The route of our journey through Egypt’s Places of Power:
Cairo - the Pyramids of Giza - the Fayoum oasis - Aswan - Abu Simbel - Luxor - Dendera - Cairo
We set aside 8 days for this program, and the pace turned out to be very relaxed, with no strict timing. Since the group wanted to see more of Cairo, I put together a two-day itinerary just for Cairo
Besides the Giza plateau, we visited the Museum of Civilization, the city’s main Islamic landmark - the Citadel - and the alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali. We also went to the Khan el-Khalili oriental bazaar and strolled along Cairo’s oldest street, Muizz Street, among the medieval buildings
For my tours I choose beautiful spots at sunrise and sunset, as well as restaurants with a view
In this program, on one of our Cairo days we had a late lunch in the city’s most beautiful park, Al-Azhar Park. From here there’s a view over the Islamic city and a wonderful sunset
And on the second day we watched the sunset during a cruise on the Nile
We also visited a masterpiece of Islamic architecture in Cairo - Manial Palace, which once belonged to Prince Mohamed Ali Tewfik
Days 3-4 of our journey. The Fayoum oasis and its most important sights
We visited one of the most important places on planet Earth - Whale Valley (Wadi Al-Hitan), where, many millions of years ago, whales underwent the evolutionary transition from land mammals to marine mammals
Private tour to the Fayoum oasis
We also visited the Wadi El Rayan nature reserve, with its magical lake and waterfalls
For the night we stayed at a campsite on the lakeshore, and it was here that we watched the sunrise the following morning
The highlight of the next day was the Valley of the Stone Watermelons in the desert
After returning from the oasis to Cairo we had a flight to Aswan and checked into a hotel on the banks of the Nile
Since Aswan doesn’t have a very wide choice of hotels, I recommend considering the Obelisk Hotel. It’s only a 3-star, but it’s quite decent and my guests always like it
Day 5: Aswan and the trip to Abu Simbel
The most popular site in Aswan is, without a doubt, the Temple of Isis on Philae Island
In ancient Egypt this was Isis’s cult center, a place of pilgrimage for Egyptian women, where the powerful energy of the Mother of the World is still preserved to this day
And after the Temple of Isis, that same day we headed to Egypt’s southernmost point along the Nile - Abu Simbel
When a group has the chance to spend more time here, I add an overnight stay in Abu Simbel to the program, so we can watch the sunrise over Lake Nasser and see the majestic temples in the morning light
Day 6. Sunrise over Lake Nasser and the return to Aswan
We pulled a clever trick… While all the other guides were bringing their tourists to the temples for sunrise, we watched the sunrise on the lake instead, and 1.5 hours later went to the temples, right when the first wave of tourists had left and the second hadn’t arrived yet. That way we had the temple almost to ourselves, which let us be alone with such grandeur
According to tradition, in ancient times a school of life once stood here, where the Laws of the Universe were studied
It turned out to be quite a packed day. Sunrise on the lake, the temples of Abu Simbel, the drive to Aswan, lunch on the Nile, and in the evening a boat trip around the islands on the Nile with a visit to a Nubian village
Day 7. Traveling to Luxor by train
Early in the morning we set off for Luxor by train, and by around 11:00 we start our program in Luxor
On this route we decided to visit places of power such as
– Karnak - the temple of cosmogenesis
– The Valley of the Kings - the place of transition between life and eternal life
– The temple dedicated to the goddesses Hathor and Maat, the energies of unconditional love, world order, and divine harmony
Day 8. Trip to Dendera
The last day of our program brings us to a temple of extraordinary beauty and power
We call it the Temple of Love, dedicated to the goddess Hathor
In my opinion, it’s the most beautiful temple in Egypt, its ceilings covered with astrological and astronomical images symbolizing the entire universe of Hathor
