Best of Egypt

Welcome to the land of the pharaohs — we’ll get you to your hotel and you’ll spend the night in enchanting Cairo.

Today you’ll leave bustling Cairo and head into the desert…. You’ll stand at the foot of the Great Pyramids and marvel at the Sphinx just as visitors have for 5000 years. We’ll travel to Memphis and view the remains of the first capital of united upper and lower Egypt. Sakkara is our next destination, site of the earliest pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser. It’s architect, Imhotep, was considered a god…. We’ll return to Cairo, share dinner and spend the night. (B, D)

Today, let our experts show you Cairo. The Egyptian Museum will not only dazzle you with ancient treasures, but bring you face-to-face with pharaohs — Rameses II, Seti I, Amenhotep III… An incredible opportunity to look upon the actual people behind the history. You’ll explore the medieval Citadel of Saladin and the beautiful Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque. A true highlight of the day is a walking tour of the 13th century covered market, Khan El Khalili Bazaar — there is nothing that can’t be bought here! We stay in Cairo tonight. (B)

A short flight from Cairo will bring you to Luxor for a 5 day /4 night luxury cruise down the Nile. You will marvel at the stunning Temples of Karnak and Luxor; our expert guide will bring to life the lives of the ancient pharaohs-we’ll take our dinner aboard ship and spend the night there. (B, L, D)

Today you’ll explore the final resting places of Egypt’s ancient leaders in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. In a land of “big” architecture, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the most celebrated female pharaoh, never fails to fill one with awe. We’ll finish the day viewing the Colossi of Memnon, all that remains of the massive temple complex of Amenhotep III. Tonight we’ll sail on to Esna and spend the night on board our ship. (B, L, D)

Today we head to Edfu and the Temple of Horus, considered the best-preserved ancient temple of Egypt. You’ll sail on to Kom Ombo and explore the Temple of Sobek, the crocodile-headed god. The scale of these complexes, built without the equipment of today, boggles the mind. We’ll continue down the river to Aswan and stay the night aboard our ship. (B, L, D)

This morning you’ll visit the Aswan Dam. A modern engineering marvel in the land that set the standard…this is the source of the granite used in monuments throughout Egypt– an unfinished obelsk serves as poignant reminder of the labour these projects involved. You’ll stand in the exquisite Temple of Philae and board a felucca to view the tranquil gardens of Kitchner’s Island and the Agha Khan Mausoleum. You’ll spend the night in Aswan. (B, L, D)

Flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel to board your Lake Nasser cruise
Arrive in Abu Simbel and you’ll transfer to your ship on Lake Nasser. After lunch we will visit Abu Simbel.
Prepare to be blown away by the magnificence of these temples. They are undisputedly one of the world’s most breathtaking monuments, and Egypt’s second most visited touristic site, the Pyramids of Giza being on the top of the list. The relocation of the temples was a historic event in the 1960’s. At that time, the temples were threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser when the High Dam was constructed. The Egyptian government with the support of UNESCO launched a world wide appeal to save these colossal landmarks. They were successfully dismantled and relocated to a spot 60 meters above the cliff where they had been initially built. The more famous of the two temples is dedicated to Ramses II and the smaller one to his favourite wife Nefertari. They were both built by Ramses II in the 13th century BCs. The most remarkable feature of the Temple of Abu-Simbel is that the construction is oriented in a way that twice a year, the morning sun rays shine through the length of the inner temple cave and illuminate the statues of the four gods seated at the end of the cave. Dinner and overnight on board.
(B, L, D)

Morning will find us in Amanda. Home to a temple illuminating this intriguing period Egypt’s history The Temple of Amada, originally located about 112 miles south of the Aswan High Dam, was moved, as a single unit, one and one-half miles to New Amada. It is the oldest of the Nubian temples, dating from the New Kingdom rulers Tuthmosis III and Amenhotep II, with additions by Tuthmosis IV. Then Seti I and Ramesses II did repairs and minor additions. The temple was dedicated to Amun-Re and Re-Horakhty but was desecrated during the Amarna period. However it still contains important historical texts concerning, e.g., a military campaign into Asia. Derr Temple in Nubia, on the East bank of the Nile, was constructed in honor of the 30th anniversary of the reign of Ramses II. Originally it was unusually constructed – partly of cut stone and partly excavated into the hillside. Various sources give its dedication to Pitah, Amon or Ra, but Derr temple, as were so many others, was certainly built to the glory of Pharaoh Rameses.In the mid 1960’s the construction of the Aswan High Dam would have flooded the temple at Derr so the entire remaining portion of the temple was moved to higher ground, about seven miles from its original location.Tomb of Pennut is located in Nubia, near Amada Temple. This tomb belongs to one of the officials who lived at the time of Ramses IV. The only Nubian tomb rescued by UNESCO’s project, it presently is located opposite Kasr Ibrim, some 25 miles away from its original site.
…we’ll pass the picturesque ruins of Ksar Ibrim for a view from your ship’s sundeck. Sail on the Wadi El Seboua. Dinner and overnight on board. (B, L, D)

Today we will visit Wadi El Seboua Temple
This temple, originally a few miles east of its present location at New Sebua, was built by Ramses II. It once had three pylons, the third of which survives. In the court past the first (now non-existent) pylon are six human-headed sphinxes wearing the double crown of upper and lower Egypt. In the second court, falcon-headed sphinxes. Then the third pylon, the only one extant, with one of the original four colossi of Ramses remaining. We will sail to Aswan for Dinner and overnight on board. (B, L, D)

Early morning visit Kalabsha Temple
The temple of Kalabsha is the largest free-standing temple in Nubia. Originally it stood about thirty miles south of the High Dam at Aswan before being moved to its present site, New Kalabsha, immediately south of the dam. Built in the later Ptolemaic period and continued by Augustus, it was dedicated to Horus-Mandulis (a Nubian god), Isis, and Osiris. Like others of the Nubian temples, it was later converted into a church. After the visit you will be transferred to the Aswan airport for a short flight to Cairo. You will be met and transferred to your hotel in Cairo. Overnight in Cairo. (B)

After breakfast, transfer to Cairo international airport for your departure flight. (B)