Itinerary
Day
1
SAT I CAIRO
Welcome to Egypt! Arrival at Cairo International Airport – after clearing customs you will be met by our representative and escorted to your hotel.
Day
2
SUN I CAIRO
An exciting day of pyramids and ancient Egyptian culture are on the schedule today. Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before departing for a full day tour beginning at the Giza Plateau, situated about 30 minutes outside of Cairo, where a guide will offer insightful details as you explore the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Here you will learn about their creation and history and have a chance for some beautiful photo opportunities. You will also tour the Egyptian Museum to see relics from the past and discover famous El Moez Street. Lunch will be included as part of your full day excursion. (B,L)
Day
3
MON I CAIRO I LUXOR
After breakfast at your hotel, embark on a flight from Cairo to Luxor. Upon arrival, you will be escorted to your new home for the next four nights onboard your Nile River cruise vessel. Today you will have the opportunity to delve into Luxor and Karnak – Luxor is the dynastic and religious capital of Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom Egypt, filled with temples, ancient royal tombs and stunning desert and river scenery. In Karnak you will visit the magnificent temple complex, a massive space with more than 25 temples and chapels sprawling over an area of roughly one mile by two miles. Later, board the river ship for dinner and sailing. (B,L,D)
Day
4
TUE I LUXOR I EDFU I KOM OMBO
This morning the West Bank awaits your exploration. Known as the home to the burial places of the Pharoahs, you will experience the grandeur of the Valley of the Kings where Howard Carter discovered the famed tomb of King Tutankhamen in 1922. In the adjacent Valley of the Queens, see the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon which is made up of two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. This afternoon you will explore the city of Edfu and its famed Temple of Horus on the Nile’s west bank. Built of sandstone blocks between 237 and 57 BC under the reign of Cleopatra VII, it faces the river with the remains of the ancient settlement of Edfu located just to the west. This evening sail further along the Nile to Kom Ombo. (B,L,D)
Day
5
WED I KOM OMBO I ASWAN
This morning, enjoy breakfast on the top deck with beautiful views of Egypt, then disembark in Kom Ombo for a day of discovery. The most popular site here is the Temple of Kom Ombo built during the Ptolemaic dynasty of 180-47 BC. It is especially unique because it is actually a double temple, meaning there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms built for two sets of gods in one location. The southern half of the temple is dedicated to the crocodile god, Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world with Hathor and Khonsu. The northern half of the temple is dedicated to the falcon god, Horus the Elder. Tour the temple and area before sailing to Aswan. (B,L,D)
Day
6
THU I ASWAN
Aswan is an ancient city in the south of Egypt on the east bank of the Nile just north of the dam. We will visit the Aswan High Dam completed in 1971 and the Old Dam completed in 1902. The dams are important for controlling floods, providing water for irrigation and generating hydroelectricity. We will also visit the island of Philae, located in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam, and its temple of Isis which is part of a UNESCO Nubia Heritage Campaign project to preserve and protect it. Then sail on a traditional Felucca around Kitchener Island and the Agha Khan Mausoleum. (B,L,D)
Day
7
FRI I ASWAN I ABU SIMBEL
After breakfast, disembark and transfer to Aswan airport for a flight to Abu Simbel. Upon arrival you will board the Omar El Khyam, a beautiful ship with spacious lounge areas, a restaurant and bar. Lunch will be enjoyed onboard before heading out on a guided tour of the temples at Abu Simbel, monuments that had to be moved in the 1960s due to the rising waters of Lake Nasser. The complex of temples is dedicated to the Pharaoh Ramses II, known as “Ramses the Great”. This evening enjoy an optional sound and light show. (B,L,D)
Day
8
SAT I ABU SIMBEL I AMADA I WADI EL SEBOUA
If you would like to see the sunrise this morning, we will have a special optional tour to the Abu Simbel temples to view the rising sun before heading back to the ship for breakfast. This morning we sail to Qasr Ibrim, an archaeological site in Lower Nubia that was occupied as early as the 8th century BC. Since the island is closed to all tourism, a visual tour will be conducted from the sundeck of the ship where you will learn about some of the most interesting ancient finds on the island and its unique past. Lunch is served as we sail to Amada where you will disembark for a tour of Amada Temple, the oldest Egyptian temple in Nubia and dedicated to Amun and Re-Horakhty. You will also take in the sights at the Temple of Derr, dedicated to gods Ptah and Amon, and the Tomb of Pennut, an official who lived at the time of Ramses IV and oversaw the province of Aniba. Later in the afternoon board your Nile River vessel and sail to Wadi El Seboua. (B,L,D)
Day
9
SUN I WADI EL SEBOUA I ASWAN
This morning, disembark for a guided tour of Wadi El Seboua, or Valley of the Lions, so-named because of the sphinx-lined approach to the temple area. This site has two New Kingdom Egyptian temples which we will visit and learn about by touring their forecourts, inner rooms and chiseled story scenes throughout. We’ll also visit the Temple of Dakka, dedicated to Thoth and resting on a small bluff, and the Temple of Meharakka, which was built under Roman rule and features the only spiral staircase in any Egyptian structure. Aboard the ship, lunch will be served and we then set sail for Aswan with breathtaking views as we glide across the water. (B,L,D)
Day
10
MON I ASWAN I CAIRO
Today your amazing journey continues with visits to the Temple of Kalabasha, a tribute to the Lower Nubian sun god Mandulis, as well as the Temple of Beit el-Wali and the Kiosk of Kertassi built during the Greek Roman period and dedicated to the Goddess Isis. Later, we will disembark and head to Aswan Airport for your return flight to Cairo. Upon arrival you will be escorted to your hotel. (B)
Day
11
TUE I CAIRO TO USA (OR EXTEND YOUR STAY)
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel this morning. Representatives will then escort you to Cairo International Airport for your return flight home. (B)
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