Egypt, Cairo

The perfect Nefertiti tour has arrived 5^*

Welcome on arrival and assistance with entry requirements.

Cairo is the capital of Egypt (also known as Umm al-Dunya: "Mother of the World"). It is the most populous city in Africa. Despite its traditional appearance that makes you feel like you've stepped back in time, you quickly become attached to the incredible charm of Cairo and its fascinating inhabitants. Your journey to Egypt begins in the capital, where you'll discover a wealth of cultural treasures!
On arrival, you will be greeted by an assistant (who may or may not speak English) for entry formalities. Afterwards, an English-speaking Egyptologist guide will take over and accompany you for the duration of your stay (except in Hurghada).
Enjoy a group transfer to your hotel.
Overnight stay in a 5-star hotel (local standards).

Breakfast.

Visit to the Giza Plateau, symbol of Ancient Egypt, with the famous pyramids of:
Kheops (the largest built around 2650 B.C.), one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one to have withstood the test of time. For more than 40 centuries, it was the highest monument built by man at 146 m high.
Khephren, the Pyramid of Khephren or Khafre looks taller than Giza, but in reality it is slightly smaller. The tilt angle is more emphasised, and it sits on slightly higher ground which is what creates this impression.
Menkaure: the tomb of King Menkaure. At a height of 66 m, it is much smaller than the other two pyramids.
The Sphinx (lion with the head of Pharaoh), the enigmatic guardian of the tombs and the temple. It faces towards the east to protect the tombs from plunderers. It is 73 metres long and 20 metres high and was carved from a single block of stone.

You will then visit a Papyrus Institute, where you can buy papyrus (although it is not compulsory to do so) and watch a demonstration of how it is made. The papyrus stem is peeled and cut into strips, which are then soaked in water for six hours to soften. Then they are intertwined and pressed. The sugar and starch in the stalks solidify into a soft and resistant material, reputed to be tear-proof. Once dry, the papyrus is ready to be used as a medium for writing or painting.

Lunch during the excursion.

Visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities where treasures dating from the prehistoric age to the Roman period can be seen. You will come face to face with the well-known Tutankhamun, among other amazing exhibits. The museum has over 250,000 items and is one of the largest in the world. It helps visitors discover the history of Ancient Egypt through 5 millennia.

Transfer to Cairo station, board the train in a first-class sleeper cabin (local standards).

Dinner and accommodation on the train.

Please note: The train journey between Cairo and Luxor is a travel experience with simple, comfortable facilities.

Depending on the day and time of arrival, it is not always possible to take the train between Cairo and Luxor. It is also possible to make the journey by plane.

Breakfast on board.

Arrival, transfer and boarding of your cruise.

Set off for the Nile cruise and a trip to the Theban Necropolis. The incredible Valley of the Kings where you will visit two tombs belonging to kings and one belonging to a queen. From the Eighteenth Dynasty onwards and throughout the New Kingdom, the pharaohs were no longer buried in temples or monuments devoted 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: the land of the afterlife. Colossal monuments, such as the pyramids, and even the mastabas used during the Old Kingdom ceased to be used. Instead, vaults were dug into the rock and access to them was strictly closed off and hidden. Perhaps the main reason for this was to avoid grave robbers.

Stop at the Colossi of Memnon, the only funerary monuments of Amenophis III. Known for their imposing architecture, these remains of an ancient civilisation have been visited by emperors and travellers through the ages. Standing 18 metres tall and weighing 1300 tonnes, the Colossi of Memnon were named by the Greeks after the legend of the Oracle of Memnon.

Lunch on board.

Overnight stay on a 5-star ship (local standards)

Optional activity to be booked and paid for on site with our local representative:

• The temple of Medinet Habou and Luxor Temple

Breakfast.

Sail to Edfu.

Lunch on board

Take a horse-drawn carriage tour of the magnificent Temple of Horus at Edfu. This masterpiece of architectural balance and elegance is one of the best-preserved sites in all of Ancient Egypt, a great example of Ptolemaic art from the Greco-Roman period. You enter the temple via the great column decorated with large raised images of the king and the gods, and walk towards the courtyard with walls depicting the various rituals performed by the king. At the entrance to the temple are two large black granite falcons representing the god Horus.

The cruise continues to Kom Ombo.

Dinner and overnight stay on board the 5-star (local standards) ship

Breakfast on board

Visit the Ptolemaic Temple at Kom Ombo. Two temples built within the same temple, unique in ancient Egypt. It was built during the Ptolemaic period (Ptolemaic dynasty, Greco-Roman period) on the site of a New Kingdom temple (dedicated to Thutmose III, 18th dynasty). The temple is located on the top of a hill, 15 metres above the Nile.
The most surprising feature is that it is dedicated to 2 different gods: the falcon god Haroeris, "Great Horus", sometimes called "Horus the Elder", and Sobek, the crocodile god. Duality is everywhere in this temple: it has two entrances, two parallel corridors and symmetrically arranged rooms on either side of these corridors, all leading to the double sanctuary. Carved columns in bright colours line the esplanade in front of the entrance. The small building to the right of the entrance is the Chapel of Hathor; it contains several crocodile mummies.

Lunch on board.

Sail to Aswan.

Dinner and overnight stay on board the 5-star (local standards) ship

Breakfast on board.

Free morning on the boat

Overnight stay on a 5-star ship (local standards)

Optional activity to be booked and paid for on site with our local representative:
- Abu Simbel: An exceptional site 160 miles south of Aswan, with a great temple that was saved by UNESCO in 1969. The Colossi of Ramses, the largest in Egypt, are built directly into the cliff. They are dedicated to the most famous gods of Pharaonic Egypt: Amon-Re, Ramses and Ptah. The Great Temple is dedicated to the god Amon-Ra, the Temple of Hathor. Lunch on board.

