On Day 4 we travel to the Giza plateau to see the legendary pyramids, built 5,000 years ago as royal tombs.
Day 1: Depart U.S. for Cairo, Egypt
Day 2: Arrive Cairo We arrive in the Egyptian
capital and transfer to our hotel. As guests’ arrival
times may vary greatly, we have no group activities
or meals planned.
Day 3: Cairo After a morning briefing, our full-day
tour begins at the acclaimed Egyptian Museum, the
world’s greatest repository of ancient relics. Then
we tour the Citadel of Saladin housing the alabaster
Mosque of Mohamed Ali. Tonight we enjoy a welcome
dinner at a local restaurant. B,L,D
Day 4: Cairo Today’s tour starts at the open-air
museum at Memphis, Egypt’s first capital (early 4th
century BCE). We continue on to the necropolis at
Sakkara then to the astounding Pyramids of Giza,
the wonders of antiquity that have drawn visitors for
millennia. Here, too, we encounter the enigmatic
Sphinx, whose leonine body and human face were
carved from a single piece of limestone. B,L
Day 5: Cairo/Aswan/Embark Lake Nasser Cruise
Early this morning we fly to Aswan. Upon arrival we
visit the Aswan High Dam, considered a marvel of en-
gineering when completed in 1965. Then we visit the
Nubia Museum, an acclaimed showcase of Nubian art
and architecture with more than 3,000 ancient relics
and 90 monumental pieces. From here we board our
Lake Nasser ship in time for lunch then disembark to
explore the ruins of the acclaimed Temple of Philae.
Tonight we dine on board as we overnight in Aswan.
B,L,D
Day 6: Lake Nasser Cruising – Kalabsha Temples/
Wadi el-Seboua Today we see some sights of ancient
Nubia, Egypt’s neighbor in antiquity but with a distinct culture and traditions. We stop first at “new”
Kalabsha, the largest freestanding temple of them all
that was moved and reconstructed on higher ground
after the construction of the Aswan High Dam (and
the subsequent flooding that created Lake Nasser).
Then we sail on to Wadi-el-Seboua, where we dock
for the night. B,L,D
Day 7: Lake Nasser Cruising – Wadi el-Seboua
This morning we see two important New Kingdom
temples that, like Kalabsha, were dismantled and
relocated to make way for Lake Nasser. We explore
Wadi el-Seboua, the next largest of all the pharaonic
temples after Abu Simbel, and see the Temple of
Dakka, with its huge, well-preserved pylon. Returning
to M/S Prince Abbas, we sail on to Amada, where we
encounter the oldest of Nubia’s Egyptian temples, the
18th-dynasty Temple of Amada. B,L,D
15 days from $3,997 total price
from Boston, New York
($3,395 air, land & cruise inclusive plus $602
airline taxes and fees)
Accompanied by an expert Egyptian guide, this singular small group journey through
antiquity travels from vibrant Cairo and the
Great Pyramids to Abu Simbel and the Upper
Nile for a fascinating cruise on Lake Nasser.
Then: a classic voyage along the lower Nile
from Aswan to Luxor before returning to Cairo.
EGYPT & THE ETERNAL NILE
Your Small Group Tour Highlights
Cairo’s intriguing ancient sites, including the Great Pyramids,
Sphinx, Memphis, Sakkara • Old Cairo touring • Renowned
Egyptian Museum • Abu Simbel’s dramatic temples • Sound
& Light show at Abu Simbel • Lake Nasser cruise through
ancient Nubian homeland • Aswan’s temples at Kalabsha •
Nile felucca sail • Nile River cruise • Aswan Dam visit •
Ancient temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor • Valley
of the Kings and Valley of the Queens • Egypt’s inestimable
historic atmosphere
Day Itinerary Hotel Rating
1 Depart U.S. for Cairo
2-4 Cairo Fairmont Nile City Deluxe
5-8 Aswan/Lake M/S Prince Abbas Sup. First Nasser cruise Class
9-11 Nile cruise M/S Royal Lily Deluxe
12 Luxor Steigenberger Sup. First Nile Palace Class
13-14 Cairo Fairmont Nile City Deluxe
15 Depart Cairo for U.S.
Ratings are based on the Hotel & Travel Index, the travel
industry standard reference.
Avg.High(°F) Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
Cairo 82 73 68 65 67 72 81
Aswan 94 83 75 74 78 86 94
Luxor 91 82 74 73 74 82 91
Red
Sea
Lake
Nasser
Nile River
Destination
Air
Motorcoach
Lake Nasser Cruise
Nile River Cruise
Extension (air)
Extension (motorcoach)
Entry/Departure
Cairo
Luxor
Amman
Petra
Aswan
Abu Simbel
EGYPT
JORDAN