Nile & Lake Nasser Cruises

Thanks for choosing our 11 Days Egypt Nile Cruise Package! Today, after landing at Cairo International Airport and clearing the customs, you will see our local representative waiting for you at the arrival hall. He or she will give you a warm welcome and transfer you to the hotel by an air-conditioned vehicle for check-in.

During the rest time of the day, you are free to do whatever you like: have a good rest to get over the jet lag or take a walk around. As the hotel we choose for you is within walking distance from the Nile, you may go there to appreciate its beautiful scenery.

►  Suggestion for Meals:
There are a number of restaurants around your hotel serving food of various countries, like Italian, Japanese, and of course Egypt. If you want to try local dishes, consider the nearby Rawi Restaurant & Bar, which serves authentic Middle Eastern cuisine as well as European, Mediterranean, Arabic, and other types. The restaurant also caters for Vegetarian, Halal, and other special meals. Have a seat by the window, so you can enjoy meal over the view of the Nile!

Accommodation: Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino (5 stars)

At the appointed time, our local Egyptologist guide will pick you up and start today’s sightseeing with a visit to the Giza Pyramids complex, the most ancient Wonder of the World dating back to 4,500 years ago. A 30-minute camel ride will also be arranged on the site. We will appreciate the Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure from the outside and delve into the Pyramid of Khufu to see delicate murals and mysterious burial chambers. Later, stop by the Great Sphinx, the well-known giant man-headed lion statue guarding the pyramids. Our last stop is Valley Temple, where the bodies of dead pharaohs were turned into mummies.

Afterwards, go on to visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, which features over one hundred thousands of precious relics left by the ancient Egypt, including papyri with hieroglyphs and the golden mask of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Cast as a funeral object to be worn by the mummy of Tutankhamun, the golden mask was actually made of a mixture of gold, copper and silver - instead of pure gold - to avoid oxidation. On the Mask, you can find the Nemes headdress that represents royal power and a combination of cobra and vulture images, which symbolizes the Pharaoh's rule over the entire Egypt. The back of the mask was also engraved with inscriptions, said to be a spell that would bring the Pharaoh back to life. The mask weighs 10.23kg (22.5 pounds), 54cm (21.3 in) in length and 39cm (15.4 in) in width.

Our last stop today is Khan El Khalili in Islamic Cairo. Dating back over six centuries, this old bazaar is crowded with stands offering colorful Egyptian handicrafts, spices and jewelry. Want to indulge yourself in some exotic atmosphere? This is the right place.

► Tip: It requires a lot of physical efforts to explore deep inside the Pyramid of Khufu. If you want something more relaxing, we can replace it with a one-hour felucca ride on the Nile in Aswan. Please tell our travel consultant in advance if you prefer the felucca ride.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino (5 stars)

After breakfast, the driver will transfer you to the Cairo International Airport and assist you in boarding the onward flight to Luxor, the starting point of the following full-board Nile cruise. On arrival, our guide based in Luxor will transfer you from the airport to the ship and help you with check-in.

After lunch onboard, the guide will escort you to explore two landmarks on the east bank of the Nile: Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. A part of the ancient city Thebes - the capital of the New Kingdom (1600 - 1100 BC), they are two of the largest temple complexes in Egypt. You will find relief-covered columns and walls, as well as statues of mythical creatures and pharaohs, telling ancient Egyptians’ worship of their deities and mighty kingship. After the visit, transfer back to the ship.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: MS Salacia Nile Cruise (5 stars)

In the morning, the guide will lead you to the west bank of the Nile to visit Valley of the Kings at first. Considered a desolate area safe from tomb raiders, it was a burial site popular among pharaohs of the New Kingdom. By now, over 60 tombs have been discovered there, of which 11 are open to public. You will choose three out of them to visit, and then follow your guide to visit two more tombs - KV9 and KV62, for you to have a better understanding of Egypt’s past.

Next, we will move to the Temple of Hatshepsut, a three-level mortuary temple built into cliffs, commissioned by Hatshepsut - the first female pharaoh of Egypt - about 3,500 years ago. Afterwards, have a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two 18-meter-tall (59 feet) statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III (reigned 1388 - 1351 BC) sitting before his lost-to-history Mortuary Temple. After the visit, transfer back to the ship, which will set sail to Edfu.

►  Insider Tip - QV66: Visit or Not? Egypt’s Most Beautiful Tomb, Also Most Expensive

Queen Nefertari is referred to as “the One for Whom the Sun Shines” by Pharaoh Ramses II, one of the greatest pharaohs of ancient Egypt. The pharaoh admired his Nefertari so much that he wrote a love poem for her: "My love is unique; no one can rival her…”, lines you can find carved at the temple of Abu Simbel, a destination on your following Aswan itinerary.

To show his deep love, the pharaoh commissioned Egypt’s most beautiful tomb for Nefertari. Dubbed the Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt, it enjoys amazing murals depicting vividly the paradise of ancient Egyptians. One thing that makes them so incredible are those bright colors applied - you can still see the dark blue ceiling which implies Heaven, yellow stars, and use of other colors for skin and clothes, as if they were just painted.

