Egypt, Cairo

Cairo and Dahabeah Cruise 5^*

Arrival in Cairo.

Cairo, one of the world's greatest metropolises, stretches majestically along both banks of the Nile. This vibrant and historic city is a fascinating blend of cultures, architecture and history, offering a unique experience for travellers.

On arrival, you will be greeted and assisted by an English-speaking tour guide for entry formalities.

An English-speaking Egyptologist guide will then take over and accompany you for the duration of your stay

Enjoy a group transfer to your hotel.

Spend the night at your five-star hotel (local standards).

Breakfast at the hotel.

Set off to visit the Giza Plateau and its incredible pyramids:
The Great Pyramid of Giza (the largest of the three, built around 2650 B.C.), or Khufu's pyramid, one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one to have withstood the test of time. For more than 40 centuries, it was the highest monument built by man at 146 m high.
Khafre: The Pyramid of Khafre, or Chephren, looks taller than Khufu's, but in reality, it is slightly smaller. The tilt angle is more emphasised, and it sits on slightly higher ground which is what creates this impression.
Menkaure: The tomb of King Menkaure. At a height of 66 m, it is much smaller than the other two pyramids.
The Sphinx: A lion's body with a Pharaoh's head. Its role was to guard the entrance of the tomb against pillagers. It is 73 m long and 20 m high.

Lunch near the pyramids.

The afternoon will be spent visiting the sites of Memphis and Saqqara. Memphis, in the south of Cairo, is now a palm grove where several stone blocks, tablets and statues lie, including the enigmatic Alabaster Sphinx. Capital of the Old Egyptian Empire, it was founded by King Menes around 3000 B.C. Then, press on to the site of Saqqara and the famous Step Pyramid, built around 2700 B.C. for the pharaoh Djoser by the architect Imhotep.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Breakfast.

Transfer to the airport and flight to Luxor, in Upper Egypt.

Once you arrive, transfer to the port and settle into the boat's cabins.

Lunch on board.

Visit to the Karnak Temple Complex, the most spiritual ever built in the region over 2000 years. Here, people of different faiths still all paid homage to the same god, Amun. The greatest kings succeeded one another to this place. The name "Karnak", meaning "fortress", dates back to the Muslim conquest.

Return to the boat.

Overnight stay on board.

Breakfast on board.

Set off to visit the left bank of the Nile, Thebes, where tombs of pharaohs from the 18th to the 20th dynasty can be found.

The Valley of the Kings is where you will visit three tombs. From the 18th dynasty onwards and throughout the New Empire, the pharaohs were no longer buried in temples or monuments dedicated to their last journey. Thutmose I and all the pharaohs who followed him decided to be buried on the other side of the Nile, on the West Bank - the land of the afterlife. Kings ceased to erect colossal monuments, such as the pyramids, and even the Mastabas used during the Old Kingdom. Instead, vaults were carved into right the rock, and access to them was strictly closed and hidden. The main reason for this being surely to avoid grave robbers.

On the way back, stop for photos at the Colossi of Memnon: two giant twin statues carved from sandstone, witnesses to the past splendors of the temple of Amenhotep III.

Lunch on board.

Visit to the temple at Medinet Habu, also known as the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III. This temple is extremely grand; without a doubt, one of the most spectacular mortuary temples ever built.
Indeed, your visit to Egypt would not be complete without visiting the vast, monumental site making up Ramesses' final resting place. Ramesses III sought to restore the greatness of Egypt and live up to the name of his famous ancestor. He began to build his jubilee temple as soon as he acceded to the throne, and it has remained one of the largest in the Theban necropolis. Ramesses' immense ancestral fortification captivates all visitors. It is majestic in both size and splendour. It is one of the few to retain its beautiful colours.

Sail towards Esna.

Dinner and overnight stay on board.

Breakfast.

Sail to Edfu.

Lunch on board.

Set off to visit the splendid Temple of Horus in Edfu. This masterpiece of architectural balance and elegance is one of the best-preserved sites in all of Ancient Egypt, a great example of Ptolemaic art from the Graeco-Roman period. You enter the temple through the great pylon decorated with large raised images of the king and the gods, towards the courtyard with walls depicting the various rituals performed by the king.

Sail to Al Ramady Island.

Dinner and overnight stay on board.

Sail to Gebel el-Silsila.

Breakfast.

