subject: Egypt : Cairo - Aswan - Lake Nasser - Luxor - Alexandria [print this page] Day 01: Arrival Day 01: Arrival
Welcome to Cairo! Your tour begins when you are greeted by our representative who will assist you through immigration and customs formalities. After you have collected your luggage he will then take you, in our deluxe vehicle, to your Cairo hotel.
Day 02: Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel is followed by a full day tour. In the morning you will be taken to Sakkara to see the very first pyramid ever built; the Step Pyramid of Djoser. You will also get the chance to see some fantastic mastabas, including the mastaba of Mereruka, the largest one built in ancient Egypt. You will then be able to marvel at the Pyramid Texts inside the Pyramid of Teti before heading off to the ancient capital of Egypt: Memphis. The Colossus of Ramses II dominates the museum here; do not forget your camera!cairo
After lunch, at a local restaurant, you will be driven to see the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx: the most famous monuments of not only ancient Egypt, but of the entire ancient world! These massive stone structures were built around 4,500 years ago on a rocky desert plateau close to the Nile. After the visit, you will be taken to the Papyrus Institute where you will see how the ancient Egyptians made this forerunner to today's paper; have a go at making it yourself; and get the opportunity to look at some fantastic examples of papyrus art, with no obligation to buy.
After this amazing trip through Egypt's pharaonic past you will be driven back to your hotel.
Day 03: Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel is followed by another full day tour, but this time you will spent the forenoon at the Egyptian Museum: gaze at the wonders of King Tutankhamen, including his golden death mask; stare upon the mummies of some of Egypt's ancient pharaohs (optional); lose yourself in the many rooms and galleries, where thousands of artefacts are awaiting your visit.
After lunch, at a local restaurant, you will be taken to the Citadel of Saladin, the fortress built between 1176 and 1183 AD, to protect Cairo from the Crusaders and rebuilt by Muhammad Ali Pasha, whose mosque is a "must see".
At the end of this exciting day you will be taken back to your hotel
Day 04: Lake Nasser Cruise: Abu-Simbelabu simbel
After breakfast you will check out and our representative will escort you to the airport for your flight to Abu Simbel, via Aswan. Upon arrival you will be met and assisted by our representative who will transfer you to your Lake Nasser cruise boat: your floating hotel for your next 4 days. Upon embarkation you will check-in and then have your lunch.
After lunch you will be taken to see the marvelous temples of Abu Simbel, which were originally carved out of a rocky mountainside by Ramses II. After dinner you will return to Abu Simbel to see the phenomenal sound and light show, whilst the waters of Lake Nasser lap behind you.
Day 05: Lake Nasser Cruise: Amadaamada
After breakfast you will visit Kasr Ibrim, though only from the outside. In ancient Egypt this area was known as Per-Mit, which became Premis during the Greco-Roman Period, eventually being known as Ibrim during the Arab times. There are many monuments here, including tombs of the rulers of Nubia during the reign of Tuthmosis III.
The boat sails on as you have lunch, eventually arriving at Amada, where you will embark to visit the temple.
The temple here was built in the New Kingdom by Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep II. It was dedicated to the gods Amun-Re and Re-Horakhty. It was later added to by Tuthmosis IV and Seti I.
After the visit you will return to the boat for dinner, as it continues its journey towards Wadi El-Sebou.
Day 06: Lake Nasser Cruise: El-Sebou And Dakkadakka temple
After breakfast it is time to visit the temple of Wadi El-Sebou. Like Abu Simbel, it was built by Ramses II and is the second biggest of the Nubian temples. An avenue of sphinxes lead to the entrance of this temple, which was dedicated to the worship of the gods Amun-Re, Re-Horakhty and the deified Ramses II. It is one of the many temples that were rescued, and relocated away from their original locations, to escape the rising water of Lake Nasser.
Your next visit will be to the Temple of Dakka. Originally built on a site which dated from the New Kingdom, but moved to save it from being destroyed, this temple was built by the Nubian Akamani who ruled during the reign of Ptolemy II.
After these visits, which include lunch, you will be returned to the cruise boat for your dinner as you now start to return to Aswan.
Day 07: Lake Nasser Cruise: Kalabsha And Beit El-Wali; Nile Cruise: Aswan
65 Km before reaching Aswan you will have another temple to visit. After breakfast you will be taken to see the temple of Kalabsha, named after the nearby village. Constructed in the Roman Period, during the reign of Augustus, it was later added to by other Emperor's, such as Caligula and Trajan. It was built on an earlier site which is thought to date back to the 18th dynasty reigns of Tuthmosis and Amenhotep II. It is considered to be among the most complete temples in Nubia. The last temple you will visit on the shores of this massive, man-made lake is the temple of Beit El-Wali. Not only is it another of the many temples built by Ramses II, and dedicated to his deified self, Amun-Re and Re-Horakhty, it is also another which was moved to preserve it. wadi el seboua temple
These Nubian temples of Ramses II were built as part of a state sponsored policy designed to maintain Egyptian control over Nubia. In the New Kingdom Nubia was not only ruled by the Egyptian officials but its whole identity was destroyed, an attempt to make it more like Egypt.
Upon arrival at Aswan you will be transferred to your Nile cruise and after lunch you will be driven to see the High Dam, the worlds largest rock filled dam, and then a short sail to the Temple of Philae, moved to the island of Agilika after the waters of Lake Nasser flooded its original location. It is then back to Aswan to rejoin your cruise and as the Nile laps gently underneath you, dinner will be served.
