ITINERARY:

Day 1 Friday/7 November (New York/Cairo)

Board your international flight and begin your journey back in time. Meals on board.

Day 2 Saturday/8 November (Cairo)

Welcome to the "Land of the Prophets and the Pharaohs". Meeting, assistance and transfer to our hotel. Afternoon at leisure. Short informal orientation and thanksgiving prayer followed by our welcome dinner.
(Dinner)

Day 3 Sunday/9 November (Cairo)

A scenic drive will take us to one of the seven wonders of the world, The Great Pyramids which have stood for the last 5000 years and The Great Sphinx, built in 2620 BC in the likeness of the king of Egypt. The ancient monument - 187 ft. long and 65 ft. high - is a human headed lion wearing a royal headdress, sitting on guard of the Great Pyramids. Then on to the Solar Boats Museum.

In the afternoon to the ancient city of Memphis, the legendary city of Menes, the King who united upper and lower Egypt. Then visit Sakkara, site of the Step Pyramid of Zoser. Back to the hotel for a short rest.

In the evening we will experience the Sound and Light Show - an evening performance at the Giza plateau, where the Pyramids and Sphinx are specially illuminated to tell their story in the sound and light show.
(Buffet Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 4 Monday/10 November (Cairo)

Start our day with a guided tour of the Egyptian Museum - exhibited are over 120,000 objects from the Pharaonic and Greco-Roman Periods, including the celebrated mummies of ancient Egyptian kings and the treasures of King Tutankhamen's tomb.

Drive to Old Cairo, where early Judaism and Christianity flourished in Egypt. Visit Ben Ezra Synagogue - built by the chief rabbi of Jerusalem. The basilica-style temple is home to a Jewish heritage library, which includes a Torah on a gazelle skin dating back to 5th century BC and an "Atlas of Moses" manuscript.

We will also visit the Church of St. Sergious - considered to be Cairo's oldest church, dating from the 4th century AD, built on the spot where the Holy Family rested at the end of their journey into Egypt.

In the afternoon, we'll drive to the Citadel of Saladin and visit Mohamed ali Alabaster Mosque. Then stroll at the largest 13th century covered oriental market - Khan el Khalili Bazaar.
(Buffet Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 5 Tuesday/11 November (Cairo)

EXPERIENCE RTA SPECIAL TREAT!!!

The Pharaonic Village
RTA will take you on a fantastic journey to the days of the Pharaohs, a time brought to life by an incredible group of actors and actresses, faithful and exact reproductions of buildings, clothing and lifestyles.

The Cairo Tower
About 45 meters taller than the Great Pyramid at Giza and provides a panoramic vision of Cairo
(Buffet Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 6 Wednesday/12 November (Cairo/Mt. Sinai)

Hotel check out and early morning departure for The Sinai Peninsula. The vast seismic activity of the past and the tremendous eruptive phenomena have given Sinai its characteristic imprint. The most important peaks are the Gebel Musa (Moses' Mountain) and Gebel Kathrina (Mount St. Catherine). the highest on the peninsula.
(Buffet Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 7 Thursday/13 November (Mt. Sinai/Cairo)

Very early climb to Moses' Mountain to watch the sunrise. Visit the Monastery of St. Catherine - the smallest diocese in the world and yet the oldest Christian Monastery still in existence and houses the richest collection of icons and precious manuscripts. Drive back to Cairo.
(Buffet Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 8 Friday/14 November (Cairo)

The day's tour to the Coptic Museum and Papyrus Institution will be very educational. The museum was founded in 1910 to fulfill the needs of displaying monument referred to that period in order to easily trace the history of Christianity in Egypt. The Institute is a shop making and selling authentic papyrus. Keepers will walk you through the entire process of its manufacture.

TONIGHT'S SPECIAL: memorable dining experience on a cruise boat for sailing trip on the Nile with belly dance and folklore show.
(Buffet Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 9 Saturday/15 November (Cairo/Luxor)

Short flight to Luxor, then transfer to our...

Luxury Cruise ship - 5 Star Deluxe
M/S MOJITO
(5 days- 4 nights Nile Mystique Cruise)

DAY'S HIGHLIGHT: visit the Temples Luxor and Karnak, a centuries - old city of pylons, hypostyle halls, statues, shrines and obelisks. Visit the West Bank necropolis including the Valley of the Kings, the funerary Temples of Queen Hatshepsut Deir El Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon.
(Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 10 Sunday/16 November (Luxor/Edfu)

Early morning sailing, passing through the Esna Lock and continue sailing towards Edfu.
(Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 11 Monday/17 November (Edfu/Kom Ombo/Aswan)

Travel by horse-drawn carriage to the Temple of Horus, the falcon-god, considered the best preserved temple in ancient Egypt and the 2nd largest after the Temple of Karnak. Sail to Kom Ombo and visit the Ptolemaic Temple of Subek and Haroeries. Then sail to Aswan.
(Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 12 Tuesday/18 November (Aswan)

Visit the Aswan High Dam, Egypt's contemporary example of building on a monumental scale; the Granite Quarries with the unfinished Obelisk and the Temple of Philae. Sail on board a Felucca, a typical Egyptian sailboat, and view Kitchener's Botanical Garden and the Agha Khan Mausoleum.
(Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 13 Wednesday/19 November (Aswan/Abu Simbel)

Disembark M/S MOJITO and transfer to Aswan airport for a short flight to:

Abu Simbel: visit the Great Temple of Ramses II and the Temple of his beloved Queen Nefertari (the most magnificent temples in the world. Supported and managed by UNESCO). Then, another short flight from Abu Simbel to Cairo.
(Breakfast/Dinner)

Day 14 Thursday/20 November (Aexandria)

An intriguing day visiting the Pompey's Pillar, Catacombs of Kom el Shugafa, Qait Bay Fort, National Museum and Alexandria's library "Bibliotheca Alexandria". Back to our hotel in time for our Thanksgiving prayer followed by our Farewell Dinner.
(Buffet Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)

Day 15 Friday/21 November (Cairo/New York)

After Buffet Breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport for our flight back...

"Home Sweet Home"