Day 1: Arrival In Cairo
Upon your arrival at Cairo airport, you will be welcomed by our representative, who will assist you with formalities and accompany you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to rest after your journey. Dinner and overnight in Cairo.
Day 2: Giza And The Grand Egyptian Museum
After breakfast, departure for the Giza plateau to discover the three great pyramids: those of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. You will also admire the Great Sphinx, the millennia-old guardian of the site, carved directly from the limestone bedrock. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, one of the largest archaeological museums in the world, bringing together an exceptional collection of artifacts covering the whole of ancient Egyptian history: daily life, royal power, religious beliefs and hieroglyphic writing. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Islamic And Coptic Old Cairo
After breakfast, departure to discover Islamic Cairo, with a visit to the Al-Rifa'i Mosque and the Sultan Hassan Mosque, two jewels of medieval Cairo's religious architecture, standing face to face on Citadel Square. Lunch at a typical restaurant. The afternoon will be devoted to Coptic Cairo, the cradle of Egyptian Christianity. You will visit the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, traditionally associated with the Holy Family's stay in Egypt, then the Hanging Church, built above an ancient gate of the Roman fortress of Babylon and reached by a flight of twenty-nine steps, which earned it the nickname "the Staircase Church." Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Flight To Aswan — Unfinished Obelisk And Temple Of Philae
AAfter breakfast, transfer to Cairo airport for your flight to Aswan. On arrival, our representative will welcome you and take you to the boarding point for the dahabiya or hotel in Aswan, depending on availability. You will then set off to discover the Unfinished Obelisk, left half-carved in the pink granite quarry where it was abandoned after cracks appeared in the rock. Still attached to the bedrock, it offers a unique testimony to the stone-cutting techniques used by the craftsmen of ancient Egypt. You will then visit the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and one of the last strongholds of pharaonic worship to remain active in antiquity. Return on board for lunch, followed by a pleasant felucca ride around Elephantine Island to close this first day of sailing. Dinner and overnight on board or at the hotel.
Day 5: Free Day — Optional Excursion To Abu Simbel
Free day in Aswan, aboard the dahabiya, to enjoy at your own pace the peaceful atmosphere of the city and its exceptional setting between the Nile and the Nubian desert. You will have the option of an early morning excursion to the temples of Abu Simbel, about 280 km south of Aswan. Built by Ramesses II around 1260 BC to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh, these two monumental temples are among the most impressive remains of ancient Egypt. They were entirely cut into blocks and rebuilt higher up on an artificial hill in the 1960s, to save them from the rising waters caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam — one of the greatest archaeological rescue operations in history. Optional visit to a Nubian village in the afternoon also possible. Free afternoon. Dinner and overnight on board.
Day 6: Temple Of Kom Ombo — Sailing To Esna — Dinner On An Island
Breakfast on board. Free morning to enjoy the upper deck and the changing scenery of the Nile banks, then lunch on board while sailing to Kom Ombo. On arrival, visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, an architectural rarity dedicated to two deities: Haroeris, the falcon god, and Sobek, the crocodile god. Each has its own half of the temple, with its own sanctuaries and halls, perfectly symmetrical. Sailing continues towards Esna, where an original dinner will be served on an island in the middle of the river. Overnight on board.
Day 7: Temples Of Karnak And Luxor
After breakfast, your guide will take you to discover the Temple of Karnak, the largest religious complex ever built in ancient Egypt. For nearly two thousand years, this sanctuary was the heart of the cult of the god Amun, and its clergy accumulated considerable wealth and political power. You will discover the famous Hypostyle Hall with its 134 giant columns, the pink granite obelisks and the many sanctuaries that make up this monumental complex. Return on board for lunch, followed by an afternoon visit to the Temple of Luxor, dedicated to the ritual renewal of royalty. According to tradition, many pharaohs were crowned there, actually or symbolically — including, it is said, Alexander the Great. Dinner and last night on board.
Day 8: Departure
Breakfast on board.
- Transfer to Luxor airport for your return flight.
