Itinerary
- Day 1
Cairo
You'll arrive at Cairo International Airport and get transferred to your hotel. From there, the rest of the day is yours to wander around this busy city at your own pace. You can walk through bustling streets, hear the call to prayer echoing through alleyways, catch the aroma of street food, and see grand palaces and mosques scattered throughout. The pyramids of Giza sit visible in the distance, giving you a sense of what's ahead.
Optional Activities
- Explore Cairo's streets and local neighborhoods
- Visit grand palaces and mosques
- Sample street food
- Day 2
Cairo
After breakfast, your Egyptologist guide takes you through the Egyptian Museum, where you'll see over 170,000 pharaonic artifacts that span 5,000 years. Next you'll head to the Citadel of Mohamed Aly and Salah El Din Mosque, then move on to the Hanging Church and Synagogue in Old Cairo. By late afternoon you'll reach Khan El Khalili Markets bazaar, where you can haggle for souvenirs and try some street food before the day winds down.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Egyptian Museum guided tour with Egyptologist
- Free time to explore Egyptian Museum
- Visit Citadel of Mohamed Aly
- Visit Salah El Din Mosque
- Visit Hanging Church and Synagogue
- Explore Khan El Khalili Markets
Optional Activities
- Purchase statuettes, spices, souvenirs, silver jewelry at Khan El Khalili Markets
- Taste street food during market walk
Landmarks/POIs Egyptian Museum Citadel of Mohamed Aly Salah El Din Mosque Hanging Church Khan El Khalili Markets - Day 3
Giza - Memphis - Saqqara
Your guide takes you to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, explaining the three pyramids: Cheops, Khafre, and Mekahaure. Later you'll grab lunch at a local restaurant, then head out to Memphis, which was founded as the ancient capital in 3,100 BC. After that, you'll see Saqqara and its Step Pyramid from 2650 BC, plus the Serapeum of Saqqara, an old temple dedicated to the god Serapis.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Local restaurant (Andrea Restaurant or Saqqara Country Club))
Included Activities
- Visit Great Pyramids of Giza with Egyptologist guide
- Visit the Sphinx
- Explore pyramids of Cheops, Khafre, and Mekahaure
- Lunch at local restaurant (Andrea Restaurant or Saqqara Country Club)
- Visit Memphis
- Visit Saqqara
- Visit Step Pyramid
- Visit Serapeum of Saqqara
Landmarks/POIs Great Pyramids of Giza Pyramid of Cheops Pyramid of Khafre Pyramid of Mekahaure The Sphinx Memphis Saqqara Step Pyramid Serapeum of Saqqara - Day 4
Cairo to Luxor
After breakfast at your hotel, you'll transfer to the airport for a one-hour domestic flight to Luxor. Once you arrive, you'll visit Medinet Habu (Mortuary Temple of Ramses III) and the ancient Deir el-Medina tomb workers village on the West Bank. Luxor sits divided by the Nile into East Bank (symbolizing life) and West Bank (death), and it was once an ancient Egyptian capital.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Flight Cairo to Luxor
- Visit Medinet Habu
- Visit Deir el-Medina tomb workers village
Landmarks/POIs Medinet Habu Deir el-Medina - Day 5
Dendera - Abydos
You'll travel to Dendera, which is about 67 kilometers north of Luxor on the west bank of the Nile, to see the Temple of Dendera and its necropolis. Then you'll continue to Abydos Temples (105km away, roughly 1.5 hours), which served as the center for pharaoh's cult worship of Osiris. You'll see the Temple of Seti I with its colorful wall and ceiling paintings and carved column work.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Dendera Temple
- Explore Dendera necropolis
- Visit Abydos Temples
- Visit Temple of Seti I
Landmarks/POIs Dendera Temple Abydos Temple of Seti I - Day 6
Nile River Cruise Begins
You'll have breakfast and a relaxed morning before boarding the elegant Mövenpick MS Hamees in time for lunch. In the afternoon, your guide walks you along the Avenue of Sphinx to Karnak Temple, where you'll see the Great Hypostyle Hall with 134 towering columns and the sacred lake. Then you'll visit Luxor Temple with its intricate hieroglyphics and statues of Ramses II. Back on the ship you'll have afternoon tea, dinner, and the evening to yourself.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (On board the ship), Dinner
Included Activities
- Board Mövenpick MS Hamees
- Lunch on board
- Visit Karnak Temple with guide
- Walk Avenue of Sphinx at Karnak
- Explore Great Hypostyle Hall
- Visit sacred lake at Karnak
- Free time to explore Karnak Temple
- Visit Luxor Temple
- Afternoon tea on board
- Dinner on board
Landmarks/POIs Karnak Temple Great Hypostyle Hall Luxor Temple Avenue of Sphinx - Day 7
Luxor West Bank
After breakfast on the ship, you'll head to the West Bank with the option of an early morning hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings (extra cost applies). You'll visit the Valley of Kings and Queens burial sites and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which has distinctive limestone design. Later you'll see El-Bahari and the Colossi Memnon before sailing to Edfu via Esna Lock. Lunch and afternoon tea are on board, followed by a Captain's Welcome Cocktail party and dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (On board), Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast on board
- Visit Valley of Kings
- Visit Valley of Queens
- Visit Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
- Visit El-Bahari
- Visit Colossi Memnon
