Best of Egypt & Nile Cruise

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Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA

• Check in for your overnight flight for Cairo

Day 2: Cairo

3 nights Conrad Cairo.

• Arrive in Cairo and transfer to your hotel
• Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: Arrive in Cairo, where East and West come together in a wonderful mix of old and new. You'll be met by our representatives in Cairo, assisted with visa and customs formalities, then escorted to your centrally located 5-star hotel overlooking the Nile River. You'll have the rest of the day to explore independently.

Optional Excursion: Cairo by Night with dinner, $35. This evening you will have the option to join a fun-filled welcome dinner at a local restaurant and a tour of Cairo by night.

Day 3: Cairo

Breakfast.

• Half day morning tour to the Egyptian Museum
• Remainder of the day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: This morning enjoy a half day tour to the Egyptian Museum, where you'll see, among other treasures, the priceless antiquities of Tutankhamen's tomb. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore the city on your own, or take advantage of our optional excursions.

Optional Excursion: Cairo's Old City, Citadel of Saladin, & Khan El Khalili Bazaars, $51. Enjoy an optional guided tour of Cairo's Old City, including the Citadel of Saladin, built on the remains of a Crusader-style fortress and the Alabaster Mosque. Continue to the famous Khan El Khalili Bazaars, where the sights, sounds, spices and exotic clothing and jewelry, hand-hammered copper, ceramic ware and other treasures await your deft bargaining to win them at astounding prices.

Optional Excursion: Sound & Light Show at Giza, $41. This evening, you will have the opportunity to experience the famous Sound & Light Show at Giza. See the marvelous luminary display of the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Price includes escort and transportation.

Day 4: Cairo, Pyramids & Sphinx

Breakfast.

• Tour the Pyramids of Cheops and Chephren
• Remainder of the day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: This morning, after breakfast, your guide will escort you on a fascinating tour of the most famous of all sites in Egypt—the Pyramids of Cheops and Chephren. These monuments have stood for 46 centuries and are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, possibly the most visited monuments of Egypt. The Sphinx, a feline character with the body of a lion and the face of Khufu (Cheops in Greek) is 50 meters long and 22 meters high. Carved from a single stone, it lies just before the Pyramids, and even today its meaning and origin remain shrouded in mystery.

Optional Excursion: Nile Dinner Cruise, $46. This evening, join your fellow travelers on an optional dinner cruise with entertainment aboard a floating Nile River restaurant.

Optional Excursion: Inner Chamber of the Great Pyramid at Giza, $25 (purchased locally). Take advantage of a unique opportunity to explore the interior of the pyramids . This 30-minute visit of the interior is unguided and will take place during the guided exterior visit.

You must be in good physical condition to fully enjoy this tour, which involves traversing narrow passages and steep stairways. Some areas have very low ceilings preventing visitors from standing upright. This excursion is not recommended to anyone suffering from heart conditions, back problems, asthma, or claustrophobia.

Day 5: Cairo & Luxor

4 nights MS Farah, or similar. Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Morning flight from Cairo to Luxor
• Embark on your Nile cruise and enjoy lunch aboard
• Tour the East Bank of the Nile and the Temple of Karnak

Full Day Itinerary: Transfer to the airport this morning for the flight to Luxor, capital of the New Kingdom when Pharoah Ahmos, in 1580 BC, drove foreign invaders (the Hyksos) from Lower Egypt. It was then that Luxor became a grand city of luxurious palaces, huge temples, large gardens, as well as an important diplomatic and trade center of the ancient world. Transfer from the airport to the pier for embarkation aboard your deluxe Nile cruise ship. Settle into your cabin and enjoy lunch aboard.

This afternoon, visit the East Bank of the Nile. Highlights of today's tour include visits to the Temple of Karnak, one of the most significant monuments of the Pharaonic legacy, with work carried out on the temples over a period of 1500 years, and Luxor Temple, strikingly graceful and added to over the centuries by Tutankhamen, Ramses II, Alexander the Great, and others.

Day 6: Luxor, Esna & Edfu

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Tour the West Bank of the Nile and the Valley of the Kings via motor coach
• Visit the mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, disembark and board your touring coach to visit the West Bank of the Nile and the Valley of the Kings, where 64 of Egypt's Pharaohs have their royal tombs hewn into the sheer rock. Continue to the impressive Deir El Bahari mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, an architectural wonder built against the backdrop of a looming cliff face and the Colossi of Memnon, two huge seated statues of Amenhotep III.

Day 7: Esna, Edfu & Kom Ombo

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Tour of Edfu including the Temple of Horus
• Sail to Kom Ombo

Full Day Itinerary: Your cruise ship sails from Esna to Edfu. As you go south, you will have an opportunity to view rural life in Egypt. The crops, methods of farming, animals and irrigation systems have changed little from 4,000 years ago. Here you best appreciate the fascinating contrast of ancient and modern ways of life, which coexist in Egypt and make it one of the world's most interesting of travel destinations.

At Edfu, you'll see the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best preserved temple. Afterward, board your ship and sail to Kom Ombo, where, in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank. The Temple of Kom Ombo is unique in all of Egypt and is shared by the two gods Sobek and Haroeris. These Ptolemaic temples overlook the Nile and feature fascinating drawings on the walls, including detailed drawings of surgical instruments.

Day 8: Aswan

Breakfast, lunch & dinner.