Visit to the Temple of Kom Ombo in the morning: isolated on a promontory along the Nile, this unique temple in Egypt dating from the Graeco-Roman era includes two superb sanctuaries, one dedicated to Sobek, the Crocodile God, and the second to Horus, the Falcon God. It was built in the Ptolemaic period on the site of a New Empire temple. It is located on top of a hill, 15 m above the Nile. But indeed, its most surprising feature is that it is consecrated to 2 different gods, the Falcon God Haroeris, "Great Horus", sometimes called "Horus the Elder", and Sobek, the Crocodile God. Duality is emphasised everywhere in this temple; it has two entrances, two parallel corridors, and symmetrically arranged rooms on either side of these corridors, which all lead to the double sanctuary. Sculpted columns display shimmering colours on the esplanade in front of the entrance. The small building to the right of the entrance is the Hathor Chapel; it houses several crocodile mummies.

Sail to El-Sheikh Fadl.

Lunch at El-Sheikh Fadl Island, tea and coffee as you sail to Aswan.

Dinner and overnight stay on board.

Arrival in Aswan in the morning and breakfast.

Then, visit to the Philae temple complex: after the construction of the Aswan High Dam by President Nasser in the 1960s, the island of Philae, upstream from the Nile's first cataract, was completely covered by water.

Lunch on board.

Late afternoon at leisure.

Dinner and overnight stay on board.

Breakfast.

Day at leisure on board.

Lunch on board.

Sail to El Ramady island.

Optional activity to be booked and paid for on-site with our local representative:
Coach trip to Abu Simbel: An exceptional site located 260 km south of Aswan, this great temple was saved by UNESCO in 1969. The Colossi of Ramesses, the largest in Egypt, are built directly into the cliff. They are consecrated to the most famous gods of Pharaonic Egypt: Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Ramesses himself. The small temple, for its part, is consecrated to queen Nefertari, deified as the goddess Hathor.

Dinner and overnight stay on board.

Early in the morning, sailing through the lock. Then, sailing to Luxor.

Breakfast on board.

Lunch on board.

Visit to Luxor Temple, built to the glory of the god Amun-Ra, who celebrated the anniversary of his marriage to his wife Mut every year. The procession left the temple at Karnak and followed the banks of the Nile to Luxor Temple. Luxor Temple was built during the reign of the two pharaohs Amenhotep III and Ramesses II. Two obelisks adorned the entrance: they were donated to France in 1831 by Muhammad Ali; one is still there, while the other stands on the Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Return to the boat. Free time.

Dinner and overnight stay on board.

Breakfast on board. Disembarkation.

Flight to Cairo.

Lunch.

Departure for a visit to Cairo's Coptic Quarter. The Christian religion was introduced by St. Mark around 45 AD, and a Coptic community (Coptic being a term specifically referring to Christians in Egypt) began to develop there. The Coptic Quarter is best known for housing a large number of churches in a very small area.
The Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church is one of the oldest Christian churches standing, built around the 3rd or 4th century AD. The church was named after a former war general who converted to Christianity. The Christians built a church on this very spot, because it is believed that the Holy Family took refuge here, where a grotto had once stood.
Saint Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church, also known as the Hanging Church, is a beautiful monument. It is accessed via a staircase preceded by a corridor featuring mosaics depicting biblical scenes. The church is nicknamed the "Hanging Church" because it is built above the trunks of palm trees that support it like stilts. The interior is richly decorated, and the main room features a Coptic icon of the Virgin Mary with Jesus in her arms. Her gaze seems to follow you as you walk around her.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Transfer to the airport according to your flight schedule.

A local English-speaking Egyptologist guide will accompany you for the entire duration of your stay.

Tips: "bakchich"! A word you'll soon be familiar with! While it is easy to turn random solicitors away, keep in mind it is a way of rewarding work and service well done. Gratuities for guides are never included. It is at the discretion of each individual.

A paying Wi-Fi connection accessible throughout your cruise may be offered. However, we cannot guarantee its quality or reliability during your stay.

The baggage allowance for domestic flights is 23 kg per person in the hold and one small bag of up to 7 kg in the cabin. Any additional kilos will be charged locally.

Accommodation is in accordance with local standards.

The level of screening at Egypt's airports can be high and random depending on the number of tourists, which is why the tour leader advises arriving as early as possible.

As traffic can be heavy in Cairo, journey times can be long.

On excursions, you will be grouped with other participants.
This package includes periods of free time during which you can wander around at your leisure. However, transfers are at your own expense.

Optional excursions are subject to a supplement, payable on site to your guide or local representative.

The pace of the visits can be quite demanding (see all the visits included in the day-by-day details), which means waking up very early in the morning (outside the boat's navigation periods).

Egypt is a cultural destination.

PLEASE NOTE:

For those booking the "hotel only" package (without international flights), we kindly request that you provide us with your flight details as soon as possible via the contact form in "Help and Contact" at the bottom of the page, so that we can organise your transfers.