Egypt Solar Eclipse

Upon arrival at Cairo airport, we meet our Ed-Ventures on-ground rep. After, we transfer to the hotel and check in. Tonight, we enjoy a welcome dinner at our hotel. A lecture on astronomy by James Dire, PhD.

After breakfast, we head to the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. While at the Pyramids, we learn how the three pyramids were built and how they have the same orientation of the Orion Belt of Stars. Later today, we visit the Grand Egyptian Museum with over 100,000 unique artifacts as old as 4000 years B.C. While at the museum, we receive a special pass to see the Full Golden Collection of the Boy King Tut-Ankh-Amon.

After breakfast, we fly to Aswan. Upon arrival, we have the morning at leisure in the ancient frontier town or an optional excursion taking a connecting flight that transports us back in time to the mighty Temples of Abu Simbel - reclaimed from the floodwaters of the Aswan High Dam and totally reconstructed in the present location. After the excursion, we fly back to Aswan and transfer to our cruise ship, our home for the next three nights. We are warmly welcomed aboard for lunch and time to settle in. After lunch, we take a tour to Philae Temple dedicated to the goddess Isis. We marvel at the temple's beautiful island location and learn about the legend of Isis and Osiris which includes lots of love and drama. Nile Cruise Ship

Today, we set sail on an unforgettable cruise on the legendary Nile River. We stop and tour the Temple of Kom Ombo dedicated to two Gods with its unique carvings of the ancient calendar and medical instruments. Afterwards, we continue sailing to Edfu while enjoying lunch. Later today, we visit the Temple of Edfu on Horse carriages. Edfu temple is the best-preserved temple from the ancient world, and dedicated to Horus the God of the Sky, represented as a Falcon. We continue sailing to Luxor. Tonight, we enjoy a fantastic Egyptian Galabiya Night (dress party) with Egyptian food, music, dancing, and a whole lot of fun.

We begin our day with a visit to the UNESCO listed Valley of the Kings, the necropolis of Thebes where we admire the tombs of ancient Egypt’s rulers including a visit to King Tutankhamun Tomb. Next, we head to the Temple of Hatshepsut, a colonnaded structure surrounded by cliffs and learn about the life of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s first female ruler. We visit an alabaster house to learn about making handmade alabaster. We conclude the tour at the Colossi of Memnon: two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

This is the day we have been waiting for! This morning, we disembark the Nile cruise and head to the eclipse viewing location. First contact begins around 10:40 a.m local time with more than six minutes of totality starting at approximately 12:02 p.m. We have the remainder of the day at leisure.

Today we visit the magnificent Temples of Karnak, dating back over 3,000 years. We walk along the Avenue of the Sphinxes and marvel at the Hypostyle Hall with its 134 massive sandstone columns. Then we visit the Temple of Luxor with its colossal Statues and Obelisk.

After breakfast, we drive to Denderah Temple of goddess Hathor, with its ancient Zodiac and Astronomical Scenes. We enjoy this temple with its many rooms, chapels and crypts which is made for secret services or keeping treasures. We return to Luxor to enjoy the rest of the day relaxing or swimming in the hotel pool.

After a wonderful experience in the land of the Pharaohs, we check out of the hotel and fly to Cairo for our connection flights home. Those extending have an option to join a Bedouin Safari in the desert including a BBQ dinner. Inflight Meals

During our days in Hurghada we have lots of free time for swimming at the pool or the beach, options for snorkeling and SCUBA diving or just enjoying each other and the area.

After breakfast, we enjoy a full day tour on a private yacht. We snorkel in the best spots in the world for coral and colored fish. We swim and enjoy the beaches of the Red Sea islands. Lunch and soft drinks are included on board.

We enjoy breakfast and a day of leisure to enjoy any of the water sports in Hurghada. Later this afternoon, we fly to Cairo for our connecting flights home. Inflight meals