Egypt, From the pyramids to the banks of the Nile

Nubian Gems 5^*

Arrival in Cairo.

Cairo, one of the world's greatest metropolises, stretches majestically along both banks of the Nile. This vibrant, historic city is a fascinating blend of cultures, architecture and history, offering travellers a unique experience.

On arrival, you will be met and assisted by a tour guide (not always English-speaking) for entry formalities.

An English-speaking guide will then take over and accompany you for the duration of your stay

Enjoy a collective transfer to your hotel.

Spend the night at your 5* hotel (local standards).

Start the day with breakfast at the hotel before exploring the Giza Plateau and its majestic pyramids: Kheops , one of the 7 wonders of Antiquity and the largest of the three (built around 2650 BC), was for 40 centuries the tallest human edifice at 146 meters. Khephren, the pyramid of Khephren appears higher than that of Kheops, but in reality it is slightly lower, due to its steeper angle of inclination and its location on slightly higher ground.
Mykérinos, the tomb of the eponymous king, is the smallest of the three pyramids at 66 metres high, but is no less impressive for its meticulous architecture and historical significance.
The 73-metre-long, 20-metre-high Sphinx, the lion with Pharaoh's head, protects the entrance to the tombs from looters.

Enjoy lunch near the pyramids before heading off to the historic sites of Memphis and Sakkarah. Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt founded by King Menes around 3000 BC, survives today only in a few ruins, including a mysterious alabaster sphinx.

Continue on to Saqqarah to admire its famous step pyramid, built around 2700 BC for the pharaoh Djoser by the architect Imhotep.

End the day with dinner and overnight at a 5* hotel (local standards)

After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport to catch your flight to Luxor, located in Upper Egypt, a city rich in history and culture.

On arrival, a group transfer will take you to the port of embarkation, where you will board your 5* (local standards) cruise ship.

Once settled into your cabins, you can relax and enjoy lunch on board.

The afternoon is free for you to familiarize yourself with the ship's facilities or simply relax before starting your journey on the Nile.

End your day with dinner and overnight on board.

Have breakfast on board before setting off to explore the left bank of the Nile, home to Thebes and the eternal tombs of pharaohs from the 18th to the 20th dynasties.

Explore the fascinating Valley of the Kings, where you'll visit three tombs. From Dynasty 18 onwards, and throughout the New Kingdom, pharaohs were no longer buried in temples or monuments dedicated to their final journey. Thutmose I and all the pharaohs who followed him decided to be buried on the other side of the Nile, on the west bank, in the land of the Beyond. Gone were the colossal monuments such as the pyramids, or even the Mastabas used in the Old Kingdom, but rather the rock-cut vaults whose access was scrupulously sealed and camouflaged. The main motivation was undoubtedly to escape grave robbers.

Discover the temple of Medinet Habu, dedicated to Ramses III, which stands like a majestic castle and is one of Egypt's most spectacular funerary temples. A visit to this grandiose, monumental site is a must. Ramses III, wishing to restore Egypt's greatness and immortalize the name of his prestigious ancestor, undertook the construction of this jubilee temple as soon as he acceded to the throne. This temple, one of the largest in the Thebes necropolis, captivates visitors with its immensity, splendor and rare frescoes in vibrant colors

On your way back to the ship, stop off to immortalize the Colosses of Memnon, two imposing twin sandstone statues that bear witness to the past splendors of the temple of Amenophis III. Enjoy lunch on board, then sail to Esna. Conclude your day with dinner and overnight on board

Enjoy breakfast before setting sail for Edfu.

After lunch on board, take a horse-drawn carriage to explore the magnificent Temple of Horus at Edfu.
This majestic edifice, both balanced and elegant, is one of the best-preserved sites in ancient Egypt. It is a superb example of Ptolemaic art from the Greco-Roman period. Enter the temple through the great pylon, decorated with imposing reliefs depicting the king and the gods, then wander through the courtyard, whose walls depict the various rites performed by the sovereign. Two imposing black granite falcons, incarnations of the god Horus, watch over the temple entrance.

Resume your cruise towards Kom Ombo, where you'll spend the evening having dinner and enjoying a night on board the boat

Enjoy breakfast before a morning visit to the Temple of Kom Ombo, just a few minutes away.
Perched on a promontory on the banks of the Nile, this unique Egyptian temple dating from the Greco-Roman era houses two magnificent sanctuaries: one dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other to Horus, the falcon god. Built in the Ptolemaic era on the site of a New Kingdom temple dedicated to Thutmosis III, it towers 15 meters above the Nile. Its most remarkable feature is its dedication to two distinct deities: Haroeris, "Horus the Great" or "Horus the Elder", and Sobek, the crocodile god. The temple is perfectly symmetrical, with two entrances, two parallel corridors and symmetrically arranged rooms, all leading to a double sanctuary. Brightly carved columns adorn the esplanade in front of the entrance, and a small building to the right houses the chapel of Hathor and a few crocodile mummies.

Sail back to Aswan, capital of Nubia, and have lunch on board.

Then visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to Isis. Following the construction of the Aswan High Dam by President Nasser in the 1960s, the island of Philae was submerged. Thanks to UNESCO, the Philae monuments were dismantled piece by piece and reassembled on a nearby island 400 metres downstream.

