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TRAVEL INSURANCE

Tour Itinerary
Short Version
See itinerary at right  for details

EGYPT

Land of the Pharaohs

Departure: September 14 - 25, 2010

Includes FREE AIR from New York !!!

Locally Hosted

Join us for this special introduction to Spiritual Egypt! Leave the crowds behind!  Experience the sacred temples and sites as no tourist ever does!

Journey back in time to a place that has left its imprint and impact on humanity forever, the ancient metaphysical civilization of Egypt. Travel to mystical Egypt to experience a deep inner exploration and an exciting outer adventure as you learn and experience Egyptian spirituality on a trip that promises to become the memorable encountering of a lifetime!

Your Egyptian Guides

Our local tour representative provides you with an Egyptologist to accompany you on this introduction to the general concepts of spiritual travel, as well as to a specific introduction to the metaphysical aspects of the ancient civilization of Egypt. 

TOUR ITINERARY
(B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)

Day 1, Tuesday, September 14:  Depart from NYC’s JFK Airport  / Tour Begins
Depart from New York's JFK Airport on your overnight flight to Cairo.
Note: Body Mind Spirit Journeys will be happy to assist you with your connecting flight arrangements to JFK.

Day 2, Wednesday, September 15: Arrive Cairo / Panoramic Tour of Cairo / Welcome Dinner (D)
Morning arrival at Cairo International Airport, where you meet your local tour representative to obtain your Egypt Tourist Visa, clear Immigration and help at Baggage Claim & Customs. You then meet your Tour Director and transfer by private air-conditioned motor coach to your hotel near the Great Pyramid and Sphinx. On your way to your hotel, you will have a mini-panoramic sightseeing tour of Cairo. Check in to your accommodations and you still have some time to explore your beautiful surroundings; gaze in awe at the Great Pyramid from the hotel grounds. You are really here in this ancient land of mystery!! Welcome dinner this evening. Overnight Cairo.
 
Day 3, Thursday, September 16: In Giza / Pyramids & Sphinx (B)
Listen closely as you awaken and dress for Sunrise at the Valley Temple of Chephren on the Giza Plateau. As you come alive, you will hear the incredible sounds of the entire city being called to prayer. Open your door and listen - Feel the energy of the spirits. Listen to your Egyptian brothers and sisters as they greet the day with thanksgiving. Join them as they begin a wonderful day filled with peace!!  After an invigorating sunrise and an incredible buffet breakfast at your hotel, you are off to discover the awesome Wonders of the World --- the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of the Giza Plateau. As you gaze in wonder at these magnificent structures, some of the oldest in the world, and ponder on their influences upon the Egyptian civilization, your guide, who is an encyclopedia of Egyptology, will give you detailed historical information and will examine the controversial theories surrounding these amazing structures. Who will ever really know the truth behind the building and construction of the timeless monuments? Who will ever uncover all their hidden secrets?  These questions and more will offer you an interesting and exciting time among these ancient ruins.

Return to your hotel where the rest of the day is for relaxation on your own.  Lounge beside the pool at your hotel with a good book. Take a horseback ride into the nearby Giza desert, or do some shopping at one of the nearby papyrus, perfume, jewelry or clothing shops. Dinner on your own at one of Cairo’s picturesque & typically Egyptian restaurants. Overnight Cairo.

 
Day 4, Friday, September 17: To Luxor / Valley of the Kings / Colossi of Memnon (B)
Morning transfer to the airport for your short flight to Luxor.  Upon arrival in Luxor, check into your charming hotel on the banks of the peaceful Nile.  After lunch on your own, ferry across the Nile to the West Bank to visit the Valley of the Kings, where the great and mysterious funerary texts ("The Books of the Dead") are exquisitely painted or carved into walls. Visit selected tombs of the nobles, vibrant with scenes of ancient daily life; the magnificent temple of Hatshepsut, one of the few female Pharaohs, built to Amon and called by the Egyptians themselves "The most splendid of all;" and the immense Colossi of Memnon. After dinner, you may want to visit the Luxor Temple on your own to view this magnificent structure under the stars. Here is where R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz developed his revolutionary Symbolist interpretation of ancient Egypt over the course of fifteen years work on the site. In Schwaller's Symbolist Interpretation, science, art, religion and philosophy are fused into one vast, coherent doctrine. And, the very scenes that his wife, Isha Schwaller de Lubicz wrote about in her novels on the esoteric aspect of the Egyptian mysteries come to life here. Return to your hotel to rest and relax. Overnight Luxor.
 
Day 5, Saturday, September 18: In Luxor / Karnak Temple / Board Cruise Ship (B/L/D)
After breakfast, experience the energies of the vast overwhelming Temple of Karnak. Once connected to Luxor Temple, two miles away, by a long avenue of Sphinxes (still partially in tact), Karnak is dedicated to the Powers of Creation. It is an incredible collage of Egyptian royalty and their collective symbology. Later morning return to the hotel and check out. Transfer to the pier where you board your luxurious cruise ship. (Note: Remember, this is NOT a dressy cruise! So travel casual.) After lunch, some free time to explore and shop in Luxor. Make sure your camera is loaded with film. There is nothing so magnificent as sunset on the Nile!!   Dinner and overnight onboard.

