16 Day 5 Star Egypt With Nile & Lake Nasser Cruise Premium Small Group Tour

Salaam Alaikum! Welcome to Egypt. On arrival at the airport, you will be met by a representative and taken to your hotel.

A buzzing metropolis, home to at least 19 million people, Cairo gives you a great feel for Egyptian streetlife. It’s busy – almost frantic – and among the hustle and bustle, it’s an exciting blend of old world and new. Arabs call this city Umm al-Dunya (the mother of the world). There are many beautiful mosques to visit, like the Mohammed Ali Mosque in the Citadel. Or head to the oldest part of Cairo, the Babylon Fortress, to see ancient ruins. For stunning panoramic views of the capital, go up the 187-metre-high Cairo Tower.

Try some street food – lamb shawarma, anyone? – or get a taste of Egyptian street life by visiting a cafe. Sit in an ahwa and sip traditional mint tea. The shisha pipe can be found in many ahwas and restaurants across Cairo.

This morning after breakfast we will visit the Egyptian Museum, home to one of the world's great collections of antiquities. Wander the treasure-filled halls of the museum, and make sure to check out the Royal Mummies Hall for a close encounter with some of the country’s most important queens and pharaohs. The masses of gleaming artefacts recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun are quite something.

Afterwards we depart Cairo and drive to the port city of Alexandria along what is known as the ‘desert road’. Upon arrival in Alexandria, our experienced English speaking guide will take us on a scenic tour of the second largest city in Egypt, extending 32 km along the Mediterranean coast. Alexandria is known for its stunning broad beaches and seafront corniche dotted with sun loungers and cafes. Following this, prepare to delve into the captivating Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa. Heading underground, we’ll get to view the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, complete with burial chambers, labyrinth alleyways and entertaining rooms for families coming to visit the dead. The crypts are 20 metres below street level, and what probably began as a small family tomb grew into a coil of rooms that could accommodate more than 300 bodies. After this we will head to our hotel for check in, where you may spend the rest of the day at leisure or head out and explore the city.

This morning we depart Alexandria and drive towards the town of El Alamein where we will visit the Commonwealth War Cemetery and Memorial. It is here where two extended battles were fought during World War II. The first began on the 1st July 1942 and lasted for 27 days, ending as a stalemate. After 3 months of holding back the enemy, the allies launched a second attack which lasted for 13 days. The importance of El Alamein was highlighted by Winston Churchill, who said “Before Alamein we never had a victory.” Following our visit here, we will drive back to Cairo and check into our beautiful hotel in view of the Pyramids of Giza.

Today will be full of excitement as we head out to see some of the world’s most iconic sights – the magnificent Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Instantly familiar yet full of mystique, these incredible pharaonic tombs are an incredible sight and will fill you with awe. Here we’ll explore these powerful structures that have stood tall and proud for 4,500 years. Afterwards, we’ll head to the ancient site of Saqqara, the oldest complete stone complex known in history. Saqqara also served as the burial ground for Kings and High officials that lived in the ancient Egyptian Capital, Memphis. Here we’ll view the legendary pyramids of Saqqara, including the famous Step Pyramid. Other small pyramids in the area are worth visiting, especially the King Unas Pyramids. The walls of his Pyramids are covered with texts or what can be called Magic spells to assist with the Pharaoh’s journey in the afterlife. This concept continued to evolve to produce the so called ‘Book of the Dead’. Many of the Book of the Dead texts can been seen in Valley of the Kings tombs in Luxor. As our tour here concludes, we’ll head back to our hotel for an evening of leisure.

Today we leave Cairo and fly to Abu Simbel (via Aswan). Often referred to as the Temples of Ramses II, the two enormous sandstone structures at Abu Simbel were built in 1255 BC by Ramses II to commemorate himself and his favorite wife Nefertari. The larger temple, dedicated to three major Egyptian deities, features four large statues of Ramses II on its facade, while the smaller temple is dedicated to the love goddess Hathor, with statues designed to embody Nefertari. Set on the banks of the artificial Lake Nasser, the structures were once in danger of being flooded with the construction of the Aswan High Dam but were saved via an extensive project to cut the temples into pieces and move them to higher ground, where they are seen today.

Following our tour of Abu Simbel we will board our Lake Nasser cruise.

Our extraordinary Nile Cruise begins on beautiful Lake Nasser, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. Today we will sail to Qasr Ibrim, originally a major city perched on a cliff above the Nile. After the flooding of Lake Nasser during the construction of the Aswan High Dam, Qasr Ibrim was transformed into an island with its outskirts underwater. Now an important archaeological site closed to the public, we will sail just close enough to view the fascinating ruins from the ship’s sundeck and take some photographs. After this we will continue on to see the Temple of Amada, the oldest Egyptian temple in the region, constructed by Pharaoh Thutmose III of the 18th dynasty. Here we will also see the temple’s sole tomb, the Tomb of Pennut. The rock-cut Temple of Derr can be seen here as well, built during the 19th Dynasty by Pharaoh Ramesses II.

Next we sail on to Wadi El Seboua, where our day today will end and our tour will begin tomorrow. The evening will be spent on board relaxing and mingling with fellow travellers, discussing the incredible sights we’ve encountered so far.

This morning we begin with a tour of Wadi El Seboua, where several important sites were relocated during the Aswan High Dam construction to save them from flooding. The government and groups involved in the relocation of the country’s national treasures found it easier to relocate multiple sites together to a few carefully chosen spots. Wadi El Seboua was one of these chosen spots and as a result there are numerous magnificent things to see here. After touring the temples of Wadi El Seboua, we will sail back towards Aswan.

