Here we begin our voyage of discovery into the most enigmatic of the ancient mysteries. While the Giza Plateau is famously home to the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, in fact the entire plateau is absolutely riddled with underground passages, hidden structures, and obscure grottos. 

Though special permission, we will privately stand between the Paws of the Sphinx at dawn.

Next we visit the famed Sakkara necropolis, home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser, and incomparable milestone of the early pyramid age. About, 2630 B.C. Imhotep, architect to King Djoser (Dynasty III), masterminded this Step Pyramid, the world’s oldest freestanding stone structure. This pyramid consists of six tiers atop a mastaba, or low, oblong tomb, faced with cut stone. Here we’ll explore the newly opened Southern Tomb of Djoser with it’s stunning faience lined passageways and monumental granite sarcophagus.

We'll also visit the enigmatic and mysterious Serapium, with its labyrinthian passes and cyclopian stone sarcophagi - carved from single massive granite and diorite blocks weighing up to 88,000 lb.

Lunch will be served in a charming local restaurant.

(Breakfast, Lunch, //) 

We begin our day at the legendary Egyptian Museum, where we’ll marvel at the masterpieces of King Tutankhamun—including his golden mask—and countless other artifacts that bring 5,000 years of history to life.

Next, we step back through the ages into Old Cairo, a place where Coptic, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim histories converge. We’ll visit the Hanging Church (Church of the Virgin Mary), built in the 9th century to “hang” high upon the ancient walls of Babylon -  the sense of sacred history remains palpable.

Our journey continues deeper into Coptic Cairo to the Church of St. Sergius, dating to the 5th century and built upon a crypt said to have sheltered the Holy Family—Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus—during their time in Egypt. We’ll also visit the Ben Ezra Synagogue, the oldest in Cairo, located on the legendary site where Pharaoh’s daughter is believed to have found Moses among the reeds.

Cairo is truly one of the world’s fabled cities, and today we’ll experience its full mosaic of history and legend—from biblical synagogues to mind-bogglin (Church of the Virgin Mary), built in the 9th century to “hang” high upon the ancient walls of Babylon -, the sense of sacred history remains palpable.

We’ll conclude the day at the centuries-old Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, a sprawling labyrinth of trade, trinkets, and timeless charm. Here you can shop for handcrafted treasures, sip tea in a centuries-old café, and soak in the vibrant energy of Cairo’s bustling heart.

Highlights include:

• Mosque of the Healers
• St. Sergius Church
• Ben Ezra Synagogue
• Khan el-Khalili Bazaar

(Breakfast, Lunch)

This morning we transfer to Cairo airport for our short flight to Luxor, ancient Thebes—the city of a hundred gates and home to the greatest concentration of antiquities on Earth. Here, the ancient and modern intertwine seamlessly, creating a vibrant tapestry of bustling streets, serene villages, and breathtaking ruins.

Our home for the Luxor portion of the journey is the elegant Dahabiya Veda, a private sailing yacht that allows us to dock peacefully on the Theban shore of the Nile, far from the bustle of the big cruise ships. From here, we’ll savor the quiet rhythms of local life along the riverbank.

As night falls, we embark on a special evening visit to Luxor Temple, illuminated under the stars. It was here that R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz developed his revolutionary “Symbolist” interpretation of ancient Egypt, calling it the Temple of Man, where science, art, religion, and philosophy merge into a vast, coherent whole.

Stroll along the awe-inspiring Avenue of the Sphinxes, stand beneath the towering columns of the great hypostyle hall, and witness a living testament to Egypt’s layered history in the working mosque—nearly a thousand years old—built into the very fabric of the temple itself. As part of the largest temple complex in the world, Luxor Temple is an experience not to be missed.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After breakfast, transfer to Cairo airport for short flight to Aswan.

Our home for the next 8 days is the incredible Dahabeya Hadeel. 

After lunch, we take a “Felucca” to Elephantine Island, the name of "Elephantine" came from an ancient Egyptian sign "aabw" which meaning "elephant" and "ivory" because it was an ivory-trading center. 

While there we'll visit the temple of Khnum, one of the revered gods in Upper Egypt who is associated with the Nile's fertile soil, perhaps why Khnum is shown as a potter shaping all living things on his wheel.  

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Valley of Queens / Nefertari Tomb /  Valley of Kings / Hatshepsut Temple / Colossi of Memnon

This morning after breakfast we drive to the West Bank of ancient Thebes, and begin our day at the famed Temple of Haphsetsut. Widely considered to be one of the "incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt". This stunning architectural achievement will be an elegant and dramatic start to our day.

