Egypt, Cairo

Treasures of the Nile and the Red Sea 5^*

Arrival in Cairo.

Cairo is one of the world’s largest cities, stretching along both banks of the Nile. Meet and greet on arrival and assistance with entry formalities. Transfer to your hotel.

Check-in and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for a visit to the Giza Plateau and its incredible pyramids: Cheops, the largest of the three, built around 2650 BC, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one to have survived the passage of time.

Khafre: the Pyramid of Khafre appears taller than that of Cheops. In reality, it is slightly lower, but its steeper angle of inclination and its position on slightly higher ground create this impression.

Menkaure: the tomb of King Menkaure, it is much smaller than the other two pyramids, standing 66 metres high.

The Sphinx: a lion with the head of a pharaoh, whose role was to guard the entrance to the tomb against looters.

Lunch during the tour.

The afternoon will be devoted to visits to the ancient sites of Memphis and Saqqara.

Memphis, south of Cairo, is now little more than a palm grove where a few blocks, stelae and statues remain, including an enigmatic alabaster sphinx. The capital of Ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom, Memphis was founded by King Menes around 3000 BC.

Continue to the Saqqara site and its famous Step Pyramid, built around 2700 BC for Pharaoh Djoser by the architect Imhotep.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport and flight to Luxor, in Upper Egypt.

On arrival, transfer to the port of embarkation and check-in to the boat’s cabins.

Lunch on board.

Visit to the Luxor Temple, which was built to glorify the god Amun-Re, who celebrated the anniversary of his marriage to his wife Mut every year. The procession would leave the Temple of Karnak and follow the banks of the Nile to reach the Temple of Luxor. The construction of the latter dates back to the reigns of the two pharaohs, Amenhotep III and Ramses II.

Dinner and overnight stay on board.

Breakfast on board.

Departure for a visit to the west bank of the Nile, ancient Thebes, with its timeless tombs of the pharaohs of the 18th to the 20th Dynasties.

The Valley of the Kings, where you will visit three tombs. From the 18th Dynasty and throughout the New Kingdom, pharaohs were no longer buried in temples or monuments dedicated to their final journey. On the other side of the Nile, on the west bank, the land of the afterlife, Thutmose I and all the pharaohs who succeeded him chose to be buried.

Visit of the Temple of Hatshepsut, famous for its terraces built against the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari during the reign of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut.

Visit of Medinet Habu, also known as the Temple of Ramses III. This temple is a veritable fortress and is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular mortuary temples in Egypt. No visit to Egypt would be complete without discovering this immense and monumental site dedicated to Ramses III. He sought to restore Egypt’s greatness and, at the same time, immortalise the name of his illustrious ancestor.

Photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two gigantic twin statues carved from sandstone, witnesses to the former splendour of the Temple of Amenhotep III.

Lunch on board.

Sailing towards Esna.

Dinner and overnight on board.

Breakfast.

Sailing towards Edfu.

Departure for a visit to the magnificent Temple of Horus at Edfu. This masterpiece of balance and architectural elegance is one of the best-preserved sites in all of Ancient Egypt and a fine example of Ptolemaic art from the Greco-Roman period.

Lunch on board.

Continuation of the cruise towards Kom Ombo.

Visit of the Temple of Kom Ombo, located just a 5-minute walk away. Perched on a promontory overlooking the Nile, this unique temple in Egypt dates from the Greco-Roman period and houses two magnificent sanctuaries: one dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other to Horus, the falcon god.

The temple was built during the Ptolemaic period, under the Ptolemy dynasty, on the site of an earlier New Kingdom temple dedicated to Thutmose III of the 18th Dynasty.

Built on top of a hill rising 15 metres above the Nile, its most remarkable feature is its dedication to two distinct deities: the falcon god Haroeris, “Horus the Great”, sometimes known as “Horus the Elder”, and Sobek, the crocodile god.

