Egyptian Magic - Luxor to Aswan (2009)

Day 1 Arrive in Cairo

Transfer to hotel.

Day 2 Pyramids, Sphinx, Sakkara, Memphis

Pyramids: Your Egyptologist will meet you at the hotel to 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.

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.
Sakkara: Experience Egypt’s long and rich history in our 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. Our 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.

Memphis: At the site of Memphis, you will see the ancient capital that once stood as a flourishing metropolis during the time of the Pharaohs. The place is thickly surrounded by lush palm groves and bushes, isolating the site of the old city from modern civilization. Return to hotel

Day 3 Fly Luxor. Embark

Fly Luxor and transfer to your 5-star deluxe Nile cruise boat, the “Sun Boat IV”, moored in private dock in Luxor. On board, you will be welcomed by the reception staff, who will offer you chilled fruit juice while assisting with your check-in.
Valley of the Kings & Queens: visit to the West Bank of Luxor to 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.

Hatshepsut Temple: 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.

Photostop Colossi of Memnon: 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.

Luxor Temple: This afternoon your Egyptologist will guide you on a tour of the East Bank of Luxor, starting with the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor dedicated to the god Amun.

Day 4 Karnak Temple. Cruise to Esna

Karnak Temple: Begin your day with a visit to the Temple of Karnak, built over more than a thousand years 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.

Lunch: Lunch on board while you cruise to Esna.

Afternoon Tea: Afternoon tea will be served in the lounge while you cruise.

Captain’s Cocktail Party: Tonight you will be greeted by your Boat Manager, who will introduce you to the boat staff and review on-board facilities and your cruise program for the next few days. Complimentary Egyptian wine and local beer will be served, together with freshly prepared canapés.

Day 5 Esna Temple, Edfu Temple

Esna Temple: This morning, your Egyptologist will guide you round the Greco-Roman Temple of Khnum at Esna. 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.

Lunch: Lunch on board, while you cruise to Edfu.

Edfu Temple: This afternoon, explore the largest and most completely preserved Pharaonic – albeit Greek-built – temple in Egypt, the extraordinary Temple of Horus at Edfu.

Afternoon Tea: Afternoon tea will be served while you cruise to Kom Ombo.

Dinner: Tonight’s dinner on board will be an “Egyptian Night” costume party for all guests, with a chance to dress up in traditional Egyptian “galabeyyas”. Dinner will be a lavish buffet of Egyptian specialities, followed by oriental music and dancing for everyone.

Day 6 Kom Ombo Temple, High Dam, Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk

Kom Ombo Temple: 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.
High Dam: This afternoon, your Egyptologist guide will escort you to visit the Aswan High Dam, Egypt’s contemporary example of building on a monumental scale.

Philae Temple: Take a short motorboat ride to visit the romantic and majestic Philae Temple on the Island of Agilka.

Unfinished Obelisk: 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.

Day 7 Felucca Ride. Optional visit to Abu Simbel. Disembark in Aswan and Fly Cairo

Felucca Ride: In the morning (weather permitting) take a ride on a felucca, a typical Egyptian sail boat, around Elephantine Island, Lord Kitchener’s Botanical Gardens, and the Agha Khan Mausoleum.

Optional Excursion to Abu Simbel Temples

Day 8 Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo, Khan El-Klalili Bazaar

Museum: 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 Tutenkhamun.

Islamic Cairo: 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.

Khan El-Khalili Bazaar: 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. Remember to bargain hard!

Day 9 Transfer to airport for flights home