Meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel to start your tour.
Pyramids and Sphinx: The Great Pyramids of Giza are the only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built about 4500 years ago, as giant tombs for the mummies of the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, who were a father, son and grandson. (Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus are the Greek forms of their names.) In the ancient Egyptian religion, the sides of the pyramids were likened to sun rays on which the Pharaoh ascended to heaven. The pyramids are truly monumental in scale, with the largest, Khufu's, made of over two million blocks. The pyramids were not built by slaves but by Egyptian peasants who paid their taxes to the Pharaoh through this labor, and were fed, clothed and housed by him.
Nearby sits the enigmatic Sphinx with the body of a lion and the face of a man wearing a royal head cloth, which workers may have based on King Khafre to guard his enormous funerary monument. About a thousand years after the Sphinx was built it was covered in sand until a young prince had a dream in which the Sphinx told him that if he cleared the sand away, he would become Pharaoh. This story is told on the 'Dream Stela' that was placed between the Sphinx's paws by King Tuthmose IV.
The legendary city of Memphis was founded in 3100 BC by Menes, the Pharaoh who united Upper and Lower Egypt. It became the capital of the Old Kingdom and the heart of Egypt's busy import-export activity, with traders from around the world giving it a cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Lunch box will be provided
Egyptian Museum: You'll tour 7,000 years of history at this museum which houses the largest collection of ancient Egyptian art in the world. Don't miss the treasures of the boy-king Tutankhamun, including his gold mask, the solid gold sarcophagus that held his mummy, and his beautiful throne.
At the end of your tour, you are transferred to your hotel.
Dinner tonight is under your own arrangements.
Your Tour Coordinator escorts you to Cairo International Airport by air-conditioned vehicle.
Board your Egypt-Air flight to Abu Simbel. (not included).
The two temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel are each fronted by colossal statues up to 20 meters (66 feet) high, and are famed as the most impressive monuments remaining of Ancient Egypt. Recently, the temples were threatened by the waters of Lake Nasser, and with the help of a UNESCO campaign they were cut into blocks, raised piece by piece and reassembled in a new position higher up the hillside.
After your visit, board your return flight to Aswan.
Transferred by air-conditioned vehicle to your Cruise.
You are met and transferred to the Sanctuary Sun Boat IV.
Sanctuary Sun Boat IV ensures a distinct sense of being in storied Egypt. Its contemporary-yet-classic design displays the highest levels of luxury and chic. Elegance is elevated with rich teak flooring, Egyptian marble and hand-painted decorative details to fashion an exceptional ambiance. Neutral-toned textiles complement the soft fabrics draped artfully over beds - it's these distinct touches which create an environment a world away from traditional river-cruise cabins. With just forty rooms, on board it feels like you're in an intimate floating palace where the softly-lit lounges are as suited to socialising as quiet romance. Interesting textures and natural materials ensure a distinguished aesthetic, while ceramic ornaments and delicately etched metalwork set an elegant tone. Head to the upper sun deck where you're promised iconic tableaus in high-definition, cool cocktails and cool shade, and radiant sunshine as you take a dip in the river-view pool.
Entertainment on board the Sanctuary Sun Boat IV
Exact entertainment schedules during your cruise are adjusted according to the needs of each group and the sailing schedules of the boat are subject to change. However, every cruise on the Sanctuary Sun Boat IV will include:
·A colorful galabeyya party which gives each guest the opportunity to dress up in traditional Egyptian dress and dance to Arabic music.
·A Folkloric show, accompanied by a whirling dervish show in Aswan.
·A lecture by your Egyptologist guide.
Food & Beverage
Menus are changed on a seasonal basis to enable the Chef to use the freshest ingredients at all times. However, the following is applicable to every cruise:
·Most meals are served in the restaurant. However, at least one barbecue lunch (while sailing) will be served on deck (weather permitting).
·Mineral water, tea and American coffee are included with every meal.
Please note: that the strength of the WI-FI signals unavoidably varies depending on geographical location, especially whilst sailing in the more remote areas of Upper Egypt.
Check-in to your five-star deluxe Nile cruise boat where you are welcomed by the reception staff.
After lunch on board, take a ride on a felucca (a typical Egyptian sail boat) around Elephantine Island, Lord Kitchener's Botanical Garden and the Agha Khan Mausoleum (weather permitting, life jackets will be provided).
Afternoon is served on board for you today enjoy after your felucca ride.
This evening you are greeted by your Boat Manager for a cocktail reception, who reviews your cruise program for the upcoming days. Enjoy Egyptian wine and beer with a selection of canapés, followed by a gourmet dinner. A folkloric show and a Whirling Dervish show follow.
Nile River Cruise
AswanDomestic flights Cairo to Abu Simbel / Abu Simbel to Aswan
A breakfast buffet is served on board followed by a short motorboat ride to visit the romantic and majestic Philae Temple on the Island of Agilika. Next it's on to the Granite Quarries, which supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in pyramids and temples. Here you see the Unfinished Obelisk, located in the northern region of the stone quarries
Later, an Egyptian cooking lesson is presented on board.
