Egypt, Cairo

Pyramids and Nile Tour 5^*

Arrival in Cairo.

One of the largest cities in the world, Cairo stretches across both banks of the Nile.

You will be welcomed on arrival and assisted with entry formalities and a shared transfer to your hotel.

Check in and spend the night at a 5-star hotel (local standards).

Breakfast.

Group transfer to the airport for the flight to Luxor in Upper Egypt.

On arrival, there will be a group transfer to the port and you will check-in to your cabins on board the ship.

Lunch will be served on board.

Then, set off to visit the left bank of the Nile at Thebes, home to the tombs of pharaohs from the 18th to the 20th dynasty.
You will visit three tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

From the 18th Dynasty onwards, throughout the New Kingdom, pharaohs were no longer buried in temples or monuments dedicated to their final journey. Instead, it was on the west bank of the Nile, in the Land of the Afterlife, that Thutmose I and all his successors chose to be buried.

The colossal monuments of the Old Kingdom, such as the pyramids and mastabas, became a thing of the past. Instead, burial chambers were hewn directly out of rock and the entrances were meticulously sealed and concealed. The main reason for this was undoubtedly to avoid tomb raiders.

Next, visit the Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu. This temple resembles a castle. It is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular funerary temples. A visit to Egypt would not be complete without seeing the gigantic and monumental site of Ramesses III. Ramesses III sought to restore Egypt's greatness and, at the same time, immortalise the name of his famous ancestor. He began building his jubilee temple as soon as he ascended the throne, and it remains one of the largest in the Theban necropolis. Visitors are always captivated by this vast ancient fortress. It is both enormous and magnificent. It is one of the few that is still adorned with beautiful colours.

On the way back, there will be an opportunity to take photos of the Colossi of Memnon: two giant twin statues carved from sandstone that bear witness to the past splendour of Amenhotep III's temple.

Sailing to Esna.

Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay on board the 5-star (local standards) boat.

Breakfast.

Sailing to Edfu.

Lunch on board.

Set off on a tour of the magnificent Temple of Horus at Edfu, a masterpiece of architectural balance and elegance. This site is one of the best-preserved in all of ancient Egypt and is a fine example of Ptolemaic art from the Greco-Roman period.
Enter the temple through the impressive pylon, adorned with enormous reliefs depicting the king and the gods. Inside, the courtyard's walls depict the various rites performed by the king. Two large black granite falcons representing the god Horus guard the entrance to the temple.

Continue the cruise to Kom Ombo.

Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay on board the 5-star boat (local standards).

Breakfast.

In the morning, enjoy a visit to the Kom Ombo Temple, situated just a few minutes away. Perched on a promontory on the banks of the Nile, this unique Greco-Roman temple comprises two magnificent sanctuaries: one dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other to Horus, the falcon god. Built during the Ptolemaic period (Greco-Roman era), it stands on the site of a New Kingdom temple dedicated to Thutmose III of the 18th Dynasty. The temple stands on top of a hill overlooking the Nile from a height of 15 metres.
The temple's most striking feature is that it is dedicated to two deities: Haroeris, also known as "Horus the Great" or "Horus the Elder", and Sobek, the crocodile god.
Everything about the temple is dual: it has two entrances, two parallel corridors and halls arranged symmetrically on either side of these, all of which converge at the double sanctuary. On the esplanade in front of the entrance, the carved columns reveal shimmering colours. To the right of the entrance is a small building housing a few crocodile mummies, known as the Chapel of Hathor.

Sail to Aswan, the capital of Nubia.

Enjoy lunch on board.

The tour continues with a visit to the Temple of Philae. Following the construction of the Aswan High Dam by President Nasser in the 1960s, the island of Philae, which was located upstream of the First Cataract of the Nile, was completely submerged. Thanks to support from UNESCO, the monuments of Philae were dismantled piece by piece and reassembled on the neighbouring island, 400 metres downstream. The Ptolemaic-era temple of Philae (Ptolemaic dynasty, Greco-Roman period) was entirely dedicated to Isis and has retained its naos, the stone sanctuary that housed the deity's statue.

Then, visit the Papyrus Institute.

Enjoy dinner and spend the night on the 5-star boat (local standards).

Breakfast is served on board.

Free morning.

Lunch is served on board.

Then, enjoy a short felucca cruise to the Aswan Botanical Garden.

It is the only way to reach the left bank, as well as the true jewels of the river: Kitchener and Elephantine Islands. Relax and enjoy the gentle breeze as you glide along the calm blue waters of the ancient Nile.

Stop at Kitchener's Island and explore the Aswan Botanical Garden.

Enjoy your late afternoon at leisure.

You will have dinner and spend the night on board the 5-star boat (local standards).

Breakfast.

Free day on the boat.

Lunch is served on board.

Sail to Esna.

Dinner and an overnight stay on board a 5-star boat (according to local standards).

Passage through the lock in the early morning.

Breakfast is served on board.

Visit Karnak Temple, the most theologically significant temple ever built, constructed over 2,000 years ago, where men paid homage to the same god: Amun. Some of the greatest kings, including Seti I, Ramses II, Thutmose III and Ramses III, succeeded one another here. The name "Karnak", meaning "fortress", dates back to the Islamic conquest.

Lunch will be served on board.

Next, visit Luxor Temple, which was built to glorify the god Amun-Re. Every year, he celebrated his wedding anniversary with his wife Mut. A procession would leave the Temple of Karnak and follow the banks of the Nile to the Temple of Luxor. The latter was constructed during the reigns of two pharaohs: Amenhotep III and Ramses II.

Enjoy dinner and spend the night on the 5-star boat (local standards).

Breakfast is served on board.

Fly to Cairo.

Depart for a tour of the Giza Plateau and its incredible pyramids: the Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest of the three and the pharaoh Khufu's tomb, was built around 2650 BC. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the only one to have stood the test of time. For over 4,000 years, it was the tallest monument ever built by humans, standing at 146 metres.
The pyramid of Khafre appears taller than that of Khufu, but it is actually slightly shorter. Its more pronounced angle of inclination and its location on slightly higher ground give this impression.
The pyramid of Menkaure, King Menkaure's final resting place, is much smaller than the other two, standing at just 66 metres high.
The Sphinx is a statue of a lion with the head of a pharaoh and was built to defend the entrance to the tomb against looters. It is 73 metres long and 20 metres high.

Lunch will be served near the pyramids.

Enjoy dinner and spend the night at a 5-star hotel (local standards).

Breakfast.

Depending on your flight schedule, a shared transfer to the airport.

Tips: "Baksheesh!" A word you’ll soon become very familiar with! While it’s easy to turn down those who ask for tips, tipping is part of local custom and serves as a reward for a job well done and good service. Tips for guides are never included. They are left to each individual’s discretion (unlike compulsory service charges).

A paid internet connection available throughout the ship may be offered to you. However, we cannot guarantee the quality of the connection that will be available during your stay.

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

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 the timetable as carefully 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 will be at your own expense.

Optional extras are subject to an additional charge, payable on site to your guide or local representative.

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

Please note that the order of visits may be altered due to local requirements (sailing times, passing through locks), but the visits listed will be included.

The pace of the visits can be quite intense (see the full list of included visits in the day-by-day itinerary), which means getting up very early in the morning (except when the boat is sailing).

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 arrange your transfers.