Jewels of the Nile

As soon as you get off the plane, you will see our airport agent holding a sign with your name on it. They will help you get your Egyptian visa, lead you through baggage claim, and then escort you to your hotel!

Breakfast at Hotel. Visit the Great Pyramids of Giza: one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, the best-preserved pyramids in Egypt, they are on the bucket list of everyone travelling to this country. The Great Sphinx: the oldest and biggest human-headed statue with the body of a lion ever known from Ancient Egypt, located right next to Giza Pyramids. The Valley Temple: where mummified dead bodies of Egyptian Pharaohs were prepared before they headed to their final burials inside their Pyramids. A brief Camel Ride in front of the Pyramids with the option of individual and group portraits! Lunch in an authentic local restaurant. After lunch head to Sakkara to visit the oldest stone building in the world known as the Step Pyramid and get a chance to visit a private tomb in the oldest famous necropolis: the Tomb of Kagemni and then go inside the Pyramid of King Teti. Later you will take a short drive to Dahshur to visit some unique Pyramids: The Bent Pyramid, and the Red Pyramid of King Snefru of the 4th Dynasty.

Breakfast at Hotel. Visit the New Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). The GEM is the largest archaeological museum in the world. It houses thousands of artifacts of ancient Egypt, including the complete 5,000-pieces of King Tut`s collection with many pieces being displayed for the very first time. Short drive to visit the Citadel of Saladin: a Muslim Fortress that was built in 1183 AD which remained the residence of Kings and seat of governments for about seven centuries. It houses a beautiful Mosque in Alabaster stone, built by Muhammed Ali, King of Egypt 1805 – 1849. Lunch in a local restaurant. Visit Ibn Tulun: The oldest existing Mosque in Egypt and Africa. It is so unique with its old Islamic architectural elements from the 9th century, and climbing its minaret gives you an outstanding panoramic view of the old city of Cairo. Sultan Hassan Madrasa: A Mosque and School from the 14th century. It is a most impressive monument with its giant minarets, the size of its walls and calligraphy of writing. Rafie Mosque: A very well-known Mosque with its beautiful mausoleums where some of the last Royal Family members of Egypt are buried, as well as the Last Shah of Iran.

Breakfast at Hotel. This morning, after checking out from your hotel, you take a short flight from Cairo to Aswan (about 1.5 hours). Upon arrival, take a boat ride to visit Philae Temple, one of the most important monuments in southern Egypt. Philae was an ancient pilgrimage centre for the cult of Isis. Saved from a watery grave by UNESCO’s rescue project, it was transferred block by block from a nearby island to escape being flooded when the Aswan Dam was built between 1972 and 1980. Then take a short drive to visit the High Dam of Aswan, one of the largest 10 projects of the 20th century. Felucca (sailboat) ride on the Nile. Check in at your Nile Cruise.

Breakfast on Cruise. Sailing to visit the Temple of Sobek at Kom Ombo: One side of the temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world. The other side is dedicated to the falcon god Horus. Nearby, you will visit the Crocodile Mummification Museum. You will see well-preserved remains of crocodiles, cats, fish, and other animals who were mummified by the ancient Egyptians. It will provide you with an understanding of the ancient art of mummification. Back on your Nile Cruise, sailing to Edfu., visit Edfu Temple, the best-preserved temple of the ancient world, dedicated to Horus the falcon god. It was built between 237 and 57 BC and is known for its gigantic pylons. Sailing to Luxor.

Breakfast on Cruise. Today you visit the famous Valley of the Kings, the most historically significant archaeological site in the world. For the past 200 years, archaeologists have been exploring the site, and have discovered 65 ancient tombs, including the most famous of all – the tomb of King Tut! You will enter and explore three tombs. Later take a short drive to the largest Mortuary Temple of pharaoh Ramesses III with its very fresh colours which have been restored recently. You end your visit to the West Bank with the largest statues ever sculpted in Luxor, known as the Colossi of Memnon, which were made for King Amenophis III. Lunch on Cruise. In the afternoon we visit Karnak Temple complex, a vast open-air museum, and the second largest ancient religious site in the world. Construction at Karnak started 4,000 years ago and continued for 2,000 years. Each Egyptian ruler who worked at Karnak left their own architectural mark. Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings here, creating a complex unlike any other. Visit Luxor Temple; a beautiful structure packed with history and legend. Construction took about 100 years, between 1370 BC and 1295 BC, and was added to by four different pharaohs. You will visit the newly opened Avenue of Sphinxes. Also called the King’s Festivities Road, or Rams Road, this 1.7-mile-long avenue connects Karnak Temple with Luxor Temple, with sphinxes and ram-headed statues lined up on both flanks

Breakfast on Cruise. You take an early flight from Luxor to Cairo. Upon arrival in Cairo, you visit Cairo’s new Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), whose exhibits are designed to offer visitors a holistic experience of the evolution of Egyptian civilization, The museum includes six main galleries entitled ‘The Dawn of Civilization’, ‘The Nile’, ‘Writing’, ‘State and Society’, ‘Material Culture, Beliefs and Thinking’, and the ‘Gallery of Royal Mummies’. Later you will enjoy walking in the Coptic District and visit the oldest churches of The Virgin Mary known as the Hanging Church, which dates back to the 4th century, and the Church of St. Sergius with its most interesting feature; the Crypt, where Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus rested. Lunch in a local restaurant. This afternoon, you will spend the afternoon exploring El Moez Street, a lively pedestrian street in Old Cairo. A UNESCO World Heritage Site with the greatest concentration of medieval architectural treasures in the Islamic world, it runs between two massive gates in the original stone city wall, built in the 11th century when Cairo was founded. Wandering the meandering alleyways and discovering magnificent mosques, fine old houses and palaces, cafes and restaurants, and tentmaker’s market is a treat for locals and visitors alike. Ending your day in the most famous Souk (market) in the Middle East …. Khan El Khalili.