6-Day Ancient Egypt Tour of Luxor Cairo and Alexandria

• Meet your tour guide upon arrival at Luxor International Airport, where a representative will assist you with the arrival procedures and take you to the hotel. At the hotel, the tour manager will help with a smooth check-in and review your holiday itinerary with you to establish and confirm the pick-up times for each tour.

Overnight in Luxor.

(Welcome drinks)

• Have breakfast on board and cross to the West Bank to visit the Valley of the Kings. It was created and used from approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC. It contains around 60 tombs, beginning with Thutmose I and ending with Ramses X or XI. The site's official name was The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh, Life, Strength, Health in The West of Thebes, or the Great Field. The most famous tomb is KV62, the Tomb of King Tutankhamun. Howard Carter discovered King Tut's tomb in 1922, and it was the first royal tomb to be found still largely intact.
• Continue the tour to visit the Hatshepsut Temple at El Deir El Bahary. This impressive temple was dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh. It rises out of the desert in a series of terraces and merges with the sheer limestone cliffs surrounding it.
• Proceed to the two colossal statues of Amenhotep III. The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. For 3,400 years, they have stood in the Theban necropolis across the River Nile from the city of Luxor. Their original function was to stand guard at the entrance to Amenhotep's memorial or mortuary temple.
• You can book an evening trip to the fabulous sound and light show at El Karnak Temple (optional tour).

Overnight in Luxor.
(Meals: breakfast, lunch)

• Have breakfast and head out to explore Karnak Temple, the largest place of worship ever built. In ancient Egypt, the power of the god Amun of Thebes gradually increased during the early New Kingdom, and after the short persecution led by Akhenaten, it rose to its apex. In the reign of Ramesses III, more than two-thirds of the property owned by the temples belonged to Amun, as evidenced by the stupendous buildings at Karnak. Although badly ruined, no site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest temple complex ever built by man and represents the combined achievement of many generations of ancient builders. The Temple of Karnak is actually made up of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about three kilometres north of Luxor on 100 hectares (247 acres) of land. Karnak is the site's modern name. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning "The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places."
• Move on to Luxor Temple. Amenhotep III built it in the 18th Dynasty during the New Kingdom, and Ramesses II completed it during the 19th Dynasty. King Ramses II was the most famous king of the 19th Dynasty and ruled Egypt for about 67 years. The temple was dedicated to the great god Amun-Ra, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu, representing the Theban triad. Enjoy visiting the Obelisk of Ramses II in front of the first pylon. It was called "Ipet resyt," the Southern Opet or the Place of the Seclusion of Amun-Re. It was directly connected to the Temple of Karnak, the main cult centre of Amun-Re or Amun-Min, the sky god or the ithyphallic fertility god. Since its inception, Luxor Temple has always been a sacred site. After Egypt's pagan period, a Christian church and monastery were located here, and later a mosque, the 13th-century Mosque of Abu el-Haggag, was built and continues to be used today.
• Transfer back to the hotel.

Overnight in Luxor.
(Meals: breakfast, lunch)

• Transfer to Cairo by flight, have breakfast, and head to the Giza Plateau to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World - the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) - along with the three small pyramids. Continue exploring the rest of the Giza Plateau, including the sight of Khafre's pyramid, Khufu's son and the second-largest pyramid on the Giza site, the remains of the funerary temple, the pyramid of Menkaure (Mykerinus), and three small pyramids.
• Proceed to visit the Great Sphinx, the head of a pharaoh with a lion's body, which dates from the time of Chephren.
• Visit the Valley Temple, which belongs to the pyramids of Chephren. This temple served two functions: first, it was used for the purification of the mummy of the king before burial; second, it was used for carrying out the mummification process of the king. After visiting the pyramids, continue across the plateau for a photo of the three pyramids rising from the sands, with the Cairo skyline in the background. Have lunch at a local restaurant.
• Visit the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, commonly known as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo. It is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities dating back about 5,000 years of art and is considered the world's most extensive and valuable collection of Egyptian art. More than 250,000 original artifacts are presented, with a representative amount on display while the rest are kept in storage. The Egyptian Museum is filled with thousands of pharaonic artifacts, including the golden treasures of King Tutankhamun. Fascinating objects such as jewels, headdresses, alabaster vases, and toys from ancient Egypt are all on display. Many priceless statues and other artifacts that were kept in his tomb for more than 3,500 years before their discovery in 1922 can also be seen here. It is one of the first stops on most people's itineraries when travelling to Egypt. This distinctive museum houses a vast store of priceless objects from earlier times to the Greco-Roman period and is well worth seeing.
• Have a warm, delightful lunch at a high-quality restaurant and proceed to Old Cairo to visit wonders such as the Hanging Church, built in the 3rd and early 4th century in the Basilica style, the Abu Sirga Church, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, which dates back to the beginning of the 15th century AD. It was built in the Basilica style above the cave where the Holy Family took refuge. Also visit Amr Ibn El-Aas Mosque, the first mosque built in Egypt.
• Continue driving to Islamic Cairo, where you will be able to explore Khan El Khalili, Cairo's old bazaar.

Overnight in Cairo
(Meals: breakfast, lunch)

• Have breakfast and then drive to Alexandria. The journey is almost 210 kilometres to Egypt's second-largest city, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean."
• Visit Montazah Palace and Gardens, including Salamlek Palace, Haramlek Palace, and a 317-acre garden filled with giant trees and flowers, along with the two 5-star hotels, Helnan and Salamlek.
• Start with Pompey's Pillar. It was constructed in honour of Emperor Diocletian at the end of the 4th century. Originally part of the Temple of Serapis, it was once a magnificent structure rivalling the Soma and the Caesarean.
• See the Catacombs, the largest Roman cemetery consisting of three levels cut into the rock, and stop for lunch at a local restaurant in Alexandria.
• Drive along the Corniche to see the whole city, passing over the bridge of Stanley, a landmark of modern Alexandria. Then proceed to see the Qaitbay Citadel, built on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria.
• Proceed to the new Library of Alexandria, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, now one of the largest libraries in the world with 8 million books. Also see the site of the lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Head back and transfer to Cairo Domestic Airport to fly back to Luxor, where you will be met by a company representative and taken back to your hotel.

(Meals: breakfast, lunch)

• Have breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport for your onward destination.

(Meal: breakfast)