Nile Explorer - Deluxe

Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, our representative will warmly welcome you and assist you through the immigration and arrival formalities. You will then be transferred to your hotel in a modern, air-conditioned coach, with assistance provided for a smooth check-in. Spend the rest of the day at leisure and relax at the hotel. Overnight stay in Cairo.

• Enjoy an early breakfast at the hotel in Cairo before beginning a guided tour to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World (Exterior), the Great Pyramids of Giza (Cheops, Chephren, and Mycerinus). The Great Pyramids were considered by the Greeks to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A single pyramid was built with approximately 2,300,000 blocks, each weighing an average of two and a half tons. In the face of such immense structures, one cannot help but feel the wonder and awe that writers and artists have sought to convey over the centuries. The Cheops Pyramid is particularly interesting as its interior burial chambers are open to the public for inspection.
• Not far from the Pyramids stands the Great Sphinx of Giza, which dates back to the time of Chephren (2620 BC). Hewn from natural yellowish limestone, this unforgettable statue stands 65 feet high and 187 feet long, combining the head of a Pharaoh with the body of a lion.
• A quick visit to a papyrus institute or perfume shop can be arranged (if time permits) before heading to the Grand Egyptian Museum.
• Step into the world of ancient Egypt with a tour of the highly anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum, home to some of the most valuable treasures from this era. Upon arrival, one of your first experiences is entering the atrium, where you can see the giant Ramses II statue, followed by a walk up the Grand Staircase.
• From the staircase, proceed to the exhibition halls, which are arranged both chronologically, showcasing history over time, and thematically, focusing on different ideas. The museum also features multimedia and immersive experiences, making it more than just a collection of static displays. Your tour offers a unique opportunity to witness some of the most impressive artifacts, including magnificent statues, royal regalia, and ancient monuments. Your knowledgeable guide will lead you through this journey back in time, sharing insights into the treasures encountered along the way.
• Through the windows, visitors can enjoy a direct sightline to the Pyramids, connecting the museum experience with the surrounding archaeological landscape.
• Visit all major galleries, including the Tutankhamun exhibit, and enjoy the Solar Boats of King Cheops.
• Drive back to the hotel and overnight in Cairo.
• (Breakfast, Lunch)

• After breakfast at the hotel, drive to the Egyptian Museum for an unforgettable tour. The Egyptian Museum, established by the Egyptian government in 1835, is housed in its present building constructed in 1900 in the new-classical style by French architect Marcel Dourgnon. The museum's collection exceeds 120,000 objects, ranging from the prehistoric era to the Greco-Roman period. It features 107 halls, with the ground floor displaying huge statues and the upper floor housing smaller statues, jewellery and the treasures of Tutankhamun. The museum also includes a photography section and a large library.
• Lunch will be served at an oriental restaurant before proceeding for an afternoon visit to the Citadel with the towering Mosque of Mohamed Ali. One of Cairo's most popular tourist attractions, the Citadel houses several museums, ancient mosques and other sites. Located on a limestone spur detached from the Moqattam Hills by quarrying, it is one of the world's greatest monuments to medieval warfare and a prominent landmark on Cairo's eastern skyline. Particularly when viewed from the north, the Citadel reveals a distinctly medieval character.
• After the visit, a short drive will take you to the famous Khan El Khalili Bazaars, where you can enjoy some free time strolling through the narrow and atmospheric alleyways. Drive back to your hotel in Cairo.
• Evening at leisure, with an optional tour (at additional cost) to visit the spectacular Sound & Light Show by the Pyramids, enjoy dinner while cruising the Nile, or have dinner at Sequoia Restaurant by the Nile.
• (Breakfast, Lunch)

• After an early breakfast at the hotel, drive to Alexandria via the desert road for a full-day guided tour covering Pompey’s Pillar, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Qaitbay Citadel from outside and Al Montazah Gardens.
• The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the New Library of Alexandria, is dedicated to recapturing the spirit of openness and scholarship of the original Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It is much more than a library, with 13 different departments. The New Library also hosts a number of institutions and continues to grow as a nerve center for many international and regional networks.
• The Qaitbay Fort has guarded the bay for centuries. At the end of the Corniche stand the crenellated walls of the Mameluk fortress, built in 1480 on the site of the Alexandria Lighthouse.
• The Pompey’s Pillar and Kom El-Shuqafa Catacombs are among Alexandria’s notable historical attractions. Standing thirty meters high and built from Aswan pink granite, Pompey’s Pillar is thought to have been a gift from the people of Alexandria to Emperor Diocletian. The majority of the remains found around the column can be seen at the Greco-Roman Museum. At the top of the hill lies the entrance to the Kom El-Shuqafa Catacombs, dating from the first and second centuries and discovered by chance at the beginning of the 20th century.
• The Montazah Gardens cover approximately 150 hectares surrounding the palace of Khedive Abbas, with remarkable architecture worth of Walt Disney. Visitors can enjoy strolling through the gardens or swimming at the nice sandy beaches.
• Lunch will be served during the tour at an oriental restaurant. Drive back to Cairo at the end of the day and overnight at the hotel in Cairo.
• (Breakfast, Lunch)