• Sail to Aswan and explore this ancient trading hub
• Visit Philae Temple
• Enjoy a tour by felucca around Elephantine Island

Full Day Itinerary: Sail to Aswan, the gateway to Africa for the ancient Egyptians. Originally called "Sain" from "sanite", the name of the red granite extracted from its quarries, Aswan became a hub of trade in spices, leather, ivory, fruit, grains, baskets and mummified and living crocodiles.

After lunch aboard your cruise ship, visit Philae Temple which for centuries was the holiest site for Isis worshippers. The temple was officially closed down in the 6th century A.D. by the Byzantine emperor Justinian and was the last pagan temple to exist in the Mediterranean world. After the construction of the Aswan Dam, the half-submerged temple complex was completely dismantled and rebuilt to the original specifications on the nearby island of Agilika, which was reshaped and landscaped to resemble the original Philae. Metal pylons on the old island of Philae can still be seen rising from the water to the south of Agilika.

Before returning to your cruise ship, enjoy a tour by felucca (a small, swift Egyptian sailboat) around Elephantine Island, once the center of modern Aswan. Conclude today's sightseeing at the magnificent Botanical Gardens of Lord Kitchener.

Day 9: Aswan & Cairo

1 night Conrad Cairo. Breakfast.

• Morning at leisure
• Visit Aswan's High Dam and the granite quarries
• Fly to Cairo and spend the evening at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: Early this morning take advantage of an optional excursion to the temple complex of Abu Simbel.

Otherwise, remain on board and enjoy the facilities of the ship. This afternoon, disembark and visit Aswan's High Dam, which controls the Nile and is a major source of hydroelectric power in Egypt. Also visit the granite quarries where a partially carved and cracked obelisk will clearly demonstrate how the giant forms were hewn from the solid rock.

Then, transfer to the airport to board your short flight back to Cairo. Check into your hotel and enjoy time to explore Cairo independently, including the downtown shopping districts and Cairo's excellent restaurant scene.

Optional Excursion: Abu Simbel, $313 (paid locally, or $298 if pre-booked). Early this morning, fly from Aswan to nearby Abu Simbel, the site of the Great Temple of Ramses II, one of the most magnificent of all temples in Egypt and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Part of the Nubian Monuments, the twin temples of Abu Simbel were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Ramses II in the 13th century B.C. as a lasting tribute to himself and his queen, Nefertiti. After the creation of Lake Nasser, formed by the building of Aswan High Dam in 1968, the Abu Simbel complex was relocated in its entirety high above the reservoir. After exploring the temple complex, return to Aswan.

On occasion, Egypt Air cannot provide a flight on the scheduled day of the excursion. In this case, you may instead visit Abu Simbel by land in a private air-conditioned vehicle, a journey of approximately 4 hours each way, with a box lunch provided. The land version is $199 if paid locally and requires a minimum of 2 passengers. If you pre-booked the excursion for $265, you will receive a refund of $100 if you choose the land version, or a full refund if you decline.

Day 10: Cairo/USA

Breakfast.

• Bid farewell to Egypt as you're escorted to the airport for your return flight
• Arrive in the USA later today

Jordan & Petra Post-Tour Optional Extension

Why not take advantage of your already-included international airfare to visit Jordan and the lost city of Petra. You'll return to the U.S. 3 days after the return dates listed.

Day 10: Cairo, Egypt/Amman & Petra, Jordan

1 night Petra Marriott Hotel or similar. Breakfast & dinner.

• Morning flight to Amman, the capital of Jordan
• Drive to Petra via the Kings Highway
• Remainder of the day at leisure

Full Day Itinerary: This morning transfer to the airport for your short flight to Amman, Jordan. After completing immigration and customs formalities, you will be met by our representatives. Drive south via the Kings Highway to the lost city of Petra. Check into your hotel, and some time to relax and enjoy the facilities.

Day 11: Petra & Amman

2 nights Kempinski Hotel Amman or similar. Breakfast.

• Half day guided tour of Petra
• Afternoon return to Amman

Full Day Itinerary: Your guided tour of Petra begins with a ride on horseback, followed by a walk through the Siq, a narrow gorge flanked by cliffs. At the end of the Siq, the breathtaking of the Treasury, with its elaborately carved façade comes into view. Explore the various tombs and structures in this site and marveling at the artistry and creativity that must have inspired the Nabateans to construct so marvelous and dramatic a city. Later this afternoon, drive north to Amman and check into your hotel.

Day 12: Amman

Breakfast.

• Enjoy the day at leisure in Amman

Optional Excursion: Jerash & Amman City, $75. Located 30 miles north of Amman, Jerash is considered one of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy. To this day, its colonnaded streets, baths, theaters, plazas and arches remain in exceptional condition. Within the remaining city walls, archaeologists have found the ruins of settlements dating back to the Neolithic Age, indicating human occupation at this location for more than 6500 years.

After lunch, return to Amman where you'll visit the major historical sites, including the Roman amphitheater, Archaeological Museum, and the ruins of the Temple of Hercules.

Optional Excursion: Dinner in a local restaurant, $25. This evening, join your fellow travelers for an optional farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 13: Amman/USA

Breakfast.

• Early this morning, transfer to the airport as you bid farewell to Amman and board your return flight to the USA via Cairo.
• Your fascinating journey comes to an end as you arrive in the USA later today.

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Trip Details

• What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
• Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Travel visas are required for this package. Please review the visa & entry requirements.
• Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Stay a few extra days? Something else? Just ask!
• Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 21 or older. Your traveling companions must be 8 or older at time of travel.
• Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
• What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
• What should I know about Egypt? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.
• What should I know about Jordan? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.