Cairo, Luxor & Nile Cruise

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To book or for more information please call: 0330 341 1117 and quote RTA

ANCIENT WONDERS & RIVERSIDE VIEWS

Unearth the mysteries of antiquity, and discover the eye-popping, jaw-dropping riches of the pharaohs, in comfort and style. Catch your breath as you encounter the wondrous Pyramids at Giza and marvel at the collections of Cairo's stunning Egyptian Museum. Gaze in awe as you cruise along the tranquil Nile, past riverbank scenes unchanged in centuries, visiting some of the most important relics of Ancient Egypt, as well as the truly phenomenal High Dam at Aswan. Opportunities to visit Alexandria and Abu Simbel on optional excursions complete this extraordinary, unforgettable holiday in Egypt.

Holiday Highlights

Discover the sights of Cairo and visit the Egyptian Museum
See Giza's magnificent, monumental Pyramids and Sphinx
See the Temples of Karnak and Luxor
Visit the Aswan High Dam
Sail on a felucca around Kitchener Island
Visit the Valley of the Kings
Optional excursions to Alexandria and Abu Simbel

What's Included

Three nights' bed and breakfast accommodation at the five-star Hilton Pyramids Golf Hotel
Seven nights' full-board accommodation aboard a Nile river cruise vessel
One lunch in Cairo
Return flights to Cairo, returning from Luxor (via Cairo)
An internal flight from Cairo to Luxor
Coach travel and transfers throughout
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Itinerary

Day 1

Fly to Cairo and transfer by coach to your five-star hotel in the shadow of the Pyramids at Giza, for a three-night stay.

Day 2

Enjoy a full-day guided tour, which will include a visit to the Pyramids - the vast, extraordinary monuments to the ancient Egyptians' wealth and power - watched over by the enigmatic Sphinx. Another highlight will be Cairo's Egyptian Museum, with its fabulous treasures recovered from the tomb of the Boy King Tutankhamun. At some stage during 2023, the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza, containing many treasures of Tutankhamun, is expected to open. The tour will be adjusted to include the new museum when it is opened to the public. This evening, return to the Pyramids on our optional Sound and Light excursion. On this mystical trip you'll hear the tale of how the Pyramids were built and what life was like in Ancient Egypt in 2611BC, with a spectacular light show adding to the storytelling.

Day 3

Join today's optional excursion to Alexandria. Once the centre of the Hellenistic world, and now a bustling port, Alexandria is a city preserves an air of nostalgia - in its traditional coffee houses and cafes - for the "Alex" of old.Visit the fascinating Graeco-Roman Museum, explore Egypt's only Roman amphitheatre, wander the eerie catacombs at Kom El Shoqafa, discover the site where the Pharos lighthouse (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) once stood, and see the Citadel of Quilt Bay - a 15th-century fortress located on the coastline.

Day 4

Transfer to the airport for the short flight to Luxor, and board your river cruiser - your home for the next seven nights. After lunch on board, journey into Luxor to visit Luxor Temple with its colonnades and courtyards, and the staggering Temple of Karnak, where the vast columns of the giant hypostyle hall dwarf awestruck visitors. Later, enjoy a first dinner on board as your ship spends the night moored in Luxor.

Day 5

Cross to the Nile's West Bank to visit the Valley of the Kings, where in 1922 Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon discovered the sand-blocked entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamun. You'll also visit the temple of female Pharaoh, Hatshepsut, and gaze in awe at the twin "colossi" of Memnon.Return to your river cruiser for lunch, and the begin your journey south, cruising through scenery seemingly unchanged in centuries, with fishermen sailing traditional feluccas and villagers washing their clothing in the river waters. Moor overnight in Edfu.

Day 6

Visit perhaps the best preserved of all Egypt's Pharaonic relics, the stunning Temple of Horus, before you return to the ship and cruise towards the magnificent riverside Temple at Kom Ombo, with its hypostyle halls, burial chambers and mummified crocodiles. You'll also visit the twin temple of pharaohs Sobek and Haroeris, before cruising on to Aswan, where you will moor for three nights, giving you the opportunity to explore this mesmerising city where the constant backdrop is the Aga Khan's great mausoleum.

Day 7

Today you'll visit the extraordinary Aswan High Dam, which holds back the mighty waters of Lake Nasser, and see the granite quarries from where many of Egypt's ancient obelisks were fashioned. Take a motorboat ride across the Nile to the great Temple of Isis on the island of Philae, and then join our included afternoon tour to enjoy a felucca ride around mid-stream Kitchener's Island, with its botanical gardens.

Day 8

Explore some of the attractions of Aswan, perhaps visiting the Nubian Museum, which charts the history of one of Africa's most ancient peoples, or wandering the colourful souks. Alternatively, join an optional excursion by coach to remote Abu Simbel, where the staggering temples of Ramses II and the goddess Hathor are carved out of the mountainside. Rediscovered in the early 19th Century, the temples and their relics are among Egypt's greatest treasures.

Days 9-10

Over two days, your river cruiser makes her lazy way north downriver once more, heading back past the sites at Kom Ombo and Edfu, and mooring for a last night in Luxor. Take the opportunity to spend two days enjoying the tranquillity of the ship, dipping in and out of the pool and making the most of the on-board amenities as the stunning scenery passes gently by.

Day 11

Bid farewell to your ship and your Egyptian hosts, and transfer to Luxor airport for your flight back to Cairo and your international flight back to the UK.

Cairo, Luxor & Nile Cruise Touring Hotels

You'll be staying in a good hotel in Cairo, and on board a Nile cruise vessel....

Cairo, Luxor & Nile Cruise Touring Hotels

You'll be staying in a good hotel in Cairo, and on board a Nile cruise vessel....

Passports and visas

British citizens will require a visa to enter Egypt. The current cost is US$25 (approximately £19). You can obtain your visa on arrival and should make payment in Sterling, US Dollars or Euros. Passports must be valid for six months beyond the return date to the UK and contain one blank page for the visa.

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 50 minutes.

Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza

The Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza, containing many treasures of Tutankhamun, is expected to open in 2023. The tour will be adjusted to include the new museum when it is opened to the public.

Cruise itinerary

Please note that the order of included day-to-day visits on board the cruise is subject to change.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, in particular when visiting the archaeological sites where the ground is often uneven. In many developing countries access is sometimes not as easy as at home and, in some cases, impossible.

If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

Note that when boarding your cruise ship too there are usually several steps to be negotiated down from the quayside to the ship's boarding point. Ship's gangways are often narrow and can be steep depending on the river water levels.

Nile river cruise ships do not have a lift and the facilities on board will be housed over four decks - between restaurant in the lower part of the ship to the pool and sundeck up on top. Should you have any concerns whatsoever please do contact us prior to travel.

Itinerary changes

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Travel vaccinations

Requirements and advice can vary over time, and from person to person, so please contact your GP about eight weeks before your trip to check whether on any preventive measures.

Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.

Holiday provided by

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Day 8

Days 9-10

Day 11

Cairo, Luxor & Nile Cruise Touring Hotels

Cairo, Luxor & Nile Cruise Touring Hotels

Passports and visas

Hotel transfer times

Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza

Cruise itinerary

Special requirements

Disabled access

Itinerary changes

Travel vaccinations

Foreign Office Travel Advice

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