Spanning a history of almost five thousand years, Egypt is an alluring destination that has fascinated the world for many years. Travellers have dreamt about sailing down the eternal Nile viewing the priceless golden mask of King Tutankhamun or watching the exquisite Sound and Light performance at the legendary Karnak Temple. Come with us and learn about the tumultuous history of King Tutankhamun, Alexander the Great and Cleopatra and the roles they played in Ancient Egypt.
Your land tour includes the following:
4 Nights accommodation in Cairo based on sharing, bed and buffet breakfast basis in the following categories *Four star superior/*Five Star Deluxe/Five star Elite
4 Nights on board a cruiseship commencing with lunch on the day of embarkation and ending with breakfast on the day of disembarkation
All tours and transfers as indicated above in our itinerary by air-conditioned mini coach. Round trip air economy flights Cairo/Luxor/Aswan/Cairo
Daily buffet breakfasts and dinners on cruise nights
Full day tour to Memphis, Sakkara, Pyramids and the Sphinx
Full day tour to the national Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Salah el Din, Mohamed Ali Mosque, Old Cairo, St. Serguis Coptic Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue and ther Khan El Khalili Bazaar
English speaking local guide during the sightseeing
All Upper Egypt visits as per the cruise itinerary
All entrance fees
Your land tour does not include:
Round trip airfare in and out of Cairo
Departure taxes/fuel surcharges or airport improvement fees subject to change without prior notice
Insurance – non-refundable insurance premium
Porterage at airports, hotels and cruise
Documentation including passport fees
Egyptian visa charge
Early check-in and late checkout
Single room supplement – a limited number of single rooms is available on payment of supplement
Meals not mentioned
Beverages not specified
Entrance fees to the Royal Mummy Room at the Egyptian Museum, the Tomb of King Tutankhamen or the Tomb of Nefertari in Luxor
Optional tours not quoted
Gratuities for individual services such as laundry and valet service or any other items of a purely personal nature
Tips to drivers/local guides/hotel, restaurant staff and cruise staff – tipping is at the discretion of the traveler
E. & O.E
LAND COST US DOLLARS PER PERSON SHARING
| Departure date | Start Date | End Date | Double Occupancy | Single Price |
| 20 Jan 2022 | 21 Jan 2022 | 28 Jan 2022 | $1,174 | $1,410 |
| 03 Feb 2022 | 04 Feb 2022 | 11 Feb 2022 | $1,174 | $1,410 |
| 17 Feb 2022 | 18 Feb 2022 | 25 Feb 2022 | $1,174 | $1,410 |
| 03 Mar 2022 | 04 Mar 2022 | 11 Mar 2022 | $1,174 | $1,410 |
| 17 Mar 2022 | 18 Mar 2022 | 25 Mar 2022 | $1,174 | $1,410 |
| 31 Mar 2022 | 01 Apr 2022 | 08 Apr 2022 | $1,174 | $1,410 |
| 14 Apr 2022 | 15 Apr 2022 | 22 Apr 2022 | $1,330 | $1,566 |
| 14 Apr 2022 | 15 Apr 2022 | 22 Apr 2022 | $1,174 | $1,410 |
For information and reservations, please contact Janice Snider.
Day 1 Arrival in Cairo
Marhaba! Welcome to Egypt. You will be warmly greeted at Cairo International Airport and assisted through Passport Control, Immigration and Customs Formalities before being transferred to your hotel. Once you have checked in, it is time to relax after your long journey. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 Cairo/Pyramids at Giza/Ramses II & the Alabaster Sphinx
Buffet breakfast then we are off to visit Memphis, the first capital of united Egypt some 20 kms. south of Cairo. Though little remains of the original site, today Memphis is an open air museum. See the Temple dedicated to the God of Ptah, one of the most important temples in Memphis though little is known about its history. The Colossus of Ramesses, an enormous limestone statue of about 10m (33.8 ft) long and is displayed on its back since the feet and base are broken off. A small museum has been built to house this magnificent piece. The fallen colossus was found near the south gate of the temple of Ptah.
The Alabaster Sphinx
Stop at the 8m long Alabaster Sphinx which weighs around 90 tons and is somewhat smaller than the Sphinx at Giza.
