History of Medicine along the Nile
About the tour
Cruise in comfort to Egypt’s most fascinating destinations in the company of a world-renowned Egyptologist and a respected medical history expert. Learn about the history of medicine in Egypt as you progress along the River Nile aboard the deluxe MS Nile Goddess river cruiser and stay in first-class hotels in Giza and Luxor, including the historic Winter Palace in Luxor.
Listen to lectures by Professor Rosalie David, a renowned authority on the medicine of Ancient Egypt, as well as by tour leader Natasha McEnroe, an expert on the history of medicine and the Keeper of Medicine at the Science Museum, both of whom will accompany you on shore visits.
This tour includes guided private shore visits to sites of medical historical interest, as well as the wonders of ancient Egypt. There is an optional 3-night extension to the great city of Alexandria and the battlefield of El Alamein after the tour.
Download our brochure History of Medicine along the Nile Book now
Your tour leader
Natasha McEnroe
Natasha McEnroe is the Keeper of Medicine at the Science Museum in South Kensington, London. Her previous post was Director of the Florence Nightingale Museum, and prior to this was Museum Manager of the Grant Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy and Curator of the Galton Collection at University College London. From 1997 – 2007, she was Curator of Dr Johnson’s House in London’s Fleet Street, and has also worked for the National Trust and the Victoria & Albert Museum. Natasha was co-editor of The Hospital in the Oatfield – The Art of Nursing in the First World War (2014); The Tyranny of Treatment: Samuel Johnson, His Friends and Georgian Medicine (2003); and editor of Medicine: An Imperfect Science(2019) and co-editor of The Medicine Cabinet(2019). Her research interests focus on 18th and 19th-century medical humanities. Natasha is a Freeman of The Worshipful Company of Barbers.
Need more information?
- Tel: (Toll Free) 1-8777-398-764
- Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm
Itinerary at a glance
- Day 1: Giza (Fri, 9 Feb) Arrive and transfer to the hotel.
- Day 2: Giza (Sat, 10 Feb) Visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. In the afternoon visit the Grand Egyptian Museum.
- Day 3: Giza (Sun, 11 Feb) View the original Sakkara Step Pyramid before entering the Tomb of Ankhmahor and visiting the Imhotep Museum. Visit the new Royal Mummies Hall at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
- Day 4: Giza / Luxor (Mon, 12 Feb) Morning flight to Luxor and board the river cruise. Talk: ‘Ancient Egyptian Civilisation: Historical Background, the Significance of the Nile, the Beginnings of Civilisation’ by Prof. Rosalie David (RD)
- Day 5: Luxor / Esna / Edfu (Tues, 13 Feb) Drive to the ancient city of Thebes. Visit the temples of Luxor and Karnak, paying close attention to the Sacred Lake and Botanical Hall of King Tuthmosis III. Sail to Edfu and cross Esna Lock. Talk: ‘Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Medicine’ - RD
- Day 6: Edfu / Aswan (Wed, 14 Feb) Guided tour of the Temple of Horus in Edfu. Sail to Aswan. Talk: ‘Mummies - A Resource for Studying Disease, Treatment and Lifestyle’ - RD
- Day 7: Aswan (Thurs, 15 Feb) Visit the Temple of Philae and the Aswan High Dam. Felucca sailing boat trip to visit Kitchener and Nubia Islands to learn about Nubian medicine. Lecture by Natasha McEnroe.
- Day 8: Aswan (Fri, 16 Feb) Optional morning visit to Abu Simbel or bird watching tour to a Nubian village. Afternoon at leisure.
- Day 9: Aswan / Kom Ombo / Edfu / Luxor (Sat, 17 Feb) Talk: ‘The Temples as Centres of Healing’ - RD. Sail to Kom Ombo. Visit Kom Ombo Temple. Sail to Edfu.
- Day 10: Luxor (Sun, 18 Feb) Talk: ‘The Ancient Egyptian Contribution to Graeco-Roman and Later Medicine’ - RD. At leisure while sailing. Talk – ‘Agatha Christie and The Case of the Egyptian Poison’ by Natasha McEnroe.
- Day 11: Luxor (Mon, 19 Feb) Drive to Denderah to visit the Temple of Hathor. Proceed to Abydos to visit the Temple of Seti I with its magnificent wall paintings and bas reliefs. Transfer to the Winter Palace Hotel.
- Day 12: Luxor (Tues, 20 Feb) Visit the Valley of the Kings with access to three tombs at the site, followed by a visit to the Temple of Hatshepsut, Queen Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir El Bahari, and the Temple of Ramesses II. Continue to the village of Deir el Medina. Farewell dinner at Winter Palace Hotel.
- Day 13: Luxor/ Cairo (Wed, 21 Feb) Depart for flight back to Cairo or take extension to Alexandria.
Alexandria Extension
- Day 13: Luxor/ Alexandria (Wed, 21 Feb) Fly from Luxor to Cairo. Drive via Wadi Natrun Coptic monasteries to Alexandria. Check in to the Cecil Hotel.
- Day 14: Alexandria (Thurs, 22 Feb) City tour of Alexandria and a guided visit of the Roman Theatre and the catacombs. Visit the National Museum including the Roman and Manuscript Museums. Return to the hotel via a stop by the Citadel of Quait Bay, Abu El Abbass Mosque and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Dinner at the Fish Market.
- Day 15: Alexandria (Fri, 23 Feb) Visit El Alamein and the Commonwealth, German and Italian cemeteries, followed by a visit to the military museum. Return to Cairo and check in to the Intercontinental City Stars.
- Day 16: Alexandria (Sat, 24 Feb) Transfer to Cairo airport for onward flight
Tour cost
The cost of the tour is USD $5151 per person sharing (excluding international flights and transfers). The cost of the tour with a room to yourself is USD $8,188.