Egypt & The Nile: A Holiday Journey

Drive to Sakkara, a site home to hundreds of tombs and 14 pyramids, including the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Admire beautiful tomb art, which gives rare insight into the lives of ancient Egyptians. See the tomb of Mehu, which dates back 4,000 years and was only recently opened to the public. Marvel at the Serapeum of Sakkara, burial place of the Apis bulls — the sacred animals said to be incarnations of the deity Ptah. Following lunch, walk from the twin-towered Bab el-Fotouh, a fortified gate in Cairo's Old City walls, to Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, one of the city's significant souks (open-air marketplaces), where you participate in a free-wheeling treasure hunt and put your bargaining skills to the test. Browse the tightly packed stalls displaying everything from spices and leather goods to jewelry and vegetables, all on a street that has hardly changed in centuries. Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner hosted by Your Egypt Tours.

Start your day tour with a visit to the Egyptian Museum to see the treasures of Tutankhamun, among many other fascinating pharaonic artifacts. Then move to the Coptic theme and enjoy the history of the Hanging Church and the sacred place of Abu Serga Church in the Coptic Cairo district. Have lunch in a local restaurant. At night transfer to Sound & light show in the Pyramids. Then back to the hotel and overnight in Cairo.

Check out from the hotel in the morning, then transfer to Cairo Airport for a flight to Luxor, where you will be met and assisted, then taken by an air-conditioned vehicle to board your 5-star Egypt Nile cruise to check-in. After lunch on board, enjoy visiting the impressive Karnak Temple, the most prominent place of worship ever built. I pet-it's ancient name means "the most sacred of places." The temple, or, more correctly, the complex of temples, was built over more than 2,000 years by generation after generation of pharaohs. You will find the great "Hypostyle Hall," an incredible forest of giant pillars within the complex. After this, you will be transferred to Luxor temple, which was built by Amenhotep III and Ramses II for rituals and festivals dedicated to the god Amen. Dinner and overnight on board Nile cruise

After breakfast on your Nile cruise, you will visit the West Bank of the River Nile to visit the two colossal statues (Colossi of Memnon). Following this, you will see the Valley of the Kings, where the magnificent pharaonic tombs were discovered. Continue the tour to see the Hatshepsut temple at El Deir El Bahary, dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut. Then you will see the Valley of the Queens. You will head back to your cruise ship for lunch. After having afternoon tea on the boat, you will have free time at leisure. Enjoy a leisurely dinner aboard the cruise. Overnight on board Nile Cruise

After breakfast on the Nile cruise, visit the well-preserved Ptolemaic Temple dedicated to Horus at Edfu. Sail to Kom Ombo to see the Temple of Sobek, the crocodile god. Lunch aboard. Continue sailing to Aswan. Dinner and overnight on board your Nile Cruise

Early morning in Aswan, you will enjoy a day’s sightseeing. Start with the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, then on to the beautiful Temple of Philae, which is devoted to the goddesses Isis and Hathor. Sail and move around Elephantine Island by a local felucca boat. Dinner and overnight on board Nile Cruise

Today, you will fly to the impressive Temples of Ramses II in Abu Simbel. The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Nubian Monuments,” which runs from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan). The twin temples were initially carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt’s top tourist attractions. With your qualified Egyptologist as your guide, you will enjoy a personalized visit to the temples of Abu Simbel. With its four rock-hewn pharaohs, your guide will explain the history behind this magnificent site, including how the temples were discovered by accident in 1813. Due to the large number of visitors to Abu Simbel, guides are not permitted inside either of the two temples you will visit. Then return to Aswan Airport to Cairo to be met and assisted at the airport and be taken to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo

Today, visit the Giza Plateau, the site of the pyramids of Mycerinus and Chefren, and the Great Pyramid. Built in the Fourth Dynasty (approximately 2690 BC), it is the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Learn about mummification when you visit the valley temple of king Chephren. For a special treat, meet the Great Sphinx and enjoy rare private access to the paws of this enigmatic monument. This evening, gather with your fellow guests to reflect on your journey through Egypt and along the Nile at a farewell dinner.

After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Cairo International Airport for final departure