DAY 1.

Guest Arrival

Guests arrive at Cairo International airport and are  transferred from the airport to the Mercure Cairo Le Sphinx, hotel. 
Guests will have the opportunity to relax from their journey to Egypt.
A welcome dinner will be held in the evening to introduce staff to guests.

DAY 2.

Giza Plateau & Grand Egyptian Museum

Our morning will be spent at the famous Giza Plateau, where the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world still stand. Guests will see the three great pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Valley Temple, whilst our guide explains the history of this ancient and mysterious site. Entry inside the Great Pyramid included.

We will also take our guests in to few of the 6,000 tombs that are also on this site!

After lunch we will visit a Papyrus shop where they will demonstrate how papyrus has been made for over 5000 years.

In the afternoon we will visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (official opening still to be confirmed), where we will be one of the first people to visit the magnificent new museum, with floor to ceiling windows facing the pyramids. 

Overnight stay at the Mercure Le Sphinx Cairo hotel.

DAY 3.

Karnak Temple & Luxor Temple

We fly to Luxor to check into our 5 Star Nile cruise for 7 nights.  

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SPECIAL ACCESS

In the afternoon we will visit Karnak Temple complex, where we will have special access to the largest religious complex ever constructed. 

Our guide will take us to areas of Karnak which are usually off limits, and will give us a sneak peak at an active archaeological site!

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We will then walk the newly opened Avenue of Sphinx’s which connects Karnak and Luxor temples!

At dusk, we will visit Luxor Temple and marvel at the grand and colossal statues of Ramesses II at the gates of the temple, as well as the giant intact pillars, and statues of other great rulers such as Tutankhamen.

Overnight stay in Luxor

DAY 4.

Valley of the Kings, Tomb of Seti I & Tomb of Nefertari

We begin our day by visiting three famous tombs in the Valley of the Kings, a burial place for a period of nearly 500 years. 

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SPECIAL INCLUSION

See Seti I and Nefertari’s tomb at no additional cost! These two tombs are the best preserved tombs in ancient Egypt, and Seti I’s tomb is also the longest (at more than 120 meters), deepest and most completely finished in the Valley of the Kings. These tombs are not to be missed! They have only been open to tourists just over year, but is rarely visited.

We will then return to the cruise ship for lunch, with the afternoon free for guests to relax as we set sail for Edfu.

Our cruise will depart Luxor for Edfu.

DAY 5.

Edfu Temple & Kom Ombo

Today we will visit Edfu Temple – the temple dedicated to Horus,  and considered one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt.  

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After our visit to Edfu, we will set sail for Kom Ombo. The afternoon will be free for our guests to enjoy the scenic Nile and the amenities on the cruise ship.

We will arrive in Kom Ombo in the afternoon and walk to this beautiful temple along the banks of the Nile. The setting sun makes the temple and its pillars glow in the afternoon sun, making it the best time to visit. We will also visit the Crocodile Museum and see some mummified crocodiles that were found at the temple.

We sail overnight to Aswan

DAY 6.

Temple of Isis, Unfinished Obelisk and Elephantine Island

Our morning starts with a short trip on a felucca to the temple of Philae Temple, located on an island in Lake Nasser. This temple is dedicated to the Goddess Isis, and is a beautiful temple in picturesque surroundings.

From there we will go to the Unfinished Obelisk, to marvel at the largest obelisk that was ever attempted.

We will return to the cruise ship for lunch, then take another boat to Elephantine Island.

DAY 7.

Abu Simbel & Nubian Village

Early morning our journey takes us to Abu Simbel. We will travel 300km south of Aswan on a coach bus, to visit the lasting monument to Ramses II and his Queen Nefertari, which commemorates his victory at the Battle of Kadesh.

We will return to Aswan to the cruise ship for lunch. After lunch we will take a boat to the Nubian Village, to discover beautiful colourful buildings and a unique culture. We will explore this village, and have some tea with the locals.

Overnight stay in Aswan

DAY 8.

Day Sailing

Relax and unwind after some long days exploring archaeological sites, as our cruise ship sails up the Nile, back towards Luxor.

There will be entertainment on the cruise ship in the evening, and a special afternoon for our group to enjoy cocktails.

Arrive into Luxor in the evening, overnight in Luxor

DAY 9.

Abydos & Dendera

We have a special day ahead, visiting Dendera Temple, a site for chapels or shrines from the beginning of ancient Egypt’s history, and the beautiful main temple is dedicated to Hathor.  Dendera is where the famous “light bulbs” can be found.

We then continue onto Abydos, which is famous for the kings list, the hieroglyphs of Abydos and the Osirion at the rear of the temple. 

DAY 10.

Temple of Hatshepsut, Ramesseum & Medinet Habu

We will conclude our time in Luxor with one of the best preserved temples in Luxor – Medinet Habu. This magnificent temples is often overlooked, but offers stunning colourful wall reliefs.

After a quick stop at the Colossi of Memnon, we will stop for lunch on the West Bank, before heading to the airport to catch our evening flight back to Cairo.

Overnight stay at the Mercure Le Sphinx Cairo hotel.

DAY 11.

Dahshur & Memphis

Our journey will take us to Dahshur first to visit the Bent and Red Pyramids.

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We then continue to Memphis, ancient capital of Egypt, where guests can marvel at the giant colossus of Rameses II and some of the other artefacts found in the area dating back to around the 19th Dynasty.

We will return to Giza for lunch.  The afternoon will be free for guests to relax at their hotel, or to participate in any additional activities.

Overnight stay at the Mercure Le Sphinx Cairo hotel.

DAY 12.

Saqqara

Today we will visit an archaeological site that dates back to the early Dynastic period. At Saqqara we will visit the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the Unas pyramid, and nearby tombs.

After lunch we will head to another part of this complex, to visit the Pyramid of Teti, the tomb of Ka as well as the Serapeum, which is a mysterious set of tunnels where 25 70 tonne sarcophagi were found.

Overnight stay at the Mercure Le Sphinx Cairo hotel.

DAY 13.

Tanis

We have saved something truly special for our final day of the tour. We will travel 188km north east the city of Tanis. Tanis is a relatively unknown archaeological site and is seldom visited by tour groups, however, it is among Egypt's greatest archaeological sites, and once the capital of all Egypt. 

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After a short rest, we will head of for dinner near the famous Tahir Square, then visit the Egyptian Museum at night, where over 160,000 pharaonic period artefacts are displayed.

Overnight stay at the Mercure Le Sphinx Cairo hotel.

DAY 14.

Fayoum, Wadi Al-Hitan & Meidum Pyramid

Our journey today takes us two hours out of Cairo to the picturesque Fayoum region. First we will visit the  Meidum pyramid - a unique structure built at the end of the third dynasty. There are also some mud brick mastabas next to the pyramid which we will also have the opportunity to visit.

We will then head for lunch near the Lake Qarun which is part of the beautiful Fayoum Oasis. After lunch we will visit Wadi Al-Hitan - the Whale Valley, where invaluable fossil remains of the earliest, and now extinct whales.

We will have some time at each of our stops to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

We will have a special farewell dinner for all our guests, where we can relive some of the great moments from this trip.

Overnight stay at the Mercure Le Sphinx Cairo hotel.

DAY 15.

Farewell

As our tour concludes, we bid farewell all our guests and transfer them from the hotel to Cairo International airport for their flights home.