The Splendors of Ancient Egypt

Including a 5-Day Mövenpick Cruise
Our in-depth survey of ancient Egypt includes the rock-cut tombs at Beni Hassan, Tuna el-Gebel and Akhenaten’s capital at el-Amarna in Middle Egypt. Beginning in Cairo, we visit Sakkara, the Giza Plateau, the Egyptian Museum and Islamic and Coptic Cairo. We will visit the Bent pyramid and Red pyramid at Dahshur and Abusir and travel into the Fayyum Oasis to see the collapsed pyramid of Meydum. Our five days in Luxor provide a thorough exploration of the temples and tombs of Thebes as well as Dendera and Abydos. Our Nile cruise on the deluxe new Mövenpick Royal Lily brings us to Edfu’s Temple of Horus, the most perfectly preserved ancient Egyptian temple. and the fascinating Temple at Kom Ombo, perched on a spectacular site overlooking the Nile. The tour ends with three days in Aswan visiting the Nubian Museum, Kalabsha Temple and a flying visit to Abu Simbel.

Ancient Lebanon
This exciting tour brings us to the traditional homeland of the Phoenicians. As we visit their seaports at Tyre, Sidon, Tripoli and Byblos, we will see the archaeological remains from the traffic of merchants and the march of armies through Lebanon from the Bronze and Iron Ages through classical antiquity and Islam to the era of the Crusaders and Ottomans. We will also visit the last remaining stands of cedars, which once were sought by Egyptian pharaohs and used by King Solomon to build the Temple in Jerusalem. A highlight of this fabulous tour will be our visit to the magnificently preserved Roman-era temple complex of Baalbek. We are based in Beirut for six nights, which will give us ample time to explore this vibrant gourmet capital city aptly named “the Paris of the Middle East."

Israel

with an optional 5-day Jordan extension
This in-depth tour of Israel explores its many layers of ancient and modern history, beginning with six days in Jerusalem and continuing to the numerous museums and archaeological sites in the Negev, Galilee and Golan. Highlights of the tour include Masada, one of Israel's most spectacular sites, Qumran, Lachish, Tel Dan, the Roman/Byzantine city at Bet She'an, Solomonic Hazor and Megiddo, as well as the great Roman/Crusader port at Caesarea. We will have a reception at the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research and meet with archaeologists in the field. The tour ends in vibrant Tel Aviv.

The Splendors of Ancient Egypt in Two Weeks

Including a 5-Day Sonesta Nile Goddess Cruise
A somewhat shorter version of our most popular Egypt tour, we will spend four days in Cairo, ample time to visit the Egyptian Museum, Cairo's Islamic sites, Sakkara and the Giza Plateau. Our five days in Luxor will give us time for a thorough exploration of Thebes, as well as the temples of Hathor at Dendera, decorated in the name of Cleopatra the Great, and of Seti I at Abydos. We will visit Edfu’s Temple of Horus, the most perfectly preserved ancient Egyptian temple in existence today, the fascinating Temple at Kom Ombo, perched on a spectacular site overlooking the Nile. The tour ends in Aswan with a visit to the Nubian Museum and a flying visit to Abu Simbel.