Early this morning we will be heading out for a visit to the Temple of Kalabsha. This Roman Period temple to the sun god Mandulis was entirely relocated in 1970 to protect it from Lake Nasser. It was built by Emperor Augustus and was the largest free-standing temple of Egyptian Nubia. During relocation, the temple was cut into 13,000 blocks. Later this morning we will disembark for a different Nile cruise as we leave Lake Nasser and sail up the river towards Luxor. Enroute we will make a stop at the fascinating Nubian Museum. The museum is considered to be a gateway to the history of Nubia that enables visitors to understand the complex history of this unique area. The stunning architecture of the museum itself is enough of a reason to visit. Before we continue on our journey to Luxor, you will have the opportunity to participate in another one of our bonus Inspiring Sights to enhance your experience.

Please note that since the sailing distance between Aswan and Luxor is approximately 200kms, that it is typical for all cruises operated along the Nile to be docked for majority of the time to conduct sightseeing, with the sailing to occur of an evening. The vessel will be docked either in Aswan or Luxor. Depending on the time of year and number of vessels operating at the same time, you will also find that all vessels are docked beside one another, which is beyond our control.

To ensure that our customers have appropriate expectations prior to their journey, it is important not to compare this experience to that of a European River Cruise, which tend to cover a greater distance and on larger vessels. Instead, you will experience a Deluxe stay on-board your vessel, offering a great chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the banks of the Nile while you sit back and relax. Your cruise schedule will be provided once on-board.

Today our journey ashore is to visit the Kom Ombo Temple. Set dramatically on the bank of the Nile, 168 kilometres south of Luxor, the soaring, chunky columns of the Great Temple of Kom Ombo are a magnificent sight as you arrive from the river. Dedicated to the gods Sobek and Haroeris, the temple's finely carved reliefs give a sense of this area's prominence as capital over the surrounding region during the Ptolemaic era. Today, Kom Ombo may be a sleepy agricultural backwater surrounded by sugar cane fields, but its prime position along the Nile once made it one of Upper Egypt's most important centres. Wander through the temple's colonnades, gazing up at scenes of kingly propaganda, and you'll capture a feel of this glorious history for yourself. We’ll then return to the cruise boat where we’ll continue travelling upriver, with free time relaxing on the sundeck and taking in the surrounding sights – desert hills forming a backdrop to lush riverbanks, fishermen casting their nets and farmers working their land.

Tonight we continue sailing towards Luxor, and arrive before midnight.

We swap our ship for a small boat this morning as we approach the open air museum of Luxor and the “Valley of the Kings”. Luxor is full of wonderfully preserved reminders of the Pharaohs. Today we will discover some of the many wonders of ancient Thebes.

Our first stop is the Colossi of Memnon, two 17 metre-high statues on Luxor's west bank. Carved from granite blocks, they represent the Pharaoh Amenhotep III and were once part of an impressive colonnade. From here we will continue on to the spectacular royal burial site of the Valley of the Kings. Buried under the arid hills here are over 60 tombs of pharaohs, many richly decorated with reliefs and paintings. We’ll explore this sprawling and spectacular place, where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (16th to 11th century BC) were secretly interred for all eternity, and where discoveries are still being made. Our guide will explain the history and legends of these remarkable people, their funerary rites, and the significance of the many paintings and hieroglyphics, still well preserved in the deepest tombs. We’ll visit three of the most interesting royal tombs and then continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a stunning colonnaded building set against high cliffs that create a spectacular natural amphitheatre. One of Egypt’s greatest Queens, she built this temple to prove her importance among the ancestors.

This evening we will enjoy our final night on board our cruise vessel before disembarking tomorrow morning.

This morning we disembark our Nile cruise and set off to explore the magnificent Karnak Temple, which is perhaps the most impressive of all the ancient Pharaohs' monumental works. One of the world's most celebrated temple complexes, Karnak is a house of the gods built over a period of some 200 years. Our guided tour of this vast temple of impressive pylons, obelisks and chapels will reveal its finest sections, such as the Avenue of Sphinxes and the Great Temple of Amun.

Following this we will check into our hotel and then the rest of the day is free to relax, shop in the excellent bazaar or perhaps experience the atmosphere of a local teahouse.

Sitting on the east bank of the Nile River, Luxor lies on the site of ancient Thebes, the pharaohs’ capital at the height of their power, during the 16th–11th centuries B.C. We visit the graceful Luxor Temple, a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex constructed in 1400 BC. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Today we say farewell to the Nile and drive east to the beachside town of Hurghada. The green Nile valley is soon left behind as we head out into the barren Eastern Desert. Passing through rocky hills, the glittering waters of the Red Sea soon come into view and the rugged bulk of the Sinai Peninsula looms through the haze on the opposite shore. A vibrant beach resort, Hurghada is by no means a typical ‘adventure destination’. After checking in to our hotel, we’ll take a walking tour with our guide to get our bearings and check out some of the local restaurants and eateries. In the afternoon, enjoy some free time.

Today is a free day to relax and explore in this beautiful Red Sea beach side town. 

This morning after breakfast we leave Hurghada and make the short flight back to Cairo. On the return to Cairo we’ll make our way to the colourful and energetic Khan El Khalili bazaar. Even if you are not looking to buy, taking a walk through the winding alleys of this labyrinthine district, you are sure to find something that will catch your eye. This may also be a great opportunity to pick up some last minute gifts or souvenirs. From here we arrive at our hotel for check in. The rest of your final day in Egypt is yours to spend as you wish. This evening enjoy an Inspiring Taste. Sit down for a home-cooked meal with a local family. During this experience, you'll get to visit a local family and learn about Middle Eastern traditions, Egyptian culture and tasty food but most importantly, enjoy a delicious and authentic home cooked meal.

Unfortunately, today marks the end of your incredible tour through Egypt. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this extraordinary journey.