Romantic Nile – 10 Days (Cairo – Nile cruise & Abu-Simble)

After breakfast, a friendly and experienced Egyptologist guide accompanies you for a day of discovery in Cairo. The first stop is the Giza plateau, home to the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Here the three pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus rise from the desert, enormous monuments assembled from colossal blocks of stone. Close by sits the Sphinx, long seen as the guardian of the pharaohs’ land, with a lion’s body and a face thought to show King Chephren, keeping its watch over the pyramids.

Next you drive to the Grand Egyptian Museum, whose collection, numbering over 250,000 works of art, spans some 5,000 years. Its centrepiece is the treasure of Tutankhamen, above all his famous mask of solid gold. Later a driver brings you to the railway station, where you board the sleeper train to Luxor. If you would like a more comfortable journey, the sleeper train can be swapped for a domestic flight on request.

After breakfast, you are greeted at Luxor railway station as you arrive and taken to board your Nile cruise ship. Your sightseeing begins on the east bank of the Nile with Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple, two great sanctuaries once joined by a long avenue of ram-headed sphinxes. Visits like these explain why Luxor is often called the world’s largest open-air museum and ranks among the most important archaeological sites anywhere. Afterwards you return to the ship for lunch on board, then have free time to wander around Luxor and its markets.

Following breakfast, you cross to the Nile’s West Bank and visit the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs were laid to rest in royal tombs from the reign of Thutmose I onward. You continue to Hatshepsut’s temple and then to the Colossi of Memnon, a giant pair of statues. Lunch waits on the cruise, and afternoon tea comes as the ship sails to Edfu through the Esna Lock.

After breakfast, a horse-drawn carriage takes you to Edfu Temple, built for Horus and regarded as the best-preserved of all ancient temples. You go back to the ship for lunch while it sails on to Kom Ombo. There you visit Kom Ombo Temple, an unusual double temple shared by two gods: the right-hand half honours Sebek, the crocodile god, and the left-hand half belongs to Horus the Great, solar god of war. You are served tea in the afternoon as the cruise continues to Aswan.

The Delta Egypt representative arranges a breakfast box for you this morning. You are picked up from the ship early and driven about three hours to Abu Simbel. There you visit its two temples, whose distinctive style earns them a place among ancient Egypt’s masterpieces. The Great Temple of Ramses II goes by the name of the Sun Temple, while Queen Nefertari’s temple is also named after Hathor, the sun god’s wife. You then return to Aswan for lunch on board your Nile cruise. The afternoon is free for exploring Aswan at your own pace, and you can also join in the galabia party.

After breakfast, the day opens with the High Dam, a world-famous feat of engineering built in 1960 that supplies electricity and irrigation water to the whole of Egypt. A short boat ride then brings you over to Agilika Island, where Philae Temple, sacred to the goddess Isis, contains numerous shrines and sanctuaries. Later you head to the station to take the sleeper train back to Cairo. Should you prefer more comfort, this train journey can be upgraded to a domestic flight on request.

After breakfast, our team greets you at Cairo railway station when the train pulls in and takes you to the hotel, where you check in. Your first visit is the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the first museum devoted to ancient Egypt, the earliest civilization in history, and the only one in the country that gives an overview of every period of Egypt’s past. Its 50,000 artifacts trace that story from the prehistoric era up to today.

Next comes the Citadel of Saladin, crowned by the alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali. You then continue to Old Cairo, which people call the religious complex since its places of worship lie together in one small area you can cover on foot. Here you see the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, followed by a mosque that is the oldest not only in Egypt but in all of Africa. Toward late afternoon you drive to Khan el Khalili, a remarkable oriental market where many shops display a wide selection of gold and silver jewelry. A driver then takes you back to your hotel.

After breakfast, the whole day is free for you to discover Cairo on your own.

After breakfast, you are transferred to the airport for your departure.