- Sail to Edfu via Esna Lock
- Lunch on board
- Afternoon tea on board
- Captain's Welcome Cocktail party
- Dinner on board
Optional Activities
- Early morning hot air balloon ride over Valley of the Kings
Landmarks/POIs Valley of the Kings Valley of the Queens Temple of Queen Hatshepsut El-Bahari Colossi of Memnon Esna Lock - Day 8
Kom Ombo
As the ship sails to Edfu, you'll visit the Temple of Horus, the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt and dedicated to the falcon-headed god. It's the second largest temple after Karnak. You'll return to the ship for lunch, then continue sailing to Kom Ombo to see the Temple shared by two gods, Sobek and Haeroris. Afternoon tea comes as you sail towards Aswan, and tonight there's dinner followed by an Egyptian Galabia party.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (On board), Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast on board
- Sail to Edfu
- Visit Temple of Horus in Edfu
- Lunch on board
- Sail to Kom Ombo
- Visit Temple of Sobek and Haeroris
- Afternoon tea on board
- Dinner on board
- Egyptian Galabia party
Landmarks/POIs Temple of Horus Kom Ombo Temple - Day 9
Aswan
You'll have breakfast on board, then visit Aswan's High Dam, standing 110 meters high and stretching over three kilometers. Next comes Philae Temple on its own island, dedicated to the goddess Isis and considered Egypt's most beautiful temple. After lunch on board, you'll spend the afternoon on a traditional felucca around Kitchener's Island and visiting Botanical Island. Tonight features an Egyptian Folkloric Show with a belly dancer, followed by dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (On board Mövenpick MS Hamees), Dinner
Included Activities
- Breakfast on board
- Visit Aswan High Dam
- Visit Philae Temple
- Lunch on board
- Felucca sailing around Kitchener's Island
- Visit Botanical Island
- Egyptian Folkloric Show with belly dancer
- Dinner on board
Landmarks/POIs Aswan High Dam Philae Temple Kitchener's Island Botanical Island - Day 10
Aswan to Abu Simbel
You'll have your last breakfast on board before disembarking. A transfer takes you to Aswan Airport for a 45-minute flight to Abu Simbel. You'll see the two rock-cut temple chambers built by King Ramses II (1290-1223 BC), located 280km south of Aswan near the Sudan border. These temples were saved from rising Lake Nasser waters with UNESCO help. You'll return to Aswan where your afternoon is free.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast on board
- Flight Aswan to Abu Simbel
- Visit Temples of Abu Simbel
Optional Activities
- Explore Aswan at leisure in the afternoon
Landmarks/POIs Temples of Abu Simbel - Day 11
Aswan
You'll travel by motorboat from your hotel to Aswan's west bank for a short camel ride to the St. Simon Cave Monastery carved into the cliffs. This Coptic Christian complex was established after garbage collectors relocated to the area in 1969 and now seats 20,000 people around a central pulpit. After your visit, you'll take camels to Nobles Tomb for a brief stop, then return by motorboat. Later you'll transfer to Aswan Airport for a roughly 90-minute flight to Cairo and then to your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Motorboat transfer to west bank
- Camel ride to St. Simon Cave Monastery
- Visit St. Simon Cave Monastery
- Camel ride to Nobles Tomb
- Visit Nobles Tomb
- Motorboat transfer back to hotel
- Flight Aswan to Cairo
Landmarks/POIs St. Simon Cave Monastery Nobles Tomb - Day 12
Cairo to Alexandria
After breakfast, you'll drive to Alexandria, about 260 kilometers away (3.5 hours). You'll check out the catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa where early Christians were buried and see Pompey's Pillar, the biggest memorial column in Egypt at 28 meters high. You'll also visit the Alexandria National Museum in a former palace with almost 2,000 artifacts, and the Citadel of Qaitbay built around 1480 AD on the ruins of the famous Alexandria Lighthouse. If time allows, you can see WWII battlefield sites and the Australian cemetery.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
- Visit Pompey's Pillar
- Visit Alexandria National Museum
- Visit Citadel of Qaitbay
Optional Activities
- Visit WWII battlefield sites and Australian cemetery (time permitting)
Landmarks/POIs Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa Pompey's Pillar Alexandria National Museum Citadel of Qaitbay - Day 13
Wadi El Natroun - Cairo
You'll visit the New Alexandria Library with shelf space for eight million books and an 11-level main reading room, plus the Roman Amphitheatre. On your way back to Cairo (127km, about 2 hours), you'll stop at Wadi El Natroun monastery to visit Abu Makar and El Baramous monasteries where a light lunch with the monks will be arranged (depending on study schedules). Wadi Natroun is known for its Coptic monasteries where thousands of Christians escaped Roman persecution in the 4th century, with only four of the original 60 compounds still standing.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit New Alexandria Library
- Visit Roman Amphitheatre
- Visit Abu Makar monastery
- Visit El Baramous monastery
- Light lunch with monks (subject to monastery study schedules)
Landmarks/POIs New Alexandria Library Roman Amphitheatre Abu Makar Monastery El Baramous Monastery - Day 14
Cairo
After breakfast at your hotel, you'll transfer to Cairo Airport for your onward flight to your next destination.
- Meals
- Breakfast
