Egypt, Cairo

Circuit les pyramides et le Nil 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 communal transfer to the port and you will settle into 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. Thutmose I and all the pharaohs who followed him chose to be buried on the West Bank, the land of the afterlife, on the other side of the Nile.

This marked the end of colossal monuments such as the pyramids and mastabas used during the Old Kingdom. Instead, vaults were dug into the rock and access to them was strictly controlled and concealed. The main reason for this was probably to avoid grave robbers.

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.

Sail for Esna.

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

Breakfast.

Sail to Edfu.

Lunch on board

Depart by horse-drawn carriage for a visit to the magnificent Temple of Horus at Edfu. This architectural masterpiece is one of the best-preserved sites in ancient Egypt and a fine example of Ptolemaic art from the Greco-Roman period.
Enter the temple through the large pylon, which is adorned with enormous reliefs depicting the king and the gods. This leads to the courtyard, whose walls depict the various rituals 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, visit the Kom Ombo Temple, located a few minutes' walk away. Set on a secluded headland on the banks of the Nile, this unique temple dates back to the Greco-Roman era and brings together two magnificent sanctuaries. One is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other to Horus, the falcon god. Built during the Ptolemaic period (the Graeco-Roman era), it stands on the site of an earlier temple from the New Kingdom (dedicated to Thutmose III of the 18th Dynasty). The temple is located at the top of a hill, 15 metres above the Nile.
Its most surprising feature is that it is dedicated to two different gods: Haroeris, also known as "Great Horus" or "Horus the Elder", and Sobek, the crocodile god.
Duality abounds in this temple, which has two entrances, two parallel corridors and symmetrically arranged rooms on either side of these corridors that all lead to the double sanctuary. Sculpted columns displaying vibrant colours adorn the esplanade in front of the entrance. To the right of the entrance is the Hathor Chapel, which has several crocodile mummies on display.

Sail to Aswan, the capital of Nubia.

Enjoy lunch on board.

Next, visit the Philae Temple. Following the construction of the Aswan High Dam by President Nasser in the 1960s, the island of Philae, located upstream of the Nile's first cataract, was entirely submerged. With UNESCO's support, the monuments of Philae were dismantled piece by piece and reassembled on the neighbouring island, 400 metres downstream. Philae was entirely dedicated to the goddess Isis. Dating from the Ptolemaic period (also known as the Graeco-Roman period), this temple has kept its naos, the stone tabernacle which housed the statue of the god.

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.

Afternoon: mini cruise on a felucca and visit to the Kitchener Botanical Gardens.

This is the only way to reach the left bank and the islands of Kitchener and Elephantine, which are true gems of the river. Relax and enjoy the gentle breeze as you sail along the calm blue waters of the ancient Nile.

Stop at Kitchener Island and explore its botanical gardens.

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* 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, group transfer to the airport

Tips: "Baksheesh!" This is one word you'll certainly pick up quickly! Although you can ignore such requests, it's customary to reward good service. Tips for guides are never included. These are entirely at your discretion (this is different from mandatory service fees).

A chargeable internet connection may be available throughout the boat. However, we cannot guarantee the quality of the connection during your stay.

The baggage allowance for domestic flights is 23 kg in the hold and one cabin bag with a maximum weight of 7 kg per person. You will be charged for any excess weight at the airport.

There may be extensive random checks at the airport in Egypt, depending on the number of tourists, which is why the tour leader plans the schedule in advance.

The excursions are in groups with other participants.
This package includes free time to wander around at your leisure. However, you are responsible for paying for any additional journeys.

Optional extras are available at an additional cost and can be paid for with your guide or local representative.

You can purchase a SIM card on site from the local representative and/or guide for €7.

Please note that the tour itinerary may be amended due to local conditions (e.g. travel time, passing through locks), however, all stated tours will take place.

Please note that the pace of the visits can be quite intense (see the day-by-day itinerary details for a list of all the visits included), which means waking up very early in the morning (outside of the ship's sailing periods).

Egypt is a cultural destination.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have booked the hotel-only package (without international flights), you should inform us of your flight details as soon as possible via the contact form in the "Help and Contact" section at the bottom of the page. This will enable us to organise your transfers.