-The mini cruise in a felucca and the Kitchener Garden. A felucca is the only way to reach the left bank and Kitchener's Island and Elephantine Island, the real jewels of the river. Enjoy the breeze as you sail along the calm blue waters of the ancient Nile. Stop at Kitchener's Island and visit its famous botanical garden, where the finest varieties of plants and trees attract a variety of birds. You'll see royal palms, sycamore and ebony trees in this magnificent floral park.

• Sound and Light Show at the Temple of Philae. Dinner and overnight stay on board the ship

Breakfast on board.

Visit the Philae Temple on the island of Agilka, known as the "Pearl of the Nile". 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 covered by water. With the support of UNESCO, the monuments of Philae were dismantled piece by piece and reassembled on the neighbouring island 400 metres downstream. Philae was entirely dedicated to the worship of Isis, and this Ptolemaic temple has preserved its Naos, the stone tabernacle that housed the statue of the goddess.

Stop at a jewellery store. Gold, silver, and semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli abound in jewellery representing scarabs, ankhs, cartouches, the eye of Horus etc.

Lunch on board.

Sail to Edfu.

Free time on the boat.

Dinner and overnight stay on board the 5-star (local standards) ship

Breakfast on board

Day of sailing and free time on the boat.

Lunch on board.

Dinner and overnight stay in the 5-star (local standards) ship

Breakfast on board.

You will discover ancient Thebes, the city of the hundred gates of the god Amon, the capital of Upper Egypt and of the whole country during the 18th dynasty.

The day is spent visiting one of the two world-famous temples dedicated to the god Amon-Ra, chief of the gods and lord of the Theban triad: the temple of Karnak. This temple is unique in that it is dedicated to so many gods and was built over a period of 2,000 years. From the beginning, Amon was always worshipped as the main god. The greatest Pharaohs (Seti I, Ramses II, Thutmosis III, Ramses III) succeeded each other here. Visit to an alabaster sculpture workshop.

In ancient Egypt, alabaster was highly prized and used for everyday objects such as jars for ointments or perfumes, but also for canopic jars containing the organs of the deceased, extracted during the mummification process. It is easy to work and produces objects of wonderful transparency. Cut into thin sheets, alabaster is transparent enough to be used as glass for small windows.

Optional activity to be booked and paid for on site with our local representative:
- The temple of Madinet Habu and the Luxor period. Visit to the Luxor Temple. It was dedicated to the God Amon Ra, who celebrated his wedding anniversary every year with his wife Mut. The procession left the Karnak Temple and travelled along the banks of the Nile to Luxor. The construction of the latter dates back to the reign of the two pharaohs, Amenhotep III and Ramses II.

Lunch on board.

Free afternoon.

Dinner and overnight stay on board the 5-star (local standards) ship

Breakfast on board.
Disembark your cruise.
Transfer by local bus to Hurghada (between 4 and 5 hours) and check into your 5-star hotel (local standards).
Lunch.
Afternoon spent relaxing on the beaches of the Red Sea. Discover stunning sea beds, coral reefs and multicoloured fish.
Dinner and overnight stay at the 5-star hotel (local standards)

Free day

Free day

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for the airport for your domestic flight to Cairo

Lunch on the way.

Stroll through the Khan el-Khalili souk, a 14th-century bazaar. It is colourful and sells traditional goods made of copper, mother-of-pearl inlaid wood and clothing embroidered with beads, gold and silver thread, as well as a wide range of North African handicrafts.

Arrival and check-in at a 5-star hotel (local standards)

Breakfast

Visit to the Citadel of Salahdin and the Muhammad Ali Mosque (built between 1830 and 1849; it is so white that it is nicknamed the "Alabaster Mosque"). In the centre of the courtyard is a large clock, a gift from King Louis Philippe of France to Muhammad Ali of Egypt. The Belvedere offers a panoramic view of the city of Cairo.

Lunch during the visit

Set off to visit Coptic Cairo. The Christian religion was introduced by St Mark around 45 AD and this is how the Coptic community - Coptic being a term specifically referring to the Christians of Egypt - began to develop. The Coptic area of Cairo is best known for having a large number of churches in a very small area. The Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus is one of the oldest Christian churches and was built around the 3rd or 4th century AD. The church was named St Sergius in honour of a former warlord who converted to Christianity. The Christians built a church on this site because it is believed that the Holy Family took refuge here when it was a cave.
Saint Virgin Mary's Church, or the Hanging Church, is a very beautiful monument. It can be accessed via a staircase that leads to a corridor with mosaics depicting biblical scenes. This church is called the Hanging Church because it is built on palm tree trunks that support it like stilts. The interior is richly decorated. In the main room there is a Coptic icon of the Virgin Mary with Jesus in her arms. It's as if she's following you with her gaze as you walk around her.

Dinner and overnight stay at the 5-star hotel (local standards)

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

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 baggage allowance for domestic flights is 23 kg in the hold per person, and a small cabin bag, 7 kg max. Any additional kilos will be subject to a supplementary charge at the airport

Accommodation is rated according to local standards.

Please note: The train journey between Cairo and Luxor is a travel experience with simple, comfortable facilities.

There can be a lot of random, extensive checks at the airport in Egypt depending on the number of tourists, which is why the tour guide tries to arrive early as much as possible.

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

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 transfers.

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

The tour itinerary may be amended due to local conditions (travel time, passing through locks, etc. however, stated tours will take place)

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

Egypt is a cultural destination

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