EGYPT PANORAMA

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before heading out for a full-day tour exploring Cairo’s most iconic sites. Visit the Giza Plateau, home to the Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, as well as the enigmatic Sphinx. Continue to the grand Egyptian Museum, where an extensive collection of ancient treasures awaits. Lunch is included at a local restaurant during your touring. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure. (B,L)

Transfer from your hotel to Cairo Airport for your morning flight to Luxor. Upon arrival you will be escorted to your Nile cruise ship. Savor lunch on board before heading out with your guide to visit the impressive Karnak Temple and the Luxor Temple. The Temple of Karnak, located on the East bank of the Nile, was built by several great kings of Egypt including King Ramses II, King Tutmosis III, and Queen Hatshepsut. It was dedicated to the triad of Thebes: god Amun Ra, goddess Mut, and god Khonsu. Luxor Temple was dedicated to the god Amun and contains structures from many periods, the earliest dating back to the 12th Dynasty. Back on board, enjoy afternoon tea and dinner. Overnight onboard (B,L,D)

Rise and shine with breakfast on board followed by a visit to the West Bank necropolis including the Valley of the Kings & Queens where magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rocks, decorated richly, and filled with treasures for the afterlife by generations of Pharaohs. Then visit the Funerary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El Bahari who ruled Egypt for almost 20 years. She chose a very well protected location as it is surrounded by the mountains. Enjoy lunch on board, sailing to Esna, and afternoon tea before the Captain’s welcome cocktail party followed by dinner on board. Overnight onboard (B,L,D)

Sail to Edfu and have breakfast on board this morning. Today you will visit Edfu Temple. Totally submerged under the desert except for the very top of the pylon entrance, it is ancient Egypt’s most complete and best-preserved temple. A small amount of stone had been removed from the exposed part, but when excavated it was found to be in near perfect condition. Enjoy lunch on board and afternoon tea before visiting the temple of Kom Ombo, uniquely dedicated to two gods. The southern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, while the northern part of the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris. Later, join in the Galabeya party and dinner on board. Overnight onboard (B,L,D)

Sail to Aswan and enjoy breakfast on board followed by a visit to the world-famous High Dam, an engineering miracle when it was built in the 1960s. The dam was completed in 1971 and the huge reservoir behind it, named for President Nasser, was finished filling in 1979. The High Dam provided about half of the electricity production in Egypt, bringing power to most of Egypt’s villages for the first time. By regulating the flow of the river, the dam also increased the cultivatable land in Egypt by around 30 percent and allowed development in new areas that were previously inundated annually when the river flooded. Later, visit the Granite Quarries and see the unfinished obelisk; discover Philae Temple that rose to prominence during the Ptolomaic Dynasty as the center of the cult of the goddess Isis. Have lunch on board, followed by sailing along the Nile by felucca around Kitchener’s Island and Agha Khan Mausoleum. Sip on afternoon tea, and then enjoy the Nubian Folkloric show followed by dinner on board. Overnight onboard (B,L,D)

Early in the morning, optional Abu Simbel excursion by plane from Aswan (extra at cost). Transfer from your Nile Cruise to Aswan Airport for your morning flight to Cairo. Upon arrival you will be escorted to your Cairo Hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure. (B)

After enjoying your breakfast, you will visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, home to a rich and diverse collection that spans Egypt’s history from prehistoric times through the modern era. Don’t miss the Royal Mummies Hall, where several of Egypt’s most famous ancient rulers are on display. Next, it’s on to the Saladin Citadel of Cairo, a medieval fortification located on Mokattam where you can take in fresh air and sweeping views of the city. Today, it is a preserved historic site featuring mosques and museums. Then you’ll have lunch at a local restaurant and continue your exploration with a visit to Khan El Khalili bazaar. (B, L)