Birding Ancient Egypt + Petra Extension.
Tour Date:
April 6-13, 2024
Tour Price (Per Person):
$3475. Price includes Nile cruise, two flights and all entrance fees. Single supplement: $480.
Hurghada Red Sea extension. $590
Petra Extension: $1195 including OW flight to Amman from Cairo. Single supplement $200
Tour Type:
Archaeology and Birding.
Description
Birding and History in the same tour.
The only still standing of the classic 7 Wonders are the pyramids of Giza which includes the Cheops pyramid and the Sphinx. Egypt must be included in a 7 Wonders Birding and History tour. Additionally, the marvelous Cairo Museum, the valley of the Kings, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel, plus a cruise on the Nile are must sees anyone interested in historical sites around the world. If the non-birding spouse has been on your back about that trip to Egypt give him/her this itinerary. Jam-packed with all the best archeological sites, plus a lot of birding for species like Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Greater Painted Snipe, Nile Valley Sunbird, White-tailed Lapwing, Senegal Thick-knee, Cream-colored Courser and Greater Hoopoe-Lark.
This itinerary can be run in the winter. Most birding itineraries will often run in April or September to have more chance on migrating birds and African specialties that barely make it into the Western Palearctic. However, since our itinerary is very short, and does not pretend to be a West Palearctic clean-up for Egypt, most often it makes sense to place the itinerary in the winter when the heat is less of a problem. It will allow for more effective use of our time, and in the end more efficient birding.
Should you however prefer to travel another time of year with more migrants, we should be able to set up an additional departure date. April or September have also proved good for Sooty Falcon and Crab Plover.
Trip outline:
Day 1: Saturday Arrival
Arrival in Cairo. Transfer to hotel
Day 2: Sunday The Pyramids
Predawn breakfast. Early AM. Birding Dahshour lake. Giza Pyramids, Sphinx and Dioser pyramid for Pharaoh’s Eagle Owl. Hotel in Cairo
Day 3. Monday Cairo Museum
Predawn breakfast.
Early AM. Abassa Fish Ponds. Cairo Museum. Khan El Khaiili Market, Zamalek Gardens for birding. Flight to Aswan at 18.10.
Day 4. Tuesday Nubian Museum travel to Abu Simbel
Early AM Aswan Fish Farm for birding, Visit Philae Temple and High Dam and travel to Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel temples visit and light show. Hotel in Abu Simbel.
Day 5. Wednesday. Abu Simbel birding. Nubian Museum and Kom Ombo temple.
Morning birding near Abu Simbel Sub Saharan specialties and bird our way back to Aswan check in to ship. Nubian Museum in Aswan. Kom Ombo temple in the late afternoon. Night on cruise ship.
Day 6. Thursday Nile Cruise. Temple of Horus.
Temple of Horus in Edfu. Continued cruising on The Nile
Day 7. Friday Valley of Kings and Queens.
Karnak and Luxor temples temples. Night in Luxor
Day 8. Saturday.
Birding Luxor AM. Fly to Cairo, additional Cairo sightseeing. Perhaps the new Cairo museum has been inaugurated by now which then would deserve a second visit.
End of tour.
Red Sea extension.
To cover a few more of the special birds Egypt has it seems absolutely necessary to also offer a very short extension to the Red Sea. Here we find two of the most localized gulls in the world – Sooty and White-eyed Gull. Of these Sooty Gull is the least common and may take some additional searching. For non-birders and spouses, the red sea offers beautiful beaches and snorkeling opportunities.
Day 8. Saturday
In the afternoon we shall travel overland through the desert to Hurghada, looking out for Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse on the way. Hotel in Hurghada in walking distance to the beach.
Day 9. Sunday. Hurghada
Birding all day. Hotel in Hurghada.
Day 10. Monday. Hurghada-Cairo.
Morning snorkeling. Checkout. Additional birding in the afternoon. Evening flight to Cairo, with connection to Amman for people wanting to add Jordan and Petra.
