Egypt: Pharaohs & the Nile

The Pyramids, Abu Simbel, a five-star Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and Alexandria.

Your route

1. 1 Cairo 1 night
2. 2 sleeper train 1 night
3. 3 Nile cruise 3 nights
4. 4 sleeper train 1 night
5. 5 Cairo 1 night

1. Day 1 Cairo

   Arrive, check in.

   Welcome to Egypt. Indian travellers need a visa, which we help you arrange before travel. Our representative meets you at Cairo International Airport and transfers you privately to your hotel. Check in and rest after your flight. Cairo is a huge, lively city on the banks of the Nile, home to more than twenty million people. In the evening, you may enjoy a walk along the river or a felucca ride at sunset, at extra cost. Carry some US dollars or Egyptian pounds for tips. Overnight in Cairo.

2. Day 2 Cairo

   Pyramids, Sphinx, museum; night train to Aswan.

   A day of wonders. Visit the Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving wonder of the ancient world, and the Great Sphinx guarding them. Then see the Royal Mummies Hall at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, where pharaohs such as Ramses II rest. In the afternoon, explore the Khan el-Khalili bazaar for spices, lanterns and souvenirs. In the evening, board the overnight sleeper train to Aswan, a journey of about thirteen hours, with dinner and a private cabin. Overnight on the train.

3. Day 3 Aswan

   Philae, High Dam, board the cruise.

   Arrive in Aswan in the morning, where the Nile is at its most beautiful, dotted with granite islands and sailing boats. Visit the Aswan High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk still lying in its quarry, and the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis, which was moved stone by stone to a new island to save it from the rising waters. Then board your five-star Nile cruise ship, where all meals are served on board. Overnight on the Nile cruise.

4. Day 4 Nile cruise

   Abu Simbel, sail to Kom Ombo.

   An early start for Abu Simbel, about three and a half hours south by road. The two great temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari, carved into a mountainside over three thousand years ago, were moved in the 1960s to escape the waters of Lake Nasser. Return to the ship, which sails north to Kom Ombo. Visit the unusual double temple dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon god, with its crocodile museum. Overnight on the Nile cruise.

5. Day 5 Nile cruise

   Edfu Temple, sail to Luxor.

   Wake up as the ship reaches Edfu. Ride a horse carriage to the Temple of Horus, the best preserved temple in Egypt, with its towering gateway and dark inner sanctuary. Return to the ship for lunch as it sails north through green fields, palm groves and small villages along the riverbank, passing the lock at Esna. Relax on the sun deck and watch daily life on the Nile. In the evening, the ship arrives in Luxor. Overnight on the Nile cruise.

6. Day 6 Luxor

   Valley of the Kings, Karnak; night train.

   Disembark after breakfast and explore Luxor, once the great city of Thebes. On the west bank, visit the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs were buried in painted tombs cut deep into the rock, and see the Colossi of Memnon. On the east bank, walk among the giant columns of Karnak Temple and visit Luxor Temple, beautifully lit at dusk. In the evening, board the overnight sleeper train back to Cairo. Carry water, a hat and sunscreen, as the west bank gets very hot. Overnight on the train.

7. Day 7 Cairo

   Day trip to Alexandria.

   Arrive in Cairo in the morning and drive about three hours to Alexandria, the city founded by Alexander the Great on the Mediterranean. Visit the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, a Roman-era burial site that mixes Egyptian and Greek styles, Pompey's Pillar and the Roman Amphitheatre. Drive along the seafront Corniche and see the Qaitbay Citadel and the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Return to Cairo in the evening and check in. Alexandria is cooler and breezier than Cairo, so carry a light layer in winter. Overnight in Cairo.

8. Day 8 Cairo

   Departure.

   After breakfast, check out of your hotel. Depending on your flight time, enjoy some last shopping for papyrus paintings, Egyptian cotton, perfume oils or spices. Our representative transfers you to Cairo International Airport for your flight home. Please reach three hours before departure, as security checks at Cairo airport take time. Keep a few small notes for tips and trolley porters at the airport. Your Egypt journey ends here, with memories of pyramids, temples and days spent sailing the river that gave life to an ancient civilisation.

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