The entrance fee to visit the gorgeous Tomb of Nefertari is EGP1,400, and that is a total of USD 60 per person if you take into account the entrance fee of Valley of Queen, which is EGP100. If you are interested, our professional guide will take you there and you will pay on the spot. Generally, visitors are allowed to stay inside for only 10 minutes, but a small tip to the guard can buy you a little extra time.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: MS Salacia Nile Cruise (5 stars)

After breakfast, our guide based in Edfu will accompany you to visit the Temple of Horus. Known as one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, its beautiful roof still remains with clear reliefs covered all over even after 2,000 years. After the visit, go back and continue sailing to Kom Ombo, where your guide will accompany you to visit the Kom Ombo Temple, also a Ptolemaic temple, special for its dedication to gods Sobek and Haroeris. Do you know that many temples of ancient Egypt also played a role of hospital? And the Kom Ombo Temple is a typical one. Some carved murals in the temple still clearly depict various surgery tools used by ancient Egyptian doctors, some of which are very similar to modern medical equipment. The murals are unobtrusive and easy to miss, but don't worry, your guide will point them out for you.

After going back onboard, the Nile Cruise will proceed to Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: MS Salacia Nile Cruise (5 stars)

In the morning, go ashore to discover Aswan, another ancient city along the Nile. Our local guide will first lead you to the grand High Dam spanning across the Nile. Take the chance to walk on the dam and enjoy a beautiful view of the deep blue Lake Nasser formed after its construction. Afterwards, proceed to the massive Unfinished Obelisk, lying on the ground and abandoned for some accidental cracks. It’s the largest of its kind in the world measuring 42 meters (138 feet) long and 1,168 tons, but how it was cut from granite and moved to the current place still remains a mystery. Then, we will visit another temple built in the Ptolemaic Dynasty - Temple of Philae, which is dedicated to goddesses Isis and Hathor.

Let’s call it a day and we will return to the ship for one more night’s stay.

►  Travel Tip:
Aswan enjoys much more than the above attractions. Take Nubia Village, which you can reach by boat and camel, for example. Those Nubian houses will bewitch you with their bright hues – mainly blue and orange - and imaginative patterns. Some households even raise crocodile as pet! If intrigued, you can visit Nubia Museum to learn about Nubian history and culture in a comprehensive manner. Want to experience life at a local market? Visit Aswan Market then, smaller but more locally atmospheric than Khan El Khalili in Cairo. Same souvenirs here would charge less, so you might regret missing it if you like shopping.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: MS Salacia Nile Cruise (5 stars)

The Nile cruise ends this morning. After breakfast, please pack your personal belongings and check out. We will transfer you to Abu Simbel, about 3 hours’ drive away, to embark on another luxury cruise ship, which will show you around the Lake Nasser. After check-in and having lunch, the cruise guide will accompany you to the UNESCO-listed Abu Simbel Temple, which comprises two splendid rock-cut temples left by Pharaoh Ramesses II, with colossal statues at the gate you will see from a distance. But what makes the temple most special is its Sun Festival happening on Feb. 22 and Oct. 22, when the sunlight would shine upon statues at the inner sanctuary. Before dusk, return to the ship for dinner and overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Movenpick Prince Abbas Lake Nasser Cruise (5 stars)

Today, the ship will set sail while you are at breakfast. It will first stop by Kasr Ibrim, ruins of a Nubian citadel whose history can date back to the 8th century BC. As the island which the citadel sits on is only open to archeologists, you will take some great close-ups from the sundeck.

Then, continue sailing to Amada, where we will disembark to visit the Temples of Amada built about 200 years before the Abu Simbel Temple you’ve visited, for the sun gods Amun and Re-Horakhty; the Temple of Derr, another rock-cut temple constructed by Ramesses II; and the Tomb of Pennut, a tomb to find murals describing Ramesses VI (reigned mid-12th century BC) honoring his civil servant Pennut.

After coming back onboard, the cruise ship will sail to Wadi El Seboua.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Movenpick Prince Abbas Lake Nasser Cruise (5 stars)

After breakfast, leave the cruise ship to visit Wadi El Seboua, “Valley of the Lions”, an archeological site to find many temples and famous for an avenue lined with statues of sphinx. Here, we will explore Temple of Dakka, a Ptolemaic temple dedicated to Thoth, the god of wisdom; and Temple of Meharakka, also dedicated to the god Thoth and featuring a spiral staircase.

After the visit, the guide will escort you back to the cruise and sail to the destination of this Lake Nasser cruise - Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Movenpick Prince Abbas Lake Nasser Cruise (5 stars)

After breakfast, check out from the ship. Our local guide will escort you to explore the New Kalabsha, including the Kalabsha Temple, where you will learn about the cult of Mandulis, the Nubian god of sun, in 30 BC. Here, you will find some interesting inscriptions translated as a prohibition on raising pigs in temples. It’s known that temples of ancient Egypt were allowed to keep such animals as cat, dog, monkey, falcon, gazelle, cow, hippo, and even crocodile, but this was the first time for archeologists to find written rules stipulating pigs were taboo for temples; words were also found stating that pig farmers must not enter temples, and can only marry their own kind! Next, visit Beit El Wali, the first temple built by Ramesses II in this area; and Kiosk of Kertassi, a Roman garden ruin featuring four papyrus columns, a type resembling a bundle of papyrus plants, designed to carry the weight of roof beams.

As your trip in Aswan has reached its end, now your guide will transfer you to the airport for a flight back to Cairo. Upon landing, we will escort you to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino (5 stars)

Today is your last day in Egypt. We will send you to the airport to catch your flight. May these days with us in Egypt be one of the happiest memories in your life. If you plan to explore some nearby countries, feel free to contact us and we will try our best to work for your smile again.

Meals: Breakfast