Itinerary

Day 1: Cairo (Arrival) 

Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met and assisted by our representative who will help you during passport control, luggage area and customs formalities. You will then be transferred to your selected hotel in Cairo on a private air-conditioned vehicle for check-in. Overnight in Cairo.

Day 2: Cairo (Giza Pyramids, Egyptian Museum & Khan El Khalili Bazaar)

After breakfast, you will enjoy an excursion to the Giza pyramids of Cheops, Chephren, and Mykerinus. Then proceed to visit the Great Sphinx with a lions body, dating back to the time of Chephren. The Giza Plateau is about 30 minutes from Cairo, where your Egyptologist guide will provide a fascinating introduction to each of the 3 pyramids: Cheops, Khafre and Menakaure. You will have free time to enter one of the pyramids (at additional cost); however, your guide is not allowed to enter with you. Or you can go on a camel ride (at additional cost). After visiting the pyramids, you will continue across the plateau for a photo opportunity of the 3 pyramids rising from the sands with the Cairo skyline in the background. A short drive to the city side of the plateau finds you standing at the feet of the Sphinx, for thousands of years the enigmatic symbol of Egypt. Also in Giza, you may visit the Solar Boat Museum (optional activity and at additional cost), home to the remarkably well-preserved funerary boat of King Khufu. Your next stop is the famous Egyptian Museum. Housing 250,000 Egyptian artifacts, the Egyptian Museum attracts millions of visitors a year. The highlight is the priceless treasures of King    Tutankhamen. His 6-gold gilded coffins dominate the main hall while his magnificent gold mask is the star attraction. Your Egyptology guide will introduce you to the most important pieces before allowing you to have free time to explore the museum at leisure. Then you will discover the ancient sites and culture of Coptic Christians where you will learn about Christian life in Egypt, a country where Christianity is a minority. You will first visit the Hanging Church is built into the walls of the watergate of the Roman fortress and is possibly the oldest Christian church in Egypt. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is one of Cairo’s most beautiful churches. Continue to the Monastery and Church of Saint George. It is one of the few remaining circular churches in the Middle East. Your next stop is the Abu Serga, one of the places where the Holy Family rested after fleeing Israel from King Herod. At the turn of the century this little church, which dates from the 10th-century, was the most important pilgrimage spot in Old Cairo for visiting Christian tourists. 24 marble columns are lining the central court, and a series of 12th- century icons depicting the 12 apostles. You will then tour Ben Ezra Synagogue which is one of the oldest synagogues in Egypt. Set in a shady garden, the synagogue was severely damaged after the 1967 war with Israel but it has been almost completely renovated. Your final stop will be the Khan el Khalili bazaar where your guide will give you an introduction to the famous markets which claim to have inspired Christopher Columbus to discover the Americas. Here you will have free time to stroll through the maze of streets and shops and try your luck bargaining with the shop owners for a souvenir or two of your trip to Egypt or have a cup of Egyptian tea at the famous coffee shop El Fishawy to enjoy the atmosphere of the bazaar. You will then go back to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo.

Day 3: Luxor, East Bank

Check out from the hotel in the morning then transfer to Cairo Airport for flight to Luxor where you will be met and assisted, then taken by an air-conditioned vehicle to board your selected Nile cruise to check-in. After lunch on board, enjoy a visit to the impressive Karnak Temple, the largest place of worship ever built. Its ancient name Ipet-isut means the most sacred of places. The temple, or, more correctly, the complex of temples, was built over more than 2,000 years by generation after generation of pharaohs. Within the complex, you will find the great Hypostyle Hall, which is an incredible forest of giant pillars. After this, you will be transferred to Luxor temple which was built by Amenhotep III and Ramses II for ritual and festivals dedicated to god Amon. Dinner and overnight on board Nile cruise.

Day 4: Luxor, West Bank

After breakfast on your Nile cruise, you will visit the West Bank of the River Nile to visit the two colossal statues (Colossi of Memnon). Following this, you will visit the Valley of the Kings, where the magnificent pharaonic tombs were discovered. Continue the tour to visit the Hatshepsut temple at El Deir El Bahary, dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut. Then you will visit the valley of the Queens. You will head back to your cruise ship for lunch. After having afternoon tea on the ship, you will have free time at leisure. Enjoy a leisurely dinner on board. Overnight on board Nile Cruise.

Day 5: Edfu and Kom Ombo

After breakfast on Nile cruise, visit the well-preserved Ptolemaic Temple dedicated to Horus at Edfu. Sail to Kom Ombo to see the Temple of Sobek, the crocodile god. Lunch on board. Continue sailing to Aswan. Dinner and overnight on board your Nile Cruise.

Day 6: Aswan

Early morning in Aswan, you will enjoy a days sightseeing. Start with the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk then on to the beautiful Temple of Philae, which is devoted to the goddesses Isis and Hathor. Sail and move around Elephantine Island by a local felucca boat. Dinner and overnight on board Nile Cruise.

Day 7: Aswan, Abu Simbel, Cairo

Today, you will travel to the impressive Temples of Ramses II in Abu Simbel. The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Nubian Monuments, which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan). The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kaddish, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt’s top tourist attractions. With your qualified Egyptology as your guide, you will enjoy a personalized visit to the temples of Abu Simbel. With its four rock-hewn pharaohs, your guide will explain the history behind this magnificent site, including how the temples were discovered by accident in 1813. Due to the large number of visitors to Abu Simbel, guides are not permitted inside either of the two temples you will visit. Then return to Aswan Airport for return to Cairo to be met and assisted at the airport and be taken to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo.

Day 8: Cairo, Departure 

After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Cairo International Airport for final departure.