Amazing Egypt’s Culture and History

You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Le Riad Hotel de Charme or similar.

Early arrivals can take an optional evening dinner cruise on the Nile or enjoy the spectacular sound and light show at the pyramids.

Your Egypt tour begins with a drive to Giza to visit the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, led by one of our local Egyptologists.

Following on from the Pyramids head to the Egyptian Museum that is home to the fantastic Tutankhamun exhibit (note that the new museum is scheduled to open some time in 2023 – dates tba).

Return to your hotel for the evening to rest up before your flight tomorrow or choose and optional evening trip.

Early morning flight to Luxor this morning. On arrival met and transferred to your hotel the Al Moudira or similar for one night on a bed and breakfast basis.

Your local Egyptologist will meet you and take you on a tour of the West Bank to see the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.

This evening they will accompany you on an evening tour of Luxor museum.

This morning your guide will accompany you on a tour of the famous Karnak Temple complex.

After which you will join your traditional Dahabiya the Orient Dahabiya *or similar during the afternoon for your four night voyage southbound towards Aswan.

After embarkation you will cruise to El Kab, the ancient town of Nekheb, to visit the remains of its temples and some of the tombs cut into the cliffs.

Later set sail for a small island where the boat will moor for the night.

Dinner will be served on board the Dahabiya or on the tranquil banks of the Nile. First night on board.

While on board all meals, soft drinks, tea and coffee and sightseeing is included.

• Note alternative Dahabiyas are available in different categories, or else larger cruise boats.

Sail for Edfu and visit the temple of Horus, the best-preserved of all the temples in Egypt.

Set sail for a small island where the boat will moor for the night; later stops will take you to small villages and the desert.

Dinner will be served on board the Dahabiya or on the tranquil banks of the Nile. Second night on board

Sail to Gebel el Silsila and explore the ancient sandstone quarries and rock-cut chapels of Horemheb, Seti I, Ramesses II and Merenptah.

Your journey up the Nile continues towards the double temple of Haroeris and Sobek in Kom Ombo.

Later set sail for the island of Maniha, where the Dahabiya will moor for the night.

Dinner will be served on board the Dahabiya or on the tranquil banks of the Nile. Third night on board

Sail to Daraw and take a walking tour to the village to visit the markets of Daraw, once the last stop on the famous 40-day desert road between Sudan and Egypt.

Sailing continues to the Nubian village of El Koubania, near Aswan. Fourth and last night on board.

After breakfast on board say farewell to your Dahabiya and her crew and transfer to the historic and world-renowned Old Cataract Hotel for one night.

Today an Egyptologist will lead you on a day trip to view the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel – aved from the rising waters of Lake Nassar following the creation of the Aswan Dam.

Afternoon and evening at leisure in the hotel which, in its past, has hosted Kings, Queens, statesmen, writers and artists.

Following breakfast you’ll visit the beautifully preserved island Temple of Philae before your afternoon flight back to Cairo.

In the late afternoon/early evening, take a guided walk through the back streets and bazaars in central Cairo. Walk through the huge Bab al-Futuh gateway and explore streets dedicated to metalwork, spices, pottery, fabric, jewelry as you gradually enter the more touristy Khan-el-Khalili bazaar which is the perfect place to pick up some final souvenirs.

Overnight Le Riad Hotel or a hotel of your choice.

Following breakfast you’ll have free time to explore the city or take an optional tour – these include a city tour which visits old town area of Coptic Cairo, the Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque.

Or take a half-day tour to Saqqara, Dashour and Memphis. Far quieter sites than the Pyramids of Giza which offer a different experience.

Or perhaps you’d like to visit the famous Gezira Sporting Club – former bastion of British colonialism now opened up for local sports, although many were practiced by its founders: golf, squash, bowls, croquet, riding, and even cricket. The last is played almost exclusively by Indian and Pakistani residents of Cairo. Horse racing, one of the club’s original raisons d’être, takes place during the winter season. Polo, however, which led to the founding of the Gezira as a gift from Egypt’s viceroy to the officers of the British army of occupation, is no longer played for lack of grounds, players, and schooled ponies.

With the passing of Nasserism, the Gezira regained a small measure of its colonial grandeur, catering mostly to nouveau-riche Egyptians and a few foreign technocrats, and can be visited today by non-members by purchasing a day ticket to allow you to use the pool and facilities.

Today is free for more last-minute sightseeing or shopping until your transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

You can also extend the tour to take a day trip to the coastal city of Alexandria or head into the desert to the World Heritage Site of the Valley of the Whales.