8 Day Pyramids & Nile Cruise by Air

This morning, join your expert tour guide for an exploration of the Grand Egyptian Museum of Antiquities to view its huge collection of ancient Egyptian artifact. Then, roam the Giza Plateau, site of the pyramids of Mycerinus and Chephren as well as the Great Pyramid. Built in the Fourth Dynasty (approximately 2690 BC), it is the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. View the Great Sphinx backdropped by the pyramids, a setting that has captured the imaginations of adventurers for centuries.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Fly to Luxor, site of the ancient city of Thebes. Begin your full day of exploring by visiting the Temple of Karnak, where generations of pharaohs wished to record their names. Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall, strolling among its expertly aligned columns, which soar to 80 feet high. Then, visit the striking Temple of Luxor. View the three large statues of Ramses II along the front of the temple pylons; the Courtyard of Ramses II; and the Colonnade of Amenhotep III, with its 50-foot-high columns. Walk in their shadows as visitors have done since antiquity and ponder the astonishing feats of engineering it took to create them. Later, step aboard river cruiser for the warmth and attentiveness of its service staff. Enjoy lunch on board.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Journey to explore the west bank of the Nile river and the Necropolis of Thebes, and view the Colossi of Memnon. Next, arrive at the architecturally stunning Temple of Hatshepsut, ancient Egypt’s first female pharaoh and regarded today as one of its most successful. Continue to the Valley of the Kings, burial ground of the pharaohs and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For a period of 500 years beginning in the 16th century BC, tombs were built along this valley for pharaohs and nobles, including that of “the boy king,” Tutankhamun. Enter the tomb of Tutankhamun (extra paid on spot)- found in 1922 by British archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter-to discover the secrets of this storied chamber. This afternoon, cruise to EDfu.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Today, view the Temple of Horus, falcon-headed god of the sky. Built in 230 BC by Ptolemy III, this amazingly well-preserved and colorful structure reveals what temple worship in ancient Egypt was like. Back on board, cruise to Kom Ombo. Later, Disembark at Kom Ombo (hill of gold) to visit the Greco- Roman temple dedicated to Haroeris (the sun god) and Sobek (the crocodile god), whom some ancient Egyptians considered the creator of the world. View the mummified remains of several crocodiles that once basked along the ancient Nile shore, just as their descendants do today. Cruise to Aswan .

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

This morning, ride a motorized boat to Philae Temple on the island of Agilika. This sacred complex was dedicated to the goddess Isis and reflects a fusion of three great civilizations-Egyptian, Greek and Roman. The temple was dismantled and then painstakingly reassembled when the Aswan High Dam was constructed. Proceed to the granite quarries and site of the Unfinished Obelisk. Illustrating the skills of Egypt’s stonemasons, this monolith is one-third taller than any other ancient Egyptian obelisk. Later, Ride Like a Local around the Aswan Islands in a felucca, while enjoying a refreshing Scenic Sundowner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Today, bid farewell to Your Nile cruise. Return to Cairo for an afternoon at leisure. Optional, Abu Simbel and discover the commanding twin temples of Ramses II and his wife, Queen Nefertari. The former’s façade is dominated by four 70-foot-tall statues of the pharaoh. Perhaps even more impressive, this entire site was disassembled and moved here to save it from the floodwaters caused by the Aswan High Dam.

Meals: Breakfast.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and depart.

Meals: Breakfast. 

Important Notice

The sequence of the itinerary is subject to change; however, all scheduled visits will be carried out as described. Depending on your arrival date, the tour may begin in Cairo followed by the cruise, or the reverse.