Discover the treasures of Egypt and the Nile: you’ll see the fabulous testimonies of the first lights of our history emerging from the desert. Cairo and a cruise on the Nile offer you a complete and original program that plunges you into the heart of a thousand-year-old civilization.
Departures year-long
Guaranteed at 2 passengers
Price to come (land only)
INCLUDED
Accommodation and full board on the 5* superior boat
Accommodation in 4* superior hotel
25 meals (9 breakfasts, 8 lunches and 8 dinners)
Service of an English-speaking guide for the duration of the tour
All program transfers
Programmed private visits and activities
EXCLUDED
International and local flights
Formalities (vaccination, passport, visa)
Travel insurance
Meals not mentioned
Beverages
Optional tours ($)
Gratuities
Personal expenses
-
Destination
1
Day 1: Arrival in Cairo - Luxor
- On arrival at Cairo airport, welcome by our local representative to collect visas. Assistance and flight to Luxor.
- On arrival, transfer and installation on board your boat.
- Night on board.
2
Day 2: Luxor - Esna
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Morning visit to the Necropolis of Thebes on the left bank of the Nile, with the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
- Then lunch. Visit to Karnak Temple, a gigantic complex of temples spread over more than 100 hectares. The temple dominates the entire site of Thebes, and it was on arriving by the prestigious allée des sphinxes that Champollion immortalized with his pen: “No people, ancient or modern, has ever conceived architecture on such a sublime scale, so wide, so grandiose”, before departing on the cruise to Esna. Dinner and overnight on board.
3
Day 3: Esna - Edfu - Kom Ombo
- Breakfast on board. Morning sail to Edfu. Lunch on board.
- Afternoon visit to the Temple of Horus. The Temple of Horus, second only to Karnak in size, is without doubt the best-preserved temple in the country. Built under Ptolemy III in 237 BC, it was completed two centuries later. A visit to this building, remarkable for its architectural and decorative homogeneity, allows the visitor to feel the atmosphere that reigned here in ancient times.
- Continuation to Kom Ombo. Dinner of oriental specialities, fancy dress party and overnight on board.
4
Day 4: Kom Ombo - Assouan
- Breakfast. In the morning, visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, a Ptolemaic temple resembling an acropolis, dedicated to two deities: Haroeris (Horus the Great, solar god and warrior with the head of a falcon) and Sobek (the crocodile). It towers twenty meters above the Nile, forming a majestic loop at its feet. Sailing to Aswan. Lunch on board. Discover the high dam, 3,600 metres long and 980 metres wide. Visit the Ptolemaic temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis, and admire its finesse and beauty. Saved from the waters by Unesco when the dam was built, it is the only temple in Egypt where the cult of Isis continues to this day. Dinner and overnight on board.
5
Day 5: Assouan - Abu Simbel - Assouan
Breakfast. Morning at leisure or optional excursion to Abu Simbel to discover this unique and grandiose site (visit the temples of Ramses II and Nefertari, two temples saved from the waters when the High Dam was built). Lunch on board. Afternoon felucca trip around the Elephantine Islands. This elephant-shaped island is where it all began: named Syene, it was home to the capital of the Nome of Upper Egypt. The elephantine island was also home to the cave of Hapy, the hermaphroditic god who personified the Nile. Legends and religions surround this marvellous island. Dinner and Nubian dance show and overnight on board.
6
Day 6: Assouan - Luxor
- Breakfast on board. Full-day, full-board cruise to Luxor. Around 5pm, tea and pastries on the solarium deck. Dinner and overnight on board.
7
Day 7: Luxor
- Breakfast on board. Continuation of the cruise to Luxor. Lunch on board. Arrival around 5:00 pm. Visit to Luxor Temple, dedicated to the god Amon, to whom the Place de la Concorde in Paris owes its obelisk. It was essentially the work of two great pharaohs: Amenophis III and Ramses II. Dinner, oriental dance show and overnight on board.
8
Day 8: Luxor - Cairo
- Breakfast on board. According to schedule, transfer to the airport and flight to Cairo. Lunch on board. In the afternoon, visit the National Museum of Antiquities*, home to thousands of archaeological treasures, and stroll through the historic heart of the city, from the Sultan Hassan Mosque to Bab El Nasr, via Rue Moaz, where you'll discover a wealth of architectural treasures unknown to mass tourism. Dinner and overnight stay.
*Old museum, the new one is not open (as of July 17, 2023). Estimated supplement for the new museum: €30
9
Day 9: Cairo - Giza - Sakkarah - Cairo
- Breakfast, departure for the Giza Plateau: you enter the mystery of this unique site. The Pyramid Road was inaugurated by Empress Eugenie in 1869 to mark the opening of the Suez Canal. Little by little, the suburbs of Cairo have expanded, so much so that this road is no longer completely desert! Let yourself be carried away by the magic of this impressive site, where the 3 geometric volumes of the Giza Plateau - Khéops, Khéphren and Mykérinos - and the mysterious Sphinx stand tall. Lunch. Afternoon at leisure, or optional visit to the sites of Dachour, with the Red and Rhomboid Pyramids, followed by the Sakkarah Necropolis to discover the Step Pyramid of King Djoser. Return to Cairo. Dinner and overnight stay.
10
Day 10: Cairo - Return
- Breakfast on board. Depending on your flight schedule, transfer to the airport and assistance with check-in formalities.