Everything in this temple reflects this duality: it has two entrances, two parallel corridors and rooms arranged symmetrically on either side of the corridors, all leading to the double sanctuary. On the forecourt, before the entrance, carved columns still reveal vibrant colours. The small building to the right of the entrance is the Chapel of Hathor, which houses several crocodile mummies.

Dinner and overnight on board.

Breakfast.

Sailing towards Aswan, the capital of Nubia.

Lunch on board.

Visit of the Temple of Philae. Following the construction of the Aswan High Dam by President Nasser in the 1960s, the island of Philae, upstream from the First Cataract of the Nile, was completely submerged. With the support of UNESCO, work was undertaken to dismantle the monuments of Philae piece by piece and reassemble them on the nearby island, 400 metres downstream.

Philae was entirely dedicated to Isis. This temple, dating from the Ptolemaic period (Ptolemy dynasty, Greco-Roman era), has preserved its naos, the stone sanctuary that once housed the statue of the deity.

Embark on a short yet pleasant crossing to Kitchener Island, also known as the Aswan Botanical Garden, offering a lush and shady setting in the heart of Aswan.

Dinner and overnight on board.

Breakfast on board.

Morning at leisure

Lunch on board.

Time at leisure in the late afternoon.

Dinner and overnight on board.

Breakfast.

Day at leisure on board.

Lunch on board.

Sailing towards Esna.

Dinner and overnight on board.

Early morning, passage through the lock.

Breakfast and lunch on board.

Arrival in Luxor. Departure for a visit to the Temple of Karnak. One of the most important religious complexes ever built, it was developed over a period of 2,000 years, during which people’s faith paid homage to the same god: Amun. Some of the greatest pharaohs, including Seti I, Ramses II, Thutmose III and Ramses III, successively contributed to its construction and expansion.

Dinner and overnight on board.

Breakfast on board.

Transfer by road to Hurghada and check-in at the hotel.

Lunch.

Relaxing afternoon on the beaches of the Red Sea.

Time at leisure at the hotel on an all-inclusive basis, located on the shores of the Red Sea.

Overnight at the hotel.

Days at leisure on an all-inclusive package

Breakfast.

Transfer to the airport for your domestic flight to Cairo.

Then enjoy some free time to explore the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, the famous market located in the heart of Cairo’s Islamic district.

Lunch during the day.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for a visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic artefacts. A true architectural masterpiece, the museum offers a spectacular presentation of the history of Ancient Egypt, from the time of the pharaohs to the present day.

Lunch.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast.

Transfer to the airport for your return flight.

Tips: ‘bakchich’! A word you’ll soon become familiar with! Although it’s easy to turn down those who ask for tips, they are part of local custom and serve as a reward for a job well done and good service. Tips for guides are never included; they are left to the discretion of each individual. (This is different from compulsory service charges.)

A pay-as-you-go internet connection available throughout the boat may be offered to you. However, we cannot guarantee the quality of the connection available during your stay

The luggage allowance for the domestic flight is 23 kg of checked-in luggage per person, plus one small cabin bag weighing up to 7 kg. Any additional weight will be charged on site.

Security checks at airports in Egypt can be extensive and unpredictable depending on the number of tourists, which is why the tour leader will plan timings as accurately as possible.

During excursions, you will be grouped with other participants. This package includes periods of free time during which you can explore at your leisure. However, any transport costs incurred during that time will be at your own expense.

Optional extras are subject to a surcharge, payable locally to your guide or local representative.

A SIM card can be purchased locally from the local representative and/or guide from €7

The order of the visits may be altered due to local requirements (sailing times, passing through locks), but the visits listed will take place

The pace of the visits can be quite intense (see all the included visits in the day-by-day itinerary), which means very early mornings (outside the boat’s sailing times)

Egypt is a cultural destination.

PLEASE NOTE: For those booking the “hotel only” package (without an international flight), please provide us with your flight details as soon as possible via the contact form under “Help and Contact” at the bottom of the page, so that we can organise your transfers.