Cairo And The Ancient Nile


A 10- day tour of Egypt with Cairo and a Nile cruise
Including Abu Simbel and Denderah Temples . Board Aswan

This 10 day program includes a 7-day Nile cruise is the perfect for covering the Highlights of Ancient Nile Package as well as Denderah temple . Weekly on Wed , Embarkation: Luxor or Aswan.

Click here for the 11 -Day version with Abu Simbel, Aswan & Luxor Hotel Stays . Private Nile Cruising.
Map -Nile Cruise Route . How would you like to cruise the Nile the way the Pharaoh & Cleopatra did ? These graceful boats will allow you to cruise the great river in a stately Pharaonic style. Our 7-day "soft adventure" cruise visits all of Upper Egypt's top sights, and gives you the chance to see the timeless Nile as adventurers have seen it throughout the ages. If you're on your honeymoon, we can provide a private boat . ( More cruise images) . Compare with the 8 -day version

DAY 1 - CAIRO - Saturday & Sunday
Our Cairo staff greets you and escorts you through the excitement and hubbub of the terminal, and onward to your hotel. You'll have time to relax and unwind. Complimentary visa fee is included & issued upon arrival. Available to American, Australians, NZ , Korean , Japanese , Canadian, Singaporean & EU citizens, your passport must be valid for at least 6 month beyond the date of arrival. Private air condition car / van for your transfer. Private chauffeur

Visa will be issued upon arrival.
As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two , down some stairs , then walk for 2-5 minutes , until you pass the duty free shops, at the end of a wide corridor , you will see the security officers. There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding a sign with the name you prefer to use for the sign . Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport as you exit the passport control, into customs area, he will assist you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel

DAY 2 - CAIRO - Sunday & Monday
CAIRO- Sailing on the Nile (BLD)
Today we see Cairo's major sights: the Egyptian Museum, including the Mummies Room. We'll continue to the Coptic Museum, and the Church of Abu Sergha, and the Beni Ezra Synagogue.
We'll see where , according to the legend, Moses was found along the banks of the Nile by the Queen of the Nile and Pharaoh's wife . We'll take our lunch at Abu El-Sid restaurant or similar , we will enjoy a walking tour of the ancient Khan El Khalili Bazaar district , before we head back to your hotel.
Dinner is included at la Bodega restaurant

DAY 3 - CAIRO (BLD)
Monday & Tuesday - Giza Pyramids : DAHSOUR - HOME HOSTED MEAL
After breakfast, we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. The museum of the Royal Barge of Cheops The museum is built over the rectangular pit that housed the Royal Barge for thousands of years , the wooden boat was readied for the king's daily journey with the sun god, Ra . Discovered in 1954, in a completely dismantled state, the 43-metre (140-foot) cedar boat is a rare window on the Royal boats used by the kings of Ancient Egypt.

Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King's Chamber your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (Included) is entirely your own choice!

Continue to Dahshour, the pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structure:

The "Discovery" of Dahshour:
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru's pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza's Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru's--miraculously--is still in place.

Lunch is included at the Mena House .

Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals, you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo l! You'll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.
Buffet dinner is included at the Zeitouni restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel

DAY 4 -Cairo / ASWAN / ABU SIMBEL / Camel Caravan! (BLD)
Tuesdays & Wednesday
Transfer is included from your hotel in Cairo . Air fare is included , ticket is issued & delivered in Cairo, economy class .

Early morning arrival in Aswan , after a brief stop, the plan continues to Abu Simbel.
Fly over Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We reach the great temples while the air is clean, clear and cool, and the sun's light still golden;just right for photographs.
In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters.
The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple , admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which we begin our leisurely drive back along to Abu Simbel Airport and fly back to Aswan and your cruise.

In Aswan and only for those who are interested: a complimentary camel caravan & ride to visit a local Nubian Village and enjoy tea with the locals.
( Click here for boarding the cruise in Luxor )

On board your Nile cruiser , check-in , and get ready for a delicious lunch. Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin. In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca among the rocky islands of the Nile.

DAY 5 - ASWAN & KOM OMBO - Thursday (BLD)
First we tour( for guests staying on board the Amarco & Radamis we include the new Nubian Museum).
Today we tour the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the island temples of Philae, rescued from rising waters , dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS :

The Mystery of Isis : Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis:

"I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled."

