Depart U.S.A. on a scheduled flight to Cairo. All meals and beverages served on board flight.

Arrive Cairo where you will be met by our our tour manager who will help you with your immigration and customs formalities. Later you will be transferred to your hotel, the historical Mena House Oberoi Hotel for dinner and overnight. (D)

After breakfast, drive to Memphis at the edge of the Western Desert, the Capital of the Ancient Kingdom, and one of the most important cities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. From here we drive to Sakkara, the vast Necropolis of Ancient Memphis. Drive to the Pyramids of Giza. Cheops Pyramid, the largest of the three, was built in the 4th Dynasty about 2650 B.C., and is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In front of the Pyramid of Chephren (Khafre), there stands the Sphinx carved from a single piece of stone. It is a lion with a Pharaoh's head thought to be a portrait of the Pharaoh Chephren (Khafre). Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Breakfast, then visit Fayoum, Egypt's largest oasis, overlooking Lake Qarun, which is a popular spot for hunting and fishing. You will visit the remains of the Temple and Pyramid of Amenhat III and Qasr Qarun, a well-preserved temple from the Greco-Roman Era. Lunch at the Auberge El-Fayoum Hotel overlooking the lake. Then continue our tour to Maidum. The Pyramid of Maidum was originally a seven-stepped Pyramid. It was enlarged to an eight-stepped Pyramid. Eventually the steps were filled in and a smooth outer facing turned it into a true Pyramid. It is a huge structure that is surrounded by the debris from the casing that collapsed. The Maidum Pyramid is thought to have been started by Huni, the last ruler of the 3rd Dynasty and then completed by his son Sneferu. Sneferu was the first 4th Dynasty Pharaoh (2613 - 2494 B.C.). A little north of the Maidum Pyramid are the remains of the Seila Step Pyramid, which is made of limestone and is thought to be from the 2nd Dynasty. Transfer back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,L)

The M/S Golden Sea cruise route

Breakfast, then you will be met and transferred to Cairo Airport for your flight to Sharm El-Sheikh. Arrive Sharm and transfer to the Jolie Ville Movenpick, the Marriott Sharm or the Hayatt Hotel. Balance of day at leisure for swimming, diving, snorkeling or relaxing by your hotel private beach. In the evening you will be met and transferred by car to the Sinai Desert. From the desert road, we will ride camels if you wish to meet the Bedouins. Experience the Bedouin hospitality: a candle-lit dinner will be barbecued and served at a Bedouin tent under the romantic star-lit skies of Sinai. Traveling and dining in the desert with the Bedouins will make you re-live the adventures of Lawrence of Arabia. Later transfer back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,D)

Relax by the seaside or enjoy a camel ride

Breakfast and transfer to embark your Red Sea cruise ship. Dinner and a midnight sailing to Eilat. Overnight on board. (B,L,D)

Diving the Red Sea (Sharm-El-Sheikh)

Breakfast and lunch on board. Arrive Eilat in the afternoon and start your tour of Eilat by visiting the Marine Museum and the underwater observatory. Then on to Timna Valley to see Solomon's Pillars, the Ancient Egyptian Temple and the "Mushroom". Dinner and overnight on board. (B,L,D)

Restaurant on board the a M/S Golden Sea Cruise Ship.

Breakfast and transfer to Eilat Airport for your flight to Jerusalem. Arrive Jerusalem where you will be met and transferred to the city. Start your tour by a drive to Mount Scopus for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. Enter the Old City for a walking tour which includes the recently restored Jewish Quarter, "Cardo", the Western Wall, and the Temple Mount. Lunch, then walk along the Via Dolorosa (stations of the cross) to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Enjoy a spectacular view of Jerusalem from the south, from the Mount of the Evil Counsel (Jerusalem's new promenade). Continue to Mt. Zion to visit the traditional Tomb of King David, the Dormition Abbey and the room of the Last Supper. Visit Rachel's Tomb, then on to Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity. Later transfer by an air-conditioned motor coach back to Eilat. Embark your cruise ship again around 9:00 P.M. Dinner and overnight on board. (B,L,D)

Breakfast and cruise to Aqaba. Arrive Aqaba, from where you will be transferred to Petra. Start your tour in the Rose Red City of Petra, the wondrous, rock-carved Nabatean capital. From that well-secured spot, the Nabatean Arab Kingdom controlled one of the greatest international trade routes of the Ancient World, the fabled "Spice and Incense Route". These linked China, India and Southern Arabia with the rich markets of Greece, Rome and the Mediterranean world. For approximately 500 years, between the 3rd century B.C. and the 2nd century A.D., the Nabateans carved a fabulous city out of the Rose Red Rock, of which over 800 individual monuments and tombs can still be appreciated today. Lunch. Depart Petra back to your ship around 7:30 P.M. for dinner. Midnight sailing to Hurghada. Overnight on board. (B,L,D)

Breakfast and lunch on board cruise. In the evening, arrive Hurghada. Dinner and overnight on board. (B,L,D)

Casino on board the Golden Sea.

Early breakfast, then you will be transferred by bus from Hurghada to Luxor. Upon arrival at Luxor, you will be met by your tour guide. Start your tour by crossing on a ferry to the West Bank of the Nile and visiting the Valley of the Queens which lies hidden in the foothills of the Mountains of Gourma. See the dramatic Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a masterpiece of graceful proportions. Then visit the famous valley of the Kings, where the Royal Tombs are located. See the elaborate reliefs and wall paintings, depicting events of the past, and marvel at the exquisite colors, excellently preserved for thousands of years. Continue your tour to visit the Temple of Karnak with its awesome and gigantic columns. The ruins of Greece and Rome dwarf beside them. Then visit the Temple of Luxor which was started by Amenhotep III and completed by Ramses II. Lunch during the tour. Transfer back by bus to Hurghada to embark your cruise ship. Dinner and overnight on board. Evening sail to Sharm-El-Sheikh. (B,L,D)

St. Catherine: The St. Catherine Monastery

Early arrival into Sharm, breakfast, then transfer by car through the Sinai Peninsula. It was in the Sinai that Moses received the ten commandments, Prophet Elyah sought refuge from Queen Jezebel and where the holy family traveled on their journey into Egypt. Lunch, then visit the St. Catherine Monastery, built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century to shelter the Christian monks. The Monastery contains the Chapel of the Burning Bush, the mosaic of the transfiguration of Christ and a library containing early Christian manuscripts. You will see as well as climb if you wish, Mount Moses (time permitting), which is behind the Monastery, where the monks have built a staircase of rocks consisting of 3,750 steps leading to the summit. Return to your cruise ship for dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)

Bar on board cruise ship.

Breakfast and disembark your cruise ship in Sharm, where you will be transferred to Sharm Airport for your flight back to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, the luxurious Cairo Marriott Hotel & Casino in downtown Cairo. Balance of day at leisure to explore Cairo on your own. Enjoy a camel or a horseback ride at the Pyramids area or simply relax by your hotel pool. Dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Breakfast, then start your tour by visiting the Egyptian Museum, famous for its antiquities from Egypt's pharaonic period, which dates back some 50 centuries and includes the fabulous treasures of King Tut-Ankh-Amon. Afternoon excursion to Old Cairo, visiting the old Coptic Churches and the oldest Jewish Synagogue of Beni Ezra. Continue your visit to the Mohamed Ali Mosque, the citadel of Salah-El-Din and the medieval Bazaars of Khan-El-Khalili, where you can bargain for your jewelry and hand-tooled leather items. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D)

Breakfast, then you will be met by your tour manager and transferred to Cairo Airport, where you will be helped with your check-in and immigration formalities for your departure flight. (B)