Day 08: Nile Cruise: Kom Ombo And Edfu
A new day and your first breakfast on board this boat as it sails majestically towards Kom Ombo, where you will visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the gods Horus and Sobek. After the visit you will be taken back to the boat for your lunch while it sails onward to Edfu, home of the best preserved temple in Egypt: the Temple of Horus. After your visit to this superb temple you will be taken back to the boat in plenty of time before it departs Edfu and sets sail for Esna.
Once you reach Esna you will watch as it sails through the Esna locks. Once through the locks the boat continues on its course towards Luxor, which it will reach after you have had dinner.
Day 09: Nile Cruise: Luxorcruise
An early breakfast and then it is time to visit the West Bank of Luxor: the tombs of the New Kingdom Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings; the tombs of princes in the Valley of the Queens; the magnificent temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahri finishing with the immense Colossi of Memnon.
After lunch, which you will have on board, you will visit the magnificent Karnak and Luxor Temples. Once your visit to these ancient Theban Temples is completed you return to the boat where your last dinner, upon this floating hotel, will be served.
Day 10: Luxor And Cairo
You will have your final breakfast on the boat before you have to check out and then are transferred to Luxor airport for your flight to Cairo (about 45 minutes). Upon arrival at Cairo you will be met by our representative who will transfer you to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is for you to enjoy in any way you want.
Day 11: Wadi El-Natron And Alexandriachurch
After breakfast the drive to Alexandria has a slight detour to see the Wadi El-Natrun; the site of 4 ancient monasteries, as well as being a huge salt-pan where the ancient Egyptians collected the salt for use in mummification and cleansing rituals.
After lunch you will continue the journey, arriving at your Alexandria hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore.
Day 12: Alexandria
After breakfast you will start your first tour in this beautiful city, originally built by Alexander the Great, including a trip to the New Alexandria Library (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), inaugurated on October 16, 2002, with shelf space for eight million books, with the main reading room on eleven levels; Montazah Gardens, a private park where world leaders often meet, 150 acres of numerous trees, palms, and flowers which overlook many bays and beaches; and finally the Alexandria National Museum, built in a former palace and now houses almost 2000 artefacts which tell the story of the city, including the recent finds from the sunken part of the city;
Lunch will be supplied at a local restaurant in the middle of this exciting tour, and at the end of the day you will be returned to your hotel for dinner.
Day 13: Alexandriaalexandria
After breakfast you will experience a trip into the catacombs (Kom el Shoqafa), where the early Christians were buried; Pompey's Pillar, the biggest memorial column in Egypt, made of red granite and standing about 28 metres high, with a base diameter of 2.7 metres. During the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, the Roman ruler of Egypt, between 284 and 305AD, erected this memorial column in his honour, as a sign of gratitude; the Roman Amphitheatre, which every town in the ancient Roman Empire had; and the Citadel of Qaitbay, where about 1480 AD the Mameluke Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay fortified the site, which held the ruins of the Alexandria Lighthouse, and with successive improvements it now stands as a very prominent Citadel on the Mediterranean coastline.
Again lunch will be supplied at a local restaurant in the middle of the day, and as the sites start to close you will have a tired, but fulfilled, drive back to your hotel for dinner.
Day 14: El-Alamein And Cairo al almeen cemetary
After breakfast you will be taken, in our air-conditioned vehicle, to El-Alamein where you will see the war cemetery and museum dedicated to the 2 battles fought here during World War II. Once this visit is completed you will be driven back to your Cairo hotel.
Day 15: Cairo
Once you have finished breakfast you will be taken on a tour of Cairo famous Churches, including: The Hanging Church and the Church of St. George the Martyr, 2 churches built into the walls of the Fort of Babylon and its remains could be Cairo's oldest structures; and the Church of Abu Serga (St. Sergius), where, it is said, the Holy Family took shelter in a cave, with the church being erected her to commemorate this. This whole area is a world famous destination for Pilgrims. You will next be driven to visit the old market of Cairo (Khan El-Khalili).
In the late afternoon we will take you to an authentic Egyptian restaurant for a farewell dinner before taking you back to your hotel.
Day 16: Final Departure
Your final day starts with breakfast at the hotel followed by check-out. You will then be transferred to the airport for your final departure.
Package Includes:
* 6 night's accommodation in Cairo at a 5 star hotel on bed and breakfast basis
* 3 night's accommodation on board a 5 star Lake Nasser Cruise on full board basis (all meals included) including all above shore excursions
* 3 night's accommodation on board a 5 star Nile Cruise on full board basis (all meals included) including all above shore excursions
* 3 night's accommodation in Alexandria at a 5 star hotel on half board basis (breakfast and dinner included)
* All transfers as per above mentioned program
* Private and personalized sightseeing shore excursions for 6 nights on both cruises
* Private English speaking Egyptologist guides as per the itinerary
* Entrance fees for all sightseeing
* All applicable taxes
* Private and deluxe air conditioned vehicle for all transportation
* Meals: 15 breakfasts + 13 lunches + 10 dinners
* Arrival/departure assistance
* Domestic flights: Cairo to Abu Simbel and Luxor to Cairo
* Luggage handling at airports and hotels
Package Excludes:
* Tipping for guides, driver, Nile cruise crew, etc
* Personal expenses (laundry, telephone calls, etc...)
