Jewel of the Nile - 10 days

Friday. Welcome to Egypt! Upon arrival at Cairo Airport you will be met and transferred to your 5 star hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax by the hotel pool, or those arriving early, opt to join our unique Backstreets tour of Cairo which departs the hotel at 10am today. This optional tour takes you off the beaten track in Egypt's bustling capital, visiting Downtown Cairo, the exquisite mosques and monuments of El Moez Street in Islamic Cairo, Garbage City and the incredible Cave Church of St. Simon.





At 7pm this evening meet your guide and the rest of the group at a Welcome Meeting.





You may also extend your stay in Cairo with our pre or post tour accommodation or [[tour add-ons|121802]].

This morning we enjoy a guided tour of the new Grand Egyptian Museum. A mind-boggling array of relics and antiquities from almost every period of ancient Egyptian history are housed inside this incredible 490,000 sq.m complex. Arguably the most famous exhibit is the solid gold funerary mask of King Tutankhamun. Weighing 11kg, the exquisite gold mask was found covering the head of the mummy, where it lay inside a series of 3 sarcophagi.





After our tour we head over to National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to visit the fascinating Royal Mummies' Hall, where the mummies of ancient Egyptian kings and queens are on display. Some of the mummies are so well preserved, they still have thick locks of hair, visible finger nails and smooth, if blackened skin! Spend the remains of the day at leisure, relaxing by the hotel pool.





Please Note: the Grand Egyptian Museum is scheduled to open in late 2024, though an official opening date has yet to be released. If travelling prior to the opening of the new facility we'll visit the Egyptian Museum instead.

Cairo - Luxor. Today we visit Egypt's most loved sight - The Great Pyramids of Giza. We explore the Giza plateau, pyramids and massive Sphinx. We continue to explore Saqqara - an ancient necropolis with many half-buried tombs and the famous Zhoser’s Step Pyramid. Later, we travel to Luxor by overnight train. You are accommodated in comfortable twin sleeper cabins and a light dinner is served onboard.





If you don’t fancy travelling by overnight sleeper train, consider our Treasures of the Nile tour that replaces overnight trains with flights and comfortable 5 star hotels.

Arriving into Luxor this morning, we visit the West Bank. The massive pair of statues known as the Colossi of Memnon are the first monuments we see during our morning visit to the West Bank - home to the legendary Valley of the Kings. We also see the colonnaded Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Return to Luxor for check-in onboard our Nile 5 star cruiser where lunch is at leisure and free time to relax until our early evening visit to the Temple of Luxor. Luxor Temple looks stunning at dusk and is beautifully illuminated at night.





Note: Dependent upon Nile Cruiser scheduling it may be required that we also undertake our excursion to Karnak Temple this afternoon. Should this occur, day 5 will be spent at leisure.

Luxor - Nile cruising. This morning we tour the ancient city of Thebes (the East Bank) and take in the magnificent Temple of Karnak. More than a temple, Karnak is a gigantic and stunning complex of sanctuaries and pylons dedicated to the Theban gods. Anchors away this afternoon as we set sail downstream.

Nile cruising. Relax and soak in the views as we sail the Nile. Later today we visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, a unique riverside temple. It is unusual in that everything architecturally is doubled and perfectly symmetrical along the main axis of the temple including twin halls, courts, colonnades, sanctuaries and entrances. Arrive in Aswan late evening - a prosperous town at the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes.

Nile cruiser - Aswan. Today, we enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island to explore Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. The temple dates from 4th century BC, but the Ptolemies and the Romans up to 3rd century AD built most of the existing structures. In danger of being completely submerged by the rising water of Lake Nasser, in 1972 UNESCO stepped in and an 8-year rescue effort was undertaken to relocate the entire temple 20m higher on nearby Agilika Island. We then make a stop at a perfume oil emporium. Perfumed oils in Egypt date back to 2700BC and were used by women, pharaohs and by temple priests.





After lunch, we visit the High Dam and take a traditional felucca sailing trip to Elephantine and Kitchener Island. As the sun sets, enjoy free time to shop in the colourful souqs and markets or simply relax and watch an amazing sunset in Egypt’s southernmost town straddling the River Nile.

Aswan - Cairo. Consider our optional early morning excursion to the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel. Possibly the most awe-inspiring temple of all ancient Egypt, with its gargantuan rock-cut facade is the magnificent Abu Simbel. Guarding the entrance to the temple are 4 colossal seated statues of the pharaoh himself, staring out across Lake Nasser. This excursion is not to be missed!





Alternatively you can spend the morning at leisure. If you choose not to embark upon this optional excursion, there is plenty to do in Aswan. You can explore Aswan with its beautiful shoreline and corniche or perhaps do a spot of shopping. Late this afternoon, we board the overnight train (twin berth sleeper cabins provided) for our journey back to Cairo. A light dinner is served on board.

This morning, have breakfast in your train cabin and upon arrival to Cairo we transfer to our hotel for check in. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy the hotel facilities or you can join our optional tour of Old Cairo, Coptic Cairo and the Citadel of Saladin (book/pay locally).

Sunday. Our amazing holiday comes to an end and we bid farewell to our guide and fellow travellers. Included airport departure transfer.





For information about visas, top travel tips and much more, take a look through our travel guide.