Upon your arrival in Cairo, you will be met and greeted at Cairo International Airport by a representative. You are then transferred to your hotel, where you will receive assistance with check-in. After an information meeting to introduce you to your journey, you have the remainder of the day to spend at your leisure, allowing you to relax or explore as you wish.

It is interesting to note that Cairo, founded in 969 AD, is often called the "City of a Thousand Minarets" due to its historic Islamic architecture.

After breakfast, you are picked up for your official introduction to Cairo’s ancient wonders. Your day begins at the Giza Plateau, where you first encounter the awe-inspiring Great Sphinx. Here, you visit the pyramids of Menkaure, Cheops, and Chefren, each constructed approximately between 2580 and 2560 BC. Following this, you continue to the Saqqara Plateau, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. At Saqqara, you see the impressive Step Pyramid of Djoser, recognized as the first fully functional pyramid. 

The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara was designed by the ancient architect Imhotep, who is considered one of the earliest engineers in history.

After enjoying breakfast, you begin your Cairo City Tour with a visit to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Here, you encounter artifacts from tombs, temples, and palaces across Egypt’s ancient dynasties, with a guided tour and time to explore independently. Afterward, you have lunch at an authentic local restaurant. Your day continues in Islamic Cairo, dominated by the Saladin Citadel, an 800-year-old fortress and former residence. Inside, you visit the Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque. The day concludes with a shopping opportunity in the famous Khan el Khalili Bazaar, where you experience the vibrant colors, sounds, and scents of Egyptian hospitality. A guide is included for the day, and both breakfast and lunch are provided.

The Khan el Khalili Bazaar has been a center of trade and commerce in Cairo since the late 14th century.

Following breakfast, you travel to Alexandria, once the capital of Egypt under the Ptolemaic rulers. Your tour starts with a visit to the grounds of the ancient Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Afterward, you enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Next, you explore the Roman Amphitheater, notable for its 13 rows of white European marble and granite columns from Aswan. The city tour continues with a stop at Pompey’s Pillar, a massive Corinthian column originally built to support a statue of Emperor Diocletian. Your last visit before returning to Cairo is a guided tour of the Citadel of Qaitbay, a 15th-century fortification located in the harbor on Pharos Island. After completing the tour, you are brought back to Cairo. 

Alexandria’s Citadel of Qaitbay was constructed in 1477 AD on the exact site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

You will be met and assisted at Luxor Railway Station by your licensed tour guide, then transferred by air-conditioned van to your Nile Cruise for check-in before lunch. After lunch on board, your excursion begins with a visit to Karnak Temple, the largest temple ever constructed and built over 2,000 years, covering roughly 63 acres. You then continue to Luxor Temple, a site displaying ancient Egyptian, Christian, and Islamic influences as well as impressive obelisks and statues. After your tours, you return to the cruise and have dinner on board.

Luxor is often called the “world’s greatest open-air museum” due to its extraordinary number of preserved temples and monuments.

In the early morning, you are picked up and taken by motor boat to the west bank of Luxor for a hot air balloon ride, offering a memorable perspective of the region. After this experience, you explore the Theban Necropolis by visiting the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs of the New Kingdom carved their tombs into the mountains to hide treasures and protect their mummies. Next, you visit the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at El Deir El Bahari. The tour concludes with a photo stop in front of the colossal statues of Memnon. You return to the Nile cruise by noon to have lunch, after which your journey continues as you begin sailing down the River Nile and cross Esna Lock.

The Valley of the Kings is home to more than 60 royal tombs, including that of the famous King Tutankhamun.

After breakfast on board, you are picked up once the cruise docks and brought to visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu. Following your exploration of this remarkably preserved temple, you return to the cruise ship and continue your journey to Kom Ombo. You have lunch on board as you sail. Upon arrival in Kom Ombo, you visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, which is uniquely shared by the gods Sobek and Haroeris. After the visit, you continue enjoying your time on the Nile as the cruise sails onward.

The Temple of Kom Ombo’s symmetrical design is rare in Egypt, with one side dedicated to Sobek, god of fertility, and the other to Haroeris, the falcon-headed god.

Around 4:30 in the morning, you are picked up to join a small group excursion to Abu Simbel, recognized as one of Egypt’s most impressive ancient sites. You visit the remarkable rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel, constructed for King Ramses II and his beloved Queen Nefertari. After touring these unique temples, you return to the cruise by noon and have your lunch. The rest of the afternoon is free for you to enjoy at your leisure.

The Abu Simbel temples were relocated in the 1960s to prevent them from being submerged due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

After breakfast, you check out and begin your guided exploration of Aswan. You start at the High Dam, completed in 1960, which was built to protect Egypt from flooding and to generate electricity. Your journey continues as you travel by small motorboat to reach the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Afterwards, you are transferred to Aswan Airport to board a flight back to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport, you are met by a representative who escorts you to your hotel for check-in.

The island location of Philae Temple led to its relocation after the construction of the High Dam, saving it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

You are picked up from the train station in Cairo and escorted to your hotel for check-in. The remainder of the day is at your leisure, allowing you time to relax or explore the city on your own. In the evening, you have the option to enjoy a Nile Cruise for dinner and a show, or attend the Sound and Light Show at the Cairo Pyramids.

The Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza has been captivating visitors with stories of ancient Egypt since the 1960s.

According to your flight schedule, you are transferred to Cairo International Airport for your return journey home.

Cairo International Airport is the busiest airport in Africa and serves as the primary gateway to Egypt.