Egypt 8 Nights 9 Days

Day 1 (Arrival Cairo)

You will be met and assisted by one of our representatives at Cairo Airport who will escort you to your hotel for a night in Cairo.

Day 2 (Cairo)

You will be picked up from your hotel at 8 AM to enjoy a day tour of Cairo. Your first stop will be at Giza Plateau, where one of the remaining wonders of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza, still stands. You visit the Pyramids and enjoy panoramic views from the western plateau, then continue down the valley where the guardian of this Mortuary complex, the mighty Sphinx, stands with great pride. Then you will be brought to Tahrir Square, the heart of downtown Cairo. You visit the National Archaeological Museum and acquaint yourself with Egypt’s ancient history, spanning a period of over 50 centuries. The Museum has the world’s largest and richest collection of Egyptian Antiquities, among them the priceless collection of King Tut. Then you will be transferred to the Giza railway station where you take an overnight sleep train on half board accommodation to Aswan (Meals included: Breakfast and dinner).

Day 3 (Aswan and Nile cruise)

Arrival at Aswan railway station followed by transfer in a private air-conditioned vehicle to your cruise ship for a three night Nile cruise. After you have been welcomed on the ship, you take a tour to Philae Temple which was built in honour of goddess Isis, the chief deity of the island the temple was built on. It is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt. Then you will visit the High Dam, an engineering miracle used as an embankment dam situated across the Nile River, built in the 1960’s to protect Egypt from annual floods. Then you will be taken to see the Unfinished Obelisk; it is the largest known ancient obelisk which is located in the northern of the stone quarries. This obelisk is believed to belong to Queen Hatshepsut. Then you return to your cruise ship to have lunch on board. The rest of the day you can enjoy cruise activities, dinner and a night in Aswan (Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Day 4 (Kom Ombo and Edfu)

The ship will sail to Kom Ombo where you visit the temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek. The temple, dating to the Ptolemies, is built on a high dune overlooking the Nile. Ptolemy VI Philometor started building the actual temple in the early second century BC. Ptolemy XIII built the outer and inner hypostyle halls. The outer enclosure wall and a part of the court were built by Augustus sometime after 30 BC, and are mostly gone. Back on board lunch will be served as the ship sails to Edfu. There, you will visit the Temple of Edfu, which is dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god. This relatively young pharaonic temple is well-preserved and therefore very impressive. After this you return to the ship for dinner and a night on board in Edfu (Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Day 5 (Luxor East Bank)

The ship will sail toward Luxor. This wonderful journey gives you the chance to take a swim in the swimming pool, enjoy the view on the ship as it sails for Esna. You can spend the afternoon relaxing on the sundeck while watching the local life on the river and its banks. Afternoon tea will be served on the sundeck. During the evening the ship passes through the lock at Esna to sail toward Luxor. After arrival in Luxor you visit on the East Bank the Temple of Luxor and Karnak Temples; considered to be two of the world's greatest architectural masterpieces. This will take place either in the evening or the following morning, depending on your arrival time. In the evening there will be a Galabeya party, where everyone dresses up in traditional Egyptian costumes for dinner and games. You will spend the night on board in Luxor (Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Day 6 (Luxor West Bank)

The day starts with breakfast on board followed by check-out at 8 AM. Then you cross over to the West Bank of the Nile to visit the Valley of the Kings with the possibility of visiting the most famous attraction, the Tomb of Tutankhamun (which carries an extra charge). Your Egyptologist will be on hand to recommend and advise you as to which tombs to visit. This ancient necropolis is a must-see for Luxor travelers. Later, you will be taken to the impressive mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only woman ever to reign over Egypt as pharaoh, and the Colossi of Memnon. With a height of nearly 18 meters, these two statues originally stood in front of the mortuary Temple of Amenophis III, of which only ruins remain. After this you will be transported by an air-conditioned vehicle to Hurghada (approx. 5 hours) and you check in to your hotel where you can enjoy a free evening (Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Day 7 (Hurghada)

Your day will start with breakfast at the hotel after which you depart for a snorkeling trip. After enjoying your snorkeling trip you will be transferred back to your hotel where you can enjoy a relaxing evening and night (Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Day 8 (Hurghada)

After breakfast at the hotel you can be taken for a full day of diving (including two dives) or you can spend the day at leisure. Overnight at the hotel (Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Day 9 (Departure)

After breakfast you will be transferred to Hurghada Airport for your departure flight to Cairo (Meals included: Breakfast).