Arrival Day: Meet and Greet by Our Representative, Visit the Great Pyramids and the New GEM Museum

Cairo International Airport - Arrival in Cairo
Arrive at Cairo International Airport
Greeted and assisted by our representative
Transfer to your hotel in Cairo
Enjoy a free evening to relax or take an optional Cairo city tour
Overnight stay in Cairo

Pyramids of Giza - The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx are among the world’s most renowned tourist attractions, having been so even during Roman times. These magnificent structures served as the final resting places for kings of the 4th Dynasty (c.2613–2494 BC). The Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed for King Khufu (c.2589–2566 BC), with the other two built for Khafre and Menkaure, his son and grandson. Khufu’s pyramid is the oldest and largest of the three, and it remained the tallest man-made structure for 3,800 years!

While the three pyramids dominate the plateau, they are surrounded by numerous other monuments.

The Grand Egyptian Museum - The Grand Egyptian Museum is a national archaeological museum in Giza, Egypt. Dedicated to Ancient Egypt’s culture, society, and artifacts, the GEM is the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization.

Cairo Festival City Mall - Enjoy a free evening to relax or take an optional Cairo city tour

Cairo to Aswan / Nile Cruise Embarkation: Breakfast at Hotel, Transfer to Cairo Airport for Flight to Aswan

Aswan - Meet your Egyptologist guide upon arrival
Visit the High Dam, Philae Temple, and Unfinished Obelisk
Check in to your 5-star Nile Cruise

Temple of Philae - The monuments of Philae include many structures primarily from the Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BC). The most notable is a temple initiated by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC), dedicated to Isis, the mother of Horus, the god of kingship. A scene in the mammisi, or birth room, celebrates the birth of Horus, depicting Isis nursing her son Horus in the marshes.

The temple of Isis was one of the last ancient Egyptian temples to remain active, functioning until the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527–565 AD), who ordered the closure of all pagan temples. It is here that a priest of Isis named Esmet-Akhom carved the last dated hieroglyphic inscription, dating to the late 4th century AD (394 AD). The temple was later converted into a Christian church, with many inscriptions deliberately destroyed.

Unfinished Obelisk - The Unfinished Obelisk was discovered in the early 20th century after being buried under sand for millennia. It remains in one of the Aswan quarries, known for its supply of hard, high-quality stone. Believed to have been commissioned by Hatshepsut (c. 1473–1458 BC) for the temple of Amun in Karnak, work was abandoned due to flaws in the stone and multiple fissures. Had it been completed, it would have weighed 1168 tonnes and stood at around 42 meters, taller than any other ancient Egyptian obelisk.

Aswan High Dam - The Aswan High Dam was constructed between 1954 and 1959, with plans for a new dam proposed by Adrian Daninios, a half-Greek, half-Egyptian engineer. Initially, the government of Farouk showed no interest in the plans, opting for Harold Edwin Hurst’s proposal instead, which involved storing water in Sudan and Ethiopia due to low evaporation rates. However, this venture was short-lived, as the Officer movement led by Gamal Abdel Nasser put Daninios’ plan into action. Fearing the spread of Russian influence, both America and the United Kingdom offered to fund the Dam, resulting in a loan of 270 million USD in exchange for Nasser’s leadership in the Arab-Israeli conflict, as he identified as a neutralist and natural leader.

Visit Abu Simbel Temple and Sail to Kom Ombo Temple

Abu Simbel Temple Complex - The Great Temple of Abu Simbel, located in Nubia near Egypt’s southern border, is one of Egypt’s most awe-inspiring monuments. It was carved into the living rock by King Ramesses II (the Great) of the Nineteenth Dynasty, around 1264 BC. The temple is renowned for the four colossal seated statues that dominate its façade. One of these statues collapsed due to an ancient earthquake, with its fragments still visible on the ground.

Colossal standing statues of the king line the main hall, leading to the sanctuary where four deities are seated: Amun Ra, Ra Horakhty, Ptah, and a deified version of Ramesses II. The temple was constructed with such precision that on two days a year, February 22nd and October 22nd, the sun’s rays enter the temple, cross the main hall, and illuminate the innermost statues.

Another rock-cut temple to the north, known as the Small Temple, is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses II’s Great Royal Wife, Queen Nefertari.

Visit Kom Ombo Temple and Overnight in Edfu

Temple of Kom Ombo - The site derives its name from the Arabic word ‘kum’ meaning ‘mound’, a term found in many archaeological site names, and ‘Ombo’, which originates from ancient Egyptian Nubt, interpreted as ‘the golden (city).’ The city’s temple is dedicated to two deities: the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Har wer (Horus the Elder). Although an earlier temple existed here during the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1069 BC), the current structure was built during the Graeco-Roman Period (332 BC–395 AD), with the earliest royal name being Ptolemy VI Philometor’s (180–145 BC). Most of the decoration was completed by Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (80–51 BC).

Visit Edfu Temple and Luxor Temple in the Afternoon

Temple of Horus - Edfu Temple is one of the most impressive and well-preserved ancient Egyptian temples, dedicated to the worship of the god Horus. Located on the western bank of the Nile, its construction began during the reign of Ptolemy III (246–221 BC) in 237 BC and was completed during the reign of Ptolemy XII (80–51 BC) in 57 BC, taking 180 years to finish.
The temple remained buried under layers of settlement debris for millennia, which is why its architectural and decorative elements have survived so well. In 1860, French archaeologist Auguste Mariette uncovered and restored parts of the temple.
The temple is fronted by two massive pylons that depict scenes of Ptolemy XII conquering his enemies and worshiping deities. Two large granite statues of the falcon-god Horus stand before the pylons. Once through the pylons, you enter a large Peristyle court lined with columns decorated with floral capitals.

