A Signature Tour designed for the traveler with a taste for the finer things in life. Enjoy premium deluxe accommodations and travel. Your personal guide will escort you through many of Egypt’s top art and history museums, 5 star restaurants; receive exclusive VIP seating at attractions and shows.
9 days/8 nights
B= breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner
DAY 1: Cairo
From your international flight, arrive in Cairo International Airport. Our agent will meet you at the airport and assist you through immigration, baggage claim, and customs, and will obtain your visa to enter the country ($25 cash). Transfer to the luxurious Mena House by Marriott, which is surrounded by scented gardens and situated near the Great Pyramid. Originally the royal hunting lodge of the Khedive Ismael, the splendors of the traditional architectural features give this hotel the atmosphere of a grand palace. Settle in and enjoy the hotel, or try an exciting optional excursion. Overnight in the hotel. (L or D)
Day 2: Cairo
After a full breakfast, enjoy an excursion to the Giza Pyramids (Cheops, Chefren, & Mycerinus) and the Solar Boat Museum, as well as the Great Sphinx and Valley Temple. Enjoy lunch at local restaurant. Then visit the ancient capital of Memphis and the Step Pyramid at Sakkara (Saqqara). Overnight in the hotel. (B, L)
Day 3: Cairo
After breakfast, visit the Egyptian Museum to see the stunning treasures of King Tutankhamun and many other fascinating pharaonic artifacts. Then see the famous Hanging Church and Abu Sirga Church in Coptic Cairo. Lunch in local restaurant. At night enjoy the Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids. Return to the Mena House for dinner; overnight in the hotel. (B, L)
Day 4: Luxor
After breakfast, transfer to the Cairo Airport for your flight to Luxor where you will be met and transferred your hotel. Check in at your luxury hotel on the West Bank. Cross the Nile to the East Bank to visit the impressive complex of New Kingdom Temples at Karnak. Move to the enigmatic Luxor Temple with its beautiful lotus capital columns, dedicated to the Theban Triad of Amun-Re, Mut, and Khonsu. Back to hotel and overnight in Luxor. (B, L)
Day 5: Dendara
After breakfast, transfer by private A/C vehicle to the Ptolemaic Temple of Hathor at Dandera, then move on to the splendid Temple of Seti I at Abydos which features superb stone relief work. Enjoy a boxed picnic style lunch. Optional excursions are available in Luxor this afternoon, or enjoy the fantastic shopping and people-watching in Luxor. Overnight in the hotel. (B, L)
Day 6: Luxor
Enjoy an early breakfast this morning, and then dive into an incredible excursion to the Valley of the Kings, the magnificent architecture “caves” used for burial. Enjoy the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut built by this daughter of Thutmosis I, who ruled Egypt about 20 years during the 18th Dynasty. Pay a short visit to the Colossi of Memnon and relax for lunch at local restaurant on the West Bank. Overnight in Luxor. (B, L)
Day 7: Cairo
After breakfast fly back to Cairo and check back in to the Mena House; rediscover its sweeping panoramic views of the Nile and of Cairo. Optional tours are available in Cairo this day; overnight in Cairo. (B)
Day 8: Alexandria
After a very early breakfast transfer to Alexandria, the “second capital of Egypt,” where you will visit Qaitbay Citadel, built in the 15th century by Sultan Qaitbay on the spot of Alexandria’s ancient lighthouse. See the grand Montazah Palace, which combines Turkish and Florentine architectural styles, then move on to the new and much-acclaimed Alexandria Library. Also visit the Catacombs, a Roman cemetery cut out of the living rock. Savor absolutely fresh seafood for lunch at local restaurant, then return to Cairo by private A/C vehicle. Overnight in Cairo. (B, L)
Day 9: Departure
After breakfast (and depending on the time of your flight), bid farewell to this unforgettable country as you transfer to the Cairo International Airport for your return flight home. (B)