This was the largest calcite statue ever uncovered. This monument may have stood outside of the Temple of Ptah along with the Colossus of Ramses II. Created with the body of a lion and the head of royalty, the human head is adorned with a covering reserved for kings. Moving on we arrive at the Necropolis of Sakkara, the burial grounds for pharaohs and other royals where we find the Step Pyramid of King Zoser which predate the famous Pyramids at Giza by centuries and contain exquisite paintings depicting the early dynastic period. Next is One of the Seven Wonders of the World and much photographed, the Pyramids of Giza, Royal Tombs that were built for three different pharaohs. The oldest and largest of the group was built for Khufu (Cheops). A few hundred metres southwest we find the smaller Pyramid of his son, Khafre (Chephren) and a few hundred metres further southwest is the Pyramid of his grandson, Menkaure (Mykerinos). Our tour ends at the majestic Sphinx, a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx which is amongst the largest of the world’s sculptures. Return to the hotel for overnight.
Day 3 Cairo/Egyptian Museum/St. Sergius Coptic Church/Ben Ezra Synagogue
Our first stop this morning is at the famous Egyptian Museum where you will gain a brief, but colourful insight into the five thousand year history of this fascinating land. This is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East and houses the largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities in the world displaying an extensive collection spanning from the Pre-dynastic Period to the Greco-Roman Era. A separate entrance fee is required to visit the celebrated Royal Mummy Room.
The Golden Mask of Tutankhamun
Continue to Old Cairo, a historic area of the city that is full of sites dating from Egypt’s Christian past. There are six churches dating back to the Christian era including the Hanging Church El Moallaka built in the 9th century and the Church of St. Sergius from the 5th century supposedly built upon the crypt where the Holy Family once took shelter. Further back we find the Ben Ezra Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in Cairo housing a Torah on a gazelle skin.
Now for another insight we head to the Islamic sector and the Citadel of Salah El Din, the centerpiece of the great fortifications built by Salah El Din completed in 1183 AD. The Mohammed Ali Alabaster Mosque situated in the Citadel of Cairo was built in the first half of the 19th Century and is the most visible Islamic monument in Cairo. One could not visit Cairo without stopping at the bustling Khan El Khalili Bazaar where you can buy fresh spices, perfume, leather goods, gold vendors and antique shops and much more. Return to the hotel for the balance of the day at leisure. Overnight Cairo.
Day 4 Cairo/Luxor
Check out of the hotel after breakfast and transfer to the Cairo Domestic Airport for a short flight to Luxor. On arrival you will be met and assisted with the transfer to the pier for embarkation on your Nile cruise ship. Once onboard, lunch will be served.
Our program this afternoon features the legendary East Bank where we find the Karnak and Luxor Temples. The immense Karnak Temple complex is mainly dedicated to the God Amun Re. Experience a dramatic entrance through the Avenue of the Sphinxes to the Hypostsyle Hall, one of the main attractions of the temple. Bordered by 134 immense pillars, it is truly an engineering feat. The incredible Karnak Open Air Museum contains many reconstructed buildings and temples.
The sacred Luxor Temple lying on the banks of the Nile River was built by Pharaoh Amenhotep between 1390-1353 BC and is dedicated to the God Amun Re and his wife Mut. Enhanced by future pharaohs, one of the grand obelisks was taken to Paris and stands proudly in La Place de la Concorde. Stand in awe as you view the 3 km. long Avenue of the Sphinxes once lined with over 1300 statues connecting the Karnak and Luxor Temples. In ancient days it was used once a year during the Opet Festival. Up until now, only 309 statues have been excavated. At the end of your tour return to the cruise ship for dinner on board and overnight in Luxor.
Day 5 LUXOR/EDFU We begin at the West Bank this morning which includes the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the Temple of Hatshepsut at Al Deir El Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Just west of the Nile is the Valley of the Kings where 63 royal tombs dating from the New Kingdom era have been excavated. Most tombs have suffered damage from floods, those seeking treasure and the outcomes from tourism which have affected the wall paintings. Most are open to tourists. The tombs range in simplicity to the extravagant with the Tomb of Ramses IX the most visited.