• After breakfast at the hotel, check out and proceed with an escorted transfer to Cairo Domestic Airport for your flight to Luxor. Upon arrival at Luxor Airport, meet and assist before transferring to the Nile Cruise in Luxor and completing the embarkation formalities.
• In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of the Karnak and Luxor Temples on the East Bank. Karnak Temple, located on the East Bank of Luxor, is one of the greatest examples of worship in history and was dedicated to the God Amon, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu. It was constructed from the beginning of the Middle Kingdom through to the Greco-Roman Kingdom.
• Luxor Temple, located on the East Bank, is a magnificent temple complex in modern Luxor and is particularly impressive during sunset. It is dedicated to Amun, a creator god often fused with the sun-god Ra into Amun-Ra. Construction began during the reign of Amenhotep III in the 14th century BC. Horemheb and Tutankhamun added columns, statues and friezes, while Akhenaten had earlier obliterated his father's cartouches and installed a shrine to the Aten. The only major expansion effort took place under Ramses II, around 100 years after the first stones were laid. Luxor is thus unique among the main Egyptian temple complexes in having only two pharaohs leave their mark on its architectural structure.
• Return to the cruise for dinner onboard, followed by dancing and music. Overnight onboard the Nile Cruise in Luxor.
• (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

• After breakfast onboard, enjoy a guided tour of the West Bank, visiting the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple at El Deir El Bahary and the Colossi of Memnon. The Valley of the Kings was a magnificent burial ground for the Pharaohs and was considered the kingdom of Osiris, the god of the underworld. From their grand tombs filled with treasures and decorated with magnificent art, the Egyptian Pharaohs believed they would embark on a journey to meet the gods in the afterlife and achieve immortality.
• Continue to the Hatshepsut Temple, one of the most dramatically situated temples in the world. The queen’s architect, Senenmut, designed it and set it at the head of a valley. Throughout the temple, statues and sphinxes of the queen proliferated, many of which have been reconstructed with patience and ingenuity from thousands of smashed fragments found by excavators. Some of these are now in the Cairo Museum, while others are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
• Pass by the Colossi of Memnon, the two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. For 3,400 years, they have stood in the Theban Necropolis, across the River Nile from the city of Luxor.
• Return to the cruise for lunch onboard and sail to Edfu via Esna. Enjoy afternoon tea and the Captain’s welcome cocktail, followed by dinner onboard, disco and music. Overnight onboard the Nile Cruise.
• (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

• After breakfast on board, enjoy a guided tour of the Temple of Horus at Edfu, a major Ptolemaic temple built between 237 BCE and 57 BCE during the reign of Cleopatra VII. It is the most completely preserved temple in Egypt, built from sandstone over an earlier New Kingdom temple, with the remains of its older pylon visible on the east side of the first court.
• Enjoy lunch on board while sailing to Kom Ombo, followed by a visit to the Kom Ombo Temple, consisting of two temples dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris. The temple features duplicated structures along its main axis, including two entrances, courts, colonnades, hypostyle halls and sanctuaries. The northern side is dedicated to Haroeris (Horus the Elder), the falcon-headed sky god, while the southern side is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god. The temple has scant remains due to the changing Nile, its use as a church by the Copts, and the reuse of its stones for new buildings.
• Enjoy afternoon tea and dinner on board, followed by an Egyptian Galabeya Party. Sail to Aswan and overnight in Aswan.
• (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

• After breakfast on board, enjoy a guided tour of the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple.
• Visit the High Dam, an engineering miracle built in 1960 to protect Egypt from the annual floods of the Nile. Continue to the majestic Philae Temple, located on an island and accessible by boat. The site was flooded for six months each year, until an incredible restoration programme was undertaken in the 1960s, moving the temple stone by stone to a higher elevation.
• Visit the Unfinished Obelisk, the largest known ancient obelisk, located in the northern region of the ancient stone quarries in Aswan. It was ordered by Hatshepsut (1508–1458 BC), possibly to complement the Lateran Obelisk, originally at Karnak and later brought to the Lateran Palace in Rome. It is nearly one third larger than any ancient Egyptian obelisk ever erected. If completed, it would have measured around 42 metres (approximately 137 feet) and weighed nearly 1,200 tons.
• Enjoy lunch on board, followed by a felucca sail on the Nile around Kitchener’s Island, with views of the Agha Khan Mausoleum.
• Dinner on board with night entertainment featuring a Nubian Show. Overnight in Aswan.
• (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

• After breakfast, disembark and transfer to Aswan Airport for a flight to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport, our representative will welcome you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.
• Alternatively, for those who wish to opt for an unforgettable tour to Abu Simbel, enjoy an early breakfast and disembark before transferring to Aswan Airport for a flight to Abu Simbel. Upon arrival, you will be transferred by Egypt Air buses to the great temples of Ramses II and his beloved Nefertari, where guides will be waiting to show you around in groups. Transfer back to the airport by Egypt Air buses to board the flight to Cairo via Aswan.
• Overnight at the hotel in Cairo.
• (Breakfast)

• After breakfast, proceed with the final departure transfer from the hotel. Our representative will escort you to the airport and assist with your flight check-in.
• (Breakfast)