Egypt vacation for Easter 2022-2023

Tour the Giza Plateau, the site of the ancient pyramids of Mycerinus, Chefren, and the Great Pyramid of Cheops. Explore the interior of one of these legendary pyramids, view the Great Sphinx, the ancient world’s most giant monumental sculpture, carved from a single limestone ridge. After lunch, return to your hotel and enjoy time at leisure.

Fly to Luxor and journey to the Temple of Karnak. Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall, with its expertly aligned columns. Board your luxury Nile cruise and enjoy lunch onboard. Afterward, explore the west bank of the Nile and the Necropolis of Thebes, the burial site of the Great Pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Discover the Valley of the Kings and step inside the tomb of Tutankhamun. You also visit the Valley of the Queens (Biban el-Harim). Later, explore the Temple of Hatshepsut.

Cruise north on a scenic route — far from other ships and crowds — to the Temple of Hathor at Denderah. Sail back to Luxor. This afternoon, return to the east bank of the Nile, visiting the city of Thebes and the striking Temple of Luxor.

Continue cruising to Edfu and the Temple of Horus. Join your chef on board for a local cooking lesson. Later, disembark at Kom Ombo (“Hill of Gold”) to visit the Greco-Roman temple dedicated to Haroeris (the sun god) and Sobek (the crocodile god).

Cruise to Aswan and ride a motorized boat to Philae Temple on the island of Agilika, moved and reconstructed here to avoid flood damage from Aswan’s High Dam. Continue to the granite quarries and site of the Unfinished Obelisk. Then sail amid the Aswan islands like a local — by felucca, weather permitting.

Disembark your luxury Nile cruise and fly to Abu Simbel. See the twin temples of Ramses II and his wife, Queen Nefertari. Return to Cairo for an evening at leisure.

Visit the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, home to the most extensive collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including treasures from Tutankhamun and artifacts dating back to 4000 BC. Enter the fascinating Mummy Room, featuring the remains of ancient Egypt’s pharaohs and nobility, including Ramses II, one of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs. After lunch, walk from Bab el-Fotouh to Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, where tightly packed stalls display everything from spices and leather goods to jewelry and birds. Explore the Mosque and Madrasa of Sultan Hassan, built-in 1356 and among the finest examples of early Mamluk architecture.

Drive to Sakkara, home to hundreds of tombs and 14 pyramids, including the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, which stands 204 feet tall and is the largest building. Continue to Memphis, the capital of the ancient kingdom and now home to an open-air museum and the giant statue of Ramses II.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and depart.