RCGS: Egypt Nile Cruise with Charlene Bearhead

Fly to Cairo.

Accommodation: Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel or similar

Welcome to Cairo, the capital of Egypt, where the ancient and modern worlds connect seamlessly. There’s plenty packed into this holiday, but today is all about settling in.

Accommodation: Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel or similar

We begin our day with a welcome briefing with your leader (usually at 7:00 or 7:30 am) and a chance to meet the other members of your group.

Please have your breakfast before the briefing and be sure that you bring your insurance details as the leader needs to gather this information.

First on our sightseeing is a visit to Giza, home to the Great Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus and the mysterious Great Sphinx. Only the throng of sightseers milling around their huge foundations keep you in the 21st century.

We next pay a visit to the incredible Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which contains relics dating back to 4,000 BCE, including the fantastic riches of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Here is a unique opportunity to survey the many fabulous treasures of Egypt in one place and to set the scene for the rest of the adventure. For the remainder of our tour we experience modern Cairo with visits to Al Azhar mosque (the oldest mosque and university in Cairo and still very much in use) (could be closed without prior notice according to authorities) and the small alleyways and streets that make up the bazaar. Please note that we will need to cover up at the mosque (long sleeves and trousers, long skirt for women) and women will also need to cover their hair with a scarf.

Accommodation: Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel or similar

We typically transfer to Cairo airport before sunrise for our flight to Luxor (flight times can vary but we need to be at the airport three hours before the flight so expect a wake up around 2am). A breakfast box will be provided. On arrival, we visit Luxor Temple and the huge Karnak Temple complex on the east bank of the Nile. Built more than 1,500 years, Karnak is a mixture of pylons, courtyards, halls and sanctuaries. The Hypostyle Hall has 134 columns, some of which are more than 75ft (23m) high. We arrive at our cruise boat in time for lunch on board before free time in the afternoon to relax or explore Luxor.

Accommodation:  M/S Nile Style or similar

This morning we leave our boat very early morning (this timing is to ensure we are back at the boat for the commencement of the cruise time) for a bus ride to the the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile. The Valley contains the once-hidden tombs of more than 62 pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramses III and IV. A discreet entrance in the hillside takes visitors underground; a series of corridors and ante-chambers leads us down to the burial chamber and sarcophagus. The walls are covered in brightly painted images and hieroglyphs – a map of the afterlife to ensure the king’s safe passage. One ticket allows us to see three tombs. The ticket usually allows entry into what are regarded as the most impressive tombs, but, if you have time, a visit to the tomb of Ramses VI (extra ticket),  entry to Tutankhamun’s tomb (extra ticket), payable locally are recommended. Seti I is another option but in terms of size and decoration, it is not as impressive as many of the other tombs, but is of course historically very interesting.

Visits to tombs are now strictly controlled to halt further deterioration of wall paintings – each tomb is periodically closed for a number of weeks.

On crowded days, make sure to have a quick visit to each of the included tombs if you want to add extra tombs as your leader will give a fixed meeting time in order to return to the cruise boat before it sails.

On return to our cruise boat we begin our voyage along the Nile, travelling upstream from Luxor to Aswan. Exact sailing and excursion times cannot be guaranteed for each individual trip but we will visit the temples of Edfu, famed for its roofed inner temples and huge Pylon, in the morning of day 5. In the late afternoon on day 5, we visit Kom Ombo temple, before setting sail for Aswan where we will overnight.

The cruise boat has good facilities: a sundeck with loungers, bar and small pool, restaurant, gift shop and library. These can all be taken advantage of when the cruise boat is docked or during sailing. The sunsets over the Nile are truly stunning and travelling from Luxor to Aswan, enjoying the beauty of the verdant landscape, makes this journey special.

Accommodation:  M/S Nile Style or similar

Today there’s the option of a visit to Abu Simbel 186mi (300km) to the south through the Nubian Desert. The optional bus tour starts at 3.30am/4am in the morning when we get picked up from the boat. A breakfast box is provided. We arrive at the destination around 8am, where we are given approximately two hours in the area to visit the temples. Built by Ramses II, the two temples are certainly some of the most spectacular in Egypt. Originally on the banks of the Nile, the temples were raised to a new site above the lake in the late 1960s, as the waters from the new Lake Nasser rose behind the Aswan High Dam. The four great seated statues of Ramses II stare east towards the rising sun. We will be back in Aswan around 1.30 pm before lunch. For those flying to Abu Simbel, please note that timing will be different.

Accommodation:  M/S Nile Style or similar

After breakfast on board, we disembark and have a full day in Aswan. This is a laid-back town that reflects the character of its largely Nubian inhabitants, known for being friendly and hospitable. By virtue of its position on the old caravan route, it has always been a trading centre and we thoroughly recommend visiting the packed bazaar today, where merchants display spices, carpets, leather goods and countless other wares. There is also the option to visit the Nubian Museum, situated opposite our usual hotel in Aswan (please ask your tour director if you are interested and when it can be arranged).

Opened in April 1998, the museum chronologically charts the history and culture of the Nubian people. Alternatively, we can arrange an optional visit to Philae Temple. In the 1970s it was relocated by Unesco to Aglika Island after it became evident that the original site of Philae would submerge on completion of the Aswan High Dam. It represents a magnificent and enduring testament to both ancient and modern engineering. During this excursion we will also visit Aswan High Dam and Cleopatra’s Unfinished Obelisk.

Accommodation: Basma Hotel or similar

Today’s our last day in Aswan. Our morning is free to relax or book an optional excursion to St Simone Monastery or a nearby Nubian museum. In the afternoon we explore the Nile by felucca, the traditional Egyptian sailing boat. Using the felucca, we can truly savour the tranquillity of the Nile and the beauty of the surrounding landscape, where the vast desert almost reaches the water’s edge. (The timings of the felucca sailing might be changed according to weather conditions). We end the day with our final dinner together, at one of this historic city’s restaurants.

Accommodation: Basma Hotel or similar

Fly to London.

You’ve marvelled at the Great Pyramids, gazed at King Tut’s treasures and journeyed down the Nile. Now, however, it’s time to start your return journey home. Of course, if you’re not quite ready for the adventure to end, talk to your sales representative about extending your stay at the hotel – Egypt has a lifetime of wonders to discover.