THE NILE REVEALED ITINERARY:
DAYS 1 & 2, Sunday & Monday - Depart for Cairo, EGYPT
Journey accommodations begin with the hotel night on Day 2.
Check-in time is
approximately 3pm.
Leave your home city for Cairo on Sunday, arriving late in the evening on Monday.
Upon arrival at the airport, you will
be greeted and transferred to your luxury hotel.
A city of over 17 million people, Cairo is the largest city in Africa. It is a complex
blend of cultures and civilizations, each overlaid one on top of the other, going
all the way back to the days of the Pharaohs.
Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel
DAY 3, Tuesday - Cairo
Included meal services begin with Breakfast in on Day 3.
Explore the treasures of the Egyptian Museum, considered one of the most prominent
museums in the world. Built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi II
in 1897,
it has 107 halls divided into seven sections, each section devoted to one era
in Egypt's history. The displays of ancient history span more than 50 centuries.
The museum's most significant showpiece is the Tutankhamen collection. You will
make a special visit to the Mummies Room.
In the evening join your fellow travelers at a cocktail and dinner party, and learn more
about the exciting adventures ahead from your Travcoa Travel Director.
Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel
DAY 4, Wednesday - Cairo
This morning explore the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza. The last survivor of the Seven
Ancient Wonders of the World, the Pyramids are truly awe-inspiring, and some of
them date back nearly 5,000 years. Nearby is the mysterious
Sphinx, carved from a
single block of stone. Step inside one of the Royal Burial Chambers in the Pyramids.
Also view the well-preserved funerary boat of Cheops.
This afternoon drive to the ancient city of Memphis, the oldest capital
of Egypt, where you’ll admire the finely detailed, colossal, recumbent
statue of Ramses II. It is made of fine-grained limestone, 13 meters long,
and weighing 120 tons. You’ll also see the stunning 80-ton Alabaster Sphinx.
Continuing to Sakkara, the oldest ancient Egyptian cemetery, where you’ll see
the world’s first large-scale stone construction, the Step Pyramid.
Tonight, enjoy premium seating at the enchanting Sound and Light Show at the
Pyramids, which re-enacts the history of the Pyramids and the glory of the
Pharaohs. Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel
DAY 5, Thursday - Cairo & Aswan
Fly to Aswan in the late morning. Enjoy an excursion by a traditional canvas-sailed
felucca to the Botanical Gardens at Kitchner’s Island and admire exotic flora from as
far as India and Malaysia. A cruise on these indigenous boats offers an unforgettable
and uniquely Egyptian event. Movenpick Elephantine Island Hotel
DAY 6, Friday - Aswan, Abu Simbel & Embark on the Cruise
Fly to Abu Simbel this morning for a close-up look at the 3,300 year old temples built
by Ramses II, which were carved out of a hillside next to the Nile. Abu Simbel is a set
of two temples near the border of Egypt and Sudan. The entire temple complex was
moved to its present location, 90 feet above its old site, to protect it from rising
waters caused by the damming of the Nile.
The Great Temple is dedicated to Ramses II and a statue of him seated with three
other godsis in the innermost part of the roc-cut temple (the Sanctuary). The
Small Temple was probably completed ahead of the Great Temple and is dedicated
to his favorite wife, Nefertari. 25,000 workers labored 25 years to complete these
massive monuments. It is one of the most prodigious feats of engineering in Egypt.
Fly back to Aswan and board the Sonesta St. George I to cruise the Nile. The
luxurious, 5-star Sonesta St. George I offers opulent hospitality. Sail serenely
between Aswan and Luxor on the majestic River Nile as 5,000 years of history
unfold before you. Sonesta St. George I
DAY 7, Saturday - Nile Cruise Kom Ombo Edfu
At the island Temple of Philae, discover a sacred temple complex dedicated to
the Goddess Isis. The temple was dismantled and painstakingly reassembled in the
1970’s when the Aswan Dam was constructed. There you will discover a fusion of
three great civilizations – Egyptian, Greek and Roman.
See the granite quarries that supplied the stone for temples and colossi in ancient
times and a gigantic unfinished obelisk tha had been hewn from the bedrock. Sail
to the Temple at Kom Ombo, known for its unusual double temple – one half is
dedicated to the falcon-headed god, Haroeris, and the other half to the crocodile
god, Sobek.
Enjoy afternoon tea as you sail to Edfu. In Edfu visit the beautifully preserved
sandstone Temple of Horus – one of the finest examples of Ptolemaic art in
Egypt. It is the largest and best-preserved temple in Egypt. Built by the
Ptolemaic Pharaohs, its bas-reliefs give a vivid picture of life in ancient Egypt.
