropolis of the Kings. Guarding the approach to this ancient burial site are two massive statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. One of the smallest in the Valley of the Kings, the Tomb of Tutankhamun is undoubtedly the most famous of the Egyptian burial places because of the extraordinary discoveries made here in the early 20th century. Deir El Medina was the village home of the workmen who were responsible for the construction and embellishment of the royal tombs from the New Kingdom. The master masons, artists and sculptors who worked on the crypts were born, trained, lived, died, and buried here. Within two of their tombs, we gaze upon dazzling paintings that speak of the status of the individuals. Continue to the Ramesseum. Ramesses II built his fabulous mortuary temple on the site of Seti I's ruined temple, where he identified himself with the local form of the God, Amun. The main building, where the funerary cult of the king was celebrated, has pylons decorated with scenes from the Battle of Kadesh. These scenes show Ramesses fighting the Hittites in a heroic counterattack, standing in his chariot firing arrows with deadly precision. (B/L/D)
Day 6: Today we continue our explorations of the west bank in the Valley of Queens, the burial place of the royal wives, concubines and daughters of the pharaohs, and the princes who died at an early age. Ramesses III chose the sacred site of Medinet Habu to build his funeral temple. Surrounded by a fortified enclosure wall and covering more than twenty acres, the complex contains funerary chapels, shops, and the gigantic Great Temple with it intact pylon decorated with scenes of the king’s victories. In the afternoon we venture to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh, certainly the most beautiful architecture within the Valley of the Kings. (B/L/D)
Day 7: This morning we drive to the remarkable Ptolemaic site of Edfu and the Temple of Horus, the falcon-headed god. The Temple of Horus is the best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt and the second largest after Karnak. Built from sandstone blocks, the huge temple has a massive entrance pylon covered with traditional scenes of the king smiting his enemies before Horus. Transfer back to Luxor for an evening flight to Cairo and return to Cairo Marriott Hotel for the next three nights. Dinner is on our own this evening. (B/L)
Day 8: This morning we visit the pyramids at the Giza Plateau. This was the necropolis for the Old Kingdom royal families and is dominated by the three magnificent pyramids. The Great Pyramid, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, was built for Khufu (Cheops) in 2528 BC. His son Khafre (Chephren) created the second pyramid and the Great Sphinx and the valley temple next to it. The third and smallest of the pyramids was built for's son Menkaure (Mycerinus) and was once covered with costly pink Aswan granite. We continue on to the Solar Boat Museum that houses the 141-foot cedar boat meant to convey King Khufu to paradise. This magnificent boat was discovered in 1954 in a rock-cut pit on the South side of the Great Pyramid. In the afternoon we return to the Great Pyramid for private entry into the tombs, where Bob Brier will elaborate on the newest theory about how the pyramids were built from his recent book, The Secret of the Great Pyramid: How One Man's Obsession Led to the Solution of Ancient Egypt's Greatest Mystery. (B/L/D)
Day 9: This morning we will spend some time in the stupendous Egyptian Museum, housing the world's greatest collection of Pharaonic antiquities including the amazing treasures from King Tutankhamen's tomb. After lunch at the renowned Naguib Mahfouz café, run by the Oberoi chain and named for the famous Nobel Prize-winning writer who used to dine here almost every day, we will walk through the famous Khan el-Khalili souk, or bazaar, largely unchanged since the 14th century. Dinner is on our own this evening. (B/L)
Day 10: Transfer to airport for our flight back to the USA. (B)
Bob Brier received his Ph.D from the University of North Carolina. He is not only one of the nation’s leading Egyptologists, but a brilliant lecturer and storyteller. He is professor of philosophy at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University and the author of several books including The Murder of Tutankhamen: A True Story (Berkley Books, 1998), The Daily Life of the Ancient Egyptians (Greenwood Press, 1999) and The Secret of the Great Pyramid: How One Man's Obsession Led to the Solution of Ancient Egypt's Greatest Mystery (Harper Collins, 2008). Professor Brier has served as director of the "Egyptology Today" program of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and as host of the Learning Channel series, The Great Egyptians. He has twice been selected as a Fulbright Scholar, and has received Long Island University’s David Newton Award for Teaching Excellence in recognition of his achievements as a lecturer. He is a wonderful teacher with a special flair for evoking the distant past in ways that make it seem vividly present.
Patricia Remler is an author, photographer, and art historian. She was the researcher for four important Learning Channel documentaries - the three-part Pyramids, Tombs, and Mummies, the six-part series The Great Egyptians, the one hour Napoleon's Obsession: The Quest for Egypt, and the three-part series Unwrapped, The Mysterious World of Mummies. She is the author of Egyptian Mythology A - Z.
December 4 – 13, 2009
$8995.00 (per person, double occupancy) includes roundtrip airfare from New York’s JFK to Cairo, Egypt and the Egyptian internal flights; all hotels; most meals (as listed in the itinerary); ground transportation; and entry fees.
Cost Does Not Include: A separate donation check for $150.00 to The North Khar
ga Oases Project; passport or visa fees; airport taxes; beverages or food not included on regular menus; laundry; excess baggage charges; personal tips; alcoholic drinks; email, telephone and fax charges; or other items of a personal nature.
Single Supplement: $945.00. Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement must be charged.
Fuel Surcharges: Far Horizons must pass on price increases when additional fuel charges are levied.
Donation Checks: The cost of the trip does not include the separate donation check for $150.00 to "The North Kharga Oases Project". As a tour company that benefits from the historical, cultural and natural riches of our destinations, we have a policy of donating to scholars, archaeological and cultural projects, and museums in each of our destinations. This has created a bond with the academic community that allows you to gain an 'insider's view' of the work being done in each country. Please see information on the survey’s website.
RegistrationA deposit of $500.00 along with a separate check for $150.00 written to the Institute of Bio-Archaeology (with 'for the North Kharga Project' in the subject line) is required along with your registration form. Final payment is due 75 days before departure. Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and a tour bulletin containing travel information. Prior to the trip, we will send links to various websites of pertinent interest to the trip. Click here to download our Registration Form.
Cancellations received in writing at least 75 days before departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00. Cancellations received less than 75 days before departure will not receive a refund. If for any reason you are unable to complete the trip, Far Horizons will not reimburse any fees. Registrants are strongly advised to buy travel insurance that includes trip cancellation.
If you do not fly on the group flight, you are responsible for all flight arrangements and transportation (including airport transfers) to join the group. If Far Horizons must change the trip dates or cancel the trip for any reason, Far Horizons is not responsible for any air ticket you may have purchased. 
Changes in our itinerary, accommodations, and transportation schedules may occur. A good book to read as well as a flexible attitude and a sense of humor are essential.
The private openings of tombs, tours of archaeological sites and talks by specialists are scheduled in advance and include a donation to each. Specialists working at these sites are excited about showing their work to interested enthusiasts. However, please be aware that there may be times when the director or a member of the staff may not be onsite when our groups arrive due to other commitments.
Limited to 12 Participants
