Cairo's Egyptian Museum and Giza's Great Pyramids

After breakfast at your Cairo hotel, you'll meet your Egyptologist, who will accompany you on your day of sightseeing in the city and its environs. Among the activities will be: The Egyptian Museum: In Cairo, visit the Museum of Antiquities, also known as the Egyptian Museum, which houses an extensive collection of ancient treasures such as King Tut's tomb and funerary mask.

The Pyramids of Giza: First, you'll travel to Giza, located outside of Cairo, to see the three major pyramids at its necropolis complex. Your Egyptologist will explain the history of their construction, which spanned nearly three generations, beginning with the Great Pyramid of Giza — Cheops — and progressing to the smaller Chepren and Mykerinos pyramids.

Luxor

After breakfast, your tour coordinator will assist you with your transfer to the airport for your short flight from Cairo to Luxor, a small Nile Valley city located 420 miles (676 kilometres) south of Cairo. When you arrive in Luxor, you will make your way to your cruise ship, and your guide will show you the major sights in Luxor, such as:

Karnak Temple: One of Egypt's largest surviving temples, the Karnak Temple was built during the Middle Kingdom and was once a major religious centre.

Luxor Temple: A large temple complex on the Nile River's east bank. It was founded around 1400 BCE during the New Kingdom.

Luxor and Valley of the Kings

You'll continue your Nile cruise by seeing sights on the river's west bank. Your guide will lead you through a tour, and activities might include visiting:

Valley of the Kings: The location of rock-cut tombs for kings and powerful nobles (including Tutankhamun) for nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BCE.

Valley of the Queens: Known as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning "the place of beauty," this was where some members of the royal family were buried 17th to 20th dynasties.

Colossi of Memnon: Visit the ruins of Amenhotep's memorial temple. Two imposing statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III remain, which were erected to guard the temple's entrance.

Hatshepsut Temple: The Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is the focal point of Deir el-Bahri, a complex of mortuary temples and tombs.

After your tour, you will make your way back to your cruise ship, where you can relax on board as you sail to Esna.

Temples at Edfu and Kom Ombo

The temples of Edfu (115 km or 71 miles from Luxor) and Kom Ombo will be your next stop on your Nile cruise (63 km or 39 miles from Edfu). Your guide will explain the significance of the temples there:

Ptolemaic Temple of Horus at Edfu: The Ptolemaic Temple of Horus was built between 57 and 237 BCE. It is one of Egypt's best-preserved shrines, with many of its inscriptions still visible inside.

Temple of Sobek and Haroeris at Kom Obmo: During the Ptolemaic era, the temple dedicated to the crocodile god (Sobek) and falcon god (Haroeris) was built. Many of the walls of its courts, halls, sanctuaries, rooms, wall carvings and some statues are still standing.

Aswan and Aswan High Dam

As you set sail for Aswan, your adventure continues. In Aswan, you will have the opportunity to disembark the ship and explore more sights with your guide, including:

Aswan High Dam: Built in the 1960s, completed in 1970, and formally inaugurated in 1971, the Aswan High Dam was an engineering marvel at the time, increasing cultivable land by 30% and doubling Egypt's electricity supply.

Philae Temple: Temples dedicated to the goddess Isis was once built at Philae (construction began in 690 BCE). Due to the Aswan High Dam construction, the complex was relocated from its original location on Philae Island to its new location on Agilkia Island. To learn more about the temple, you'll board a small boat.

Botanical Garden: Kitchener's Island, also known as the Botanical Garden, is a 16-acre island in the Aswan archipelago located between Elephantine Island and The Nile's west bank.

Return to Cairo

Your tour coordinator will assist you in catching your flight to Cairo from Aswan (the distance between Aswan and Cairo is 450 kilometres) (538 miles or 867 km). After checking into your Cairo hotel, you can go exploring, see the last sights, and eat an authentic Egyptian meal on your own.

Return home

Have your breakfast at your hotel, then transfer you to Cairo airport. One of our representatives will assist you at the airport and return to your home with unforgettable memories in Jewels of The Nile: Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan - 8 days.