Egypt: Cairo & Cruising the Nile Escorted Tour

Explore inside the Great Pyramid of Cheops and Cruise the Nile aboard Sanctuary Nile Adventurer on this fantastic 8 night escorted tour with Abercrombie and Kent.

What's Included:

• Return flights
• Design your Day® on Day 3
• Five-star luxury accommodation
• Resident tour director & English-speaking expert local guides
• Airport meet & greet & return private transfers
• Entrance fees, taxes & tips, & excursions as stated
• Domestic flights
• Cocktail reception, welcome & farewell dinners
• 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches & 5 dinners
• Wifi in accommodation

Day 1: Arrive Cairo, Egypt

Arrive in Cairo where you are met by your A&K representative and transfer to your luxury hotel. This superbly located hotel lies downtown, set right on the banks of the Nile.

Day 2: Cairo

Drive to Sakkara, the site of hundreds of tombs and 14 pyramids, including the Step Pyramid of Djoser (the world’s oldest complete stone building) and temple of Serapeum. Head to Giza to venture inside the Great Pyramid, the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Explore the plateau, home to the pyramids of Menkaure and Khafre, which were built in the Fourth Dynasty. Visit the Solar Boat Museum, which houses a pharaoh’s funerary vessel. Tonight, gather for a delicious welcome dinner.

Day 3: Cairo

This morning, head to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the largest archaeological museum in the world, overlooking Giza’s pyramids. It contains Tutankhamun’s treasures including the iconic death mask. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Later, Design your Day® – giving you the freedom to choose the experience that is best suited to you. Select from the following options:

Option 1: Discover Coptic

Option 2: Islamic walking tour

Option 3: Take to the Nile by felucca

Day 4: Cairo – Aswan

Fly to Aswan where you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Explore the spice souks of Aswan and take a stroll along the Corniche. This southern town lies along the languid waters of the Nile, dotted with feluccas gliding towards the botanical gardens on Kitchener’s Island. Nubian villages run down to the water and stand out against the backdrop of the west bank’s desert escarpment.

Day 5: Cruising the Nile

Enjoy a morning at leisure before boarding the Sanctuary Nile Adventurer from your private dock. After settling into your cabin and exploring your boat, which has an Arabian-style Sun Deck and a refreshing dipping pool, it will be time to sail around the Aswan islands on board a traditional felucca. Your cruise will circumnavigate Elephantine Island, Lord Kitchener’s Botanical Garden, and the Aga Khan Mausoleum. Tonight, it’s time to dress up and head for a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner, and on-board show.

Day 6: Cruising the Nile

This morning, take a motor boat to Philae Temple on the island of Agilkia, dedicated to the goddess Isis. The temple was moved when the Aswan Dam was built. Proceed to the impressive granite quarries and the Unfinished Obelisk. Join your chef back on board for a cooking lesson. Later disembark at Kom Ombo (‘hill of gold’) to visit the temple dedicated to Horus the sun god and Sobek the crocodile god, and view mummified remains of the ancient reptiles. Tonight, take part in an Egyptian-themed night with buffet and entertainment.

Day 7: Cruising the Nile

This morning, view the Temple of Horus, falcon-headed god of the sky. Built in 230 BC by Ptolemy III, this stunningly well-preserved and colourful structure reveals what temple worship was like in Edfu. Return to your boat for lunch as you sail towards Esna. Join your Egyptologist for a visit to the Temple of Khnum, which lies below street level, and marvel at its soaring columns and hieroglyphs. Relax with afternoon tea as you sail towards the temples of Luxor and feel the lure of the Valley of the Kings.

Day 8: Cruising the Nile

Wake up in the ancient city of Thebes. Your tour begins at the temples of Luxor and Karnak. Pass the huge columns of Great Hypostyle Hall. After lunch, explore the Valley of the Kings with entry into the burial chambers of Tutankhamun and Seti I. You will also have the chance to visit the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens, before heading towards the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s first female pharaoh, and a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Gather for a farewell dinner.

Day 9: Depart Luxor

After a delicious breakfast, head to the airport for your homeward flight.