Monday-Tuesday, November 12-13

The tour departs on Monday evening on an overnight departure from the departure city of your choice—Toronto or Chicago via Europe. It will be early Tuesday morning when we arrive in Europe where we will meet and travel together to continue on to Cairo where we will arrive late Tuesday afternoon. Four nights’ lodging in Cairo.

Wednesday-Thursday, November 14-15

We will begin our experience in Egypt by immediately going behind the tourist veil. The challenges of poverty in Cairo will be explored with two agencies— one governmental and one church-related—through project visits. In the evening the group will participate in the Coptic Orthodox Pope’s Prayer Meeting in the Pope’s Cathedral in Central Cairo—a weekly event attended by over 4,000 Egyptians. Thursday’s activities include visiting the great Pyramids of Giza, one of the seven wonders of the world. Nearby is the Sphinx, a colossal lion with a pharaoh’s head. There will be much to see in this land of antiquity.

Friday-Saturday, November 16 -17

After breakfast, we will visit the Egyptian Museum, which houses a magnificent collection of pharaonic antiquities, especially the golden treasures of Tut Ankh Amun, and visit a Coptic Church. For those who wish to browse and shop, you can visit the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, displaying all types of oriental goods. Saturday morning, we will depart Cairo by air for Luxor where we will begin our cruise on the Nile River. Today we will also see the great Luxor Temple and the magnificent Karnak Temple of Amun with its famous Hypostyle Hall and the 134 high columns, the Statue of Ramses II, the Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut and the Sacred Lake. Sleep on boat for four nights.

Sunday-Monday, November 18-19

Sunday morning, we will visit West Bank (Thebes) where we will see some of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Nobles, Hatsheput’s Temple at Dier El Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Sail through the locks of Esna to Edfu and overnight. Monday we will visit the Horus Temple of Edfu, one of the three beautiful temples of the Ptolemaic Period, and sail on to Kom Ombo, where we will visit the Sobek Temple, dedicated to two gods, which has beautiful murals and reliefs. Sail to Aswan and overnight.

Tuesday-Wednesday, November 20-21

Today’s schedule includes a visit to the High Dam, the Granite Quarries and the Philae Temple. In the afternoon, we will take an Egyptian felucca (small sailing vessel) to view Elephantine Island and the Botanical Gardens on Kitchener Island and the Aga Khan Mausoleum. Overnight in Aswan. On Wednesday a?er seeing the Nubian village and museum, we will get behind the Aswan tourist veil. EACID is an Egyptian micro-credit and training organization that has over 2,000 exclusively women clients. Along with the business start-ups for poor women, it is a partner in the CIDA project testing new ways to address issues of child labour.

Thursday-Friday, November 22-23

Today we will visit Abu Simbel, famous for its temples, one dedicated to Ramses II and the other to one of his wives. The amazing thing is that these temples were taken apart and relocated before the High Dam was built. We will return to Cairo. Thursday is your day to relax, shop, visit a museum, walk or golf before you head back home. We will gather this evening for our Farewell Dinner and to reflect on our time together in Egypt.

Saturday, November 24

It is time to say our goodbyes and return to our homes in North America. You will return with many memories, new understandings and new friendships. Hopefully, you will have gotten a glimpse behind the tourist veil in Egypt into the lives and work of people who live there.

The Behind the Veil tour will be coordinated by TourMagination and Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA).

Your Tour Leaders

Bob Kroeker is MEDA’s Director of Member Relations. He is based in MEDA’s Winnipeg office and relates to members in Canada and U.S. Bob and his wife, Joyce, lived and worked in Egypt for two months in 2005. Bob is well-acquainted with MEDA’s PPIC-Work project (Promoting and Protecting the Interests of Children Who Work).

Wilmer Martin is the president and managing partner of TourMagination and has led many tours to destinations around the world. He and his wife, Janet, operate TourMagination in Waterloo, Ontario.

For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . We would be happy to be of assistance.