End the day with a visit to the Papyrus Institute. Dinner and overnight on board

Have breakfast on board and enjoy a free morning to explore at your own pace or relax.

Enjoy lunch on board before embarking on a mini felucca cruise, a must-do experience to discover the left bank and the Kitchener or Elephantine islands, true treasures of the Nile. Let the gentle breeze lull you to sleep as you cruise peacefully on the blue waters of the age-old Nile.

Call in at Kitchener Island and visit its charming botanical garden, a haven of peace and greenery. Enjoy a free afternoon to continue your discoveries or relax on board.

End the day with dinner and an overnight stay on board

Start the day with breakfast on board and enjoy a free day to explore Aswan, relax on the boat or take part in optional activities.

Lunch is served on board.

After lunch, set sail for Esna, a historic town along the Nile.

End the day with dinner and overnight on board, preparing for new adventures the next day

In the morning, cross the Esna lock before having breakfast on board.

Visit the majestic Temple of Karnark, an extraordinary theological site built over 2000 years. Great kings such as Sethi I, Ramses II, Thutmose III and Ramses III paid homage to the god Amun. The name "Karnak", meaning "fortress", dates back to the Islamic conquest.

After lunch on board, discover the Temple of Luxor, erected to celebrate the god Amun-Ra and his consort Mut. Every year, a procession left the temple at Karnak for Luxor along the banks of the Nile. The temple was built during the reigns of Pharaohs Amenophis III and Ramses II.

Return to the boat and enjoy some free time to relax or explore the surrounding area.

Conclude the day with dinner and overnight on board, preparing you for the next day's discoveries.

Have breakfast on board before preparing for your transfer to Luxor airport. Then fly to Cairo.

After lunch, explore the Egyptian capital by visiting the citadel of Saladin el Awouby and the Mosque of Mehmet Ali. Built between 1830 and 1849, this mosque is so white it's nicknamed the "alabaster mosque". The courtyard houses a large clock, a gift to Mehmet Ali from France's King Louis Philippe. The citadel's belvedere offers an exceptional panoramic view of Cairo.

Next, stroll through the Souks of Khan El Khalili, a colorful 14th-century bazaar. Here you'll find folkloric wares, a fabulous selection of gold and silver wire jewelry, and an array of oriental handicrafts.

End the day in your 5* (local standards) hotel in Cairo for a well-deserved night's rest.

Have breakfast before setting off for a day of sightseeing.

Explore the National Museum of Antiquities, whose treasures span the prehistoric age to the Roman period. Admire Tutankhamun's famous treasure among over 250,000 exhibits. This museum, one of the largest in the world, allows visitors to discover the history of ancient Egypt over five millennia.

Enjoy lunch during your visit.

Next, explore Cairo's Coptic Quarter. The Christian religion was introduced to Egypt by St. Mark around 45 AD, giving rise to the Coptic community - the term "Coptic" referring specifically to Christians in Egypt. This picturesque district is particularly renowned for the astonishing concentration of churches it houses in a small space.

Eglise Saint-Serge, one of the oldest Christian churches, was built around the 3rd or 4th century AD. It was named after a former war general who converted to Christianity. The church is believed to have been built on the site of a grotto where the Holy Family took refuge.

Eglise Sainte-Marie, also known as the Suspended Church, is a magnificent monument. It is accessed via staircases and a corridor decorated with mosaics depicting biblical scenes. It's nicknamed the "Suspended Church" because it's built over palm trunks, which support it like stilts. The interior is sumptuously decorated, with a Coptic icon depicting the Virgin Mary and Jesus in the main hall. Their gaze seems to follow us as we walk around the icon.

End the day with dinner and overnight at the hotel

Have breakfast.

Depending on flight times, you will be transferred to the airport in a group.

Assistance with check-in formalities.

Tips: 'bakchich'! A word you'll soon be familiar with! It's easy to say no to a solicitor, but it's a way of rewarding work and service well done. Gratuities for guides are never included. It is at the discretion of each individual.

A paying connection accessible throughout the boat may be offered. However, we cannot guarantee the quality of the connection during your stay

The luggage allowance for domestic flights is 23 kg per person in the hold and one small bag of up to 7 kg in the cabin. Any additional kilos will be charged locally.

Accommodation is in accordance with local standards.

The level of screening at Egypt's airports can be high and random depending on the number of tourists, so the guide will plan ahead as much as possible.

As traffic can be heavy in Cairo, journey times can be long.

On excursions, you will be grouped with other participants.
This package includes periods of free time during which you can wander around at your leisure. However, transfers are at your own expense.

Optional extras are subject to a supplement, payable on site to your guide or local representative.

The order of the visits can be modified to take account of local requirements (navigation time, passage of locks), but the visits listed will be carried out.

The pace of visits can be quite long (see all the visits included in the day-by-day details), which means waking up very early in the morning (outside the boat's navigation periods)

Egypt is a cultural destination

PLEASE NOTE: For those booking the "hotel only" package (without international flights), please let us know your flight details as soon as possible via the contact form in "Help and contact" at the bottom of the page, so that we can organise your transfers.