Let the countdown begin!

Two weeks from today I will be leaving on vacation with my family (and we all know how much I need it)!

We are going to New York for a 3 days and then we are spending 11 days in Egypt! Are you jealous?! 

In New York we are going to see Time Square, Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, Mama Mia (the broadway musical), The Empire State Building, Ground Zero, and all the other tourist places you can think of.

We then fly from NYC to Cairo. Here is our itinerary for our adventures in Egypt. I decided to post them because I am so excited and I though I would make you all jealous!

Nov 26 Day 1 Arrival:Upon arrival at Cairo, you will be met by our representative and escorted to the Mena House, where your rooms in the Palace Wing will have a view of the Great Pyramids.

Nov 27 Day 2 Cairo:
Drive to the ancient capital at Memphis, where you will see the Alabaster Sphinx and a colossal reclining statue of Ramses II. Tour the necropolis at Sakkara, home of the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, probably the oldest known pyramid in Egypt and the tombs and mastabas of the nobles. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive back to Giza to see the world-renowned Great Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Solar Boat Museum. Your tour will include entry to the Great Pyramid.

Nov 28 Day 3 Cairo:

Begin your day with a visit to the fascinating collections of antiquities at the Egyptian Museum. Visit the historic Citadel of Saladin, where you will see the Mosque of Mohamed Ali, built entirely of alabaster. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the lively medieval bazaar district, Khan El Khalili.

Nov 29 Day 4 Luxor/Cruise:
Transfer to the airport for your early morning flight to Luxor. Upon arrival, you will cross the Nile to visit the pharaohs' tombs in the Valley of the Kings and the tombs of their wives and children in the Valley of the Queens. See the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only woman to rule as pharaoh in ancient times. Board Movenpick’s deluxe Nile cruiser, the Royal Lotus, in time for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the stupendous Temple of Amon at Karnak and Luxor Temple.

Nov 30 Day 5 Cruise:
Sail to Esna and cross the lock, arriving at Edfu tonight.

Dec 1 Day 6 Cruise:
A brisk ride in a horse-drawn carriage brings you through the town of Edfu to the Temple of Horus, the best preserved temple on the Nile. Sail to Kom Ombo and visit the temples of Horus the falcon god and Sobek the crocodile god. Sail to Aswan and dock for the night.

Dec 2 Day 7 Cruise/Abu Simbel/Cairo:
Check out of the cruise and transfer to the airport for your flight to Abu Simbel, to visit the Temples of Ramses II and his Nubian queen Nefertari, moved to their present location to save them from flooding when the Aswan Dam was built. Fly back to Aswan and visit beautiful Philae Temple, the Aswan Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk. Then fly back to Cairo, where you will be transferred to the Nile Hilton hotel. Your rooms will have a view of the Nile.

Dec 3 Day 8 Alexandria:
Enjoy a private tour of Alexandria. Drive to the Mediterranean city founded by Alexander the Great. Visit the new Library, Kayet Bay Fortress, Pompey’s Pillar, the Catacombs and the Royal Jewlry Museum. Overnight in the five star Helnan Palestine hotel.

Dec 4 Day 9 Cairo:
Your private car will bring you back to Cairo and the Nile Hilton.

Dec 5 Day 10 Cairo:
Your private tour will begin with a visit to the Manial Palace, a former royal residence now preserved as a museum. Visit the Ibn Tulun Mosque, designed in the more authentically austere Islamic style than the Alabaster Mosque you saw earlier, and Gayer-Anderson House, two medieval Arab homes that were purchased by a British officer during the nineteenth century. In the evening, enjoy a Sound and Light show at the Giza pyramids and then return to the Mena House, for a farewell dinner with folkloric show at the Rubaiyat restaurant.

Dec 6 Day 11 Departure:
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the airport for your homeward flight.

IM SO EXCITED!