Your Exclusive Itinerary
Day 1 – Welcome to Cairo, Egypt
A cool drink and Deluxe Nile View rooms await you at the stylish Sofitel el Gezirah Hotel. This evening, you’ll dine and wine al fresco at the elegant El Kebabgy, set along the romantic, city-lit banks of the Nile. Meals D
Day 2 – Out and around in Cairo
The questions are many. Some answers are theoretical…. Marvel at the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx for yourself and reflect upon their mysteries – perhaps you’ll reach your own conclusions! Then visit the 4,600-year-old Solar Boat of King Cheops, the oldest existing river craft in the world. At Dashur, we’ve made special arrangements for you to be among the first to enter the aptly-named and recently-opened Bent Pyramid. How about a camel ride in the desert? Sure, all visitors do it. You should, too… and we’ve made the arrangements!
Back in the city, an expertly guided visit to the famed Egyptian Museum offers background and insight into the world of the Pharaohs; it’s an excellent introduction to the many wonders that will be covered by our upcoming cruise. Meals B
Day 3 – Embark the River Tosca
Fly to Luxor and explore the great Karnak Temple. With skilled Egyptologists on hand, you’ll stand before its massive pillars and admire the grand Hypostyle Hall, the largest hall of any temple in the world. Then step aboard the ultra-luxurious River Tosca to begin your Nile voyage. Sit down to an elegant dinner as you chart a course for Dendara. Meals B,L,D
Day 4 – The Temple of Hathor
Alight at Dendara and enter into the Temple of Hathor, built in the 1st century B.C. and used by Roman Emperors to honor the Goddess of Maternity, Love & Music. This splendidly preserved temple complex encompasses a great Hypostyle Hall with 24-Hathor headed columns, an impressive gate from the Roman period, a sacred lake, mysterious crypts, stairways, roofs and chapels. Later, walk the Avenue of Sphinxes to visit the Luxor Temple , built by Amenhotep in the 14th century BC with later additions by Tutankhamen and even Alexander the Great. The walls of Luxor are embellished with skillful carvings of the gods of Karnak accompanied by a festival procession of priests, musicians, dancers and sacred cows. Meals B,L,D Meals B,L,D
Day 5 – Into the Valley of Kings
Today reveals renowned sites of antiquity, each more amazing than the one before… The Colossi of Memnon, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and other magnificent sites deep in the Valley of Kings. This evening, don your Galabya for a festive gathering onboard. Meals B,L,D
Day 6 – From Kom Ombo to Aswan
The upper Nile boasts many fascinating sites. Today you explore the unusual dual-deity Temple of Kom Ombo, built on a picturesque bend in the Nile where crocodiles used to sun themselves. Dating to the Ptolemaic period, this unusual temple is dedicated to two different Egyptian Gods, Sobek the Crocodile God and Horus the Sun God. In contrast to the ancient marvels you’ve explored thus far, the remarkable High Dam at Aswan is an achievement that belongs to modern Egypt. Marvel at this imposing construction and then visit the granite quarries where ancient Egyptians engineered the seemingly impossible – creating towering obelisks. Of note, you’ll see the famous Unfinished Obelisk, still attached to bedrock, and then visit Philae Temple, dedicated to the Goddess Isis. Then step aboard a felucca, ancient craft of the Nile, and sail around Kitchener Island, lush with tropical plantings. Meals B,L,D
Day 7 – The Temples of Ramses II in Abu Simbel and Back to Cairo
Disembark this morning and fly to Abu Simbel to visit the magnificent Temples of Ramses II. The modern history of Abu Simbel and the temples’ historic rescue from the rising waters of Lake Nasser is a story as amazing as the ancient legends. The completion of the High Dam in 1972 threatened this extraordinary site, but a massive undertaking funded by the USA succeeded in literally transporting the ancient temples to higher ground, 200 feet above their original site. When you stand before the enormous figures of Ramses II, you will begin to fathom this amazing engineering feat. Abu Simbel was not a free-standing temple; the carved figures of the Pharaoh were hewn into the face of a towering cliff. The operation to rescue this ancient monument involved sawing the rock face into more than 1,000 pieces, some weighing close to 15 tons! The move and reconstruction process was completed with such precision that every year on February 22 and October 22 – only one day later than originally planned – the rays of the sun rise above the horizon to penetrate deep into the temple sanctuary to illuminate the interior statues.
Then you fly back to Cairo where you’ll be escorted back to the luxurious Sofitel el Gezirah. Tonight, you are the guests of a prominent Cairo family for a home-cooked dinner and an evening of engaging conversation in their gracious home. Meals B,D
Day 8 – Design your own day in Cairo
We’ve arranged to have a private air-conditioned car, driver and guide at your disposal for the day. Pursue your own passions... ancient culture, contemporary art, museum visits, or even privately guided shopping! Meals B
Day 9 – Cairo Departure
Your voyage through Egypt ends this morning. Meals B
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