Sonesta St. George I
DAY 8, Sunday - Nile Cruise Luxor
Luxor is a magnificent ancient township built on the site of the even more
ancient city of Thebes, dating back 4,000 years. It boasts the country’s richest
collection of antiquities.
Visit the Valley of Kings, famous for its royal tombs. These beautifully painted
tombs have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. For over five
hundred years, the kings of the New Kingdom (1500-1070 B.C.) were buried in
this valley, making it the world's most magnificent burial ground. The most famous
tomb belongs to the boyking Tutankhamen.
The tombs were cut into limestone rock in a remote wadi (a dried-up river valley)
on the west bank of the Nile. Their walls were painted and sculpted with magnificent
murals depicting the after life and the land of the gods. The chambers were filled
with treasures –everything from furniture to food, statues, boats and jewels,
which a person may need to sustain life into eternity.
Also visit the Valley of Queens – a misnomer for it also houses the
tombs of high officials and royal children along with the various queen and concubines.
The valley contains 80 tombs, most of which are not inscribed and simple in design.
You will also visit the Temple of Madinat Habu, where the entire Temple of Ramses
III still stands in good condition next to the remains of the Kings Palace within a
defensiv wall. Then visit the Colossi of Memnon.
This afternoon take a horse carriage ride to visit the incredible Luxor Museum.
Sonesta St. George I
DAY 9, Monday - Disembark Nile Cruise & Luxor
After disembarking the ship this morning, continue exploring Luxor’s extraordinary
monuments, including the stunning Temples of Karnak and Luxor, once decorated
with vivid colors, their faded remains can still be seen.
The Temple of Karnak has three main sacred areas that honor three gods: Montu, an
ancient local warrior god; Amun, the chief god of Thebes; and the goddess Mut, wife
of Amun. The construction began in the Middle Kingdom in 1500 BC and was
completed during the New Kingdom. The gate of the Temple of Karnak, built by
Ptolemy III, is still almost in perfect condition. See the incredible stone forest of
massive pillars in the Hypostyle Hall and the Avenue of Sphinxes.
The Luxor Temple is a remarkably delicate work of architecture, originally built by
Pharaoh Amenophis, and added to by various rulers over the eons, including
Alexander the Great. It was discovered less than a century ago and its remains
echo the splendor of ancient Thebes.
Your overnight accommodations are at the contemporary and elegant Sonesta
St. George I Hotel, in a deluxe room overlooking the Nile River Sonesta St.
George Hotel
DAY 10, Tuesday - Luxor & Cairo
Fly from Luxor to Cairo, arriving about mid-day. The melting pot of ancient
and modern Egyptian civilizations, Cairo is a fusion of old and new – modern
skyscrapers and ancient monuments stand side-by-side, along with features of
Islamic, Christian, Coptic and Jewish culture.
You will stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence. It is a gracious
sanctuary on the west bank of the Nile, with impressive views of the Great
Pyramids over the old-growth canopy of Cairo's ancient Zoological and Botanical
Gardens. From your spacious deluxe room you will enjoy a spectacular view of the
pyramids. Tonight you will enjoy an evening at the home of an Egyptian family
with cocktails and dinner. Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence
DAY 11, Wednesday - Cairo
Visit the Citadel and the Ottoman
style Mohammed Ali Mosque (the Alabaster
Mosque), within the walls of the Citadel, built in AD 1183. See the medieval Mosque
of the Sultan Hassan. Explore the famous Khan El Khalili Souk (or bazaar), largely
unchanged since the 14th century. The market is renowned for its magnificent
architecture. Wander through small narrow alleys lined with old shops or sit in
one of the famous coffee shops and just observe daily life.
Four Seasons Hotel
Cairo at The First Residence
DAY 12, Thursday - Depart for Home
This morning you will be taken from your hotel to the Cairo airport for your
return flight home or on to your next destination.
Journey accommodations end with the hotel night on Day 11. Check-out time is
approximately 11am on Day 12.
Included meal services end with Breakfast on Day 12.
NOTE: The Daily Itinerary above is subject to change dependent upon local conditions
and/or operational changes or improvements. The specific times and order of inclusions
within each destination may also be altered to best accommodate unscheduled closure,
special events, weather, traffic, etc. Please contact your Vacation Planner before
scheduling any coinciding appointments. You will receive an up-dated itinerary
approximately 30 days prior to your journey’s scheduled departure date.
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