Enjoy lunch, while you cruise to Kom Ombo and visit the magnificent Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile-god Sobek.
Afternoon tea is served while you cruise to Edfu.
Tonight's dinner on board is an Egyptian Night costume party for all guests, with a chance to dress up in traditional Egyptian galabeyya. Dinner will be a lavish buffet of Egyptian specialties, followed by oriental music and dancing for everyone.
Breakfast is served on board, followed by a morning visit to explore the extraordinary Temple of Horus. Despite being built by the Greeks, this impressive structure is the largest and most complete preserved Pharaonic temple in Egypt.
Return to your boat and continue cruising to Esna as you enjoy lunch.
This afternoon, your Egyptologist guides you round the Greco-Roman Temple of Khnum at Esna. The beautifully-preserved Great Hypostle 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 lower than present-day street level.
Afternoon tea is served as you sail to Luxor.
Tonight, a sumptuous dinner is served on board.
A breakfast buffet is served on board whilst sailing to Luxor. This morning your Egyptologist guides you around the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor dedicated to the god Amun and then onwards to the Temple of Karnak.
After lunch, visit the Valley of the Kings. You also have the chance to visit at least one tomb in the Valley of the Queens and visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. On the way back to the river Nile, pass by the famed Colossi of Memnon, known in Ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn.
You will also have the chance to enter the Nefertari & King Tut tombs. (Included in the cost)
Return to your cruise for afternoon tea on board.
Tonight's farewell dinner is a gala dinner, with white-gloved waiters serving gourmet cuisine.
A buffet breakfast is served on board, before check-out.
Meet your guide in the lobby of your cruise to start your tour.
Tombs of the Nobles: On the West Bank sit 400 tombs of Theban aristocrats, some of which you can enter. The tomb walls were white-washed and painted with murals of the nobles' daily lives, making them quite different from royal tombs, where relief work focused on judgment and resurrection. Since the tombs were not sealed, some have deteriorated.
Workers' Village at Deir El Medina: Visit the remains of the self-contained village on the West Bank where the workmen who built the kings' and queens' tombs lived in mud brick houses with their families. The site gives archeologists a view of how urban people lived in ancient Egypt. You can also visit the tombs that the workmen created for themselves, to admire the art in ordinary people's tombs. Nearby is the Temple of Deir El Medina, from Ptolemaic times.
Medinet Habu and the Temple of Ramses III: The magnificent Medinet Habu is a series of temples built by the Pharaoh Ramses III (1182-1151 BC) and second only to Karnak Temple in size and complexity. The most impressive is the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III, decorated with relief work depicting his many military victories. With its massive mud brick enclosure that held storehouses, workshops, administrative offices, and residences of priests and officials, Medinet Habu grew into a city that maintained its population well into Coptic times.
At the end of your tour, you are transferred to your hotel.
Dinner tonight is under your own arrangements.
Leisure day.
PM Departure transfer.
Board your Egypt-Air flight to Cairo. (not included).
Meet your guide at the Airport to start your tour.
Mosque of Sultan Hassan. Built in 1356 AD as a mosque and religious school for all sects, it was designed so that each of the four main Sunni sects could have their own ‘madrasa’ or school within while also sharing the mosque Baab El-Fotouh to Baab Zuweila: This unique cultural tour takes you from one end of the Khan El-Khalili Bazaar to the other, recalling a time when the area was the heart of the old walled city of Cairo. The ancient thoroughfare, leading you along some of the most traditional parts of the bazaar where life has hardly changed for centuries, runs from the massive fortified Fotouh Gate to the beautifully-designed Zuweila gate. This stretch contains more listed buildings per meter than any other street in the world. In this part of the bazaar where Egyptians themselves go to bargain for everyday items, your guide will enthrall you with explanations of passing licorice-tea-sellers, spice markets with obscure roots and magical powders, black-swathed women, and brightly-painted donkey-carts overflowing with watermelons and mangos.
El-Khayameyya Street: This portion of your walk, in the very oldest part of the Khan El-Khalili bazaar, is devoted to the workshops and stalls of traditional appliqué craftsmen. Their art, unique to Egypt in the Middle Eastern region, began as a means of decorating the brightly-colored hangings used to make traditional tents. These are now seen all over the country adorning temporary tents for weddings, funerals and festivals. Printed hangings in the same traditional designs are used nowadays for commercial purposes, but the craftsmen in El-Khayameyya continue to keep the old traditions alive.
Tour the oldest area of Cairo where you may explore the remains of the Fortress of Babylon. First built by the Persians around the 6th century BC, these ruins are indeed Cairo’s oldest original structure. Within the confines you will find the Church of St. Sergius, where the Holy Family is reported to have stayed, and the Hanging Church, the seat of the Coptic patriarchate for centuries. Visit the Church of Saint Barbara, a charming monument commemorating a 4th century local saint. Finish your tour today at the oldest Synagogue in Egypt, Ben Ezra. Inside this basilica-style temple, the so-called “Geniza Documents” were found, a treasure hailed as an unparalleled source of information about life of the Jews in Egypt’s past.
Domestic flight Luxor to Cairo.
Today you are met and transferred to the airport on time for your flight back.
