18-Day Egypt Highlights Tour with Nile Cruise and Cairo to Alexandria

• Meet your tour guide on arrival at Cairo 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 pick-up times for each tour.

Enjoy welcome drinks.

Overnight in Cairo.

• 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) and the three small pyramids. You will continue to explore the rest of the Giza Plateau, including the sight of Khafre's (Chephren'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 definitely 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 opportunity of the three pyramids rising from the sands, with the Cairo skyline in the background. Have lunch at a local restaurant.
• Head to 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 largest and most valuable collection of Egyptian art. More than 250,000 original artifacts are presented, with a representative amount on display while the rest are in storage, and 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 kept in his tomb for more than 3,500 years before their discovery in 1922, when the tomb was excavated, can also be seen in the Egyptian Museum. It is one of the first stops on most people's itineraries when travelling to Egypt. This distinctive museum, which houses a vast store of priceless objects from earlier times to the Greco-Roman period, is well worth seeing.
• Return to the hotel.

(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
Overnight in Cairo.

• Have breakfast and transfer to take the flight to Luxor.
• Arrive in Luxor, then transfer to the cruise. Embarkation. Have lunch on board.

Overnight in Luxor.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Enjoy breakfast on board and transfer 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. 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 consists of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about three kilometres north of Luxor, Egypt, on 100 ha (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 to Luxor Temple. Amenhotep III built it in the 18th Dynasty in the New Kingdom, and Ramesses II completed it during the 19th Dynasty. King Ramesses 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 Ramesses 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 after that, a mosque - the 13th-century Mosque of Abu el-Haggag - was built and continues to be used today.

Lunch on board.
Overnight in Luxor.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Have breakfast on board and visit the Temple of Esna. There was a smaller temple, dedicated to the triad of Latopolis, about two and a half miles north of the city, at a village now called el-Dayr. Here, too, is a small Zodiac from the age of Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-221 BC). This latter building was destroyed in the 19th century.
• Sail to Edfu to visit the Temple of Horus. Edfu's Temple is the second largest temple after Karnak and was known in Greco-Roman times as Apollonopolis Magna. The temple was dedicated to the falcon god Horus and was built during the Ptolemaic period. Lunch on board.
• Continue sailing to Kom Ombo. Enjoy a disco party on board.

Overnight in Kom Ombo.
Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon tea, Lunch, Dinner

• Have your breakfast on board and sail to Aswan.
• Visit the world-famous High Dam, an engineering miracle constructed between 1960 and 1970. It aimed to increase economic production by further regulating the annual river flooding, providing water storage for agriculture, and later generating hydroelectricity. The dam had a significant impact on the economy and culture of Egypt.
• Move to the Unfinished Obelisk. This obelisk is believed to belong to Queen Hatshepsut, one of the rulers of the 18th Dynasty and the royal wife of King Tuthmosis II. The Unfinished Obelisk is the largest known ancient obelisk, located in the northern region of the stone quarries of ancient Egypt in Aswan. It is unknown which pharaoh created this structure. It is nearly one-third larger than any ancient Egyptian obelisk ever erected. If finished, it would have measured around 42 m and weighed nearly 1,200 tons.
• Head to the beautifully located Temple of Philae on Isis Island and the Granite Quarries, which are dedicated to the goddesses Isis and Hathor. Enjoy afternoon tea, dinner, and a Galabya party on board.

(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Overnight in Aswan.

• Enjoy breakfast on board.
• Sail on the Nile by felucca around Kitchener's Island and the Agha Khan Mausoleum. Have lunch on board. Enjoy the games party on board. (Optional tour)

Overnight in Aswan.
Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon tea, Lunch, Dinner

• Have breakfast and sail to Kom Ombo. Visit the temple shared by the two gods Sobek and Haroeris in Kom Ombo, standing on high ground overlooking the Nile. The Temple of Sobek and Haroeris in Kom Ombo, also known simply as Kom Ombo Temple, dates from about 180 BC during the Ptolemaic era, with additions made in Roman times. The temple at Kom Ombo was also built under Ptolemy VI. Since this bend in the Nile was a favoured spot for crocodiles to bask in the sun and threaten locals, it is natural that the temple would be dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god. But it is unusual in having a double dedication: it also honours Haroeris, a form of the falcon-headed god Horus. The hypostyle halls were added under Ptolemy XIII (51-47 BC), and the Roman emperor Trajan (53-117 AD) added the forecourt and outer enclosure walls.

