Highlights
- Explore the Great Pyramids of Giza
- Marvel at treasures like King Tut's mask
- Wander through Karnak Temple
- Walk through the Valley of the Kings
- Gaze at temples at Edfu and Kom Ombo
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Cairo | Cairo |
| Day 2 | Cairo: The Egyptian Museum and The Great Pyramids Of Giza | Cairo |
| Day 3 | Luxor | Luxor |
| Day 4 | Luxor and Valley of the Kings | Esna |
| Day 5 | Temples at Edfu and Kom Ombo | Kom Ombo |
| Day 6 | Aswan and Aswan High Dam | Aswan |
| Day 7 | Return to Cairo | Cairo |
| Day 8 | Return home |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Cairo
Arrive in Egypt's capital — one of the largest cities in Africa and in the Middle East. Your tour coordinator will meet you at Cairo International Airport and escort you to your hotel by an air-conditioned vehicle. After check-in, you will be free to relax for the evening before starting your tour the next day.
For dinner, you can explore, to try authentic Egyptian local cuisine.
Day 2: Cairo: The Egyptian Museum and The Great Pyramids Of Giza
After breakfast at your hotel in Cairo, you'll meet your Egyptologist who will accompany you on your day exploring the city and its sites. Activities will include:
- The Egyptian Museum: Visit the Museum of Antiquities, commonly known as the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which has a substantial collection of ancient treasures such as the tomb of King Tut and his funerary mask.
- The Pyramids of Giza: First you'll travel to Giza outside of Cairo where you will see the three major pyramids at its necropolis complex. Your Egyptologist will explain the history of their construction, which spanned nearly three generations starting from the Great Pyramid of Giza — Cheops — followed by the smaller Chepren, and Mykerinos.
Day 3: Luxor
After breakfast, your tour coordinator will assist you with your transfer to catch your short flight from Cairo to Luxor — a small city in the Nile Valley located 420 miles (676 km) south of Cairo. Once you arrive in Luxor, you will make your way to your cruise ship and then your guide will show you to the major sights in Luxor including:
- Karnak Temple: One of Egypt’s largest surviving temples which was founded in the Middle Kingdom, and was once a key religious center.
- Luxor Temple: A large temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River. It was founded during the New Kingdom around 1400 BCE.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 4: Luxor and Valley of the Kings
You'll continue your Nile cruise by seeing sights on the river's west bank. Your guide will lead you through a tour and activities might include visiting:
-
Valley of the Kings: The location of rock-cut tombs for kings and powerful nobles (including Tutankhamun) for nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BCE.
Valley of the Queens: Known as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning "the place of beauty," this was where some members of the royal family were buried from the 17th to 20th dynasties. - Colossi of Memnon: Visit the ruins of Amenhotep’s memorial temple. What remains are two imposing statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which were erected to guard the temple's entrance.
- Hatshepsut Temple: The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is the focal point of Deir el-Bahri, a complex of mortuary temples and tombs.
- After your tour, you will make your way back to your cruise ship where you can relax onboard as you sail to Esna.
Day 5: Temples at Edfu and Kom Ombo
The next stop on your Nile cruise will be to see the temples at Edfu (115 km or 71 miles from Luxor) and Kom Ombo (63 km or 39 miles from Edfu). There, your guide will explain the significance of the temples:
- Temple of Horus at Edfu: The Ptolemaic Temple of Horus was constructed between 57 BCE and 237 BCE. It is one of the best preserved shrines in Egypt and inside you can still make out many of its inscriptions.
- Temple of Sobek and Haroeris at Kom Obmo: The temple dedicated to the crocodile god (Sobek) and falcon god (Haroeris) was built during the Ptolemaic era. Many of the walls of its courts, halls, sanctuaries, and rooms are still intact, along with wall carvings and some statues.
Day 6: Aswan and Aswan High Dam
Your adventure continues as you set sail for Aswan. In Aswan, you will have a chance to get off the ship and explore more sights along with your guide, including:
- Aswan High Dam: Built in the 1960s, completed in 1970, and formally inaugurated in 1971, Aswan High Dam was an engineering marvel at the time and changed the landscape of Egypt by increasing cultivable land by 30 percent and doubling its electricity supply.
- Philae Temple: There were once temples at Philae (construction began in 690 BCE), dedicated to the goddess Isis. The complex was moved from its original location on Philae Island, to its new location on Agilkia Island, due to the construction of Aswan High Dam. You'll board a small boat to learn more about the temple here.
- The Botanical Garden: You'll have time to explore the grounds of Kitchener’s Island — also known as the Botanical Garden — a 16-acre island in the Aswan archipelago located between Elephantine Island and The Nile's west bank.
Day 7: Return to Cairo
From Aswan, your tour coordinator will assist you to catch your flight to Cairo (the distance from Aswan to Cairo is (538 miles or 867 km).
After check-in at your Cairo hotel, you can explore, take in the last sights, and enjoy an authentic Egyptian dinner on your own.
Day 8: Return home
After breakfast, you'll make your way to Cairo International Airport for your flight home.
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