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Sacred Travel to Ancient Egypt Through the Yuga Cycles of Time With Luxury Nile Cruise

“To create our future we do have to understand our past to work on it in the present”

October 20-31, 2023

This tour is now full and we are no longer taking reservations

12 days, 11 nights

Join us for 12 inspiring days traveling through Ancient Egypt in an entirely new way.  Together we’ll use the Yuga Cycles of Time to explore Egyptian mythology and ancient civilizations while encountering thousands of years of spiritual practice.  We’ll explore the Great Pyramids and stunning Egyptian temples that are unlike any on this planet—a landscape that offers tangible clues and insights into where we have come from and where we may be going as humans evolve.  Your tour will include complimentary “Prelude to Egypt” online classes held in the weeks before we embark on our journey.  Included in the 12-day journey is an 8-day, 7-night luxury cruise down the Nile River, where we’ll stop along the way to tour temples we’ll learn about before we travel to Egypt.  

4 nights Cairo
7 nights Cruise on Nile
Your tour leaders: Nayaswami Nischala, Byasa Steinmetz, Dr. Jenny Kellogg
Main pre-tour instructor: Byasa Steinmetz

Plan to be in Cairo no later than October 20, 2023. Our tour begins early in the morning on October 21st. Several of us are arriving a few days early before the tour starts. Once you’ve made your trip deposit, if you’d like a room in the hotel we’ll be staying in for 1-3 days before our tour begins, please let us know admissions@anandacollege.org.

Itinerary

Our tour of Ancient Egypt begins in the modern city of Cairo. It is known for containing the famous Giza Pyramids Complex that holds one of the Seven Wonders of the World—the Great Pyramid—and the world’s oldest and biggest statue—The Great Sphinx.

Our five-star hotel is situated with a view of the Pyramids. Here, we’ll meet for a Welcome Dinner, our group coming together to tour Egypt, after several weeks of optional online classes.

On our first day, we’ll visit the famous Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.

Next, we’ll tour the imposing Giza plateau, where we’ll investigate the Pyramids, have a chance to go inside the Great Pyramid, visit the Great Sphinx, and even take a camel ride.

Some geologists say the Sphinx water erosion indicates it could be upwards of 10,000 years old, before the last Treta Yuga Cycle on the planet. It is the oldest standing monument on earth.

From Cairo, we fly south to Luxor, then travel to Abydos and Dendera. Abydos is considered the most holy city of Ancient Egypt. It is also one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt.  The sacred city of Abydos was the site of many ancient temples, and a royal necropolis where early Pharaohs were entombed.

Temple relief paintings in Egypt are thousands of years old. Here in Abydos, Anubis (left) a jackal-headed deity who presided over the embalming process and accompanied dead kings in the afterworld is depicted helping a king.

From Abydos we’ll travel to Dendera to tour the stunning Temple of Hathor.  Hathor was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles.

Temple of Hathor in Dendera, with her face gracing the top of the columns. Hathor was both popular and powerful. She was goddess of many things: love, beauty, music, dancing, fertility, and pleasure. She was the protector of women, though men also worshiped her.

Throughout our journey, there will be time to meditate or pray in quiet spots in temples and places we visit.

We’ll board our cruise ship in Luxor and sail down the Nile River for eight days and seven nights.  We’ll visit the temples of Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae.

The Avenue of the Sphinxes in Luxor, Egypt.  More than 1,500 sphinxes and rams line both sides of a 1.7 mile long road here.

After touring Abydos and Dendera we’ll visit the famed Temples of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor.

As we sail down the Nile, we’ll see sights from daily Egyptian life, and hear sounds such as the Muslim call to prayers.  Muslims pray five times a day, with their prayers being known as Fajr (dawn), Dhuhr (after midday), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (after sunset), and Isha (nighttime), always facing towards Mecca.

We’ll stop at temples along the Nile that combine to make Egypt the largest existing museum on earth.  Here, Byasa deciphers Egyptian hieroglyphs on an earlier trip to Egypt.

In Aswan, we’ll take a boat ride to the Temple of Philae and Elephantine Island.

Temple of Philae in Aswan, home to the goddesses Isis.  After touring Egypt in 1981, Ananda’s founder, Swami Kriyananda, wrote this song about the goddess Isis: Still your heart if you want to pray, send all cares far away, sing then, love’s ever near, Isis comes await the day, Mother comes await the day.

Traditional Egyptian felluca boats grace the Nile in Aswan.

In Aswan, we’ll rise early, leave our cruise ship, and take a bus ride to the furthest point south on our journey—Abu Simbel.

After visiting Abu Simbel, we’ll board our cruise ship and sail north towards another temple on the Nile.

Our luxury cruise on the Nile is the ideal place to relax after a day of touring the sites.

All meals are included in your 8-day, 7-night Nile luxury cruise.

From Aswan we sail north, stopping at the unusual temple of Kom-Ombo. Hieroglyph here depicts a human falcon-headed Horus (on the right) and the Ibis-headed deity Thoth (on the left) blessing a king with holy water or light. Tour price includes Prelude to Egypt online classes where we discuss Egyptian symbolism, Pharaohs, Gods & Goddesses, and the descending yuga cycles of time.

Back in Luxor, we’ll visit the Queen Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple.  Queen Hatshepsut has a very intriguing history, and was the longest-reigning female pharaoh in Egypt, ruling for 20 years in the 15th century B.C.

On our last day of the cruise, we rise early for a hot air balloon ride over Luxor, drifting peacefully over the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and the Mountain on the Nobles.