Luxor Temple - Luxor Temple, known as Ipet-resyt “Southern Sanctuary” to the ancient Egyptians, was named for its location within ancient Thebes (modern Luxor). It is situated about three kilometers south of Karnak Temple, to which it was once connected by a processional way lined with sphinxes. The oldest evidence for this temple dates to the Eighteenth Dynasty (c.1550–1295 BC).

Ipet-resyt, unlike most other ancient Egyptian temples, is not laid out on an east-west axis but is oriented towards Karnak. This is because Luxor Temple was the main venue for one of the most important ancient Egyptian religious celebrations, when the cult images of Amun, his wife Mut, and their son, the lunar god Khonsu, were taken from their temples in Karnak and transported in a grand procession to Luxor Temple to visit the god residing there, Amenemopet. This was the Opet Festival.

Hot Air Balloon - Valley of the Kings - Hatshepsut Temple - Karnak Temple

Hot Air Balloon Luxor Take Off Site - A hot air balloon ride in Luxor, Egypt, offers a breathtaking sunrise experience over the Nile and ancient sites like the Valley of the Kings and Temple of Hatshepsut. Flights typically last 45-60 minutes, departing early morning (around 4:00-5:00 AM).

Valley of the Kings - The powerful kings of the New Kingdom were laid to rest under the shadow of a pyramid-shaped peak rising out of the cliffs surrounding the valley. The selection of even the specific valley in which the royal tombs were excavated was not left to chance. The pyramid was a symbol of rebirth and thus eternal life, and the presence of a natural pyramid was seen as a sign of the divine. This entire area, and the peak itself, was sacred to a funerary aspect of the goddess Hathor: the “Mistress of the West.”
The isolated nature of this valley was another reason for its selection as the final resting place of the pharaoh. Tomb robberies occurred even in ancient times. The Egyptians were aware of this, having seen the fate of the Old and Middle Kingdom pyramids, so they opted for hidden underground tombs in a secluded desert valley. The first New Kingdom ruler confirmed to have been buried in the Valley of the Kings was Thutmose I (c.1504–1492 BC), the third king of the Eighteenth Dynasty.

Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari - Hatshepsut (c.1473–1458 BC), the queen who became pharaoh, built a magnificent temple at Deir al-Bahari, on the west bank of Luxor. It lies directly across the Nile from Karnak Temple, the main sanctuary of the god Amun. Hatshepsut’s temple, Djeser-djeseru “the Holy of Holies,” was designed by the chief steward of Amun, Senenmut.

The temple consists of three levels, each with a colonnade at its far end. On the uppermost level, an open courtyard lies just beyond the portico. Mummiform statues of Hatshepsut as Osiris, the god of the dead, lean against its pillars.

This is because Djeser-djeseru is Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple, where her cult was practiced after her death, when she attained the blessed state of Osiris. Far from being devoted solely to her, the temple also includes sections for the cults of her revered father Thutmose I, the goddess Hathor, and the funerary god Anubis. An altar, open to the sky and the sun, was dedicated to the cult of the solar Ra-Horakhty.

Temple of Karnak - Aptly called Ipet‑Sut ‘The Most Select of Places’ by the ancient Egyptians, Karnak was one of the most important sites of all. Located on the east bank of Thebes (modern Luxor), Upper Egypt, it is the site of many temples and chapels, and it was in the Great Temple of Amun that the cult of the god Amun of Thebes was conducted. As such, it was extremely wealthy, and its priesthood held great political power.

The line of kings who reunified Egypt after the First Intermediate Period hailed from Thebes. It thus became one of the most important cities, a position that it would continue to hold throughout the majority of ancient Egyptian history. The importance of Amun rose in tandem with the city’s rise to prominence. From the earliest evidence for it from the reign of Intef II (c. 2112–2063 BC) to the Ptolemaic Period (305 BC–30 BC).

Luxor - At the end of the day, we can take you to Luxor airport or to your hotel in Luxor.

Colossi of Memnon - The Colossus of Memnon consists of two enormous seated statues, each carved from a single block of stone. They depict Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who ruled during a golden age of prosperity, peace, and artistic achievement. The statues once marked the grand entrance to his vast mortuary temple — a structure so enormous that ancient Egyptians called it the “Temple of Millions of Years.”
Today, the two statues stand alone in the fields, but their presence continues to tell the story of Egypt’s architectural brilliance.

Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut - The Obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut and Thutmose I, the Temple of Amon adorned with lotus and papyrus designs.

• Private transportation
• Flight tickets from Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo
• Lunch
• Dinner
• In-vehicle air conditioning
• Breakfast
• Private English-speaking Egyptology guide

• Gratuities
• Anything Not Mentions
• drinks on board

Embark on a luxurious five-star cruise along the iconic Nile River from Aswan to Luxor, delving into Egypt’s rich history. This six-day journey features visits to the majestic Pyramids and the Gem Museum in Cairo, followed by a relaxing cruise with stops at famous sites such as the Abu Simbel Temple and the Edfu Horus Temple. Enjoy three nights on the cruise ship, savoring delicious meals and receiving personalized attention from an Egyptologist guide in a private setting.

• Explore ancient temples and archaeological marvels on a Nile cruise
• Tour Cairo’s Pyramids and Gem Museum before setting sail
• Includes three nights on a five-star cruise with meals
• Private tour for your group with a knowledgeable Egyptologist guide

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.