Best of Egypt

Today, roam the Giza Plateau, site of the pyramids of Mycerinus and Chephren as well as the Great Pyramid, built in the Fourth Dynasty (approximately 2690 BC). Revel in the opportunity to enter the interior of one of these legendary structures, and marvel at the massive stones used to construct them.

Ride like a local on a camel across the sands of Giza, and then view the Great Sphinx backdropped by the pyramids, a setting that has captured the imaginations of adventurers for centuries.

then proceed to Sakkara area to visit Sakkara Complex and first pyramid ever built (Djoser Pyramid)

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

Board your plane for a morning flight across the desert to Luxor, site of the ancient city of Thebes. Begin your tour with a visit to the Temple of Karnak, where generations of pharaohs wished to record their names. Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall, strolling among its expertly aligned columns, which soar 80 feet high.

then, step aboard your cruise ship. Take some time to get settled in your stateroom and explore the ship. Enjoy lunch on board before disembarking to explore the temple of Luxor, which was once joined to the Temples of Karnak by a 1.25-mile-long Avenue of Sphinx, a portion of which marks the entrance to the temple. The temple dates to approximately 1400 BC and is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship rather than the Pharaohs, cult gods or deified versions of the king in death.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Disembark after your breakfast to visit the west bank of Luxor; Discover valley of the kings. Buried under the arid hills here are over 60 tombs of pharaohs, many richly decorated with reliefs and paintings. Explore three tombs, where the pharaohs were secretly interred for all eternity, and where discoveries are still being made. Continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut – a colonnaded building set against high cliffs that create a spectacular natural amphitheater.  Stop and  admire the majestical aura and magnitude of the two Colossi of Memnon.

Head back to the cruise, and enjoy lunch and the tranquility of the Nile scenery while sailing to Edfu. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Take a horse-drawn carriage or toktok to get to the Temple of Horus in Edfu, which was dedicated to the falcon god Horus of Behdet (modern Edfu). The temple was built from 230 to 57 BC by Ptolemy III and his successors and is considered the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt

Afterwards board again your ship and continue sailing towards Kom Ombo. Later in the afternoon explore on foot the Kom Ombo Temple, a unique Greco-Roman temple dedicated to two gods: Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, the sun god.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Sail like a local and aboard a traditional, non-motorized felucca, take in the scenery around Aswan as you gently sail past the small, oval-shaped El Nabatat Island, also known as Kitchener’s Island. Afterwards visit a local Nubian village to see their colourful houses, simple way of life and to enjoy a traditional lunch.

We continue our tour this afternoon with a visit the Temple of Philae, a beautiful island complex dedicated to Isis and reclaimed from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, which we reach by a scenic boat ride.

Stop at the stone quarries to see the unfinished obelisk, the largest known ancient obelisk and a very good practical demonstration of the methods used by ancient craftsmen to create impressive moments. 

Tonight you’ll overnight at port in Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

This morning you’ll disembark from your ship and bid farewell to the crew. Enjoy a private airport transfer accompanied by an English-speaking guide.

Before your flight there’s the option of a visit to Abu Simbel, 300 km. to the south through the Nubian Desert. The optional bus tour starts at 3.30/4 in the morning when we get picked up from the boat. A breakfast box is provided. Around 8 am we will arrive at the destination, where we are given approx 3 hours to visit the temples. Built by Ramses II the two temples are certainly some of the most spectacular in Egypt. Originally on the banks of the Nile, the temples were raised to a new site above the lake in the late 1960s, as the waters from the new Lake Nasser rose behind the Aswan High Dam. The four great seated statues of Ramses II stare east towards the rising sun.

Board a flight in Aswan with direct service to Cairo. Upon arrival take a private transfer to your Nile side view hotel in Cairo. 

Meals: Breakfast.

Explore the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities (or the Grand Egyptian Museum, upon its opening), home to over 120,000 relics, some dating back to 4000 BC. Afterwards Discover Cairo Islamic heritage.

Visit the citadel of Cairo the largest fortification in the Middle East and still dominates Cairo’s skyline,  then view Sultan Hassan Mosque, completed in 1363, with its soaring architecture and rich decoration.

Dine at a local restaurant then experience the vast and fascinating Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, reputedly the largest bazaar in the Middle East. Wander through its labyrinth of narrow streets to discover workshops and stalls selling all manner of crafts

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Your private driver will meet you at your hotel after breakfast and escort you to the airport for your flight home, bringing an end to this incredible Egypt tour.

Meals: Breakfast.