Cairo
Meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel to start your tour.

The Great Pyramids of Giza are the only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built over 4,500 years ago as giant tombs for the mummies of the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, who were father, son and grandson respectively. The pyramids are truly monumental in scale, with the largest – Khufu’s – constructed from over two million blocks. Contrary to popular beliefs, the pyramids were not built by slaves but by Egyptian peasants, whose labor in building the pyramids paid their taxes to the Pharaoh, who also fed, clothed and housed them.

Nearby sits the enigmatic Sphinx with the body of a lion and the face of a man wearing a royal head cloth, which workers may have based on King Khafre to guard his enormous funerary monument. About a thousand years after the Sphinx was built it was covered in sand until a young prince had a dream in which the Sphinx told him that if he cleared the sand away, he would become Pharaoh. This story is told on the ‘Dream Stela’ that was placed between the Sphinx’s paws by King Tuthmose IV.

Enjoy lunch at 139 Restaurant
Located within the Marriott Mena Hotel, a meal here offers breath-taking views of the towering pyramids, as well as the landscaped gardens. The restaurant has an intimate, informal atmosphere and casual attire is welcome. The international menu ranges from Middle Eastern to Indian classics.

The legendary city of Memphis was founded in 3100 BC by Menes, the Pharaoh who united upper and lower Egypt. It became the capital of the Old Kingdom and the heart of Egypt’s busy import-export activity, with traders from around the world giving it a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Next, move on to Sakkara, the former necropolis (cemetery) for the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis and the place where the very first pyramids were built as tombs for kings. Instead of the smooth sides featured on other pyramids, the pyramids here feature six steps on the outside, representing the pharaoh’s stepladder to heaven. Discover the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the first pyramid ever built and the world’s oldest freestanding stone structure. You could also admire the beautiful tomb art at Sakkara, which gives great insight into the lives of the ancient Egyptians.

Located in the Sakkara necropolis near Giza, the Tomb of Mehu dates back approximately 4,000 years and has recently been restored. The tomb contains two chambers, the walls of which are full of colourful paintings, portraying Mehu’s life of hunting, gathering and dancing. Mehu was a top official under King Pepi I and therefore enjoyed the privilege of a well-sized tomb and being buried along with his son Meren Ra and his grandson Heteb Kha. This tomb was first discovered in 1940 but has only just recently been opened to the public. Your guide informs you of how the paintings have been consolidated, the colours strengthened, and a new lighting system has been installed inside the tomb for an enhanced experience.

At the end of your tour, you are transferred to your hotel.

Cairo
Meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel to start your tour.

Tour 7,000 years of history at the Egyptian museum, home to the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world. Key features of the museum include the treasures of the ‘boy-king’ Tutankhamun, including his gold mask, the solid gold sarcophagus that held his mummy and his beautiful throne.

Felucca Lunch & Ride: (Weather Permitting) Tonight’s dinner will be a uniquely Egyptian experience. Board a felucca – a traditional Nile sailing vessel – and admire the lights and sights of Cairo by night as you cruise gently down the river.

Visit the Citadel, a medieval fortress perched high on limestone hills above Cairo, which was built in 1176 to protect the city from Crusaders. Today, the Citadel complex houses mosques and museums, including the National Military Museum.

At the end of your tour, you are transferred to your hotel.

Cairo
Meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel to start your tour.

This unique cultural tour takes you from one end of the Khan El-Khalili Bazaar to the other, recalling a time when the area was the heart of the old walled city of Cairo. The ancient thoroughfare, leading you along some of the most traditional parts of the bazaar where life has hardly changed for centuries, runs from the massive fortified Fotouh Gate to the beautifully designed Zuweila gate. This stretch contains more listed buildings per meter than any other street in the world. In this part of the bazaar, where Egyptians themselves go to bargain for everyday items, your guide enthralls you with explanations of passing licorice-tea-sellers, spice markets with obscure roots and magical powders, black-swathed women, and brightly painted donkey-carts overflowing with watermelons and mangos.

Continue on to El-Khayameyya Street. This portion of your walk, in the very oldest part of the Khan El-Khalili bazaar, is devoted to the workshops and stalls of traditional appliqué craftsmen. Their art, unique to Egypt in the Middle Eastern region, began as a means of decorating the brightly colored hangings used to make traditional tents. These are now seen all over the country adorning temporary tents for weddings, funerals and festivals.

Printed hangings in the same traditional designs are used nowadays for commercial purposes, but the craftsmen in El-Khayameyya continue to keep the old traditions alive.

