8-Day Discover Egypt Tour starting at $1599

Discover Egypt Tour
Including International Airfare and All Taxes

ITINERARY
DAY 1 - Tuesday Board your international flight to Cairo from any major city in Canada or the USA to begin your journey through the mysterious ancient land of the Pharaohs.

DAY 2 - Wednesday: Cairo Upon landing in Egypt, purchase your visa by filling out an application form provided there and submit it with approximately $15 USD per person.

After clearing customs and immigration, our representative will meet you and escort you to your air conditioned car that will transfer you to your 4* Grand Pyramids Hotel, a moderate resort with great location to the Pyramids of Giza. Hotel upgrades are available upon request. Our guides are all English speaking.

Overnight in Cairo.

DAY 3 -
Thursday: Cairo After breakfast, our guide will accompany you on a visit to the Cairo Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, which houses the world's largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities. Enjoy a stroll through 2 floors of treasures from ancient Egypt. Most of the artifacts found in the tombs and sites you will visit later on the tour are on display here. Entrance fees are included to avoid long, confusing line ups. Entrance fee to the Mummies room is optional but worthwhile.

Next is a visit to one of Egypt's most recognized sites, The Giza Plateau, located south of Cairo just at the edge of the last houses. One of the last still standing wonders of the ancient world, with its three Great Pyramids Khufu, Khephren (Khafre) and Menkaure, and of course the mysterious Sphinx carved almost entirely from one piece of limestone. Without a doubt your visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza will be one of the most memorable of your trip.

Lunch included during your tour. In the evening your Guide will transfer you to the Train Station for your connection with the Sleeper Train to Aswan. Dinner is included on board. Overnight while travelling on the train. Upgrade to a flight Cairo - Aswan available.

DAY 4 - Friday:
Aswan Upon arrival, our guide will help you transfer to board your 5* Nile River Cruise including all meals, coffee and tea. Other beverages are available at an exra cost. Please have cash available for incidentals not included as credit cards are not always accepted on boards. An upgrade to Luxury Ships is available. All our shore excursions guided by a licensed English speaking Egyptologist are included. Today you will visit: The High Dam: Bordering Egypt and Sudan, the world's longest dam, completed in 1970, provides flood protection, irrigation, and electricity to Egypt. Many monuments along the banks of the Nile required advanced engineering to relocate them to higher ground as the dam formed a large reservoir called Lake Nasser flooding all the original historic sites.

Granite Quarries with Unfinished Obelisk: Many of the monuments of the temples and tombs in the area were made out of red granite from these quarries. In this quarry lies the Unfinished Obelisk still attached to the bedrock. It is said that it was abandoned when a crack appeared. It's weight is calculated at 110 tons and would have been the world's largest piece of solid stone ever carved.

Temple of Philae: On the island of Agilkia, the beautiful temple of Philae, dating from 380 BC. erected to the goddess Isis, along with many other structures built to the gods were relocated from the holy island of Philae in the middle of Lake Nasser. In 1960 a rescue operation, which took the cooperation of an international group of engineers and archaeologists years, began in which many of the buildings and monuments were painstakingly moved from Philea which was continually flooded and eventually submerged in Lake Nasser, to Agilkia. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight in Aswan.

OPTIONAL TOURS (at an extra cost): Sound and Light Show at Philae Temple: The legend of the goddess Isis and god Osiris is presented in an impressive multimedia display. The narration of it's history as you walk through this fascinating complex of temples makes it come alive.

Abu Simbel: The colossal
façade of this Temple is one of the most well known images of Egypt only second to the Pyramids of Giza, made famous in recent times by the rescue operation, Abul Simbel consists of 2 temples carved out of the mountain side by Ramses II as a tribute to his queen, Nefertari. Located 280 km south of Aswan, four 60 foot statues welcome you as you approach the temple buildings, one of the most beautiful ancient monuments in Egypt.

DAY 5 - Saturday: Kom Ombo - Edfu Early in the morning set sail for Kom Ombo, a town 45 km north of Aswan where the Greco-Roman Temple of Kom Ombo built to honour Sobek and Horus, the crocodile and falcon gods overlooks the Nile. Brilliant colours and beautiful carved colomns highlight this temple dating from 180 BC.

Another short sail and you arrive at Edfu, after crossing the picturesque Esna Lock, from your deck you can see the wares of local vendors offered from this region, one of the highlights of the crossing.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on board. Overnight in Edfu.

