EG-26 Egypt & The Nile Explorer - 13 Days / 11 Nights
4 Nights Cairo / 1 Night Aswan / 6 Nights Nile Cruise
Includes Abu Simbel Excursion
 
Departures on Saturdays & Sundays.
 Hotels & Cruise Ships

Included Services
 Dates & Rates Nile Cruise Alternatives & Rates
Itinerary
Day 1 USA - Cairo
Leave USA
 
Day 2 Cairo
Upon your arrival at Cairo Airport, you will be welcomed by a Tourcom representative and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo.
 
Day 3 Cairo
After breakfast, you will drive to desert plateau of Giza for a visit to the only surviving monument among the seven wonders of the ancient world, the great pyramids. You will view the awesome Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus and also the legendery Sphinx who has been staring out over the desert for so many centuries. Your visit will also include the Solar Boat Museum. Then you will continue to Memphis, once the glorious capital of Old Kingdom to see the colossal statue of Ramses II and the alabaster sphinx. Saqqara, the necropolis of Memphis, will be waiting for you with its pyramids, temples and tombs. You will visit King Zoser's Step Pyramid, probably the oldest pyramid of Egypt and the oldest stone structure of its size in the world. Overnight in Cairo (B)
 
Day 4 Cairo - Luxor - Nile Cruise
In the morning you will fly to Luxor. Upon your arrival, you will be transferred to your Nile cruise ship. After lunch on board, you will enjoy a relaxing cruise with beautiful scenery along the banks of Nile up to Qena. Afternoon tea and dinner will be served on board. (B, L, D)
 
Day 5 Nile Cruise
In the morning you will drive to Dendara to explore the Temple of Hathor, which is almost intact. Hathor, associated with Aphrodite by Greeks, was the goddess of maternal and family love, of beauty and light. Her Temple is located exactly where she gave birth to Horus' child. You will also visit the Temple of Osiris in Abydos. In the afternoon, you will sail to Luxor. Afternoon tea and dinner will be served on board. (B, L, D)
 
Day 6 Nile Cruise
You will have a leisurely morning in Luxor. In the afternoon, you will visit the Temples of Karnak, incredibly impressive complex of numerous temples with the famous Great Hypostyle Hall, an unforgettable forest of towering stone pillars; and Temple of Luxor dedicated to the creator god Amun, a strikingly graceful piece of architecture adorned with colossal statues of Ramses II. Afternoon tea and dinner will be served on board. (B, L, D)
 
Day 7 Nile Cruise
Today you will drive to the Necropolis of Thebes, including the Valley of the Queens and the Valley of the Kings, the royal burial site and then the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon facing the Nile. Then you will sail to Edfu. Afternoon tea and dinner will be served on board. (B, L, D)

Day 8 Nile Cruise
In the morning you will visit the extraordinary Temple of Horus, the largest and most completely preserved Pharaonic, albeit Greek-built temple in Egypt. Then you will sail to Kom Ombo to explore the dual Temple of Sobek and Haroeris, where in the ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank. Afternoon tea and dinner will be served on board. (B, L, D)

Day 9 Nile Cruise
In the morning you will sail to Aswan. After lunch weather permitting, you will sail on a felucca at the west bank of the River Nile to view the Aga Khan Mausoleum, the Elephantine Island and Lord Kitchener's Botanical Gardens. Afternoon tea and dinner will be served on board. (B, L, D)

 

Day 10 Aswan
After breakfast and checking out from your cruise ship, you will drive to the High Dam and Old Aswan Dam to understand the importance of regulating the River Niles for Egpytians over the millenia. You will continue with the beautiful Philae's Temple of Isis which was saved from the rising waters by being reconstructed on the Agilika Island piece by piece. You will see the Unfinished Obelisk at the granite quarries. At the end of your visits, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Aswan. (B)

Day 11 Aswan - Abu Simbel - Cairo
In the morning you will fly to Abu Simbel. You will never forget the striking view from the window of your plane: the rock-cut facade of the colossal Temple of Ramses II and the Temple of Hathor which appear all of a sudden in the middle of the desert divided by the branches of the River Nile. After your visit, you will be transferred to the airport and fly Cairo, visa Aswan. In Cairo you will be transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure in Cairo. Overnight in Cairo. (B)

  

Day 12 Cairo
You will start your day with a visit to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities which has an incredibly vast collection of artifacts from the Old Kingdom to the Roman era. Your visit in the Museum also includes the Royal Mummy Room. You will continue to Old Cairo to see the Al-Muallaqa Church, one of the oldest Coptic churches in Egpyt and Ben Ezra Synagogue, then go on with the Citadel, a wonderful example of a medieval fortress which was home to the rulers of Egypt for 700 years. Then you will be impressed by the Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali with its huge dome and pencil shaped minarets. Then you will enjoy the oriental ambiance of the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar while you wander through the labyrinth of its narrow streets lined with hundreds of shops. Overnight in Cairo. (B)

Day 13 Departure
You will be transferred to Cario Airport for your return flight. (B)

  
 
 
Included Services
All private services for the land portion.
* Meeting and assistance at the airport.
* All transfers.
* All tours mentioned in the itinerary and related entry fees, including the Solar Boat and Royal Mummy Room in Cairo.
* Excursion to Abu Simbel.
* Professional, licensed, English speaking Egyptologist guide.
* Daily breakfast, four lunches, four dinners and daily afternoon tea during the Nile cruise.
* The detailed shore excursions during the Nile cruise.
* 4 nights' accommodation in Cairo and one night in Aswan using hotel plan of your choice, including daily breakfast and hotel taxes.
* Four domestic flights in Egypt.

