In Style: Egypt Experience - TAEN

9 days - from $100000

Welcome to Egypt! The Nile - Egypt’s river of life holds a multitude of wonders for you to discover. Gaze at the temples and pyramids of the pharaohs, wander through the bustling streets of Cairo and relax in absolute luxury aboard your elegant 5-Star Nile-cruise boat. An experienced Egyptologist accompanies you on every leg of this luxurious Nile cruise. Explore Egypt's ancient temples, from the mysterious Sphinx to the awe-inspiring Temple of Kom Ombo. Highlights include a desert camel ride, a tour of the once-flourishing city of Memphis, the opulent Grand Palace of Giza, exploring the treasure-filled tombs of the Valley of the Kings, and a tour of the Temple of Luxor, dedicated to the god Amun.

Itinerary:

Day 1: ARRIVE CAIRO, EGYPT (TUESDAY) Today when you arrive at Cairo International Airport you will be met and transferred by air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel for check-in and overnight. You will be confirmed for two nights at the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel in a Standard Room. Standing on the site of the historic Semiramis Hotel, Semiramis InterContinental Cairo is a symbol of modern style. Located in the heart of the city centre, facing the River Nile, the hotel is close to the Egyptian Museum, the Cairo Opera House and the Cairo Tower. The Citadel, Old Cairo, downtown shops and commercial centre are nearby. The Giza Pyramids and Cairo International Airport are just 25 km (16 miles) away. Cairo, one of the world’s largest urban areas, is constantly full of life and movement with honking horns, children playing and merchants selling their wares.  You will find everything in this modern and ancient city from the world’s greatest archeological sites to the grandest accommodations and restaurants. No Meals. Overnight - Semiramis InterContinental Hotel - Standard Room       Day 2: CAIRO (WEDNESDAY) After breakfast depart for a full day excursion to Giza, Sakkara and Memphis. Your Egyptologist will escort you on an unforgettable tour of the Great Pyramids of Giza.  The only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, they are among the world’s greatest tourist attractions and never lose their ability to inspire and overwhelm visitors.  Your tour today includes an opportunity to enter inside one of these fabulous monuments and explore the mysteries of its ancient past for yourself. No trip to Egypt would be complete without a ride on a “ship of the desert” and so you will have an opportunity to mount your individual camel for a short ride across the sands of Giza to the Sphinx. Enter the temple of the mysterious Sphinx, an ancient figure shrouded in legend and mystery.  Your Egyptologist will enthrall you with the tales told of this fascinating figure. Experience Egypt’s long and rich history in the exciting double tour to the city of Memphis and the necropolis of Sakkara.  At vast Sakkara, you will see the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the first freestanding stone structure in the world.  Your Egyptologist will guide you to some tombs belonging to the nobles of the past.  They show the beauty and excellence of Ancient Egyptian art on their walls and give an insight in the daily life of Ancient Egypt. At the site of Memphis, you will see the ancient capital that once stood as a flourishing metropolis during the time of the Pharaohs.  Lush palm groves and bushes that isolate the site of the old city from modern civilization thickly surround the place.Meals:  Breakfast Overnight: Semiramis InterContinental Hotel - Standard Room   Day 3: CAIRO - LUXOR (THURSDAY) After breakfast at your hotel in Cairo check out and you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Luxor.  Upon arrival in Luxor, transfer to your cruise boat, moored in private dock. The staff will assist you with check-in. After lunch on board, start your tour to the East Bank by visiting the Temple of Karnak, built more than a thousand years ago by generations of Pharaohs. The Great "Hypostyle Hall" is an incredible forest of giant pillars, covering an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame cathedral. After that your Egyptologist will guide you on a tour of the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor, dedicated to the god Amun. Return to your cruise boat for afternoon tea in the lounge. Tonight, your Boat Manager, who will introduce you to the crew and review on board facilities and your cruise program for the next few days, will greet you. Complimentary Egyptian wine and local beer will be served, along with freshly prepared canapes. Then, enjoy a gourmet dinner followed by belly dancers and a whirling dervish show. Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight on the M/S Iberotel Crown Emperor or similar   Day 4: LUXOR - ESNA (FRIDAY) Following breakfast on board, visit the West Bank of Luxor and explore the Valley of the Kings, a vast City of the Dead where magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rocks, decorated richly, and filled with treasures for the afterlife by generations of Pharaohs. You will also have the chance to visit at least one tomb in the Valley of the Queens. Rising out of the desert plain in a series of terraces, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Ancient Egypt's only female Pharaoh) merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it, as if nature herself had built this extraordinary monument. On the way back to the river Nile, your road passes by the famed Colossi of Memnon, known in Ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn. Lunch and afternoon tea will be served on board while you cruise to Esna. Tonight's dinner on board will be an "Egyptian Night" costume party, with a chance to dress up in traditional Egyptian "galabeyya". Dinner will be a lavish buffet of Egyptian specialties, followed by live music and dancing. Meals:  Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight on the M/S Iberotel Crown Emperor or similar   Day 5: ESNA - EDFU - KOM OMBO (SATURDAY) Enjoy the breakfast buffet on board this morning and then visit the Temple of Esna. The Temple of Esna is located in the center of town and very close to the Nile River.  