Itinerary Details
Cairo & Alexandria Escape With 3- Night Nile Cruise
Day 1 ARRIVE IN CAIRO, EGYPT Welcome to Cairo. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
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Day 2 CAIRO. EXCURSION TO GIZA Secrets of the Sphinx CAIRO Guided sightseeing includes the Egyptian Museum.
GIZA Take pictures of the Sphinx and of the Great Pyramids. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORY & MYSTERY Get up close and personal with The Pyramids of Giza - one of the World’s Seven Wonders. Ponder the enigmatic secrets of the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid of Giza. Marvel at the massive monument of Cheops, the most colossal pyramid ever built with an original height of 496 feet.
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Day 3 CAIRO–WADI EL NATRUN–ALEXANDRIA The Mediterranean Pearl WADI EL NATRUN [LF] Visit a Coptic Monastery.
ALEXANDRIA Free time to explore the city at your own pace. (B) 137 mi / 220 km
LOCAL FAVORITE
CULTURE & TRADITIONS In Arabic, Wadi El Natrum means “Valley of Nitrates,” due to the presence of eight different lakes containing nitrates in the surrounding area. In Coptic, the region is also known as Shi-Hyt, which can be translated as “balance of the heart” or “measure of hearts.” The monasteries of Wadi el-Natrun are the source of indispensable data for the study of the Coptic heritage, and especially for Coptic literature, art, and architecture.
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Day 4 ALEXANDRIARoyal Majesty of the Montazah Gardens ALEXANDRIA Guided sightseeing includes the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, Pompey’s Pillar, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, that commemorates the ancient Library of Alexandria, and the 15th-century Qaitbay Citadel. Visit the Montazah Garden. (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
HISTORY & CULTURE Originally founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandria was once one of the wealthiest cities in the world and the Montazah Palace gardens are a true testimony of this wealth. Designed to be a place of relaxation and recreation for the Khedive and his guests are filled with flowers, trees, and shrubs.
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Day 5 ALEXANDRIA–CAIRO A Drive Through the Red Land Drive through the El Beheira desert.
CAIRO Dinner at your hotel. (B,D) 155 mi / 250 km
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDARY LANDSCAPES In ancient times, the Egyptians called the desert the "red land," distinguishing it from the flood plain around the Nile River, called the "black land". These reflect the fact that the desert sands have a reddish hue and the land around the Nile turned black when the annual flood waters receded. Over thousands of years, the Nile River evolved into its present shape, surrounded by the Eastern and Western deserts.
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Day 6 CAIRO–ASWAN (EMBARKATION) The Inspiration of Isis CAIRO Fly to Aswan
ASWAN Embarkation and lunch on board. (B,L,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
THE GIFT OF EGYPT Flowing through 11 countries, the Nile is the longest river in the world. Often called “The Lifeline of Egypt,” the importance of the Nile through history cannot be overestimated. Without the fertile soils carried by this legendary river of life, Egypt would have surely been a desert. Ancient Egyptians worshipped the Nile as the god Hapi, believed to be the source of all life, yet they also believed it would lead to the afterlife. A symbol of fertility, abundance, and the cycle of life, the Nile riverbanks are still home to approximately 95% of Egypt’s population who live close to its banks.
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Day 7 CRUISING: ASWAN–KOM OMBO–EDFU Egyptian Gods & Gowns Free time this morning
KOM OMBO Guided walking tour includes the Temple dedicated to the crocodile and falcon gods. (B,L,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
LEGENDS & LORE Explore captivating Kom Ombo with a walking tour of its bluff-top twin temples. Gaze at the spellbinding temples dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek-Ra and the falcon god Horus.
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Day 8 CRUISING: EDFU–ESNA–LUXOR Legendary Luxor EDFU Visit the Temple of Horus
LUXOR Visit the Temple. (B,L,D)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
OF GODS AND PILGRIMAGES Step back in time and wander through the magnificent temple dedicated to Horus, one of the most important gods in Ancient Egypt. Learn how this became the setting for many important festivals which resulted in huge pilgrimages. With time the temple suffered the elements and got buried underneath the sand where it remained until 1860!
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Day 9 LUXOR (DISEMBARKATION) Palace of Life LUXOR Disembarkation. Visit the Temple of Karnak. Free time this afternoon (B)
TOUR HIGHLIGHT
PHARAONIC LIVES Known as Ipet-Isu by the ancient Egyptians which means “The Most Select of Places” and built over 2000 years, for some uneducated ancient Egyptians the temple of Karnak was the place of gods. Dozens of pharaohs added their own constructions to this site making this one of the most impressive open- air museums in the world.
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Day 10 LUXOR–CAIRO Cairo Bound LUXOR Morning at leisure. Fly to Cairo.
CAIRO Free time this afternoon. (B)
ENHANCED FREE TIME
EXPLORE MORE on an optional excursion to the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens on the West Bank of the Nile where generations of pharaohs and nobles were entombed in cliffside crypts. See where 62 royal tombs have thus far been discovered, of which one was found virtually intact—the splendid tomb of Tutankhamun discovered in 1922.
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Day 11 CAIROSafe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
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