Cairo-Aswan-Luxor Nile Cruise And Sharm El Sheikh – 12 Days

Tour Experts Egypt’s representative will meet and assist you at Cairo International Airport to facilitate the arrival procedures, and then he will escort you to your 5-star hotel in Cairo. At the hotel, you will get your welcome drink while our representative is finishing the check-in process and then review your holiday itinerary with you to schedule and confirm your pick-up times for each tour.

Overnight in Cairo.

Egypt is most famous for its pyramids (the only remaining wonder of the seven wonders). And with Tour Experts Egypt you will have the chance to visit the Giza Plateau in the el-Giza district, to admire the three Giza pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus and marvel at these massive ancient burial tombs, built around 2,500 BC. Once you’ve taken in the ancient wonder, you will feel nothing but wonder seeing the huge building which was built by small tools and human power and listening from your guide to many stories about the times when the pyramids were built.

Afterwards you will head to the nearby plateau where you can capture the towering pyramids rising up from the golden sands with the city skyline as a backdrop and enjoy your adventure on a camel (additional cost) in the Sahara desert around the pyramids, the Queens’ small pyramids, the Valley Temple of King Chephren and the Sphinx. Get free time to enter one of the pyramids (additional cost) and explore its empty inner chambers independently (your guide is not permitted to enter with you).

Next, gaze up at the colossal Sphinx, the enigmatic statue of a human-headed lion that guards the pyramids, where your guide will explain the folklore around this massive lion with the head of a king as you take a closer look. And if you wish, visit the Solar Boat Museum (additional cost); home to the funerary boat of Khufu, the Pharaoh for whom the Great Pyramid was built. Admire the beautiful wooden boat, once used to transport Khufu’s body to the site, and learn how its remnants were discovered and reassembled.

Next, visit Sakkara, is one section of the great necropolis of Memphis and the home of Egypt’s oldest pyramid that was constructed in around 2,650 BC, and is recorded as the oldest major stone structure in Egypt. Admire this incredible, stepped structure as you learn how it was built by the architect Imhotep for the Pharaoh Djoser, and enjoy time to explore at leisure. Three major discoveries have recently been made at Sakkara, including a prime minister’s tomb, a queen’s pyramid, and the tomb of the son of a dynasty founding king.

Then, continue to Memphis, Egypt’s ancient capital and administrative center during the Old Kingdom until around 2,200 BC, and is the legendary city of Menes, the King who united Upper and Lower Egypt. Early on, Memphis was more like a fortress from which Menes controlled the land and water routes between Upper Egypt and the Delta. Having probably originated in Upper Egypt, from Memphis he could control the conquered people of Lower Egypt. View the UNESCO-listed sculptures and ruins in its outdoor museum, and behold the star turn: a spectacularly large, fallen statue of Ramses II. Lastly, your guide ill transfer you back to your hotel.

Overnight in Cairo.

Visit the Egyptian Museum, the world’s largest repository of more than 165,000 age-old Egyptian artifacts. Knowing where to start can be daunting, so let your guide introduce you to the highlights, including the star attraction: the treasures of Tutankhamun.

View the Tutankhamun exhibits, an array of antiquities (his spectacular, solid gold death mask, six gilded coffins, chariot, golden throne and funerary treasures) from the reign of the boy Pharaoh and famed ruler, and learn about his short and troubled reign.

Explore masterpieces of the ancient Egyptian civilization as your guide recounts their history, and view age-old mummies of Egypt’s Kings, the ancient mummified animals and the pyramids’ builder’s statues. The museum also houses near-countless other treasures including tombs, funerary paintings, jewelry and mummies from the prehistoric Egyptian period through to the Roman era. In addition to other prize exhibits, such as Pharaonic sarcophagi and everyday objects.

If you wish, visit the Royal Mummies Room (additional cost), another museum showpiece. Enter this climate-controlled room to view the mummies of Egyptian rulers such as Ramses II, builder of the Luxor’s Karnak Temple. After introducing you to the main attractions, your guide will give you free time to explore further, at your leisure.

Next, see the citadel of Saladin (dating back to 12th century) that was built by the Sultan to protect Cairo against potential crusades and remained the residence of the ruler of Egypt till the middle of the 19th century.

Inside the citadel you will see the Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Aly (19th century) representing the Ottoman style of architecture and widely recognized as the most important mosques in Cairo, the Mosque of Ibn Qalaoun (14th century) representing the Mameluk style of architecture, and the panorama area for a wonderful view of Islamic Cairo.

Your next step, you will explore Coptic Cairo, also called Old Cairo, where you can see some world-famous churches. Scholars believe that the holy family stayed for a long time inside this area and Prophet Moses was found in this place.

Admire the Roman Fortress of Babylon (1st century A.D.), the Hanging Church of Virgin Mary (3rd century A.D.), the Church of Abu Serga (4th century) with the Holy Family Crypt (where the holy family took shelter when they escaped from Palestine), the Jewish Synagogue of Ben Ezra (9th century).

Tour Experts Egypt’s representative will escort you to Giza Train Station where you will catch your sleeper train to Aswan.

Optional (Not Included): Day tour to Abo Simple Temple.

Overnight in Aswan.

Our Representative will meet and assist you to transfer you to the Nile Cruise.

Check in, and have the lunch on board the Nile Cruise.

Visit Philae Temple, Aswan High Dam, which showcases two of Aswan’s most popular sites. You will get an up-close look at the dam that divides the Nile from Lake Nasser and revels in the natural beauty of Philae Temple’s island home.

Head to the High Dam of Aswan to discover the incredible wonders of this engineering miracle. Built in the 1960s, this impressive structure allows travelers to look out over Lake Nasser towards the Kalabsha temple and take in unique views of the huge power plant further to the north.

