Friday. Upon arrival into Cairo airport you are met and transferred to your 5 star hotel located in downtown Cairo. The rest of the day is free to relax or those arriving early can opt to pre book our optional Backstreets of Cairo tour which departs the hotel at 10am today. This evening a Welcome Meeting will be held at around 7pm.
If you would like to extend your stay and see more of Egypt, we also offer a pre or post tour [[Alexandria Day Trip.|122837]]
Today we visit Egypt's most loved and iconic sight: The Great Pyramids of Giza. We explore the Giza plateau, pyramids and massive Sphinx. We continue on to explore Saqqara - an ancient necropolis with many half-buried tombs and the famous Zhoser’s step pyramid. Then we return to our hotel where the rest of the day is free to relax by the pool and enjoy the hotel facilities.
Cairo - Luxor. This morning we join our guided tour of the incredible new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. This vast 490,000 sq.m complex showcases an astonishing collection of artefacts from nearly every period of ancient Egyptian history. Among the highlights are treasures of King Tutankhamun, with plans for his famous solid gold funerary mask to eventually be showcased here, alongside many items being exhibited for the first time.
Later, we make our way to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which remains home to a vast collection of statues, jewellery, and sarcophagi. Here, we’ll see the well-preserved mummies of Yuya and Thuyu, high-ranking nobles and the great-grandparents of King Tutankhamun. Some mummies are so well preserved they still have thick locks of hair and visible fingernails.
Later we transfer to the airport for our flight to Luxor. Please note that your tour guide will not accompany you onboard your flight.
The massive pair of statues known as the Colossi of Memnon are the first monuments we see during our morning visit to the West Bank - home to the legendary Valley of the Kings. We also see the colonnaded Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Return to Luxor for check-in on board our Nile 5 star cruiser. Lunch is at leisure and we have time to relax until our early evening visit to the Temple of Luxor. Luxor Temple looks stunning at dusk and is beautifully illuminated at night.
Note: Dependent upon Nile Cruiser scheduling, we may take an excursion to Karnak Temple this afternoon. Should this occur, day 5 is spent at leisure.
Luxor - Nile Cruising. This morning we tour the ancient city of Thebes (the East Bank) and gaze at the magnificent Temple of Karnak. More than a temple, Karnak is a gigantic and stunning complex of sanctuaries and pylons dedicated to the Theban gods. Anchors away this afternoon as we set sail downstream.
Nile Cruising. Relax as we sail the Nile. Later today, we visit the Temple of Kom Ombo. A unique riverside temple, it is unusual in that everything architecturally is doubled and perfectly symmetrical along the main axis of the temple including twin halls, courts, colonnades, sanctuaries and entrances. Arrive in Aswan: a prosperous town at the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes late evening.
Nile cruiser - Aswan. Today, we enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island for a look at the Philae Temple dedicated to the goddess Isis. The temple dates from 4th century BC but the Ptolomies and the Romans up to 3rd century AD built most of the existing structures. In danger of being completely submerged by the rising water of Lake Nasser, in 1972 UNESCO stepped in and an 8-year rescue effort was undertaken to relocate the entire temple 20m higher on nearby Agilika Island.
After lunch, we visit the High Dam and take a felucca sailing trip to Elephantine and Kitchener Island followed by a visit to a perfume oil emporium. As the sun sets, we enjoy free time to shop in the colourful souqs and markets or simply relax and watch an amazing sunset in Egypt’s southern most town straddling the River Nile.
Consider our optional early morning excursion to see the magnificent Temples of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel. In a multimillion dollar operation lead by UNESCO in 1972, the famous temples were re-located to a higher position on the shoreline of Lake Nasser which had threatened to erode the foundations of this monolithic temple complex. Please see our Abu Simbel by Road Add-on for more info. Alternatively you can spend the morning at leisure.
This afternoon offers free time. Consider a visit to the Old Cataract Hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote the novel Death on the Nile. High Tea is also offered on the terrace which affords panoramic views of the Nile set to a backdrop of rolling sand dunes. Or opt for a visit to the well-curated Nubian Museum.
Aswan - Cairo. Today we fly back to Cairo. Upon arrival transfer to the hotel, check in and rendezvous with your guide. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy the hotel facilities or or you can join our optional excursion visiting Old Cairo, Coptic Cairo and the Citadel of Saladin (book locally).
Sunday. Tour ends after breakfast. Included onward transfer to airport.