The Tomb of Tutankhamun, somehow the least impressive of all the royal tombs is famous for its treasury now mostly on display in Cairo Museum. Due to the popularity of the Tomb of Tutankhamun and its discoveries, a separate entrance fee is required (not included). Next, the Valley of the Queens. This is where the wives of the Pharaohs, princes, princesses and other persons of distinction were buried. Over 90 tombs have been excavated, but only a handful are open.
The drawing card is the Tomb of Queen Nefertari. Beautifully decorated, a special entrance fee is required to enter (not included). Our next stop is at the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari. This graceful multi-tiered temple with its backdrop against limestone cliffs is captivating. She was the only female pharaoh in Ancient Egypt.
Our last stop will be at the Colossi of Memnon where you will find two magnificent 60 foot tall statues of Pharoah Amenhotep II with two smaller statues by his feet (one his wife, the other his mother) standing guard at the entrance of the temple.
Return to the cruise ship for lunch on board before sailing to Edfu
The Temple of Edfu
Edfu is located on the west bank of the Nile between Aswan and Esna. Our tour this afternoon features the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus dedicated to the falcon god Horus. Built during the Greco-Roman period, the temple is considered to be the best-preserved temple in Egypt.
Dinner and overnight in Edfu.
Day 6 Edfu/Kom Ombo/Aswan
Breakfast on board then we are off to visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu. The temple’s entrance contains the highest surviving Pylon in Egypt decorated with battle scenes. Returning to the ship we sail for Kom Ombo.
Lunch on board then we continue our visit of the Temple of Kom Ombo
The Temple of Kom Ombo
Just thirty miles north of Aswan, the double Temple of Kom Ombo dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon headed god Horus. The two temples in one have their own entrances, courts, colonnades Hypostyle halls and sanctuaries – one for each god.
We now sail to Aswan for dinner on board and overnight.
Day 7 Aswan/ Granite Quarries/Philae Temple
Today’s program begins with a visit to the Aswan High Dam, the world’s largest embankment dam completed in 1970 built to regulate the flooding waters of the Nile, increase the production in agricultural note to mention and to increase the amount of hydroelectric power. Prior to the construction of the dam, the mighty Nile overflowed its banks yearly depositing tons of silt on the valley floor turning the dry land into a fertile field.
Our next stop is the Granite Quarries, the main source of granite for the pyramids and monuments of Egypt. See the Unfinished granite Obelisk that was abandoned in the quarries when masons discovered a crack. It is still half attached to the bedrock where it was being carved. This would have been the largest obelisk had the masons been able to finish it. Our last stop this morning will be at the Philae Temple, built to honor the Goddess Isis. Threatened by the rising waters of the first Aswan Dam, the Temple was dismantled and re-erected on Agilkai Island. Return to the boat for lunch on board.
This afternoon enjoy a felucca ride (a traditional wooden sailing boat often used in the eastern Mediterranean) passing the Botanical Gardens and the Agha Khan Mausoleum.
Return to the boat for dinner on board and overnight Aswan.
Day 8 Aswan/Abu Simbel/Cairo
Disembarkation after breakfast. Take part in an optional tour to Abu Simbel. Transfer to Aswan airport for a short flight to Abu Simbel. The flight from Aswan is only 30 minutes and there are two flights a day, timed so that tourists will have about two hours to spend at the temples. Abu Simbel is the most famous of all monuments in Egypt after the Pyramids at Giza. Built by Ramesses II these huge rock cut temples exuded the ruler’s power. Lost from civilization they were buried in the sand until being rediscovered by a Swiss explorer John Lewis Burckhardt in 1813. Threatened by the rising waters of the Nile after the Aswan High Dam was built, the temples were dismantled and relocated on a desert plateau. This engineering feat took almost five years to complete at an enormous cost. The larger temple is aligned with the sun. Twice a year the sun shines in its deepest recesses to illuminate a statue of Ramses and the gods to which the temple is dedicated.
If flying from Abu Simbel return to Cairo. Alternatively a short flight will take you from Aswan to Cairo. On arrival at the Cairo Domestic Airport, you will be met, assisted and transferred to your hotel for overnight.
Day 9 Cairo/home
Following breakfast check out and transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight home.
B = breakfast L= lunch D= dinner
