Land of Pharaohs

Welcome to Cairo! Cairo, named Al-Qahirah in Arabic, is not only one of Africa’s largest cities (with a population of 17 million) but the political and cultural center of the Arab World. The city’s old quarters retain their ancient charm with many streets still relevant to descriptions given to them by medieval chroniclers. Modern Cairo’s architecture is distinguished by Ottoman and later European influences, particularly in commercial architecture as the city’s population boomed during the 19th century. Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

Overnight in Cairo

Spend the day at the Giza Plateau home of Egypt’s signature attractions: The Great Pyramids, proclaimed by the Greeks to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. A single pyramid is built from 2,300,000 blocks, each weighing an average of two and one–half tons. In the face of such immensity, one cannot help but feel the wonder and awe which so many writers and artists have sought to convey over the centuries. This morning, see the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the timeless Great Sphinx of Giza, dating from the time of Chephren (2620 BC). Sculpted from natural yellowish limestone and standing 65 feet high and 187 feet long, this unforgettable statue combines the head of a Pharaoh with a lion’s body. This afternoon you will visit the Pyramids of Khafra and Menkaura, explore the remains of their mortuary temples, the Tombs of the Noblemen and an ancient limestone quarry.

Overnight in Cairo

This morning, you will visit the world-renowned Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Accompanied by your certified Egyptologist, you will stroll through the halls highlighting each historical period of this historic land. Admire the world’s greatest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including the golden treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb (not included). From there you will continue to Sakkara; one of the most exciting historical and archaeological areas in all of Egypt, situated about 12 miles southwest of Cairo. The site is dominated by the famous step pyramid of King Zoser. It was the first pyramid built in ancient Egypt, preceding those at Giza by many centuries. It is the work of the famous pharaonic architect, Imhotep. 

Overnight in Cairo

Early, you transfer to Cairo International Airport for a flight to Luxor. Upon arrival in Luxor, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. From there you will head out to explore this ancient city, visiting two of Egypt’s most spectacular and under-visited sites — Abydos and Dendara. At Abydos, closely associated with the legend of Osiris, you will see the seven sanctuaries temple. Abydos occupies an important place in the religious history of Pharaonic Egypt. By the end of the Old Kingdom, its local god, Osiris, was the most prominent and popular of the Egyptian gods, since he was considered the god of the afterlife. According to this popular tradition, Osiris’ head was buried in Abydos. Here, Seti I and his son Ramses II built a beautiful temple around 1300 BC. In the afternoon, you will continue to the Ptolemaic Temple of Goddess Hathor in Denderah. This wonderfully preserved temple complex is a rare sight to behold, complete with a massive stone roof, dark chambers, underground passages, and towering columns inscribed with hieroglyphs. The main Temple of Hathor is almost intact. Hathor was the goddess of love, often represented by a cow or a woman with a cow’s head. She was the beneficent deity of maternal and family love, of beauty and light; the Greeks associated her with Aphrodite.

Overnight in Luxor

Late this morning you will transfer to your cruise ship on the Nile; your floating hotel for the next five days. Enjoy lunch on board before you visit Karnak Temple, erected in 1928 BC as a small shrine dedicated to Amun, the god of Thebes. The Temple consists of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples — all constructed over 1300 years. The three main temples of Mut, Monthu, and Amun are enclosed with enormous brick walls, with the temple of Amun at the center. Karnak is the largest temple in Egypt and one of the oldest temple compounds on earth. Visit Luxor Museum that is renowned as one of the thoughtfully assembled displays of antiquities in Egypt. Most of its exhibits come from temples and other constructions in the Luxor area. Many festivals were celebrated in Thebes. The Temple of Luxor was the center of the most important one; the Opet Festival. Built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramses II, the temple served as a setting for the rituals of the festival, which was held to reconcile the human aspect of the ruler with his divine office. The procession of images of the current royal family began at Karnak and ended at Luxor Temple.

Overnight on-board cruise

After breakfast, you will cross the newly constructed Luxor Bridge to visit the Valley of the Kings, which includes the tombs of the Theban rulers, Seti I and Tutankhamen. The Valley of the Kings is home to many pharaonic tombs of the New Kingdom, including those of King Tutankhamun and Ramses the Great. Each king's formal name and title are inscribed in his tomb, which is also adorned with his images and statues. Most of the tombs were cut into the limestone following a similar pattern: three corridors, an antechamber, and a sunken sarcophagus chamber. After lunch tour the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, the only woman Pharaoh to rule ancient Egypt. The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th dynasty was built just north of the Middle Kingdom temple of Mentuhotep Nebhepetre, amid the bay of cliffs known as Deir El-Bahri. In ancient times the temple was called Djeser-djeseru, meaning the sacred of sacred. The pharaoh chose to build her temple in a valley sacred to the Theban Goddess of the west, on a direct axis with Karnak Temple of Amun on the East Bank. End your tour with a panoramic stop at the Colossi of Amenhotep III, named the colossi of Memnon by the Greeks.

