Itinerary
- Day 1
Cairo (Giza)
Your flight arrives before 2:00 PM, giving you time to settle into your hotel with its views of the Great Pyramids. Later this evening, you'll head to the terrace for sunset drinks and cocktails with snacks while looking out at the pyramids. It's a nice way to ease into the trip after traveling.
Included Activities
- Scenic Sunset Drinks with cocktails and canapés overlooking the pyramids
Landmarks/POIs Great Pyramids of Giza - Day 2
Cairo (Giza)
Start early at the pyramids and the Sphinx, taking in the scale of what you're seeing. The afternoon takes you to the Grand Egyptian Museum where you'll find King Tutankhamun's treasures and the Solar Boat cedar wood barge from 2500 BC. Plan to spend a few hours here since there's a lot to see.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit the pyramids and the Sphinx
- Explore the Grand Egyptian Museum including King Tutankhamun's tomb artifacts
- View the Solar Boat exhibit
Landmarks/POIs Great Pyramids of Giza Great Sphinx of Giza Grand Egyptian Museum - Day 3
Cairo to Luxor
You'll fly to Luxor and check into your hotel for two nights. After settling in, head to Karnak Temple Complex, which covers about 200 acres and is one of the largest religious sites around. The Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns has hieroglyphs all over them depicting mythology and history from ancient times.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Flight to Luxor
- Explore Karnak Temple Complex including the Hypostyle Hall
Landmarks/POIs Karnak Temple Complex - Day 4
Luxor
This morning starts at the Valley of the Nobles where hundreds of rock-cut tombs dot the landscape. The tombs you'll see have vibrant frescoes showing daily life, farming, trade, and celebrations of ancient Egyptian nobility. It gives you a real sense of how people lived back then, not just the grand monuments.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Explore Valley of the Nobles with rock-cut tombs and vibrant frescoes
Landmarks/POIs Valley of the Nobles - Day 5
Luxor to Nile Cruise
Board the Sanctuary Sun Boat III and get settled into your suite. From there, you'll cross to the West Bank to see the Valley of the Kings and the hieroglyphics preserved in the tombs. You'll also stop by Howard Carter's house and see Queen Hatshepsut's monument, which is quite impressive.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Board Sanctuary Sun Boat III
- Explore Valley of the Kings
- Visit Howard Carter's residence
- Visit Queen Hatshepsut's Monument
Landmarks/POIs Valley of the Kings Temple of Hatshepsut - Day 6
Nile Cruise to Dendera and Luxor
Spend time on the cruise watching life on the Nile from your deck. Later you'll head to Dendera to see the Temple of Hathor with its famous Dendera Zodiac ceiling. By evening you're back in Luxor visiting Luxor Temple with its massive Rameses II statues. You'll get back to the boat for dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included)
Included Activities
- Journey on Nile cruise to Dendera
- Visit Temple of Hathor at Dendera
- Visit Luxor Temple
Landmarks/POIs Temple of Hathor at Dendera Luxor Temple - Day 7
Nile Cruise to Esna and Kom Ombo
The cruise heads south following the old pharaonic routes. You'll stop at Esna Temple to see its well-preserved hypostyle hall, then continue to Kom Ombo Temple on the riverbank, a double temple with sections for Sobek the Crocodile God and Horus. Tonight there's a galabeyya party on board with Egyptian food, music, and dancing.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Galabeyya party with Egyptian delicacies, vibrant music, and dancing; Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included)
Included Activities
- Journey on Nile cruise south
- Explore Esna Temple
- Visit Kom Ombo Temple
- Galabeyya party with Egyptian delicacies, music, and dancing
Landmarks/POIs Esna Temple Kom Ombo Temple - Day 8
Nile Cruise to Aswan
You'll cruise into Aswan, the cultural center of the Nubian region. The Temple of Isis at Philae shows influences from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures all mixed together. Spend the afternoon on a felucca sailboat on the Nile. In the evening there's a Nubian dance show followed by a farewell dinner with the captain.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Farewell Gala Dinner; Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included)
Included Activities
- Journey on Nile cruise to Aswan
- Visit Temple of Isis at Philae
- Leisurely felucca sail on the Nile
- Nubian dance performance
- Farewell Gala Dinner with captain and crew
Landmarks/POIs Temple of Isis at Philae - Day 9
Aswan
Check into your hotel in Aswan, the same place where Princess Diana and Winston Churchill once stayed. Have pre-dinner drinks at The Terrace and eat at the 1902 restaurant. You can choose between visiting the Nubian Museum, a Nubian village, or Kalabsha Temple, depending on what interests you most.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dinner at 1902 restaurant with pre-dinner drinks at The Terrace)
Included Activities
- Scenic Special Stay accommodation
- Pre-dinner drinks at The Terrace
- Dinner at 1902 restaurant
Optional Activities
- Scenic Freechoice: Visit Nubian Museum showcasing Nubian history and artifacts dating back to 2000 BC
- Scenic Freechoice: Guided tour through a Nubian Village including visit to a local home
- Scenic Freechoice: Visit Kalabsha Temple on Lake Nasser's shores
Landmarks/POIs Nubian Museum Kalabsha Temple - Day 10
Aswan to Abu Simbel
Fly to Abu Simbel to see the temples of Ramses II and his queen Nefertari. The colossal statues are massive and the carvings are intricate throughout. These temples were moved in the 1960s to keep them from being flooded by Lake Nasser, which is a pretty remarkable feat of engineering and preservation.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Flight to Abu Simbel
- Visit temples of Ramses II and Nefertari
Landmarks/POIs Abu Simbel Temples - Day 11
Abu Simbel to Cairo
You'll fly back to Cairo for a two-night stay at your hotel. Spend the day at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation looking at collections from different periods of Egyptian history. The Royal Mummies' Hall lets you see the preserved remains of ancient pharaohs, which gives insight into their burial and medical practices.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Flight to Cairo
- Visit National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation
- Explore Royal Mummies' Hall
Landmarks/POIs National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation - Day 12
Cairo
This is your final full day to explore Cairo on your own terms. You can pick from three options: Coptic Cairo with its museums and synagogues, medieval Cairo with historic sites and markets, or Roda Island with its Nilometer and Manial Palace Museum. Each offers something different depending on what you want to see most.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Scenic Freechoice: Coptic Cairo - Winding through Old Cairo streets, visit Cairo's Coptic Museum with one of the world's largest collections of Egyptian Christian artifacts, continue to Hanging Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue
- Scenic Freechoice: Historic Cairo - Explore medieval Cairo's Sultan Hassan Mosque, learn about Arabic calligraphy, and visit community projects at Souq al-Silah and Bayt Yakan
- Scenic Freechoice: Roda Island - Discover Roda Island with stops at a 9th-century Nilometer and Manial Palace Museum highlighting Prince Muhammad Ali's era
Landmarks/POIs Coptic Museum Hanging Church Ben Ezra Synagogue Sultan Hassan Mosque Souq al-Silah Manial Palace Museum - Day 13
Cairo Departure
Say goodbye to your tour director and the people you've met over the past week. Transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight home, bringing memories of temples, the Nile, and the ancient sites you've explored.
