Description

Itinerary

DAY 1:  CAIRO

Arrive Cairo, and be transferred to your overnight hotel. Rest of day at leisure to relax and rest.

Overnight: in Cairo

DAY 2:  CAIRO

Morning tour of the Egyptian Museum, where you view the largest depository of Egyptian Antiquities from the Pharaonic and Greco Roman periods as well as the treasures recovered from the Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amun. In the afternoon you visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza, the only present-day survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built from over 2300 000 blocks of stone, each weighing about 2.5 tons. Nearby, the mystical Sphinx keeps watch over the Giza plateau. The 20-metre high man-animal Sphinx, created as a “living image of the sun-god”, was built by Chephren to guard the entrance to the Pyramids.

Overnight: again in Cairo (B)

DAY 3:  CAIRO – ASWAN

You are transferred to Cairo Airport for flight to Aswan (cost of flight not included), and on landing transfer to your Nile Cruiser for embarkation. In the afternoon enjoy a Felucca ride during which you might catch a glimpse of the lush Botanic Garden on Kitchener’s Island. Also visit Elephantine Island and cruise past Aga Khan’s Mausoleum on the west bank.

Overnight: on board the Nile Cruiser (BLD)

DAY 4: ASWAN – KOM OMBO – EDFU

Today visit the High Dam, a huge rock-fill dam, which captures the world’s longest river. Travel by motorboat to Agilika Island and visit the reassembled Philae Temple dedicated to the goddess Isis. The temple has a majestic aura, particularly at sunset when it turns to gold. Cruise to Kom Ombo to visit the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris, dedicated to the crocodile god and the falcon headed god. Thereafter the cruise continues to Edfu.

Overnight: on board the Nile Cruiser (BLD)

DAY 5:  EDFU – ESNA – LUXOR

By horse-drawn carriage you are transferred through Edfu to one of the famous and best preserved ancient Greek-built Horus temple. It is dedicated to the Falcon God and was built on a rise to escape the annual flooding of the Nile. Thereafter you return to your Nile Cruiser and enjoy the changing scenery as you cruise to Esna and later to Luxor, considered to be one of the world’s greatest open-air museums.

Travel by coach to the West Bank and visit Thebes Necropolis and the Valley of Kings, a vast City of the Dead for generations of Pharaohs, where magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rock, richly decorated and filled with treasures for the afterlife. Very few of these rock-cut tombs, unfortunately, escaped grave robbers during ancient times. The most famous of the sixty-two tombs is the tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amun unearthed by Howard Carter. Continue to Deir al-Bahri, where the Temple of Hatshepsut was built for the only woman who ruled Egypt, also see the Colossi of Memnon, which is all that remains of the Temple of Amenophis, destroyed by the annual flooding of the Nile.

Overnight: on board the Nile Cruiser (BLD)

DAY 6: LUXOR – CAIRO

Disembark after breakfast. Visit the Karnak Temple, a complex dedicated to Amun Ra. Its impressive features are probably the most overwhelming of all the Egyptian monuments. Visit the Luxor Temple discovered beneath the shifting desert sands. It was originally joined to the Karnak Temple by an avenue of Sphinxes. Departure transfer to Luxor Airport for flight to Cairo (cost of flight not included). (B)

Rates

Must book before 31 November 2020 for Specials to apply.

Rates based on sharing twin/double room. ITT Inspirations Travel & Tours Terms & Conditions apply and services subject to availability at time of booking. Fluctuations in exchange rate will be calculated at time of confirmation and payment.