Day 1, Saturday, Cairo – Arrive.
Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met and assisted through immigration and customs by our certified tour representative. Private transfer to the St. Regis Cairo hotel – Full Nile view “Astor” room. (Entry Visa can be obtained at the airport providing you carry a valid U.S. or Canadian passport).

Accommodations: St. Regis Cairo
Meals: none.

Day 2, Sunday, Cairo – Full day tour.
Meet your Egyptologist during breakfast. Full day visit of the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids of Giza. Described as the largest archaeological museum in the world, it exhibits the full collection of Tutankhamon with many pieces to be displayed for the first time. Sited on 120 acres, the complex is designed to include the latest technology. After lunch, visit Cheops’ Pyramid – one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World – and the Sphinx, the great god-lion sentinel built over 35 centuries ago. The towering pyramid stands majestically on a desert plateau with two slightly smaller pyramids (one built by Cheop’s son Kephren and the other by Mycerinus) erected to preserve their bodies and treasures for the afterlife.

Accommodations: St. Regis Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Day 3, Monday, Cairo/Luxor – Nile Voyage.
Private transfer to Cairo airport for your flight to Luxor. Meet and assist at Luxor’s airport then transfer to the St. George Nile cruise ship, your floating hotel for the next four days. After lunch, visit Luxor and Karnak Temples located on the East Bank. A holy city of pylons, hypostyle halls, colossal statues and obelisks built over many centuries and dedicated to the city’s most powerful triad: the God Amon-Ra, his consort Mut (mistress in heaven), and their son Khonsu, the moon-god. Luxor temple was built by Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BC), and even though it was embellished and expanded several times, its plan remains much simpler and more compact than the complex in Karnak. Covering about 100 acres, Karnak temple was the most important religious and intellectual center in Ancient Egypt for more than 1,500 years. Karnak was abandoned around the 4th century AD when the Egyptians turned to Christianity.

Accommodations: St. George Cruise Ship.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 4, Tuesday, Luxor/Esna Lock/Edfu – Nile Voyage.
After breakfast we visit the West Bank “Thebes”. Explore the astonishing and extensive New Kingdom city of “Thebes” – the Valley of Kings and Queens where 64 of Egypt’s Pharaohs have their palatial resting places hewn into the sheer rock; the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, built during her reign as Pharaoh Hatshepsut of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Located opposite the city of Luxor, it is considered to be a masterpiece of ancient architecture. Its three massive terraces rise above the desert floor and into the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari; the Colossi of Memnon, two huge seated statues of Amenhotep III. In the afternoon we sail to Edfu via Esna lock.

Accommodations: St. George Cruise Ship.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 5, Wednesday, Edfu/Kom Ombo – Nile Voyage.
Morning visit of Edfu – Temple of Horus, the falcon god. One of the best-preserved shrines in Egypt. The temple was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion during the Hellenistic period in Egypt. It is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak. Important sacred site for ancient Egyptians, as according to ancient myth this is where the falcon-headed god, Horus, fought a battle with his uncle, Seth, who had cruelly murdered Horus’s father, Osiris. Continue sailing to Kom Ombo. Standing serenely on a hilltop, we visit the temple of Kom Ombo. About 30 miles north of Aswan, it offers an incredible view of the Nile. The temple was built during the Graeco-Roman period (332 BC AD 395), dedicated to Sobek the crocodile god, and Horus the falcon-headed god.

Accommodations: St. George Cruise Ship.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 6, Thursday, Kom Ombo/Aswan – Nile Voyage.
Morning sail to Aswan. Today’s shore excursion includes Aswan’s Old and High Dams, the ancient Granite Quarries, and the Temple of Philae. Originally located near the expansive First Cataract of the Nile, Philae was the site of an Egyptian temple complex. It retained significance as a Christian center even after its closure as a pagan site. Five of its temples were converted into churches (including the Temple of Isis, which was dedicated to Saint Stephen), and two purpose built churches were constructed on the north side of the island on which Philae Temple now stands.

Accommodations: St. George Cruise Ship
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks, Dinner.

Day 7, Friday, Aswan/Abu Simbel/Cairo – Disembark.
Flight to Abu Simbel to visit the temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari. An engineering marvel, the great temple was built between 1300-1233 B.C. by Ramses II. It was dedicated to the three principal Gods of Ancient Egypt whose combined spheres of influence covered the entire land: Ptah, God of the underworld as he was worshiped in Memphis; Amon-Ra, patron God of Thebes; and Ha-Rakhte, a form of the Sun God Horus, worshiped at Heliopolis. At the entrance to the Temple are four colossal statues of Ramses II in a seated position, each over 65 feet high. On the south wall is an inscription of the first Treaty of Peace between the Egyptians and the Hittites – the first treaty of its kind in recorded history. Flight back to Cairo via Aswan. Private transfer to the St. Regis Cairo hotel – Full Nile view “Astor” room.

Accommodations: St. Regis Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Day 8, Saturday, Cairo – Full day tour.
Full day visit of Islamic Cairo, Al Moez street, Khan el Khalili bazaar. Al Rifai Mosque and Sultan Hassan Mosque, both are masterpieces of Mameluk architecture. They include bronze doors inlaid with gold and silver. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun, named after the founder of the Tulunid State, was built between 876 and 879 AD is one of Cairo’s oldest, intact mosques characterized by its unique minaret. A walking tour along El Moez street, one of Cairo’s most remarkable historic places dates back to the foundation of the city. Historically, it was the most important artery of the city and was often referred to as the Qasabah. It constituted the main axis of the city’s economic zones where its markets were concentrated. The street’s prestige also attracted the construction of many monumental religious and charitable buildings commissioned by Egypt’s rulers and elites, making it a dense repository of historic Islamic architecture in Cairo. Much Islamic art is carved into the notable mosques and houses. In brief, you will be fascinated by the historic ambiance of old cafés, souvenir shops, Khan el Khalili bazaar and much more.

Accommodations: St. Regis Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Day 9, Sunday, Cairo/Depart OR enhance your journey by adding our White Desert Safari experience – Our associates and property owners Peter and Miharu, will warmly host you.

Meals: Breakfast.