11 DAYS ~ EGYPT


Tour Pace
Your itinerary is perfectly paced to enable you to enjoy the very best of this ancient land. Two–nights in Cairo allows you time to adjust to your new surroundings. Then relax with four nights aboard your luxury Nile cruise and a night in exotic Aswan. Two more nights in Cairo completes your tour.

Fellow Passengers – Anyone with a penchant for impeccable service, award–winning hospitality and lavish decor will delight in this cruise. Young at heart romantics, lovers of history and those with a taste for the exotic and a sense of adventure are also in for a treat.

DAY 1 – FRI – DEPART USA.
Board your overnight flight.

DAY 2 – SAT – ARRIVE CAIRO.
Welcome to Egypt! Travellers have been coming here for centuries, lured by a wealth of ancient monuments, tombs and temples. On arrival, you are met and transferred to your tour hotel, a former royal palace combined with twin towers and six acres of gardens.

Hotel: Marriott

DAY 3 – SUN – CAIRO SIGHTSEEING.
Meet your Tour Director for a detailed pre–tour briefing then marvel at the last surviving member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramids of Giza and their guardian Sphinx! Your guided tour of includes entry into one of the Pyramids. Nearby lies Memphis, famous capital of ancient Egypt. See the colossal statue of Ramses II and the Great Alabaster Sphinx. Continue to Sakkara, to see the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the oldest in the world, dating back from 2700 BC. Return to Giza as night falls to attend a magical Sound and Light Show at the world famous Pyramids, which literally illuminates the ancient history of Giza! (BB)

DAY 4 – MON – CAIRO – LUXOR – CRUISING.
Transfer to the airport for your flight south to Luxor, founded around the ancient site of Thebes. On arrival drive immediately to Karnak, the largest temple complex ever built by man, constructed over a time period of 1500 years. Walk through the avenue of Ram–headed sphinxes, past the statue of Rameses II, to stand in awe among the huge columns of the vast Hypostyle Hall. At lunch time board your luxury cruise ship, one of the most stylish and spacious in Egypt. Overnight on–board in Dendara. Ship: MS Tosca.(BB,L,D)

DAY 5 – TUE – CRUISING.
Visit the Temple of Dendara this morning. It was built in the 1st century BC by Ptolemy VIII, and then later, Roman Emperors continued to decorate it in honour of Hathor; the Goddess of maternity, love and music. One of the best preserved temples in Egypt it also contains a rare depiction of Cleopatra VII and Caesarian, the son of Julius Caesar. After cruising back to Luxor, visit the temple of Luxor, hidden for thousands of years, buried beneath the streets and houses of the town until excavated in the 1860’s by archeologist Auguste Mariette. (BB,L,D)

DAY 6 – WED – CRUISING.
Across the Nile, to the west of the city, lies the necropolis of ancient Thebes. Stop for a photo of the Colossi of Memnon, these two giant seated figures of Amenhotep III once guarded his mortuary temple. Continue to the reconstructed temple of Queen Hatshepsut, one of the rare female Pharaohs. In the nearby Valley of the Kings, the Egyptian kings planned to meet their Gods in the afterlife. After visiting some of their tombs, return to your cruise ship and set sail for Kom Ombo. Tonight, don your galabeas (traditional Egyptian attire), for a fun–filled Egyptian Dinner and Galabea Party. (BB,L,HD)

DAY 7 – THU – CRUISING.
The Kom Ombo Temple is a beautiful sight as you approach it from the river. It’s uniquely dedicated to both Horus the Elder and Sobek the Crocodile headed god, which is verified by the mummified crocodile remains on display. Now relax and enjoy a visual feast as you cruise along the Nile to Aswan. Take a motorboat across the Nile to the extraordinarily preserved temple complex of Isis on the island of Philae. Visit the High Dam and the granite quarries where many of Ancient Egypt’s obelisks were made. See the unfinished obelisk still attached to the granite bedrock, commissioned by Hatshepsut but abandoned due to a large fault line. Complete your day by sailing in a traditional felucca around Aswan’s botanic gardens. Enjoy a Nubian show tonight. (BB,L,D)

DAY 8 – FRI – CRUISING – ASWAN.
Disembark and check in to your resort on Elephantine Island in the middle of the River Nile. You are at leisure to explore, relax by the pool, or maybe take an optional excursion by air to visit the amazing temples of Abu Simbel?

Hotel: Movenpick. (BB)

DAY 9 – SAT – ASWAN – CAIRO.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Cairo where the rest of the day is free to explore at your own pace. Tonight you might like to join your friends for dinner and traditional Egyptian folklore show?

Hotel: Marriott. (BB)

DAY 10 – SUN – CAIRO SIGHTSEEING.
You’ve seen the Valley of the Kings, where the boy king was laid to rest; now visit the Egyptian Museum to gaze upon the treasures of Tutankhamun, recovered from the pharaoh’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922! Sightseeing continues at the Citadel, dominating the Cairo skyline, and from where you get a breathtaking view over the whole city. Salah El Din, arch adversary of the Crusaders started the Citadel in the 12th Century, but it owes its present outline to Mohammed Ali whose great alabaster mosque we visit next. Finish off with a visit to the famous Khan El Khalili bazaars where you can put your bargaining skills to the test. (BB)

DAY 11 – MON – RETURN TO USA.
Sadly, your tour comes to an end today. There are transfers to Cairo Airport where you can board your onward flights. (BB) Additional visa requirements