This morning your Egyptologist will guide you round the Greco-Roman Temple that is dedicated to the ram headed God Khnum, the God of creation.  The beautifully preserved Great Hypostyle Hall was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius; it was excavated from the silt that had accumulated through centuries of annual Nile floods and is about nine meters below present-day street level. Have lunch on board, while you cruise to Edfu. This afternoon, explore the largest and most completely preserved Pharaonic, albeit Greek-built, temple in Egypt, the extraordinary Temple of Horus at Edfu. Later, an Egyptian cooking lesson will be presented onboard. Afternoon tea will be served during the cruise to Kom Ombo, and a gourmet dinner on board. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight on the M/S Iberotel Crown Emperor or similar   Day 6: KOM OMBO - ASWAN (SUNDAY) After breakfast buffet on board, visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile-god Sobek.  The temple stands at a bend in the Nile where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank. Lunch on board while you cruise to Aswan. Take a short motorboat ride to visit the romantic and majestic Philae Temple on the Island of Agilka. Next, we proceed to the granite quarries, which supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in pyramids and temples, and still hold a huge unfinished obelisk. This afternoon (weather permitting) take a ride on a felucca, a typical Egyptian sailboat, around Elephantine Island, Lord Kitchener's Botanical Gardens, and Agha Khan Mausoleum. Enjoy afternoon tea in the lounge, accompanied by a trio of authentic Egyptian musicians. Tonight's farewell dinner will be a formal gala dinner (jacket required), with white-gloved waiters serving gourmet cuisine. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Overnight on the M/S Iberotel Crown Emperor or similar   Day 7: ASWAN - CAIRO (MONDAY) After breakfast on board, check out at 8:00 AM and then you will be transferred to Aswan Airport to board your flight back to Cairo. When you arrive, you will be met and taken back to the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel for overnight. Meals: Breakfast Semiramis InterContinental Hotel - Standard Room.   Day 8: CAIRO (TUESDAY) Your Egyptologist will escort you today on a fascinating tour of 7,000 years of Egyptian history with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.  The museum houses the world's greatest collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts, including 12 rooms filled with golden treasures from the world-famous tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamen.  Your Egyptologist will then guide you today round the highlights of Coptic Cairo.  There you will find the remains of the old Fortress of Babylon, built at the time of the Romans in Egypt to protect the country from invading enemies. The walls of the fortress enclose the Church of St. Sergius, which is built on a crypt considered to be one of the resting places of the Holy Family during their flight to Egypt 2,000 years ago.  You will also see the "Hanging Church", supported by only one column, boasting incredible paintings inside. Visit the Synagogue of Ben Ezra, from the time of the once thriving Jewish community in Egypt under the leadership of Rabbi Ben Ezra. Inside were discovered the so-called "Geniza Documents", which showed an unparalleled source of information about life of the Jews in Egypt’s past.  You will also enter the Coptic Museum, which displays a wonderful collection of medieval statues, bells, bone carvings, frescoes, icons and colorful textiles. Take a fascinating tour of Islamic Cairo, including the beautiful and graceful Mohamed Ali Mosque and the ancient Citadel; a spectacular medieval fortress perched on a hill above the city.  Originally built by Salah El-Din in 1176 to fortify the city against the Crusaders, the Citadel was modified and enlarged over the centuries by subsequent rulers and today is a complex of three mosques and four museums. Proceed to the fascinating Khan El-Khalili Bazaar – reputed to be the largest bazaar in the Middle East.  Originally founded as a watering stop for caravanserai in the 14th century, the bazaar has now grown to vast proportions.  As you wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets you will find workshops and stalls selling all manner of things from woodwork, glassware and leather goods to perfumes, fabrics and Pharaonic curiosities.  Meals: Breakfast Semiramis InterContinental Hotel - Standard Room   Day 9: CAIRO, DEPART (WEDNESDAY) After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your departing flight. Meals: Breakfast

Tour Code: TAEN Duration: 9 days/8 nights Group Size: 1 to 64 (Nile Adventurer Nile Cruise) Transport: Modern, private, air-conditioned vehicles, Nile Deck Cabin on the Nile Adventurer, economy class flights Cairo/Luxor and Aswan/Cairo. Departs: Every Tuesday Accommodations: 4 nights Hotel in Cairo, 4 nights aboard the 5* M/S Iberotel Crown Emperor Cruise Boat in a Nile Deck Cabin. Meals: Breakfast daily, all meals excluding beverages on the Nile cruise. For a detailed Dossier of this tour click .
Trip Reference: TAEN