Petra Extension:
Will be added from Tuesday, after the Hurghada extension if there are takers for this extension. Otherwise on Day 8 in the afternoon when returning to Cairo.
During our three day extension to Petra for more history we shall also do some desert birding for species such as Sinai Rosefinch, Palestine Sunbird and Fan-tailed Raven.
Petra could be extended to 5 days, with a visit also to the Dead Sea (and the endemic Dead Sea Sparrow!) to experience floating like a cork in the water, if there is interest to do so. Another target on a five day trip to Jordan, would be spotting the rare Arabian Oryx, which was declared extinct in the wild in 1972, but as an amazing conservation success has been re-introduced in the wild in well protected sanctuaries since. Jordan was one of the first places where this was done. See this article.
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: Saturday Arrival in Cairo.
Upon arrival in Egypt, you will be met by a 7WB representative and transferred to your hotel in Cairo.
The hotel grounds will be your first exposure to the resident and migrant birds of the middle-east. Common birds include Common Kestrel, Laughing Dove, Eurasian Hoopoe, Pallid Swift, Hooded Crow and the graceful White Wagtail. Eurasian Wryneck, Masked Shrike and a number of other migrants may be feeding in the garden’s trees and shrubs. Hotel in Cairo.
Day 2: Sunday The Pyramids
Predawn breakfast. Early AM. Birding Dahshour lake. Giza Pyramids, Sphinx and Dioser pyramid for Pharaoh’s Eagle Owl. Hotel in Cairo
This morning we pay a visit to Dashour Lake looking for some of Egypt’s commoner waterbirds like Little Bittern, Little Grebe, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Roller and Southern Gray Shrike, Masked and Woodchat Shrikes and Yellow Wagtails, before heading to Egypt’s most famous attraction, the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. The Pyramids are the only survivors of the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World and are certainly the world’s oldest tourist site! Only once we are there, gazing in wonder at these vast relics will we realise why they have held the fascination of generations for thousands of years!
The Sphinx, known in Arabic as ‘Abu al-Hol’ (Father of Terror), was named by the ancient Greeks for its resemblance to the mythical winged monster, with a human’s head and lion’s body. The Sphinx is 50m (125 ft) long and nearly 22m (50ft) high, and it’s the Egyptians’ belief in eternal life, and their desire to be one with the cosmos that led them to build such incredible mausoleums. The pharaoh was believed to be the ‘Son of God’, a receiver of ‘ka’ (life force) that he conducted to his people.
We shall skip the long lines to get inside the pyramids as it is a rather claustrophobic experience, and nothing special compared with many of the other tombs we shall be visiting this week. Additionally, it will give us more time for birding. More interesting is a short visit to see the Solar Boat or ‘barque’ (a completely preserved mortuary boat that was buried with the dead Pharaoh in a tomb chamber, and believed to provide transport for the King to the next world) and a camel ride do the desert for some amazing selfie ops.
Later, we shall also visit the huge Pyramid of Djoser (Sakkara), constructed around 2700 BC and famous for being the world’s oldest pyramid. Even more important for birders, it is sometimes the elusive Pharaoh’s Eagle Owl has sometimes been seen here. It is not easy to find among the rubble stones though.
Day 3. Monday Cairo Museum
Predawn breakfast.
Today will be spent in and around Cairo, where we will first bird the Abbassa Fish ponds. This area is very rich in birds, both migrants and residents, and we will search for White-throated Kingfisher, a predominantly Asian species that occurs only at this one location in Africa and the uncommon Senegal Coucal – here at its most northern location. Other birds include Greater Painted-snipe (uncommon), Little Bittern, Blue cheeked Bee-eater, Streaked Weaver, European Goldfinch, Spanish Sparrow, and possibly even White-tailed Lapwing. The area is also good for dragonflies. With the help of iNaturalist we should be able to identify several of those we encounter.
