Cairo, Jewel Of The Nile Cruising & Sun Festival Of February

You will be picked up from your hotel by our representative, to enjoy a great excursion to The Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus. Then proceed to visit the Great Sphinx, which dates back to the time of Chephren and visit to the Valley Temple.
Move to visit the Step Pyramid of Zoser, the world’s oldest major stone structure. It was built in the 3rd Dynasty for King Djoser. Then Proceed to have your lunch at local restaurant. After that transfer to Memphis which was founded by King Menes, and was the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom, it was considered to be a center of rule and culture for over 3000 years the first capital of Egypt, and see the Statue of Ramses II and the alabaster Sphimx of Memphis. Drive back to your hotel, Overnight in Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.

The tour includes a visit to a carpet school where you will discover how handmade carpets are produced. You will also have the chance to visit the Perfume Palace and Papyrus Institute if you prefer.

Cairo – Luxor. After breakfast at your hotel in Cairo and and then you will be escorted by your private guide to visit: Egyptian Museum, Treasures room for the child king Tutankhamen, alongside many other fascinating artifacts. Additional visit to the mummies room at the museum (extra ticket on spot) Lunch through out the tour at local restaurant, then moving to visit Saladin Citadel including Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque inside. Continue to Coptic Cairo to visit the Hanging Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue. . Combining fascinating history with shopping in a lively Khan El Khalili Bazaar , which dates back to 1382.

This evening we board an overnight sleeper cabin train, travelling south to Luxor with a light dinner included. If your don’t fancy travelling by overnight sleeper train, opt to undertake the journey by flight with our Jewel of the Nile Flight Upgrade. The option includes air travel between Cairo – Luxor and Aswan – Cairo with two nights accommodation in the comfort of 5 star hotels. Overnight – Sleeper train.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Luxor – Nile Cruise. Arriving into Luxor early this morning we embark on a guided tour of the East Bank of the Nile, transfer to visit the biggest temple in the whole world Karnak temple, which is dedicated for the God Amon of ancient Egypt & his wife Mout & son Khunso, it considered a complex of temples, because it contains different temple built by different king in the long history of ancient Egypt & Greek & Roman period too, returning to Luxor for check-in on our Nile 5 star cruiser. Enjoy a leisurely lunch on board and time to relax until our early evening visit to the Temple of Luxor. Beautifully illuminated against the night sky, this after dark experience offers a different perspective of ancient Egypt’s incredible temples. Overnight in Luxor Nile Cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Early morning (an optional hot air balloon ride early this morning before exploring the West Bank of the Nile) our representative will pick you up from your hotel in Luxor and transfer to the west bank where you will visit the Valley of the Kings, the magnificence of the grandeur of architecture which was used for burial, there are many kings buried in this valley. The most known tombs are King Tutmosis I, Tutmosis III, Tut-Ankh-Amon, King Ramssess VI, King Mrenptah and AmonhotepII. Move on to visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which was built by Queen Hatshepsut, daughter of Thutmosis I, who ruled Egypt about 20 years during the 18th Dynasty (approximately 1490-1469 B.C), the only pharaonic woman who reigned ancient Egypt. You will pass by the colossi of Memnon which are remains of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. Return to the ship for lunch & afternoon tea while sailing to Edfu via the Esna Lock. Dinner on board. Overnight in Edfu Nile Cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Nile Cruiser. Relax on deck for these two days and watch life unfold on the banks of the Nile as our cruiser plies its course. Later today we visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, a unique riverside temple. What is unusual about Kom Ombo, is that everything architecturally is doubled and perfectly symmetrical along the main axis of the temple including twin halls, courts, colonnades, sanctuaries and entrances. On the evening of day 7 we arrive into Aswan, a prosperous town at the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes. Overnight – Nile Cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Nile Cruiser. Relax on deck for these two days and watch life unfold on the banks of the Nile as our cruiser plies its course. Later today we visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, a unique riverside temple. What is unusual about Kom Ombo, is that everything architecturally is doubled and perfectly symmetrical along the main axis of the temple including twin halls, courts, colonnades, sanctuaries and entrances. On the evening of day 7 we arrive into Aswan, a prosperous town at the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes. Overnight – Nile Cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Early morning after breakfast we check out of our Nile Cruise and then you will be visit grand High Dam – an impressive feat of engineering which resulted in the creation of Lake Nasser, and the then Unfinished Obelisk Next we enjoy a boat trip to Agilika Island where we visit the Temples of Philae, which is dedicated to the goddesses Isis and Hathor. Sail and move around Elephantine Island by a felucca boat.
This evening relax and watch an amazing sunset in Egypt’s southern most town straddling the River Nile. Overnight – Aswan.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.

