Jewel of the Nile: 10 days

Tour Information
Starts in: Cairo
Ends in: Cairo
Departs: Fridays year-round
Local Payment Required: No
Breakfast: 9, Lunch: 4, Dinner: 5
Hotel/Nile cruiser rating:
Tour Leader: Yes
Entrance fees: excluded

Day 1: Cairo
Welcome to Egypt and the start of your holiday! Arrive Cairo, included transfer to 5 hotel and overnight.

Day 2: Cairo - breakfast
Relax and enjoy the facilities of your hotel, before later enjoying a city tour of Cairo. Overnight - Cairo.

Day 3: Cairo - Luxor - breakfast
See the dazzling antiquities including the treasures of King Tutankhamen at the world famous Egyptian Museum. Continuing to Giza Plateau, we explore the pyramids and Sphinx. Later, we explore Saqqara, an ancient necropolis with many half-buried tombs and the famous Zhoser’s step pyramid. Overnight sleeper cabin train south to Luxor. Overnight - train.

Day 4: Luxor - breakfast
Arrive Luxor. The massive pair of statues known as the Colossi of Memnon are the first monuments you’ll see during our morning visit to the West Bank, home to the legendary Valley of the Kings. You’ll also see the colonnaded Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Return to Luxor for check-in aboard our Nile 5 cruiser and enjoy lunch. At leisure, until our early evening visit to the Temple of Luxor. Overnight - Nile cruiser.

Day 5: Luxor - Nile cruising - all meals
At over 4,000 years old, Luxor is a living museum. We tour the East Bank, taking in the Temple of Luxor - built by Pharaoh Amenophis III and the magnificent Temple of Karnak. More than a temple, it’s a gigantic and stunning complex of sanctuaries and pylons dedicated to the Theban gods. Anchor’s away, this afternoon as we sail downstream to Esna and the Temple of Horus at Edfu. Overnight - Nile cruiser.

Day 6: Nile cruising - all meals
A relaxing day as we sail the Nile. Later today, we visit the Temple of Kom Ombo. Arrive Aswan late evening. Overnight - Nile cruiser.

Day 7: Aswan - all meals
Today, we visit the Philae Temple. Later after lunch, a visit to the High Dam, then a felucca cruise to Elephantine and Kitchener Island. Evening free. Overnight - Nile cruiser.

Day 8: Aswan - Cairo - breakfast
Optional early morning air excursion to the Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel or time to relax. Check out our Abu Simbel Sun festival if departing on 15th February 2008. See box text at the bottom of this page. Late this afternoon, we board the overnight sleeper train for our journey back to Cairo. Enjoy dinner in the comfort of your sleeper cabin. Dinner and overnight train.

Day 9: Cairo - breakfast
Arriving into Cairo and hotel check in. Today remains free for you to further explore this exciting city or maybe head to Khan el Khalili market for a little last minute souvenir shopping. Overnight Cairo.

Day 10: Cairo
Tour ends after breakfast. Included onward transfer to airport.

NOTE: Dependent upon sailing schedules, our cruise may start from either Aswan or Luxor. Additionally, Esna Lock is closed twice-yearly usually in June and early December for maintenance. Cruises will then commence or end at Esna. Content of tour will remain the same.