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was
also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey to the Underworld.

Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect
the world. Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless Egypt when you Travel in Style!

Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we sail downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples. Overnight at Edfu.

DAY 6 - EDFU & ESNA - Friday (BLD)
In Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best-preserved temple. Re-embarking, we cruise to Esna and its great temple dedicated to Khnum, the creator-god. We re-board in time to enjoy lunch as we sail further north for Luxor.
Evening finds us in Luxor.

DAY 7 - LUXOR - Saturday (BLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings , We tour as well the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon , before we head for the

Ancient Worker's village at Deir el Medinah on Luxor's west bank to get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers' settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we'll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers' paradise, we'll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the afternoon, we overnight in Luxor

DAY 8 - LUXOR - Sunday (B)
Sip tea and enjoy your lunch, as we leave for Qena. Afternoon tea is served on deck, reach Qena in time for dinner , we dock at Qena for the night.

Honeymoon on the Nile - Enjoying a drink before sunset on deck :
The legendary Moon Goddess - Photo: Courtesy of Sonesta Nile Cruises

DAY 9 - DENDERAH / LUXOR Monday (BLD)
After breakfast we drive inland to tour Denderah Temple. Among the best preserved in Egypt. This temple as a sight to hold. Indiana Jones would have felt at home, with the massive stones & underground passages.

Denderah's Temple of Hathor, one of the best-preserved in all of Egypt, and also one of the most important. In the ancient beliefs, Hathor was the consort of the god of daylight, ruler of the west, and protector or the underworld. In the manner of wise desert wayfarers, we'll leave before dawn to take advantage of cool temperatures. Our air-conditioned van will take us through timeless Nile-side villages, where life revolves around the irrigation and harvest of crops. Finally, we'll reach the temple precincts. We'll take note of the unusually deep tombs, and pass under the celebrated Zodiac, in a chapel dedicated to Osiris. (Denderah is the traditional site of his rebirth.)

Sail back to Luxor as we sip our afternoon tea on deck.
Evening Welcome Cocktail & Dinner . Evening Sound & Light show at Karnak Temple. Cabin amenity : One large bottle of water.

DAY 10 - Disembarkation / Luxor / Cairo - Tuesday (BL)
After breakfast, we check out. Complimentary : Private car & driver for the transfer to the airport , air fare is included . Fly back to Cairo , complimentary transfer to the International terminal or your hotel in Cairo . End of our service. Bon Voyage !

Itinerary is subject to change without notice.

RATES per person in USD =

Please add 20 % supplement to the deluxe rates for :
Sonesta M/S Moon Goddess , Mozart Suites on the Sonesta M/S Star Goddess
Radamis II , Royal Lotus , Amarco , M/S Tuya or M/S TiYi

Includes :

• All shore excursions, entrance fees, the service of an English Speaking guide , all as indicated.
  
• Domestic air fare Cairo Aswan Abu Simbel Aswan & Luxor Cairo in economy class , tax included
  
• Hotel accommodation in Cairo as stated including tax, service charges and breakfast daily.
  
• All meals: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner.
  
• Afternoon tea daily onboard.
  
• All transfers in Egypt based on the itinerary.
  
• Welcome fruit basket upon check-in on board the Nile cruise.
  
• Large bottle of water per person per day delivered to your cabin.
  
• Tea or coffee and one small bottle of water per person with each meal
  
• Private guided tour in Cairo & Giza as listed including entrance fees : Private Egyptologist, private car /vehicle
• Tips to all the drivers , guides, porters, and the crew on board your Nile cruise .

RATES per person in USD

Not Included :

• International air fare from/to your home country
• Travel Insurance

Children discount : 25 % on the adult double rate. ( 10 years of age or younger), must be raveling with an adult. No children discount on triple or single rates.

Boarding the cruise is from either Luxor or Aswan, depending on the availability at the time of booking.  

What to Pack:
Most of the year look forward to warm, even hot weather in Luxor & Aswan, morning & evenings are cooler. For Shore excursions, we suggest comfortable cotton & natural fabric lightweight clothing. Comfortable walking shoes are essential.

Clothing on Board:
Lightweight comfortable & casual clothing. Swimsuits, sun hat. Dining room dress code is casual for breakfast & lunch, but smart casual for dinner. All ships are fully air conditioned