A nicely-paced 11 day tour designed for the intrepid traveler with limited time. Visit the hightlights of Egypt’s ancient wonders including Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, and Alexandria. Includes a Nile Cruise.
11 days/10 nights (includes Nile Cruise)
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 hotel. Enjoy a dinner cruise aboard the “Nile Pharaoh” complete with a bellydancer show. Overnight in the hotel. (D, cruise)
DAY 2: Cairo
Enjoy a delicious breakfast and then a visit to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — the Pyramids of Giza. Also gaze upon the Great Sphinx, one of the most famous monuments in the whole world. Travel by private A/C bus to Memphis, capital of ancient Egypt, and to see the famous step pyramid of Pharaoh Zoser at Sakkara (Saqqara). Finish the day at a carpet school to learn how carpets have been made since the time of the Pharaohs. Overnight at hotel. (B)
DAY 3: Cairo / Aswan
Enjoy breakfast, check out of the hotel, then transfer to the airport to fly to Aswan and then to Abu Simbel. Enjoy the beautiful double temple at Abu Simbel, then return to Aswan by air. Overnight in an Aswan hotel. (B)
DAY 4: Aswan / Nile Cruise
After breakfast, check out of your Aswan hotel. Visit the High Dam and Philae Temple. Check into the Nile Cruise and enjoy lunch on board your cruise ship as it sails from Aswan to Luxor, the modern name for ancient Thebes. Cruise to Edfu overnight. Enjoy lively shows and a Galabeya (traditional Egyptian dress) Party aboard your ship. (B, L, D)
DAY 5: Kom Ombo / Edfu
After breakfast, visit the fascinating “dual temple” in Kom Ombo honoring Sobek, the crocodile god of fertility, and Horus, the falcon god (also called “Horus the Elder”). Return to your cruise ship for lunch and sail to Edfu, where you will visit the best-preserved temple in Egypt, also dedicated to Horus. Sail overnight to Luxor. (B, L, D)
DAY 6: Luxor
Enjoy breakfast on the ship then visit the West Bank — the Necropolis of Thebes and the famous Valley of the Kings, where 64 of Egypt’s Pharaohs had their tombs carved out of solid rock. Then visit the temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Return to cruise ship for lunch and enjoy a free afternoon at your leisure (shopping, bathing on the sundeck, or using other ship amenities; optional excursions available). Dinner and overnight on Nile cruise ship. (B, L, D)
DAY 7: Luxor / Cairo
Take time for breakfast, then check out of the Cruise at Luxor. Visit the amazing temples of Luxor and Karnak, then use free time until 4:00 pm to explore Luxor (optional excursions available) and then transfer to the airport for your flight back to Cairo. Upon arrival in Cairo, transfer to your hotel and overnight. (B, cruise)
DAY 8: Alexandria
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and drive to Alexandria by private A/C bus. Check into your hotel, then head right back out for a full afternoon of visits to Qaitbay Citadel, the Catacombs, the famous “Pompey’s Pillar” at Kom El Shugafa, the newly rebuilt Library at Alexandria, the Montazah Palace, and Roman Civilization. Unwind with dinner and entertainment at a select restaurant with a view of the Mediterranean Sea. Overnight in Alexandria. (B, D)
DAY 9: Cairo
After breakfast, return to Cairo by private A/C bus and check into your hotel. Take a day at your leisure to explore shopping and people-watching in this thriving metropolis until it’s time for the evening Sound and Light show at the Pyramids of Giza. (Optional excursions available this day.) Overnight in Cairo. (B)
DAY 10: Cairo
Breakfast in the hotel restaurant, then visit the famous Egyptian Museum where you will view the greatest collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world, including the amazing King Tut treasures. Visit historical Old Cairo, the Mohamed Ali Mosque, the enormous Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, and Coptic and Muslim areas. Return to hotel and overnight. (B)
DAY 11: Cairo
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)