King Tutankhamun with Cruise

Friday. Welcome to Egypt. Upon arrival at Cairo airport you'll be met and transferred to our start hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or those arriving early can opt to join a Backstreets Tour of Cairo or our Alexandria Day Trip. At 7pm this evening meet your guide and the rest of the group at the Welcome Meeting.

Today we visit to the legendary Pyramids of Giza and the iconic Sphinx at the Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. A stop will be made at a government supervised papyrus emporium, then we will continue to the necropolis of Saqqara, where we can explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s step pyramid - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC!

This morning we join our guided tour of the incredible new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. This vast 490,000 sq.m complex showcases an astonishing collection of artefacts from nearly every period of ancient Egyptian history. Among the highlights are treasures of King Tutankhamun, with plans for his famous solid gold funerary mask to eventually be showcased here, alongside many items being exhibited for the first time.

Later, we make our way to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which remains home to a vast collection of statues, jewellery, and sarcophagi. Here, we’ll see the well-preserved mummies of Yuya and Thuyu, high-ranking nobles and the great-grandparents of King Tutankhamun. Some mummies are so well preserved they still have thick locks of hair and visible fingernails. Then there's time to relax back at the hotel before we board the night train to Aswan this evening.

This morning we arrive into Aswan and enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island for 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. Optional early morning drive to Abu Simbel, the famous the rock-cut temple of King Ramses II, the Great Builder. 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 5 star Luxor hotel. The day is free to enjoy the hotel facilities, relax and explore. Tonight, we have the opportunity to visit Luxor Temple with dinner afterwards. Built by Amenophis III, Luxor Temple looks stunning at night when it's illuminated by hundreds of lights. Book/pay locally at approx USD$25 including entrance fees and buffet dinner. Remainder of the evening is at leisure.

Luxor - Cairo. This morning we will be touring the West Bank of the Nile, an early start allows us to avoid some of the fierce midday heat as we venture to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. Highlights of the visit include the Colossi of Memnon, a massive pair of statues that stand silent against a historic backdrop, the Valleys of the Kings and the awesome colonnaded Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

The Valley of the Kings is studded with often highly decorated tombs, constructed to once house the regal sarcophagi enclosed mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting passage into the after-life. This afternoon after lunch and time to relax we visit the colossal Temple of Karnak, with its stone-columned Hypostle Hall. Tonight, we return by overnight sleeper train to Cairo.

We arrive into Cairo this morning and transfer to our hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to simply relax, independently explore or opt to visit the famous Khan el Khalili bazaar to buy some souvenirs.

Sunday. Hotel check out and included onward departure transfer to airport.