The rest of the late morning and midday will be spent at the grand Egyptian Museum. This is one of the greatest tourist attractions of Egypt and holds over 100 000 relics and antiquities from every period of Egyptian history. We will, therefore, use the services of a local expert who will guide us, and explain the particular highlights of the Museum
After a history and antiquities packed day, we have the option to explore the grand Khan El Khalili Market, an immense area of markets and shops where it is possible to find everything and anything from books to precious stones and curios typical of Egypt. The merchants are some of the greatest salespeople and smooth talkers you will ever meet! Time permitting, and if there is interest and time permits we could also visit the Zamalek Gardens to search for the introduced Rose-necked and Alexandrine Parakeets (probably most interesting for Western Palearctic listers). Flight to Abu Simbel at 6 pm and stay at the ecolodge Heissa Camp close to the Aswan reservoir.
Day 4. Tuesday Nubian Museum travel to Abu Simbel
Early AM birding Aswan Reservoir and Aswan Fish Farm for Three-banded Plover, Egyptian Goose, Glossy Ibis, Purple Heron, White Stork, Egyptian Vulture, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, White-crowned Black Wheatear, Clamorous Reed Warbler and Red Avadavat (introduced). Later in mid-morning we visit the Temple of Philae which is one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt.
This fabulous temple dedicated to the goddess Isis was constructed as one of the finest examples of the combined architecture of ancient Egyptians and the Greco-Romans styles.
This temple was relocated in its present-day location in the Agilika Island by the UNESCO project that took 8 years from 1972 to 1980 to be completed.
Our next visit of the day will be to the High Dam, built by the former Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser in the 1960s to reserve the Nile Water, that was lost every year, in the artificial Nasser Lake.
The High Dam, that was viewed as an architectural miracle at the time, also generates a lot of the electricity consumed in Egypt.
We’ll look out for Cream-colored Courser and Greater Hoopoe-Lark as we make a drive through the desert to visit the Abu Simbel temples and the impressive light show.
We shall also look for Egyptian Nightjar at night and/or break of dawn the next day. Hotel in Abu Simbel.
Day 5. Wednesday. Abu Simbel birding, Philae Temple and High Dam.
Morning birding near Abu Simbel we look for Sub Saharan specialties such as Senegal Thick-knee, Kittlitz’s Plover and African Pied Wagtail and then bird our way back to Aswan to check in to ship. Before lunch we shall make a short visit the Nubian museum, before sailing down the Nile to Komombo.
Serious birders will take the opportunity to bird from the deck these coming days while we cruise. There is a considerable amount of migration going on in the spring and in the autumn along the Nile.
We may be rewarded with African Skimmers (with luck), many eurasian species of ducks, Eurasian Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Black-shouldered Kite, Long-legged Buzzard, Booted and Bonelli’s Eagles, Barbary Falcon, Purple Swamphen, Senegal Thick-knee, White-tailed Plover, many other shorebirds including Marsh Sandpiper, White-winged and Whiskered Tern, Namaqua Dove, Pied Kingfisher, Little Green Bee-eater and many more.
Our next stop will be to visit the amazing Temple of Kom Ombo dedicated to two gods; Horus, the falcon god, and Sobek, the crocodile god. The Greco-Roman temple is famous for its matchless location overlooking the Nile.
Construction work of the temple started in the 2nd century BC by Ptolemy VI and was completed during the reign of Ptolemy XII during the 1st century AD.
In the evening we sail to Edfu and overnight on the Nile.
Day 6. Thursday Temple of Horus.
After breakfast, you will have the chance to visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu. This temple is the largest and best-preserved Ptolemaic temple in Egypt.
The building work of the temple started during the reign of Ptolemy III in 237 BC and the construction continued until 80 BC. The temple includes wonderfully decorated walls and stone capitals.
Afterwards we sail to Luxor to visit temple of Karnak which is the largest religious Pharaonic structure ever built.
The Pharaohs starting from the 11th dynasty (2055 – 1985 BC) began adding their mark, one after the other, to this huge complex of Pharaonic temples.
The Karnak temple includes the breathtaking hypostyle hall of the god Amun built by Ramses II in 1244 BC, the sacred lake of god Amun, and many more attractions.