Day 6, Sunday, September 19: To Dendera / Cruise to Edfu (B/L/D)
After breakfast, travel by coach to Ptolemaic Dendera, the Lourdes of ancient Egypt, consecrated to Hathor, the great goddess in her role of healer, celebrant and mistress of the cycles of time. Visit the Temple of the Birthing of the Universe, where the mysteries of the birth of cosmic order from primordial chaos were celebrated. As you view the primal zodiac on the ceiling, you have time for contemplation to focus on moving your consciousness into your heart center to experience the joy and peace of Unconditional Love. Return to your cruise ship for dinner and set sail for Edfu. Overnight onboard.

Day 7, Monday, September 20: Edfu / Nile Cruise / Kom Ombo / Aswan (B/L/D)
Early morning visit to Edfu, the Temple of falcon-headed Horus (the spirit of the Higher Self), one of the finest examples of Ptolemaic art in Egypt and perhaps one of the best preserved temples of the entire ancient world. Your guide will lead you through the various temples pointing out the richly decorated important scenes related to the divinities associated within the cult of Horus, such as Osiris, Sokar, and Khonsu. Return to your cruise ship. Spend the rest of the day sailing the Nile, waving at the villagers, farmers and fishermen as you slowly glide through the peaceful waters. Late afternoon, stop at Kom Ombo, a famous healing temple in ancient days, and now a gloriously picturesque edifice and energy-filled ruins overlooking a bend on the Nile. Continue to Aswan, the gateway to Nubia. With its colorful Nubian bazaar, laid-back atmosphere, the warm and wonderful people and a lovely promenade along the Nile, Aswan is a favorite city in Egypt for many visitors. Overnight onboard.

Day 8, Tuesday, September 21: In Aswan / Island of Philae / Temple of Isis / Nubian Museum / Felucca Ride (B/D)
Depart on an early morning boat ride to the relocated Temples on the island of Philae.  After the building of the Aswan Dam, this graceful antiquity was meticulously moved stone by stone from its ancient site (now submerged) to its new higher island home in the middle of the lake. Today it gives us - man/women of modern machines and incredible technical knowledge - great insight into what the ancient and intelligent peoples of the world could do with only simple technology and a will to create at their disposal. Among the other temples here we explore the delicate and elegant feminine Temple of Isis, Goddess of Magic and Healing and bride of Osiris. According to Egyptian legend, with the power of her love she gathered and recomposed the scattered members of her husband and brought him back to life. Her worship here goes far, far back in time. You’ll have time to contemplate her ancient mysteries. Return to Aswan to visit the new Nubian Museum with its wealth of history. Return to your cruise ship to disembark and transfer into your hotel in Aswan. After lunch enjoy a peaceful and serene felucca ride (a small traditional sailboat).  Dinner. Overnight Aswan.

Day 9, Wednesday, September 22: In Aswan at Leisure / Optional Tour to Abu Simbel / To Cairo (B)
Morning at leisure for independent activities, relaxing or shopping. Or, take an optional morning tour to Abu Simbel to come face-to-face with the four 60 foot colossal statues of Ramses. Departure by air early morning, return late morning.   Afternoon transfer to the airport for the short flight back to Cairo for a free afternoon. Dinner on your own. Overnight Cairo.

Day 10, Thursday, September 23: In Cairo at Leisure / Optional Tour to Sakkara (B)
A free day for independent exploration, shopping or taking an optional tour to magnificent Sakkara with King Zoser's Step Pyramid, the earliestof the major pyramids.  Carefully explore the important Old Kingdom noble tombs with their vivid symbolic reliefs. Also explore the Pyramid of Unas with its pristine hieroglyphic texts and the Scrapeum, the underground tomb of the sacred bulls. The chief themes of Egyptian sacred science were the creation of the world, and the role of humanity within creation. Egypt's incredibly complex mythology and its profusion of mysterious symbols can be seen as an ingenious method of expressing those twin, interlocked themes. At Sakkara, begin to see these themes in action. Time to explore the acoustics as you walk through the temple complex filled with rows of columns crowned with figures of Hathor, Goddess of Healing. Here, the ancient priests and priestesses used sound to perform healings. Time allowing, you may also be able to use your voices to explore this ancient healing art in the cradle of its birthplace in the Egypt. Later, back to your hotel, and free time for exploration or shopping. Dinner on your own. Try one of the many exciting Cairo or Giza restaurants, as you hear the day's final call to prayer. Overnight Cairo.

Day 11, Friday, September 24: In Cairo / Egyptian Museum / Farewell Dinner (B/D)

After breakfast, depart for the famous Egyptian Museum, with a collection of relics dating back to 4,000 BC. There you’ll experience first hand the different periods of ancient Egypt and the individual artistic and architectural styles of each period. The highlight of this museum is the visit to the priceless treasures of Tut-Ankh-Amon. You will see first-hand the intricate workmanship and the tiniest details of the contents of the luggage packed for this King to accompany him to the next world. Later return to the hotel for relaxing before your traditional Egyptian Farewell Dinner, complete with belly dancers and a whirling dervish!  Overnight Cairo.

Day 12, Saturday, September 25: Tour Ends / To NYC’s JFK Airport (B)
After breakfast, your tour ends as you transfer to the airport for your flight back to JFK.

Please note: This itinerary is subject to change without notice due to circumstances beyond our control. Pre/post nights are available upon request. Travel insurance is highly recommended.  Some inclusions may not be available on indicated dates and dates may have to be adjusted.  Listed local Hosts and guides are subject to availability and will be hosting your itinerary wherever possible. However, due to scheduling, there may be some times when the local Host or guide is not available. If this occurs, BMSJ will provide a comparable and experienced substitute.

TOUR PRICES: 
** Bonus! SAVE! You will receive a 5% discount if ALL payments are made by check or money order. This discounted price is noted below in red.