This morning we take a felucca sailing trip to Elephantine and Kitchener Island, and then the rest of the day is free for you to do as you please. Perhaps independently explore the city, return to the colourful markets of Aswan, relax and sip on a cocktail by the hotel pool, or consider taking High Tea at the historic and delightful Old Cataract Hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure; shop in the colourful souqs or simply kick back and relax.
Back at the hotel there will be time to rest and recuperate before departing in the early hours of the morning on our coach journey toward the Temples of Abu Simbel. Here we will await the first rays of sunlight to touch the temple gate signifying the start of the Sun Festival of the mighty King Ramses II. Overnight – Hotel/Coach Journey to Abu Simbel
Meals: Breakfast.

February 22, breakfast box, at early morning your trip to Abu Simbel Temples will start. It takes about a 3 hour and half drive one way from Aswan to Abu Simbel by a private air-conditioned vehicle. Upon arrival at Abu Simbel, enjoy the most awe-inspiring temple of all ancient Egypt, with its gargantuan rock-cut façade, the great Sun Temple of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel was created to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler King Ramses II. Ramses the Bold, Ramses the Great, Ramses the Narcissist are perhaps all apt titles for one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful rulers. Celebrating a life that spanned nearly a centenary, Ramses had plenty of time for his more than 200 wives and concubines who produced him some 96 sons and 60 daughters.

Built by Ramses II to demonstrate his political clout and divine backing to the ancient Nubians, Abu Simbel is an awesome self-tribute. Guarding the entrance to the temple (built between 1290 and 1224 BC) hewn into the side of a mountain are four famous colossal statues of the pharaoh himself, which sit majestically staring out across the desert. Over the centuries, the desert sands imperceptibly shifted until the temple was all but lost to humanity. It was rediscovered by chance in 1813 by a Swiss explorer called John Lewis Burkhardt. Only one of the heads of the pharaohs was showing and only a small part of the rest of the colossal temple peeked above the desert sands. It wasn’t until the British happened upon Abu Simbel and starting excavating, that the full glory of the temple of Abu Simbel was revealed to the modern world.

The temple was dedicated to the deified Pharaoh, King Ramses II, known also as the great builder and the gods Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ptah. In a fit of precision and architectural egotism, Ramses II had the entire temple precisely positioned in order for the sun’s rays to align just twice a year, on the date of his ascension to the throne (21 February) and on his birthday (21 October) to illuminate the inner sanctum of the temple. This incredible natural phenomenon provides for a most spectacular sight, which has come to be referred to as the Sun Festival of King Ramses II. Crowds pack into the temple before sunrise and watch the shafts of light slowly creeping through the rock hewn inner Hypostyle Hall (replete with further statues of the king) and through to the Sanctuary. As we are lead through the temple there will be time to pause for a moment to watch the sun illuminating the statues of Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ramses the god, whilst the statute of Ptah – the god of darkness – remains in the shadows.

Famously, the temple was re-located in a multi-million dollar operation in 1972, further up from the shoreline of Lake Nasser, which had threatened to erode the foundations of this monolithic temple complex. For this reason, the sun now strikes a day later than Ramses had originally planned, though the event this morning itself is no less stunning. After the event, there will also be plenty of time to explore the Sun Temple of King Ramses II, the Temple of Hathor and take plenty of pictures.
Here there is time to relax on local cafe or free time before we board the overnight train for our journey back to Cairo. Enjoy a light dinner in the comfort of your sleeper cabin. Overnight – Overnight Train.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

We have breakfast in our cabins on board the train, before arriving into Cairo this morning. Upon arrival transfer to a hotel to freshen up and relax before your included transfer to the airport.

NB1: Please ensure that you book a flight departing Cairo after 2pm. This will allow sufficient time to travel from the train station to the airport for those departing early. Alternatively consider booking a night of post tour accommodation. Contact us for further details.

NB2: In case you want to spend extra night just inform use in order to organize that, in this case also there is an optional day tour to visit Coptic & Islamic Cairo to discover a new type of civilization.
Meals: Breakfast