PEARL OF THE NILE Holiday - 10 days Egypt Tour

Day 1 : Cairo. Welcome to Egypt and the start of a wonderful holiday! Arrive Cairo airport, meet and greet service and included transfer to your 5 star hotel, located at the foot of the Great Pyramids of Giza.

Day 2: The Egyptian Museum Trip. We start with the dazzling antiquities at the Egyptian Museum. Amongst the many exhibits are the treasures of King Tutankhamun. This afternoon offers free time to relax and enjoy the hotel facilities or join us for an optional city tour visiting old Cairo and the Islamic citadel.

Day 3: Pyramids of Giza tour. Cairo – Luxor. Today we visit Egypt’s most loved sight – The Great Pyramids of Giza. We explore the Giza plateau, pyramids and massive Sphinx. Later, we tour Saqqara – an ancient necropolis with many half-buried tombs and the famous Zhoser’s step pyramid. Tonight we take an overnight sleeper cabin train south to Luxor.If you don’t fancy traveling by overnight sleeper train, opt to undertake the journey by flight with our pearl 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.

Day 4: Valley of the Kings Tour. The massive pair of statues known as the Colossi of Memnon are the first monuments you’ll see during our morning visit to the West Bank – home to the legendary Valley of the Kings. You’ll also see the colonnaded Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Return to Luxor for check-in on board our Nile 5 star cruiser. Lunch at leisure and time to relax until our early evening visit to the Temple of Luxor. Luxor Temple looks stunning at dusk and is beautifully illuminated at night.Note: Dependent upon Nile Cruiser scheduling it may be required that we also undertake our excursion to Karnak Temple this afternoon. Should this occur, day 5 will be spent at leisure.

Day 5: Luxor & Nile Cruising. Luxor – Nile cruising. Take flight over Luxor with an optional hot air balloon ride early this morning before we tour the ancient city of Thebes (the East Bank), taking in the magnificent Temple of Karnak. More than a temple, Karnak is a gigantic and stunning complex of sanctuaries and pylons dedicated to the Theban gods. Anchors away this afternoon as we set sail downstream to Esna and the Temple of Horus at Edfu.

Day 6 : Cruising & Kom Ombo. Nile cruising. Relax as we sail the Nile. Later today we visit the Temple of Kom Ombo. A unique riverside temple, it is unusual in that everything architecturally is doubled and perfectly symmetrical along the main axis of the temple including twin halls, courts, colonnades, sanctuaries and entrances. Arrive Aswan, a prosperous town at the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes late evening.

Day 7 : The Philae Temple Tour. Nile cruiser – Aswan. Today, we enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island for Philae Temple – dedicated to the goddess Isis. The temple dates from 4th century BC but the Ptolemies and the Romans up to 3rd century AD built most of the existing structures. In danger of being completely submerged by the rising water of Lake Nasser, in 1972 UNESCO stepped in and an 8-year rescue effort was undertaken to relocate the entire temple 20m higher on nearby Agilika Island.After lunch, we visit the High Dam and take a felucca sailing trip to Elephantine and Kitchener Island. As the sun sets, free time to shop in the colourful souqs and markets or simply relax and watch an amazing sunset in Egypt’s southern most town straddling the River Nile.

Day 8: Abu simbel temples Tour. Aswan – Cairo. Consider the optional early morning air excursion to the Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel or time to relax. Late this afternoon, we board the overnight sleeper train for our journey back to Cairo. A light dinner is served on board.

Day 9: Cairo. This morning have breakfast in your train cabin and upon arrival into Cairo transfer to the hotel and check in. Today is free for you to enjoy the hotel facilities or explore Cairo independently. Perhaps head to Khan el-Khalili bazaar and pick up a few souvenirs or join our optional Cairo city tour which is available to book locally.

Day 10: Cairo. Tour ends after breakfast. Included onward transfer to airport