DAY 6 - Sunday:
Edfu - Luxor After breakfast visit the Temple of Edfu, the most well preserved Egyptian temple, built to honour Horus the falcon headed god. The walls are lined with inscriptions and hieroglyphics depicting the age old struggle between Horus and Seth, god of wind and storm. This impressive example of the Ptolemaic architecture is said to have taken 180 years to complete. Set sail for Luxor and proceed to the West Bank to see the Necropolis for pharaohs and nobles, the Valley of the Kings where the tomb of Tutankhamun and it's solid gold coffin (now in Cairo's Egyptian Museum) was found. Declared a World Heritage site, many of the tombs are closed to the public and your guide will direct you to the ones that are open. Use of video equipment is forbidden. You cannot help but get a sense of the opulence and power of the pharaohs from their tombs.

Valley of the Queens: Although most are closed to the public, there are approximately 80 tombs of Queens and Princesses including Ramses II's favoured wife Nefertari.

Queen of Hatshepsut Temple: Dedicated to the first female Pharaoh, set at the head of the valley, the temple is the best example of Egyptian classical style architecture. Built to express the grandeur of the Pharaoh as well as honouring the gods that she would need in the afterlife, her statues were all defaced by her son Tuthmosis III, after her death.

Colossi of Memnon: Two massive stone statues 75 feet in height in the image of Pharaoh Amenhotep III are all that remains of the largest and most opulent mortuary Temple of Amenhotep. Although badly damaged the colossi have stood guard for more than 3400 years on the West Bank. Overnight in Luxor. Breakfast, Lunch and dinner included.

DAY 7 - Monday:
Luxor After breakfast visit the Karnak Temple on the East bank, the largest temple complex in Egypt built over a period of 1300 years to honour the god Amun of Thebes. Stroll or ride in a horse drawn carriage down the Avenue of Sphinxes, 20 pairs of opposing ram headed statues, much as the ancient Egyptians did to complete their pilgrimage to the Luxor Temple. Luxor Temple: Built to honour Amon Ra, king of gods, Luxor Temple is a magnificent example of Egyptian temple architecture. The road between Karnak and Luxor temples once lined with hundreds of sphinxes was where processions would take place during the Festival for Opet. At Luxor Temple's entrance were two red granite obelisks, one of which was removed and transported to France in 1874 and now sits at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Prior to excavation, the temple was almost buried in rubble with buildings built on top of the rubble. The Abu Haggas Mosque remains today built over the temple ruins.

Breakfast and Dinner included. This evening your guide will assist you to transfer to your train for your trip back to Cairo. Overnight aboard the sleeper train. Upgrade to flight Luxor - Cairo available.

OPTIONAL TOURS (at an extra cost): Sound and Light show at Karnak: Wonderful lighting allows you to walk around the monuments while you listen to dramatizations recalling the glorious age of the city of Thebes.

Hot Air Balloon over
Luxor: The experience of a lifetime awaits you as you fly over the West Bank at sunrise and have a breathtaking view of all the treasured monuments. Hurghada Extension: Spend a day or two at Egypt's famous beaches on the Red Sea. A wonderful way to relax before returning home.

DAY 8 - Tuesday: Cairo Our guide will meet you at the train station in Cairo and assist your transfer to your hotel. The rest of day is at your leisure. Overnight in Cairo.

DAY 9 - Wednesday: Cairo - Return Home Our guide will help you with your arrangements for your return home.

Tour Inclusions:

Two Night accommodation at the 4* Grand Pyramids Hotel, within walking distance of the Giza Plateau, breakfast included. Visit to the Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids of Giza, including all entrance fees (Mummy room extra). All entrance fees during your Cairo sightseeing Tour (except Mummy Room at Cairo Museum). 2 Nights on the Sleeper Train with Dinner included to connect you with your River Cruise Cairo-Aswan, Luxor-Cairo, assisted and transferred to the station by English speaking guide and air conditioned car. 3 nights aboard the 5* Mirage Nile River Cruise. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included daily during your stay aboard the Nile River Cruise. Daily full day guided tours during your stay aboard the Nile River Cruise, provided by English speaking Licensed Egyptologist. All entrance fees during sightseeing while aboard your Nile River Cruise. All transfers by and air conditioned car and English speaking guide for your sightseeing while aboard your Nile River Cruise Assistance and Transferred to the airport on your last day by our English speaking guide and air conditioned Car. All Hotel taxes International airfare from most major cities in the USA and Canada. Camel Ride around the Giza Plateau, a great photo opportunity. Free evening Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza, with dinner included. This Tour can be upgraded or customize.

Price Excludes:

Visa on arrival at Cairo airport $15 US Per Person. Any items of personal nature such as phone calls, laundry, drinks, etc. Customary tips to driver, guides, cruise staff, etc. Entrance to the Mummy Room at the Cairo Museum All optional tours mentioned on the day by day itinerary provided.