Overnight on-board cruise

This morning, after breakfast, you will disembark at Edfu, an iconic spot in tours of Egypt. A "caleche" ride will take you through the town to the Temple of Horus, the Falcon God. The Temple of Horus is the best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt and the second largest after Karnak. Built from sandstone blocks, the huge Ptolemaic temple has a massive entrance pylon covered with traditional scenes of the king smiting his enemies before Horus. Continue sailing most of the day before arrival at Kom Ombo; enjoy a short walk to the twin Temples of Sobek and Horus. One is dedicated to the crocodile god, Sobek, and the other to the falcon god, Horus the Elder. There are clear depictions of ancient medical instruments on one wall. Kom Ombo's Greco-Roman style Temple of Sobek, built for the Crocodile God, stands serenely on a hilltop; the site offers an incredible view of the Nile. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank near here, and hundreds of mummified crocodiles were found in the area.

Overnight onboard the cruise

Enjoy breakfast onboard the cruise in Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost city. South of here lies the flooded lands of Nubia, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Just north of the border between Egypt and Sudan lies Aswan High Dam, a huge rock-filled dam that captures the world's longest river, the Nile, in the world's largest artificial reservoir, Lake Nasser. The dam, known as “Sadd El-Aali” in Arabic, was completed in 1970 after 10 years of work. Then, you will continue to the granite quarries, which supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stones used in their pyramids and temples. Invoke the healing powers of the goddess Isis with a visit to the Temple of Philae and the delightful Temple of Isis. Enjoy a short trip on a motorboat to Philae Temple, where you will see a magnificent vista of the island of Agilika before landing at what would have been the ancient quay on the south side. The temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis and has many legends connected to it. The best-known legend tells the story of how Isis found the heart of Osiris here after his murder by his brother Seth. Ancient Nubia was known to the pharaohs as the “Land of Gold,” and its wealth and lands were eventually incorporated into Egypt around 1500 BC.

Overnight onboard the cruise

This morning you will transfer to Aswan Airport to board a flight to Abu Simbel. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the temple site to visit the Temple of Ramses and the Temple of Queen Nefertari. Not only are these two temples among the most magnificent monuments in the world, but their relocation also marked a remarkable moment in history. When the temples (280 km from Aswan) were threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser, the two temples that Ramses II dedicated to Re-Harakhte, and that of his wife Nefertari dedicated to Hathor, were carefully moved to their current location. After touring, you will return to Aswan by air and connect to your onward flight to Cairo. Upon arrival in Cairo, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Cairo

After breakfast, embark on a full-day excursion to Alexandria widely known as the Pearl of the Mediterranean. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, Alexandria has historically been a place of learning. The ancient city has attracted poets and writers for thousands of years to its famous seaside library the “Bibliotheca Alexandrina”. Alexandria is also home to the Pharos Lighthouse; one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Largely because of its unique cosmopolitan roots, Alexandria differs widely from the rest of the country — especially Cairo. Explore the Alexandria National Museum featuring over 1800 archaeological pieces that narrate the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic, and modern history of Egypt. One display features a piece picked up from the seabed at Abu Kir Bay and the eastern harbor near the Qaitbay Citadel. The Alexandria Museum is number 27 in the series of historic and archaeological museums across Egypt. You will enjoy a panoramic view of Fort Qaitbay, built in the 1480s by Sultan Qaitbey, at the site of Alexandria's ancient lighthouse. Remnants of the lighthouse can be seen in the construction of the old fort. One of the Seven Wonders of The Ancient World, the lighthouse was an astonishing 125 meters high, containing some 300 rooms for workers. Then visit the new Alexandria Library built-in 2002 to commemorate the great library of the 3rd Century BC which formed the cornerstone of ancient intellectual life. Shaped like a massive, partly hidden, tilted disc rising from the Mediterranean, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina evokes the image of a rising sun, a source of light and enlightenment. Aside from a library displaying books on 7 levels that form a “pyramid of knowledge,” the cultural complex also includes other specialized libraries, museums, exhibition areas, education centers, and an international conference center. From there you will visit the El Montazah Gardens — a 114-acre complex that belonged to the family of Mohamed Ali, who ruled Egypt from the mid-19th century until 1952. It is surrounded by great walls from the south, east, and west, a beach to the north. The complex is adorned with beautiful gardens and palm trees, making it an ideal stop in Alexandria. The construction was started in 1892 by King Abbas II, who built a large palace inside the complex called the Salamlek. In 1932, King Fuad built a larger palace and called it the Haramlik. His son, King Farouk, built a bridge to the sea to act as a waterfront. The rest of the 115 acres consists of nothing but beautiful gardens. Palm trees and gazelles cover the area. This is a wonderful spot to bask in the beauty of Alexandria. A special seafood lunch will be provided on the bay of Abukir, the scene of the naval battle between Nelson and Napoleon. Early this evening you will return to Cairo.

Note: During the full-day tour the clients will visit according to what’s available on the day of the visit.

Overnight in Cairo

Today you will be transferred to Cairo International Airport for your onward flight.