Then, make your way to the Philae Temple—what is possible Aswan’s most famous site. Learn how this great temple was moved after the High Dam caused rivers to rise dangerously close to the ancient relic. Your guide will take you on a short motorboat ride and an informative walking tour of the temple, which was dedicated to the goddess Isis. Use the additional free time to explore on your own.

Have the dinner on board the Nile Cruise.

Overnight on board the Nile Cruise in Aswan.

Sail to Komombo.

Explore the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo, and learn about the temples to Horus and Sobek from your personal Egyptologist guide. Follow the famous caravan routes through Egyptian villages en route to the “City of Gold”.

Discover the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo on a half-day sightseeing tour and learn about the Egyptian deities of Horus and Sobek.

Head to the monumental Ptolemaic Temple of Horus, built in the reign of Cleopatra VII between 237 BCE and 57 BCE., which is considered one of the best-preserved constructions of Ancient Egypt. The sandstone temple was built in 3 stages. Look at the inner paintings for clues about when the temple was built, and learn the story of Horus exacting revenge on Seth in the remarkable reliefs.

Continue to the Temple of Kom Ombo overlooking the Nile River. Kom Ombo means “City of Gold”, and it was an important stop on the caravan routes from Nubia to the gold mines of the Nile Valley. Marvel at its unique double design, with one half dedicated to the falcon-headed Haroeris, and the other to the crocodile-headed Sobek, god of fertility and creator of the world.

Have the lunch and dinner on board the Nile Cruise.

Sail to Esna and overnight.

Sail to Luxor.

Take a Valley of the Kings tour and explore the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut with your very own Egyptologist guide. Head for the West Bank and discover the hieroglyph-coated chambers of the Valley of the Kings, the mountain-cut tombs of 62 of ancient Egypt’s rulers, as you learn about the pharaohs once buried here. Then, visit the stunning Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and stop to see the towering Colossi of Memnon as your guide reveals captivating facts about these age-old monuments.

Head to the west bank of the Nile River. As you travel, listen as your guide tells tales about the Valley of the Kings, the mountain-cut royal necropolis of the capital of Thebes that once stood on the site of Luxor. Soak up views of the rugged mountains and, on arrival, enjoy a brief stop at the valley’s visitor center.
Then, explore the inner rock-cut chambers and tunnels. Guides are not permitted to accompany you inside the tombs, but your guide will describe what to look for before you enter. Walk through colourful, hieroglyph-covered corridors and see painted chambers that once contained the remains of ancient Egypt’s rulers. If you wish, pay an additional cost direct to enter the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

Next, drive to the Temple of Hatshepsut, a vision of geometrical colonnades hewn into a cliffside. Learn about the temple’s history and life of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s first female ruler. Stroll around the courtyards and terraces, and admire the statues and hieroglyphics that adorn them.
Then, stop for photos at the Colossi of Memnon: two towering statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, that once stood at his now long-gone funerary temple. Hear the stories and legends that surround the statues, and inspect the Roman-era graffiti engraved in the stone.

Overnight on board the Nile Cruise in Luxor.

Breakfast on board and Nile Cruise disembarkation.

Visit the age-old Temples of Karnak and Luxor Temple on the Nile’s East Bank. With your own Egyptologist guide, travel by minivan to Karnak, an awesome collection of temples and halls dating back over 3,000 years. Ogle the giant columns of the Hypostyle Hall, walk the Avenue of the Sphinxes, and see other highlights as you learn their history. Then, head to Luxor Temple to admire its columns, courts, and statues; and discover how it was embellished by Tutankhamun and Alexander the Great.

As you go, hear how Luxor stands on the 4,000-year-old site of Thebes, Egypt’s ancient royal capital, and how Karnak is the largest of its temple complexes. Discover how this vast collection of buildings was developed by more than 30 pharaohs, including Amenhotep IV and Ramses II.

On arrival, walk along the Avenue of the Sphinxes to the gateway, and then explore inside with your Egyptologist guide. Hear how the huge pylons at the entrance were constructed, and marvel at the courtyards and sanctuaries beyond. The deeper you go into the complex, the further back you step, with the oldest ruins dating back more than 3,000 years.

Gaze in awe at the showpiece Hypostyle Hall crowded with 134 massive columns that tower above you like an ancient forest. Crane your neck upwards and learn about the ingenious methods used to raise them by the long-ago Egyptians. See the sacred lake where pharaonic offerings were purified, and then enjoy free time to stroll around the site at leisure.

Continue to Luxor Temple, an ancient temple in the center of Luxor laid parallel to the Nile. Hear how it was built in around 1,400 BC, and added to by Tutankhamun, Ramses II and even Alexander the Great.

Admire the two colossal statues of Ramses at the entrance, and the granite gateway obelisk whose original counterpart now stands in Paris’ Place de la Concorde. Then, head inside to gawk at the richly carved inner sanctuaries, papyrus columns, and courts. Peep inside the atmospheric anterooms, including the chapel dedicated to Alexander the Great, who rebuilt the room in his name.

After finishing the day tour, our representative will transfer you to Luxor airport where you will catch your flight to Sharm El Sheikh.

Overnight in Sharm El Sheikh.

Optional (Not Included): Ras Mohamed Red Sea Cruise and Snorkeling Tour, Or, Tiran Island Cruise and Snorkeling Tour.
Overnight in Sharm El Sheikh.

Optional (Not Included): St Catherine’s Monastery and Moses’ Mountain at Sunrise Tour.
Overnight in Sharm El Sheikh.

After finishing the day tour, our representative will transfer you to Sharm El Sheikh airport where you will catch your flight back to Cairo.

Free day in Cairo and overnight.

After the breakfast at Cairo hotel, Tour Experts Egypt’s representative will transfer you to Cairo International Airport to catch your international flight back to home.