From Luxor we fly back to Cairo and have our last day relaxing at our hotel and enjoying a special Goodbye Dinner together.  For those who want to come early to Cairo or stay a bit longer, there are add-on tours we can help you with. 

Costs

This tour is now full and we are no longer taking reservations

Double room shared (two people)
$4,685 USD per person (if paid by March 30, 2023)

Single room (one person)
$5,880 USD per person (if paid by March 30, 2023)

Prices if paid after March 30, 2023:
$5,185  Double occupancy
$6,380 Single occupancy

Includes:

  • all accommodations at 5-star hotels
  • transportation during the journey, entrance to all holy and ancient sites and museums including the Egyptian Museum
  • 11 buffet breakfasts, 10 dinners enjoyed together buffet style or at lovely restaurants
  • RT Transportation from Cairo Airport to our hotel 
  • Cost for Egypt Visa is provided and will be handled by our tour operator upon your arrival at Cairo airport.  It is good for 30 days. Please advise us if you are holding a foreign passport and will be joining our group in Cairo. 
  • Airfare from Cairo to Luxor, round-trip
  • Full day tour to Abu Simble from Aswan with box lunch from cruise
  • Online classes on Yuga Cycles & Ancient Egypt with Byasa Steinmetz, Dr. Jenny Kellogg and Nayaswami Nischala before trip departs
  • Guides for Cairo, Giza Plateau tour, Abydos & Dendera, Luxor & Karnak Temple, Nile temples, Valley of the Queens & Kings
  • Hot air balloon flight over Luxor

Cost does not include:

  • your international flights to/from Cairo, Egypt
  • any extra nights at hotels before or after trip
  • travel insurance that we require proof of
  • any personal expenses, laundry costs
  • any medical expenses
  • Meals other than the above. We do not cover drinks at meals we provide, or lunches we do not provide.
  • NOTE: Tipping in Egypt is expected. It is called Baksheesh and is a common custom expected because tipping demonstrates an expression of satisfaction and gratitude to people who provide some service. In Egypt especially, tipping is an important. For those who aren’t used to it, constant requests for tips can be annoying, but it’s essential to stay calm and understand that it’s part of everyday life in Egypt.
  • We suggest you plan your budget to include tips for all those who provide services during your trip—from guides to drivers, waiters, maids, etc.

Requirements for traveling to Egypt

You should be reasonably fit, able to walk up stairs and walk throughout the day.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is compulsory for all our travelers and should be taken out at the time of booking. Your travel insurance must provide cover against personal accident, death, medical expenses and emergency repatriation with a recommended minimum coverage of US $200,000 for each of the categories of cover. We also strongly recommend it covers cancellation, curtailment, personal liability and loss of luggage and personal effects. You must provide proof of your travel insurance a couple weeks ahead of departure; you will not be able to join the trip without it. Here are a couple options:

Travel Documents

You must hold a valid National Travel passport with an expiration date at least six months after the end of your stay. Egypt requires a Visa, which is covered in the cost of your tour, and which our Egyptian tour operator provides for you upon arrival at Cairo airport. 

Traveling Safe to Egypt

Since June 17, 2022, The Egyptian government has opened Egypt to all tourists, and no longer require proof of vaccination from Covid-19.  The largest industry in Egypt is tourism, due to the incredible pyramids and temples that exist here.  The Egyptian government has always been very protective of tourists, and requires vaccination of its citizens. This is the second tour of Egypt that Ananda College Sacred Travel has taken, and we find Egypt to be a wonderful place to visit.  Our tour operator provides our guests with an Egyptian Visa as part of your tour cost.  This visa is good for 30 days.  For more information, visit: https://www.egyptianevisa.com/articles/travel-restrictions

Your Hosts

jenny kellogg

Jenny Kellogg, PhD, Tour co-leader

Jenny holds a PhD in Modern Languages and Literatures from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium and a BA in Classical Philology from Beloit College. She has worked in academia and non-profits in a variety of administrative and leadership roles, including ten years at Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies. Since 2005, Jenny has developed and led many service-learning programs for college students in Greece.

Jenny is a Kriyaban and a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda since 2013. She teaches the courses “Comparative Mythology of Greece, India, and Egypt,” “Finding Your Dharma,” and leads travel-study tours to Greece for Ananda College. Besides teaching, Jenny is both an astrologer and spiritual coach, helping her clients navigate change, find meaning in their lives, and reconnect to their authentic selves. She specializes in trauma-informed astrology, combining the Compassionate Inquiry approach of Dr. Gabor Maté with modern astrological techniques and ancient wisdom traditions.  She is also a literary translator from the Modern Greek and enjoys volunteer work within Greece’s refugee crisis. 

Nayaswami Nischala, Director

Nischala is co-founder of Ananda College of Living Wisdom, and the New Horizons Gap Year. She and her husband Nakula lived at Ananda’s remote Meditation Retreat for 18 years, and for many years served as Directors of the Retreat, created the college, and raised their son Rama here. She has been a minister and Lightbearer with Ananda Sangha for 25 years, and a practitioner of Kriya Yoga for over 36 years. Nischala enjoys working with people of all ages and walks of life. She took her Nayaswami monastic vows in 2009.

For Ananda College she has led spiritual tours to Northern and Southern India, Italy, France, England, Peru, and Egypt. Nischala is also author of “Reflections on Living 30 Years in a Spiritual Community”, and the Amazon bestseller, “The Four Stages of Yoga” (Crystal Clarity, Publishers, 2018).

Questions?

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