Day 7. Friday. Valley of Kings and Queens
The first visit of the day will be the Valley of the Kings, the necropolis of the Pharaonic New Kingdom. Starting from 17th dynasty, the Pharaonic Kings tried to hide their royal tombs from robbers.
This was why they began to dig their tombs deep inside a Theban mountain that has a natural pyramid structure.
These tombs have the finest colored decorations with the famous tomb of Tut Ankh Amun discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 and many other royal tombs belonging to the kings of the 18th and the 19th dynasty.
The next stop will be the amazing mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. This temple was constructed by the 18th dynasty Queen Hatshepsut (1473 – 1458 BC) as a unique structure rising from the desert in the shape of imposing terraces. The temple was used as a monastery in the Christian era.
That is why it is famous for the name “El Deir Al Bahry”, meaning the Western Monastery.
The last stop of the day will be at the gigantic Colossi of Memnon. These two 18 meters high statues are the only remaining items of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III.
During the Roman era, music was heard coming out of one of the statues that were attributed, by the Greeks, as the legendary figure of Memnon greeting his mother Eos is one of the Greek myths.
Birds among the temple sightseeing the last two days include Desert Lark, Rock Martin, Hooded Wheatear, Mourning Wheatear, Blue Rock Thrush, Brown-necked Raven and Trumpeter Finch.
Night in hotel in Luxor
Day. 8. Saturday. Luxor-Cairo
Some early morning birding at Luxor sewage plant for Little Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Little Bittern, Little Owl, Isabelline Wheatear, Desert Wheatear, Southern Grey Shrike, Masked Shrike and Bluethroat, and then flight to Cairo. Perhaps some additional Cairo sightseeing. If the new Cairo museum has been inaugurated by now, it would certainly deserve a second visit. The tour end in the afternoon at the Cairo airport.
Petra Extension: Flight to Amman at 6 PM for those who continue to Jordan and Petra.
Post-tour to Petra, Jordan
This is the short extension, followed if there is no Hurghada extension. Ask us about the five day trip, which we could also run independently at any time.
Day 1. Saturday. Fly to Amman.
Stay near airport.
Day 2. Sunday. Drive to Petra
Drive birding to Petra via and Dana. Sinai Rosefinch, Greater Hoopoe-Lark, and Fan-tailed Raven.
Day. 3. Monday. Petra all day.
Famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system, Petra is also called the ‘Rose City’ because of the color of the stone from which it is carved. Access to the city is through a 1.2-kilometre-long (0.75 mi) gorge called the Siq, which leads directly to the famous Al-Khazneh structure – believed to be the mausoleum of Nabataean king Aretas IV. It was constructed in the 1st century AD, when Petra flourished and its population peaked at an estimated 20,000 inhabitants
The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra’s proximity to the trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hub.
The trading business gained the Nabataeans considerable revenue and Petra became the focus of their wealth.
The Nabataeans were accustomed to living in the barren deserts, unlike their enemies, and were able to repel attacks by taking advantage of the area’s mountainous terrain. They were particularly skillful in harvesting rainwater, agriculture and stone carving.
Although the Nabataean kingdom became a client state of the Roman Empire in the first century BC, it was only in 106 AD that it lost its independence. Petra fell to the Romans, who annexed Nabataea and renamed it as Arabia Petraea. Petra’s importance declined as sea trade routes emerged, and after an earthquake in 363 destroyed many structures.
In the Byzantine era several Christian churches were built, but the city continued to decline, and by the early Islamic era it was abandoned except for a handful of nomads. It remained unknown to the world until it was rediscovered in 1812 by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.
It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. In 2007, Al-Khazneh was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Petra is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan’s most-visited tourist attraction. Tourist numbers peaked at 918,000 in 2010
Palestine Sunbird should be easy around here.
Day 4. Tuesday. Drive to Petra.
Additional birding around Petra and drive back to Amman for afternoon flight or transfer to Jerusalem.
If there is interest we arrange an additional extension to Jerusalem, principally to experience the meeting point of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Birding in Palestine should be good, too.
Let us know!
Let us know!