Next we visit the Valley of the Queens, home to the Tomb of Nefertari, Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramesses II, dating from about 1300 BC. This stunning tomb was painstakingly restored over the course of 6 years. The paintings are remarkable for their electrifying colors -- including oranges, blues and greens -- and their intricate detail, such as steam rising from a bowl of soup. Widely considered to be the absolute pinnacle of Egyptian art, this tomb was closed in 1934, just 30 years after its opening, and access is strictly controlled to protect the jewel-like walls. Many consider the Tomb of Nefertari to be the "Sistine Chapel" of Egypt.

We continue our visit to the famed Valley of the Kings, where we'll see the incomparable Tomb of the mighty Seti I, as stunning in its own way as Nefertari's resting place. And then on to the immense Colossi of Memnon. We will also stop at an alabaster workshop in the Valley, where we can buy world-class pieces, lovingly hand-made, at local prices.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

In the early morning, we will drive to Dendera Temple, one of Egypt’s most beautiful temples, which is dedicated to Hathor, Goddess of Love, Music and Joy. Here we meditate in the Chapel of Nut, the birthing room, as well as seeing the world’s oldest sundial, and graffiti from Napoleon’s soldiers.

We'll get our Indiana jones on as we descend into one of the subterranean crypts beneath the temple, and encounter some of the most startling and other-worldly bas-reliefs in the ancient world.

Then on to Abydos, one of the most spellbinding spots in Egypt. Here at the Temple of Seti I is the birth of the Rameses style. Among the temple’s special features are the Seven Axial Chapels, whose reliefs number among the most beautiful in Egyptian art, and the ancient, enigmatic Osirion, home to the Flower of Life: the most important symbol in sacred geometry. 

We'll also see the bizarre "future vision" hieroglyphs which seem to show tanks, planes and helicopters, and we'll unravel the conundrum of how they came to be.

By special arrangement we will enjoy a private visit inside the Osirion itself, a remarkable site normally off limits to tourists.

No pilgrimage to Egypt is complete without visiting Abydos.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

We begin the day with visit to the vast and overwhelming Temple of Karnak..

Karnak temple is truly a vast and awe-inspiring place, one of the largest spiritual sites in the world. Once connected to Luxor Temple, two miles away, by a long avenue of Sphinxes (now almost fully restored), Karnak is dedicated to the Powers of Creation and exhibits profound solar alignments. Karnak is the theater in which humanity plays out its destiny.

After exploring the main temple, we'll have a private visit to mysterious "Chapel of Sekhmet,” one of the most intimate, yet powerful and beautiful, experiences of our entire journey.

(Breakfast)

Today we stand at the axis of time and eternity. Above us, the heavens align in a rare and staggering display of cosmic power. As the Moon’s shadow races across the Earth, it slows—just here, just now—pausing for over six extraordinary minutes in one sacred place: Luxor, the ancient city of Amun-Ra, the Sun God.

This is no accident. Nowhere else on Earth is so perfectly aligned. Luxor lies directly in the center of the path of totality, the one place where the eclipse reaches its fullest, deepest expression. For 6 minutes and 23 seconds, the midday Sun will vanish, the stars will awaken, and the temples of Karnak and Luxor will be bathed in an otherworldly twilight.

Imagine the ancients standing where we stand, their eyes lifted to the darkened sky, their hearts pounding with the knowledge that they were witnessing the Sun’s death and rebirth. The air vibrates with mystery, the Nile reflects the surreal glow of the corona, and the world falls silent in a moment of pure cosmic reverence.

This is more than an eclipse. It is an initiation. A portal. A reminder of our place in the vastness of the universe.

Later, we relax in our, private sanctuary on the Dahabeya Veda, sailing serenely south along the Nile to Esna. As the last colors of twilight fade and the first stars rise in the sky, we’ll gather on deck to reflect, to share, and to let the magic of this rare celestial event settle into our souls. It’s an evening of quiet beauty and profound connection as we glide through the timeless waters of the Nile.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

The day after the great eclipse, as the Sun’s light fully reclaims the land, we journey to Edfu and enter the Temple of Horus—the most perfectly preserved temple in all of Egypt. This sacred complex, dedicated to Horus the Avenger, rises like a stone hymn to the victory of light over shadow. Here, the falcon-headed solar god, born of Isis’s divine magic, triumphs over Set, the dark force of chaos who tore his father Osiris apart.

But Edfu’s mystery runs deeper. Carved into its massive pylons and shadowed halls is a reminder that light and darkness are not enemies but partners in creation. The ancients saw this not as a battleground, but as a sacred space of alchemy—where death yields to resurrection, and shadow gives birth to illumination.

