Day 1, Sun: USA-CAIRO
Enjoy your transatlantic
flight to Cairo with meals on board.
Day 2, Mon: CAIRO
You will be greeted
by your host at the Cairo airport, who will assist you through
Customs & baggage claim formalities and escort you to
your hotel. The balance of the day is at leisure.
Day 3, Tue: CAIRO: MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES - CITADEL
- MOSQUES (B)
Your tour this morning includes the renowned Cairo
Museum. It is home to the richest collection of antiquities
ever discovered, including the fabulous burial treasure
of King Tutankhamun. Continue to the Sultan Hassan Mosque
and the Khan El Khalili Bazaar. Return to the hotel.
Day 4, Wed: CAIRO - GIZA - MEMPHIS - SAKKARA (B)
Today's
full day tour begins with a visit to the Great Pyramid
and the
colossal Sphinx of
Giza. Continue to Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt.
Though most of the city has been destroyed by time, the
magnificent alabaster Sphinx and statue of Ramses II remain
standing. Continue on to Sakkara to see the Step Pyramid
of King Zoser and the Wall of Cobras. Return to the hotel.
Day 5, Thu: CAIRO - LUXOR (NILE CRUISE) - TEMPLES
OF LUXOR & KARNAK
(B, L, D)
Early morning transfer to the Cairo airport for
the short flight to Luxor, where you will board the Nile
cruise ship. After lunch on board, you will explore the
Temples of Karnak and Luxor. Colossal statues, shrines
and obelisks built over the centuries are featured at the
magnificent Temples. Dinner on board the ship is followed
by a belly dance show.
Day 6, Fri: LUXOR-EDFU (B, L, D)
Cross the Nile this morning
to Luxor's West Bank, where you will explore the astonishing
ancient kingdom
of Thebes. The tour visits the Valley of the Kings, the
Valley of the Queens, the Temple of Queen Hatsepsut at
Deir El Bahari, the great Temple of Ramses III, and the
Colossi of Memnon. Return to the ship and enjoy your lunch
on board as you sail to Edfu. The Captain's welcome cocktail
party this evening is followed by dinner. Overnight in
Edfu.
Day 7, Sat: EDFU -KOM OMBO (B, L, D)
Disembark this morning
in Edfu to visit the Temple of Horus, the falcon god and
master of the sky.
Enjoy lunch on board as you sail south into Upper Egypt
to Kom Ombo. Here you will visit the town and the temple
dedicated to the two gods, Sobecand Haroeis. Tonight's
dinner on board is followed by a Calabeya party.
Day 8, Sun: KOM OMBO - ASWAN (B, L, D)
Cruise the Nile deeper
into Upper Egypt to Aswan. Sightseeing includes the High
Dam built by Egypt's
President Nasser to control the flooding of the Nile, the
ancient granite quarries, the unfinished Obelisk and the
Temple of Isis on the Island of Philae. After lunch on
board, enjoy a felucca ride to view the Elephantine Island,
the hilltop Mausoleum of Agha Khan & Kitchener's Island.
Dinner on board tonight is followed by a Nubian folkloric
show. Overnight in Aswan.
Day 9, Mon: ASWAN - CAIRO (B)
After breakfast this morning
transfer to the airport for the flight to Cairo. You will
be met upon arrival and
escorted
to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Day 10, Tue: CAIRO - ALEXANDRIA (B)
Drive north today towards
the Mediterranean to the city of Alexandria, meeting place
of Julius
Caesar and Cleopatra. Sightseeing includes Pompey's
Pillar,
the Fort of Qait Bey, the Amphitheater, the Greco-Roman
Museum of Antiquities and more. Overnight in Alexandria.
Day 11, Wed: ALEXANDRIA - CAIRO (B)
This morning's
tour visits the Catacombs,
the Royal Jewelry Museum and the Montazah Gardens.
You will have free time for lunch (optional) and
then drive
south along the desert road to Cairo for overnight.
Day 12, Thu: CAIRO - USA (B)
Transfer to airport for your departing flight.