Egypt Tour with a Nile Cruise on the Meroe

Day notes

At 07:00, you will enjoy breakfast at Mena House, before departing at 08:00 to the Pyramids themselves for a tour of the Pyramids, Sphinx and a ride on camels in the area around the Pyramids for 1 hour. Lunch is at your own arrangements, but your driver can suggest some good options for you, based on your preferences.

After lunch, you head to Memphis & Sakkara. Here you will be exploring Memphis and Sakkara with your private English speaking Egyptologist guide. Dinner is at your own arrangement. You will be staying overnight at the Mena House on a room & breakfast basis.

Day notes

Another early start today, departing at 04:30 from the Hilton to head to the hot air balloon launch site. After floating silently above Luxor, you return to earth, heading back to the Hilton at around 07:30 where you will enjoy breakfast.

At 08:30, you will be visiting the West Bank and the Valley of the Kings, including the tombs of King Tut, Ramses the Sixth, Dier Elmadina, Habu, Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Overnight you will be staying at the famous Winter Palace Hotel in your Garden  View Room on a room & breakfast basis.

Day notes

After breakfast on board, you vist El Kab, on the East bank of the Nile. El Kab, was once the capital of Upper Egypt and is still home to the temple of Nekhbet, as well as a row of fascinating decorated tombs carved into the slope of the mountains. Upon docking, you will embark on an interesting walk through a small fishing village to visit the Necropolis.

 In the afternoon, the boat will arrive at Edfu, home to the Greco-Roman temple dedicated to the god Horus. This is among the best preserved of all Egyptian temples. Horse and carriage will take you to the temple through the busy city streets. After returning to the boat, you will set sail for an enchanting island.

Day notes

This is a day devoted to the river: immediately after an optional morning walk and breakfast, you will set sail. In the afternoon, you will stop at an island for a stroll or to swim in the Nile. As dusk begins, there may be an opportunity to walk into the desert along a valley lined with boulders covered in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and stone-age inscriptions. These images mark the beginning of the shortest trail through the desert to Libya (28 days in ancient times). At night, the boat will tie up the foot of floodlit temple of Gebel Silsileh.

Day notes

Here, the Nile, flowing between two mountains ranges, is at its narrowest. You will usually be the only visitors at this fascinating site, as large Nile cruisers are not allowed to stop here. After visiting the small temple of Horemheb and walking through the sandstone quarries, where ancient Egyptians cut stone for many of their most famous temples, you will visit a  café to enjoy tea and shisha (waterpipe). You will then sail to a picturesque riverbank where you will stop for lunch and swimming.

Day notes

After a night on the water and beneath the stars, the morning trip will take you to the town and temple of Kom Ombo. The temple was built during the Ptolemaic period on the site of an older temple and at one of the most beautiful locations, on a bend on the river. The temple was dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god. After enjoying the temple, you will visit the new Crocodile Museum, which contains many mummified crocodiles, attesting to the importance the creature played in this region in ancient times.

Day notes

Today, you will be picked up from Le Riad Hotel de Charme at 08:00. The day includes a visit to the Cairo Museum, Citadel Salah El Dine and Khan El Khalili Bazar. A private English speaking Egyptologist will accompany you through the day. Overnight, you will be staying at the Le Riad Hotel de Charme on a room & breakfast basis in your deluxe suite.