Egypt & the Nile: A Holiday Journey

Arrive in Cairo, where you are met by your YET representative and transferred to your luxury hotel with fantastic views of the Nile.

Drive to Sakkara, a site home to hundreds of tombs and 14 pyramids, including the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Admire beautiful tomb art, which gives rare insight into the lives of ancient Egyptians. See the tomb of Mehu, which dates back 4,000 years and was only recently opened to the public. Marvel at the Serapeum of Sakkara, burial place of the Apis bulls — the sacred animals said to be incarnations of the deity Ptah. Following lunch, walk from the twin-towered Bab el-Fotouh, a fortified gate in Cairo's Old City walls, to Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, one of the city's major souks (open air marketplaces), where you participate in a free-wheeling treasure hunt and put your bargaining skills to the test. Browse the tightly packed stalls displaying everything from spices and leather goods to jewelry and vegetables, all on a street that has hardly changed in centuries. Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner hosted by Your Egypt Tours

Start your day tour with a visit to the Egyptian Museum to see the treasures of Tutankhamun, among many other fascinating pharaonic artifacts. Then move to the Coptic theme and enjoy the history of the Hanging Church and the sacred place of Abu Serga Church at Coptic Cairo district. Have Lunch in local restaurant. At night transfer to Sound & light show in the Pyramids. Then back to hotel and overnight in Cairo.

Check out from hotel at morning then transfer to Cairo Airport for flight to Luxor where you will be met and assisted, then taken by an air-conditioned vehicle to board your 5 star Egypt Nile cruise to check in. After lunch on board, enjoy a visit to the impressive Karnak Temple, the largest place of worship ever built. Its ancient name Ipet-isut means “the most sacred of places.” The temple, or, more correctly, the complex of temples, was built over more than 2,000 years by generation after generation of pharaohs. Within the complex, you will find the great “Hypostyle Hall,” which is an incredible forest of giant pillars. After this, you will be transferred to Luxor temple, which was built by Amenhotep III, and Ramses II for ritual and festivals dedicated to god Amen. Dinner and overnight on board Nile cruise

After breakfast on your Nile cruise, you will visit the West Bank of the river Nile to visit the two colossal statues (Colossi of Memnon). Following this, you will visit the Valley of the Kings, where the magnificent pharaonic tombs were discovered. Continue the tour to visit the Hatshepsut temple at El Deir El Bahary, dedicated to the Queen Hatshepsut. Then you will visit valley of the Queens. You will head back to your cruise ship for lunch. After having afternoon tea on the ship, you will have free time at leisure. Enjoy a leisurely dinner aboard of the cruise. Overnight on board Nile Cruise

After breakfast on Nile cruise, visit the well-preserved Ptolemaic Temple dedicated to Horus at Edfu. Sail to Kom Ombo to see the Temple of Sobek, the crocodile god. Lunch aboard. Continue sailing to Aswan. Dinner and overnight on board your Nile Cruise

Early morning in Aswan, you will enjoy a day’s sightseeing. Start with the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk then on to the beautiful Temple of Philae, which is devoted to the goddesses Isis and Hathor. Sail and move around Elephantine Island by a local felucca boat. Dinner and overnight on board Nile Cruise

Today, you will fly to the impressive Temples of Ramses II in Abu Simbel. The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “Nubian Monuments,” which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan). The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the Battle of Kadesh, and to intimidate his Nubian neighbors. However, the complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968, on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary to avoid their being submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. Abu Simbel remains one of Egypt’s top tourist attractions. With your qualified Egyptologist as your guide, you will enjoy a personalized visit to the temples of Abu Simbel. With its four rock-hewn pharaohs, your guide will explain the history behind this magnificent site, including how the temples were discovered by accident in 1813. Due to the large number of visitors to Abu Simbel, guides are not permitted inside either of the two temples you will visit. Then return to Aswan Airport for return to Cairo to be met and assisted at the airport and be taken to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo

Today, visit the Giza Plateau, site of the pyramids of Mycerinus and Chefren as well as the Great Pyramid. Built in the Fourth Dynasty (approximately 2690 BC), it is the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. You also visit the Solar Boat Museum, site of Cheops’ funerary boat. For a very special treat, meet the Great Sphinx and enjoy rare private access to the paws of this enigmatic monument. This evening, gather with your fellow guests to reflect on your journey through Egypt and along the Nile at a farewell dinner.

After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Cairo International Airport for final departure