Journeys - For Schools

Western Desert

Day 1 Arrive
Fly to Cairo. We are met at the airport by four wheel drive jeeps and transferred to our hotel.
Overnight 3* hotel in Cairo

Day 2 Pyramids, Fayoum and Baharia Oases
In the morning we visit the Pyramids and the Sphinx of Giza taking the morning to explore these Ancient Egyptian wonders. Early afternoon we drive towards the Fayoum Oasis (approximately 1 - 2 hours). People have lived in Fayoum for over ten thousand years and it is amazing to see this remarkably lush green city in the middle of the desert. We visit the lake and the water wheels that provide the city with irrigation. We travel down to Baharia where we arrive in time to enjoy dinner at our hostel and relax for the evening.
O/n hostel in Baharia (dormitory accommodation)

Day 3 Hot Springs, the Temple at Baharia, Alexander the Great
After breakfast we go to the famous hot springs in Baharia and have a morning swim. The springs were developed during Roman times. We have a picnic lunch before going to visit the recently discovered temple of Baharia. It was only open to the public in 2000 and has multi chambered underground tombs which are believed to be the tombs of the government of Baharia who ruled approximately 2000 years ago. The walls of the tombs are beautifully decorated with colourful drawings. After we have explored the tombs we drive towards the White Desert stopping on the way to visit the ruins of a temple which Alexander the Great visited. Dinner around a campfire in the White Desert, enjoying the remarkable desert night skies.
O/n under the stars

Day 4 Desert Safari & Farafra
After breakfast we begin our safari through the White Desert. It is a fantastic journey through strange but beautiful scenery, brilliant white rock formations that have been formed into hundreds of different shapes and patterns by the weathering of thousands of years. We drive towards the Farafra Oasis, enjoying a picnic lunch in this strange scenery. We arrive in Farafra and spend time visiting this old oasis town, seeing the mud brick houses that the Bedouin still inhabit and marvelling at the richness of the oasis where olives, dates, figs, apricots, and guavas are among the many fruits that are grown. We return to the beautiful White Desert watching as the rocks change colour in the sunset and enjoying dinner around the campfire.
O/n under the stars

Day 5 El Dakhla Oasis
After breakfast we drive towards the Dakhla Oasis which was created from more then six hundred natural springs and ponds. It is filled with traditional mud brick houses scattered throughout the green, lush fields and orchards. The oasis produces rice, wheat and various fruits. It is believed the oasis has been inhabited since prehistoric times as rock paintings have been found near the shores of the oasis. While there we visit the El Musawaka tombs that date back to the 1st and 2nd centuries. They are painted with remarkably colourful murals. We also visit el Kasser which was the Islamic courthouse, built completely out of mud and quite a contrast to our own rather intimidating courts of justice. Late afternoon we return to the desert for dinner around the campfire.
O/n under the stars

Day 6 Um Dabadib
We continue our journey in the White Desert visiting Um Dabadib, an ancient place with an old irrigation system. It is in the middle of the desert surrounded by sanddunes. We have a picnic lunch before embarking on an afternoon walk through the desert, taking in the scenery and the silence of the vast desert that surrounds us. In the evening we have dinner and tea around a campfire under the desert night skies.
O/n under the stars

Day 7 El Kharga Oasis, Hibis Temple and Luxor
After breakfast we travel to the town of El Kharga that lies on the ancient Persian trading route, which dates back to 500 BC. We visit the Temple of Hibis near Kharga built in 6th century BC and dedicated to the Ancient Egyptian god Amun. This is the largest of the Persian Temples and was built using local limestone. The temple is well preserved and contains an avenue of sphinxes and an eight columned pavilion. The outer wall has huge reliefs of Darius greeting Egyptian gods. Drive on to Luxor.
O/n 3/4* Hotel Luxor

Day 8 Valley of the Kings, Karnak & Luxor Temples
After breakfast we drive to visit the Valley of the Kings and then on to Luxor to visit the awe-inspiring Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple. The first parts of the Karnak temple were built in 1971 BC and during the next 1500 years it was added to, restored and decorated by successive rulers. It is an enormous monument and we have the morning to explore this vast and remarkable temple including the ten cathedrals and the huge Amun Temple enclosure which was the main place of worship. After lunch we visit the smaller but more graceful Luxor Temple which overlooks the Nile. It was built in the New Kingdom by Amenophis III. It was once joined to the Karnak Temple and is dedicated to Amun, one of the gods of creation and the most important god of Thebes. Like many of Egypt's ancient monuments the temple was added to buy successive rulers including Tutankhamun, Ramses II and Alexander the Great. Dinner before we drive to the airport for a late night flight back to Cairo.
O/n 3/4* Hotel Cairo

Day 9 Egyptian Museum and flight home
In the morning after breakfast we will visit the Egyptian museum in Cairo. Lunch and transfer to Cairo airport for the afternoon return flight.