Egypt: Alexandria to Aswan

The group flight usually arrives in Cairo this evening. The welcome briefing
will either take place this evening or tomorrow morning.

*Pyramids Park Resort Hotel or similar*

Day 2

We begin our day with a visit to the Pyramids at Giza. Home to the Great
Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus and the enduring and mysterious
Great Sphinx, these great monuments to the afterlife defy the imagination.
Only the throng of sightseers, Egyptian and foreign, milling around their
huge foundations, keep the viewer in the 21st century. The afternoon is free
to relax at our hotel, explore Cairo or join an optional excursion to
Saqqara, Memphis, and Dahshur.

*Pyramids Park Resort Hotel or similar*

Day 3

After breakfast we enjoy a full day tour of Cairo. We begin with a visit to
the Egyptian Museum – home to the world’s largest collection of ancient
Egyptian artefacts including the incredible golden riches of Tutankhamun’s
tomb. Following this piece of history, we experience modern Cairo with a tour
of the El Darb El Ahmar School for Arts and a walk along the bustling El Moaz
Street. We also explore Al Azhar mosque which dates back to AD970 and is
Cairo’s oldest. The mosque is still frequently visited by locals to this
day and we will need to cover up (long sleeves and trousers) to enter - as
when entering all mosques. Women will also need to cover their hair with a
scarf.

*Pyramids Park Resort Hotel or similar*

Day 4

Today we have a journey of 3-4hrs to Alexandria. Founded by Alexander the
Great in 331BC, the city was home to the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and it’s Great Library was the largest
of its time. Unfortunately, these parts of Egypt’s glorious history did not
survive up to modern times but there is still much to see in this
Mediterranean port city. Our tour begins with a visit of the city’s
catacombs followed by the impressive Qaidbay Fortress and the Bibliotheca
Alexandrina – Alexandria’s revival of the Great Library.

*Mediterranean Azur Hotel or similar*

Day 5

We have an early morning drive to El Alamein, the site of the famed allied
victory during World War Two, where we will visit the War Cemetery and
Military Museum. More than 80,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in the two
battles. It was a decisive win for the Allies with Winston Churchill saying,
"Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat".
After lunch we stop by El Anba Bishoy Monastery on our return to Cairo.

*Pyramids Park Resort Hotel or similar*

Day 6

Today we embark on a tour of Cairo’s best food spots and discover some of
the fantastic local cuisine available across the city – highlights are
Mulukhiyah (soup), Ful Medames (beans) and Kushari (rice and macaroni). The
tour also includes the bazaars of Khan el-Khalili located in the historic
centre of Islamic Cairo. This evening we transfer to the railway station and
board our sleeper train to Aswan (which takes approximately 12 hours).

*Sleeper train.*

Day 7

Arriving in Aswan during the morning, we spend the rest of the day exploring
the Nubian way of life. We begin with a visit to the Nubian Museum, which
chronologically charts the history and culture of the people, before enjoying
Nubian lunch onboard a felucca while we explore the Nile. In the afternoon we
have a tour of the Monastery of St. Simeon by camel and visit the nearby
village of Gharb Sohil (please see Responsible Travel section). We finish our
day with a barbeque on the shores of an island in the Nile.

*Basma Hotel or similar*

Day 8

This morning we transfer to our cruise boat and have some time to relax
before enjoying lunch on board. For the rest of the day there is the option
to explore the Aswan market or attend the Sound and Light Show at Philae
Temple.

For those who want to do the optional visit to Abu Simbel, the tour starts at
approximately 3.30am when we get picked up from the hotel. A breakfast box is
provided. Around 8am we will arrive at the destination, where we are given
around three hours to visit the temples. Built by Ramses II, the temples of
Abu Simbel rank amongst the most impressive in the country and well worth the
journey south across the Nubian Desert. We will be back in Aswan around 3pm.

For our Sun Festival departures, the visit to Abu Simbel is included. The
festival is a bi-annual event that has been taking place for over 3200 years.
During the celebrations the sun perfectly aligns with the usually dark
interior and lights up the seated statues of Ramses II, the sun god, Ra and
the king of the gods, Amun. Only the statue of Ptah, the god of darkness,
remains in the shadows. There are traditional Nubian dances being performed,
street food everywhere (save stomach space for some fresh koshari) and live
music outside the temple.

*M/S Esmeralda or similar*

Day 9

We begin today with a visit to the Philae Temple and Aswan High Dam. In the
1970s the temple was relocated by UNESCO to Aglika Island after it became
evident that the original site of Philae would submerge on completion of the
dam. This morning represents a magnificent and enduring testament to both
ancient and modern engineering. After lunch we sail to Kom Ombo and visit the
temple there before continuing our journey to Edfu which is where we will
spend the night.

*M/S Esmeralda or similar*

Day 10

Waking in Edfu, we start our day exploring the city and its temples before
sailing further north along the Nile. After crossing the Esna lock we reach
our destination, Luxor, where we will have our final dinner on board and
hopefully witness a stunning sunset over the river.

*M/S Esmeralda or similar*

Day 11

After breakfast on board we disembark in Luxor and explore the Valley of the
Kings. For nearly 500 years this was the site of royal burials and it
contains the tombs of over 62 pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramses
III and IV. One ticket allows us to see three tombs. The ticket usually
allows entry into what are regarded as the most impressive tombs, but if you
have time a visit to the tomb of Ramses VI is also highly recommended. Visits
to tombs are now strictly controlled to halt further deterioration of wall
paintings - each tomb is periodically closed for a number of weeks.
Afterwards we visit the massive stone statues of the Colossi of Memnon before
transferring to our hotel.  The rest of the day is free to relax or wander
around the streets of Luxor.

*Iberotel Luxor or similar*

Day 12

For our penultimate day we have a half day tour of Luxor’s east bank. Luxor
is commonly called the world's greatest open-air museum and this morning we
visit the extraordinary Karnak and Luxor temples which both stand within the
modern city. There should also be an opportunity to visit the A.C.E animal
hospital to learn about the efforts taken to improve animal welfare in
Egypt. After a leisurely afternoon we enjoy our final dinner together at one
of this historic city’s restaurants.

*Iberotel Luxor or similar*

Day 13

Our trip ends today. Those on the group flights will be taken to airport for
the flight to London.