Not Included:
* International airfare (will be quoted separately on request) and airport taxes.
* Visa for Egypt.
* Gratuities for guide and drivers.
* Items of a personal nature such as drinks with meals (except tea or coffee with breakfast), medical services, phone calls etc.
Call for Travel Insurance.
 
 
Hotels & Nile Cruise Ships (See below for Nile Cruise Options)
Silver Category:
Cairo First Stay
Pyramids Park Hotel
 
Cairo Second Stay
Helnan Shepherd Hotel
  Aswan Oberoi
 
Nile Cruise
Oberoi Shahrazad
or Nile Beauty
     
Gold Category:
Cairo First Stay
Les Meridien Des Pyramides
 
Cairo Second Stay
Cairo Intercontinental or
Marriott or Sheraton
Standard rooms
  Aswan Isis Island
 
Nile Cruise
Oberoi Shahrazad
or Nile Beauty
     
Platinum Category:
Cairo First Stay
Mena House Oberoi
Palace Wing
with view of Pyramid
 
Cairo Second Stay
Four Seasons Superior Room
or Conrad Executive Room
or Marriott Executive Room
  Aswan Sofitel Old Cataract
 
Nile Cruise
Oberoi Shahrazad
or Nile Beauty
 
 
 
 
 
Departure Dates and Rates
Sunday Departures:
Jan 21, Feb 18, Mar 18, Apr 15,
May 13, Jun 10, Jul 8, Aug 5, Sep 2, 30
 
Saturday Departures: (Nile cruise will be operated in reverse direction.)
Jan 6, Feb 3, Mar 3, 31, Apr 28,
May 26, Jun 23, Jul 21, Aug 18, Sep 15
PERIOD SILVER GOLD PLATINUM
Oct 01, 00 Dec 06, 00 $2,408 $2,488 $3,106
Dec 07, 00 Jan 07, 01 $2,765 $2,877 $3,715
Jan 08, 01 Mar 28, 01 $2,408 $2,488 $3,106
Mar 29, 01 Apr 17, 01 $2,724 $2,827 $3,601
Apr 18, 01 Apr 30, 01 $2,408 $2,488 $3,106
May 01, 01 Sep 30, 01 $2,154 $2,219 $2,828
Rates are for the privately operated land portion, per person in double occupancy
for a minimum of 2 guests.
Please call for reduced rates for groups of 5 or more guests.
 
 
 
 
Alternatives for Nile Cruise Portion & Departure Dates:
Supplement for Cruising on: Sonesta Nile Goddess
or Sonesta Sun Goddess
PERIOD PER PERSON
SUPPLEMENTS
Oct 01, 00 Dec 06, 00 $312
Dec 07, 00 Jan 07, 01 $390
Jan 08, 01 Mar 28, 01 $312
Mar 29, 01 Apr 17, 01 $390
Apr 18, 01 Apr 30, 01 $312
May 01, 01 Sep 30, 01 $143

DEPARTURE DATES:
Sunday Departures:
Jan 7, 21, Feb 4, 18, Mar 4, 18, Apr 1, 15, May 13, 27, Jun 10, 24,
Jul 8, 22, Aug 5, 19, Sep 2, 16, 30

Saturday Departures: (Nile cruise will be operated in reverse direction.)
Jan 6, 20, Feb 3, 17, Mar 3, 17, 31, Apr 14, 28, May 12, 26,
Jun 9, 23, Jul 7, 21, Aug 4, 18, Sep 1, 15, 29

 
Supplement for Cruising on: Oberoi Philae, Sonesta Moon Goddess
or Liberty
PERIOD PER PERSON
SUPPLEMENTS
Oct 01, 00 Dec 06, 00 $610
Dec 07, 00 Jan 07, 01 $635
Jan 08, 01 Mar 28, 01 $610
Mar 29, 01 Apr 17, 01 $635
Apr 18, 01 Apr 30, 01 $610
May 01, 01 Sep 30, 01 $229

DEPARTURE DATES:
Sunday Departures:
Jan 14, 28, Feb 11, 25, Mar 11, 25, Apr 8, 22, May 6, 20, Jun 3, 17,
Jul 1, 15, 29, Aug 12, 26, Sep 9, 23

Saturday Departures: (Nile cruise will be operated in reverse direction.)
Jan 13, 27, Feb 10, 24, Mar 10, 24, Apr 7, 21, May 5, 19,
Jun 2, 16, 30, Jul 14, 28, Aug 11, 25, Sep 18, 22