In the wake of the eclipse, with the Sun reborn overhead, we’ll stand in this living symbol of balance and awakening. Here, within the temple’s stillness and soaring columns, we’ll invoke the Horus within us—the force that rises, takes flight, and transcends duality to reclaim the eternal light.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After breakfast we sail to the hauntingly beautiful Temple of Kom Ombo. Perched on a bend of the Nile, this unique double temple is consecrated to two opposing forces: Sobek, the crocodile god of primal instincts and survival, and Horus the Elder, the falcon god of divine vision and higher consciousness. Together they embody the eternal dance of shadow and light, matter and spirit, fear and enlightenment.

As we walk these hallowed ruins, we step into the Egyptians’ profound understanding of duality—not as conflict, but as the engine of transformation. In the aftermath of the great eclipse, with the Sun reborn in the sky, Kom Ombo reminds us that both darkness and light are necessary for the soul’s awakening.

After our time at this sacred threshold, we return to the dahabiya and continue our serene journey south, sailing through Egypt’s timeless countryside—where palm groves, golden sands, and the eternal Nile whisper their own quiet truths.

 Moving through space, we're also moving back in time, as we glide though the verdant Egyptian countryside we peer into a way of life centuries, even millennia old.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

In the stillness before dawn, we glide across the dark waters toward the island of Philae, the final sanctuary of Egypt’s ancient religion. The silhouette of the Temple of Isis rises from the morning mist like a vision, its elegant colonnades shrouded in mystery.

This sacred island, consecrated to Isis—the Great Mother, healer, and magician—beckons us inward. The air hums with anticipation as we step softly into the temple’s holy of holies. Here, in the womb of the Goddess, the energies of magic, manifestation, and rebirth still pulse through the ancient stone. In silence, we gather for a private ceremony—offering gratitude for the revelations of the eclipse and planting seeds of intention in the fertile darkness. As the ancients understood, all life germinates in shadow… but it is light that calls it forth to blossom.

At the perfect moment, we emerge from the sanctuary to greet the returning Sun—just as we welcomed its rebirth after the eclipse. Golden rays spill over the horizon, illuminating Philae’s graceful pylons and awakening the island to life once more. In this sacred moment, we too are reborn.

This exquisite temple, once threatened by rising waters, was painstakingly dismantled and reassembled stone by stone on higher ground. Today it stands not only as a testament to the devotion of the ancients but also to humanity’s enduring will to preserve what is sacred.

After lunch, we’ll continue our journey by felucca—the graceful sailboats that have plied the Nile for millennia—to Elephantine Island, once a thriving center of ivory trade. There we’ll visit the sanctuary of Khnum, the ram-headed god of creation, who shaped life itself on his potter’s wheel—reminding us that even in times of upheaval, creation and renewal are always at hand.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After breakfast, we say farewell to the serene waters of the Nile and transfer to Aswan Airport for our flight back to Cairo. Upon landing, you’ll be met and transferred to the Hyatt Regency Cairo West—your luxurious base for these final days in Egypt.

Take the evening to rest, reflect, and prepare for tomorrow’s extraordinary private visit to the Great Pyramid, the crown jewel of our sacred journey.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Today we cross the threshold into one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world: the Great Pyramid of Giza. At dawn, before the site opens to the public, we’ll have private access to this sacred monument—an honor reserved for a rare few.

As we step through its massive stone passages, we walk in the footsteps of initiates and adepts, sages and kings. This is not merely architecture; it is a living temple, aligned perfectly with the stars and imbued with the wisdom of millennia. Scholars call it a tomb, but the ancients knew it as something far more profound—a cosmic engine for transformation and ascension.

In silence, we ascend to the King’s Chamber, the beating heart of this monumental structure. Here, we’ll gather for a private ceremony within the coffer, the “sarcophagus” of polished granite said to amplify sound and vibration. As we tone, chant, or sit in stillness, the acoustics awaken something deep within—the echoes of creation itself.

This is a place of endings and beginnings, of death and rebirth. As we lie in the coffer, we symbolically release what no longer serves us, surrendering to the timeless darkness of the womb. Then, as we rise, we step forth renewed—reborn into a life of greater light, clarity, and purpose.

Emerging from the Pyramid’s sacred geometry, we return to the sunlight transformed. Outside, beneath the gaze of the eternal Sphinx—the guardian of mysteries—we feel the brilliance of the returning sun on our skin. A profound sense of clarity and purpose settles into our hearts, the imprint of this sacred work etched into our being.

This is the culmination of our sacred odyssey… yet also the threshold of a new beginning.

(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Breakfast, followed by transfer to Cairo International airport for your final departure back home.

Egypt loves you and will wait for your return!

(Breakfast)