Enjoy lunch at Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant

Named after the Nobel-prize-winning Egyptian author, Naguib Mahfouz restaurant lies in the very heart of the Khan El-Khalili Bazaar making it a convenient, air-conditioned place to take a break from shopping. The coffee shop at the entrance offers drinks, snacks and shisha (water pipes), while the restaurant section offers a selection of chicken, meats and mouth-watering Middle Eastern mezzas (small appetizers). Please note that alcohol is not served here.

At the end of your tour, you are transferred to your hotel.

Cairo-Luxor

Once an Ancient Egyptian capital, is known today as the world’s “greatest open-air museum.” From the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings and the magnificent sunset views at the majestic temple complexes of Karnak and Luxor to the exciting and fun Nile cruises, Luxor is the perfect choice for culture vultures. Luxor is divided by the Nile into two areas commonly called the East Bank and West Bank which were considered in Ancient Egyptian times as symbolizing respectively Life and Death.

Travel by flight to Luxor.

At the Valley of the Queens, the highlight is visiting the beautiful tomb of Queen Nefertari, Ramses II’s beloved wife. It is said to be the finest tomb in Egypt, with vividly-colored work and a ceiling painted with stars, giving an idea of how other, now faded, tombs would have looked in their day.

Transferred to the Sanctuary Sun Boat IV

Straight away, you have the opportunity to visit the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor.

After lunch on board, visit the West Bank of Luxor to explore the Valley of the Kings. You also have the chance to visit at least one tomb in the Valley of the Queens and visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. On the way back to the river Nile, pass by the famed Colossi of Memnon, known in Ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn.

This evening you are greeted by your Boat Manager for a welcome reception. The Manager reviews your cruise program for the upcoming days. Enjoy Egyptian wine and beer with a selection of freshly-prepared canapés, followed by a gourmet dinner. A folkloric show and a Whirling Dervish show follow.

Luxor
After breakfast on board, begin your day with a visit to the Temple of Karnak.

Lunch is served in the lounge while you sail to Esna

After Lunch, your Egyptologist guides you round the Greco-Roman Temple of Khnum at Esna. The beautifully preserved Great Hypostle Hall was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius; it was excavated from the silt that had accumulated through centuries of annual Nile floods and is about nine meters lower than present-day street level.

Afternoon tea is served as you cruise to Edfu and, later, enjoy a gourmet dinner.

Luxor-Aswan

With its gentle hospitality, this southern Egyptian city, a frontier town in ancient times, is a place to simply relax and enjoy an atmosphere that is as much African as it is Middle Eastern. The Nile is at its most beautiful here, flowing around huge granite rocks and palm tree-studded islands, so take a stroll along the riverfront to watch sailboats etch the sky. Walk to the souq in town to buy spices, scarves and baskets, and then view the gorgeous sunset over tea on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel, a popular winter resort since the 19th century. When evening comes, enjoy a Nubian dance performance at the town’s cultural center. Aswan’s name comes from the Nubian phrase assy wangibu (“too much water”) and this is the place to learn about Nubian culture, as many Nubians resettled here after their lands were flooded during the building of the High Dam.

Following breakfast, explore the Temple of Edfu.

Lunch is served as you cruise to Kom Ombo and, after, visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile-god Sobek. The temple stands at a bend in the Nile where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank.

Later, afternoon tea is served in the lounge and you have the chance to take part in an Egyptian cooking lesson as you sail to Aswan.

Aswan
A breakfast buffet is served on board and the morning is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Enjoy lunch on board, followed by a short motorboat ride to visit the majestic Philae Temple on the Island of Agilika. Next proceed to the Granite Quarries, which supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in pyramids and temples. Here you see the Unfinished Obelisk, located in the northern region of the stone quarries.

Next take a ride on a felucca (a typical Egyptian sail boat) around Elephantine Island, Lord Kitchener’s Botanical Gardens and the Agha Khan Mausoleum (weather permitting, life jackets will be provided).

Afternoon tea is served on board and your farewell dinner is a gala dinner, with white-gloved waiters serving gourmet cuisine. A folkloric show and a Whirling Dervish show follow.

Aswan-Cairo
Transfer to Aswan airport for the flight to Abu Simbel.

Visit the Temple of Abu Simbel built by the Great Ramses II. This temple is one of the most recognizable images in the country. Two temples, namely the Great Temple of Ra-Harakhte, fronted by the four colossal statues of Ramses II and the Temple of Hathor, dedicated to Ramses´ favorite wife Queen Nefertari. Both were moved to their current location when the creation of Lake Nasser threatened their existence.

Lunch box will be provided en-route.

Transfer from Abu Simbel Temple to Abu Simbel Airport where you will board your flight back to Cairo (Abu Simbel / Aswan /Cairo).

Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, you are met by a representative. You are then privately transferred to the hotel.

Cairo- US
Depart Cairo