Essential Egypt by Nile Cruise

You will be met upon arrival at Cairo Airport and transferred to our start hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure or, if you arrive early, opt to join our optional Backstreets of Cairo tour which departs the hotel at 10am.

If you'd like to extend your stay in Egypt we offer a pre tour (Wednesday) or post tour Sunday Day Trip to Alexandria.

Our tour begins with a visit to one of the world's most famous sights this morning - the legendary Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Built over 4500 years ago, the three great pyramids are sole survivors of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. A visit to a government supervised Papyrus Museum will also be made at some point during today.This afternoon we take a guided tour of Egyptian Museum, which contains an incredible array of relics and antiquities including the well-preserved mummies, such as those of Yuya and Thuyu - the great-grandparents of King Tutankhamun. These mummies offer a rare glimpse into the past, with some so remarkably preserved that they still have hair on their heads, allowing us to see the incredible skill and techniques used by the ancient Egyptians in their embalming process. This evening, we board the overnight train to Aswan.

Arriving into Aswan early this morning, we take a boat trip out to Agilika Island for a guided tour of the beautiful Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Our final stop today is a perfume oil emporium before check-in on board your Nile Cruiser which will be home for the next three nights. As the sun sets, free time to shop in the colourful souqs and markets or simply relax and watch an amazing sunset in Egypt's southern most town straddling the River Nile.

Aswan – Nile cruise - Kom Ombo. Consider booking our optional early morning excursion by road to visit the spectacular Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel this morning. Alternatively enjoy a free morning in Aswan. Our Nile Cruiser departs Aswan this afternoon and we cruise the River Nile to Kom Ombo where we disembark to visit the temple which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek before returning to the cruiser.

Nile Cruise - Luxor. Relax, enjoy a swim in the pool and chill out in the sun on deck this morning. Let your troubles melt away as we cruise the River Nile to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Arriving into Luxor this afternoon the rest of the day is free to explore the city before we spend our final night aboard the cruiser.

This morning we disembark and check into our Luxor hotel. There's time to relax by the hotel pool before we enjoy a guided tour of the colossal Temple of Karnak this afternoon. More than a temple, Karnak is a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, pylons, chapels, halls and obelisks, all dedicated to the Theban gods and the greater glory of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdom rulers.

In the evening there's an optional visit to Luxor Temple with dinner included (book and pay locally). This remarkable temple and the Avenue of Sphinxes which leads to it, are most spectacular at night when they're illuminated by hundreds of atmospheric lights.

Luxor - Cairo. We travel to Luxor's West Bank this morning for a guided tour of the legendary Valley of the Kings, which is home to an array of beautifully decorated pharaohs' tombs, three of which you can enter. Arriving at the West Bank we will be greeted by the towering 18m-high Colossi of Memnon and after the Valley of the Kings we enjoy a tour of the beautiful Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Returning to the hotel the afternoon is free to relax by the pool. This evening we board the overnight train to Cairo.

This morning, we arrive back into Egypt's bustling capital. We return to our start hotel which marks the end of our tour. Make your own way to the airport for your onward flight.

Day use rooms can be purchased at an additional cost or you may wish to purchase extra nights and extend your stay. You could also do some last minute souvenir shopping as we offer an optional visit to Cairo's bustling Khan el Khalili bazaar.

Please note flights should not be booked to depart before 2pm. Airport departure transfer or Cairo post tour accommodation can be arranged on request.