Highlights
- Explore the capital of the ancient world at Memphis
- Browse the treasures & antiquities of Cairo's world-class museums
- Walk in the footsteps of the pharaohs at the Valley of the Kings
- Sit back & enjoy the views on a scenic cruise down the Nile River
- Soak up some sun on the beaches of Sharm El Sheikh
Brief Itinerary
Day | Highlights | Overnight |
---|---|---|
Day 1 | Arrive in Cairo | Cairo |
Day 2 | Discover the Great Pyramids: Giza & Memphis | Cairo |
Day 3 | Tour the Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo & Khan El Khalili Bazaar | Cairo |
Day 4 | Fly to Luxor, Board Nile River Cruise | Luxor |
Day 5 | Explore the Valley of the Kings, Cruise to Esna | Esna |
Day 6 | Cruise to Kom Ombo via the Temple of Edfu | Kom Ombo |
Day 7 | Cruise to Aswan, Visit the Temple of Philae & Aswan Dam | Aswan |
Day 8 | Day Trip to the Temples of Abu Simbel | Aswan |
Day 9 | Fly to Cairo | Cairo |
Day 10 | Explore the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization & Coptic Cairo | Cairo |
Day 11 | Fly to Sharm El Sheikh | Sharm El Sheikh |
Days 12-13 | Relax by the Red Sea in Sharm El Sheikh | Sharm El Sheikh |
Day 14 | Fly to Cairo & Departure |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Cairo
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Day 2: Discover the Great Pyramids: Giza & Memphis
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Meet your Egyptologist guide this morning and set off for a tour of some of Egypt's most iconic sites. Start at the Great Pyramids of Giza, where you'll explore the pyramid of Cheops, the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built as a tomb, its shape was intended to help the spirit of the dead pharaoh rise to heaven. Continue to the pyramid of Chephren to see the best preserved of the main Giza pyramids, and to Mykerinos, the smallest of the three.
After seeing the magnificent Sphinx up close, it's on to Memphis, the first unified capital of the ancient world. Here you can visit the stepped pyramid of Saqqara, explore its 4,350-year-old tombs, and see the ancient hieroglyphics engraved on its walls. At the end of the day, you'll head back to the city where you can enjoy the rest of the evening in Cairo at your leisure.
Day 3: Tour the Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo & Khan El Khalili Bazaar
![](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/4f6f520e25142db3769676be7ada38ff2be6e427/big-69f64eea77f5b4237a168ea67ff83aec.jpg)
Hit the ground running this morning with a tour of the Egyptian Museum. The finest museum of Egyptian antiquities in the world, it contains pharaohs' treasures dating back more than 5,000 years. The building is rectangular with a large rotunda on the ground floor containing massive exhibits, including colossal statues of Ramses II—you'll get the best views by looking down from the upper galleries. The gold and alabaster trappings from the tomb of Tutankhamun (Tut) always draw crowds, too. Many of the Tutankhamun tomb treasures have been on display in museums around the world—including the golden mask—yet this one exhibit has always remained in Cairo.
Then it's onto a tour of Islamic Cairo's historic city streets, starting at the massive medieval Salah El-din Citadel and its enclosed Mohamed Ali Mosque, once a stronghold against the Crusaders. The brilliant domed ceilings, suspended lights, and views of the city from this ancient fortress are sure to captivate. Keep going to the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, built during the Mamluk period of the 12th century, and then hunt for treasures in the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, a bustling souk in the historic center where you can find lamps, rugs, jewelry, and more.
Day 4: Fly to Luxor, Board Nile River Cruise
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After breakfast, it's time for the next phase of your journey as you board a short one-hour flight to Luxor, a small city in the Nile Valley located 420 miles (676 km) south of Cairo. Once the capital of the pharaohs, it's home to the famed Valley of the Kings and Luxor and Karnak Temples. Upon arrival, you'll be transferred to the shores of the Nile River to board your cruise ship and get settled into your cabin.
Return to dry land in the afternoon to explore the wonders of Luxor's East Bank. Starting at the Temple of Karnak, you'll stroll through the Avenue of Sphinx to enter the complex, where you can see each legacy left by the various pharaohs as the complex grew even larger. The deeper you go into the complex, the further back in time you will travel, with the oldest ruins dating back over 3,000 years. Walking through the Great Court into the Great Hypostyle Hall, it's hard not to be overwhelmed by the 134 columns towering above you like an ancient forest.
Continue to Luxor Temple which was once joined to the Temples of Karnak by the grand Avenue of Sphinx, a portion of which marks the entrance to the temple. Dominated by statues of the great warrior pharaoh Ramses II, Luxor Temple has survived Nile floods, foreign invasion, and thousands of years exposed to the elements. Find out how Alexander the Great wrote himself into Luxor Temple's history, and see one of the original pair of obelisks, the second of which now stands on the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
As evening falls, return to the ship to spend a peaceful evening on the river.
Day 5: Explore the Valley of the Kings, Cruise to Esna
![Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan-West Bank - Overnight in Esna](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/c462e7b0b8bb2b1d1804929209a84ac181cbb899/big-dd4b65c9a5ff8935a3400e0e7f5555e7.jpg)
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
After a morning of exploration, it's time to reboard the ship and cast off, cruising south towards Esna.
Day 6: Cruise to Kom Ombo via the Temple of Edfu
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Day 7: Cruise to Aswan, Visit the Temple of Philae & Aswan Dam
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This morning you'll cruise into Aswan, an archaeologically rich city on the banks of the Nile. Disembark for a tour of its many highlights, starting at the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the worship of the goddess Isis. Continue to Egypt's remarkable engineering achievement of the modern era, the Aswan High Dam, and marvel at the Unfinished Obelisk, still located in the ancient stone quarry where it was carved.
Spend your final evening of the cruise enjoying a spectacular Nile sunset and a celebratory dinner on deck.
Day 8: Day Trip to the Temples of Abu Simbel
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Bid the Nile farewell as you disembark from the cruise and meet your driver for a transfer to Aswan Domestic Airport. Here you'll board a quick, 40-minute flight to explore the magnificent Abu Simbel Temples. Built by the Egyptian king Ramses II who reigned from 1,279 to 1,213 BCE, the massive rock-cut facades are truly incredible to see in person: despite their relatively remote location, they're one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. It is generally considered the grandest of the temples commissioned during the reign of Ramses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt.
After a fascinating tour, you'll be transferred to Abu Simbel Airport to board your flight back to Aswan.
Day 9: Fly to Cairo
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Day 10: Explore the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization & Coptic Cairo
![](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/73971a77c8fa7d2f536061372ad0121f259b4b48/original-5b425d14f79aa15d11107ec0f0be934a.jpg)
Day 11: Fly to Sharm El Sheikh
![Sharm El Sheikh](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/95a286ab6ee0890375fbb090e4b3907f758a4e97/big-5bbc88c1f1e12e0f6d95073ef2702b35.jpg)
Days 12-13: Relax by the Red Sea in Sharm El Sheikh
![Day Free at Leisure in Sharm El Sheikh](https://cdn.kimkim.com/files/a/images/c821ac446efe280009ca220ec9c5e6719a5f3a3e/big-7ac8102c0118509bb4ae71a3d7aedf2b.jpg)
If you feel like staying on dry land, don't miss a visit to the ancient St. Catherine's Monastery. Located at the foot of Mount Sinai, it's the place where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments.
Day 14: Fly to Cairo & Departure
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