Overnight in Luxor.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Enjoy 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 some 60 tombs, starting with Thutmose I and ending with Ramesses 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 made the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922. Tutankhamun's tomb was the first royal tomb to be discovered that was still largely intact. Here, you will visit three tombs.
• Continue to explore the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at El Deir El Bahary. Queen Hatshepsut was the first great woman in recorded history, the forerunner of such figures as Cleopatra, Catherine the Great, and Elizabeth I. The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is the focal point of the Deir el-Bahri complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor. Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh. Her temple was built on three levels in the form of terraces, devoted primarily to the worship of the god Amun and to performing funeral rites for the queen known as El Deir El Bahary.
• 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. The original function of the Colossi was to stand guard at the entrance to Amenhotep's memorial or mortuary temple. Excursion to the Temples of Thebes, lunch on board. Enjoy afternoon tea.

Leisure time.
(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Overnight in Luxor.

• Have breakfast on board. Disembarkation. (Optional tour)

Overnight in Luxor.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Have breakfast and enjoy a free day. (Optional tour)

Overnight in Luxor.
Meal: Breakfast

• Enjoy your breakfast and transfer to take the flight to Cairo.
• Arrive in Cairo and transfer to the hotel. (Optional tour)

Overnight in Cairo.
Meal: Breakfast

• Have breakfast and travel to Alexandria.
• Visit Montazah Palace and Gardens, including Salamlek Palace, Haramlek Palace, and a garden of 317 acres filled with huge trees and flowers, along with two 5-star hotels - Helnan and Salamlek.
• Head to see Pompey's Pillar. It was constructed in honour of Emperor Diocletian at the end of the 4th century. Originally from 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. Have 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, and then proceed to see the Qaitbay Citadel, which was built on the site of the ancient lighthouse of Alexandria.
• Proceed to the new Library of Alexandria, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, now the biggest library in the world with 8 million books, and also see the site of the lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Drive back to your hotel for the night.

(Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)

• Have breakfast. Our guide will pick you up from your hotel and start a full-day visit to El Alamein. You will visit the War Museum of El Alamein, where you will see the war story, different weapons, and the outfits of soldiers from all participating forces.
• See the Commonwealth Cemetery and the German Cemetery.

Overnight in Alexandria.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Have breakfast and transfer to Cairo by A/C car.
• Arrive and transfer to your hotel. (Free day/optional tour)

Overnight in Cairo.
Meal: Breakfast

• Enjoy a tasty breakfast at the hotel and visit the Step Pyramid of Zoser, the world's oldest major stone structure. It was built in the 3rd Dynasty, around 2630 BC, for King Djoser. Also see the Museum of Imhotep, a high official's tomb, King Teti's Pyramid, and King Unas's Pyramid from a distance.
• Transfer to Memphis, founded by King Menes. It was the capital of Old Egypt during the Old Kingdom and was considered a centre of rule and culture for over 3,000 years, the first capital of Egypt. The city reached a peak of prestige under the 6th Dynasty as a centre for the worship of Ptah, the god of creation and artworks. The alabaster sphinx that guards the Temple of Ptah memorialises the city's former power and prestige. The Memphis triad, consisting of the creator god Ptah, his consort Sekhmet, and their son Nefertem, formed the main focus of worship in the city. Memphis declined briefly after the 18th Dynasty with the rise of Thebes and the New Kingdom and was revived under the Persians before falling firmly into second place following the foundation of Alexandria. Also see the Statue of Ramesses II, 16 metres high, and the Alabaster Sphinx. Have your lunch at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

• Have breakfast and enjoy a free day. (Optional tour)

Meal: Breakfast
Overnight in Cairo.

• Have breakfast, and the representative will transfer you to the airport.

Meals: Breakfast