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Egypt in Depth Itinerary

Day 1 Depart Australia

Day 2 Arrive in Cairo
Welcome to Egypt! On arrival we will met by our friendly Egyptian guide and transferred to our hotel. The afternoon is at leisure before tonight’s group welcome dinner where you will meet your fellow travellers. [D]

Day 3 Cairo
This is it! This morning you will be standing directly in front of the Great Pyramids of Giza! The Great Pyramids are the oldest structures in existence: work building them began around 4,500 years ago, and today they are the only remnants of the Seven Wonders of the World. Here we take the time to soak up the mystical power of these awe-inspiring structures before visiting the nearby Sphinx. We then visit the ancient step pyramids of Sakkarah and then continue to Memphis, the site of the ancient capital of Egypt where we find a giant statue of Ramses II. [B]

Day 4 Cairo
Today we venture into the bustling heart of Cairo to visit the world-famous Egyptian Museum, home to Tutankhamen’s priceless treasures and many other historic artefacts. There will be time for an optional visit (entrance ticket not included) to the "Mummy Room", it has nine mummies on display including the newly discovered mummy of Queen Hatshepsut. This afternoon we visit the Citadel of Cairo and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, before trying out our bargaining skills at the 625-year-old Khan El Khalili bazaar. [B]

Day 5 Cairo - Alexandria
This morning we travel to Wadi el Natroun, home to some of the earliest Christian monasteries in the world, before continuing to beautiful Alexandria. [B,L]

Day 6 Alexandria
In Alexandria we enjoy a tour of the city, including the National Museum, Pompey’s Pillar and the catacombs. After lunch we visit the New Bibliotheca, the Montazah Palace and enjoy spectacular views from the Citadel of Qaitbey. [B,L]

Day 7 Alexandria – El Alamein – Cairo
Our journey takes us westward through the dunes along the Mediterranean coast, following the route of Field Marshal Montgomery to El Alamein. Here we will visit the fields of battle where Rommel’s WWII advance on Cairo was halted, as well as visit the Allied War Memorials. After our sightseeing we travel back to Cairo. [B]

Day 8 Cairo - Luxor
Today we have the full day at leisure before boarding the overnight train bound for Luxor. [B,D]

Day 9 Luxor
This morning we explore the fascinating Karnak and Luxor Temples. Luxor Temple was built in the heart of the ancient city of Thebes and was once connected to Karnak, the largest temple in Egypt, by a 3km avenue of sphinxes. [B]

Day 10 Nile Cruise* (see notes on Nile Cruise below)
Today we board our Nile Cruise. We then set off to explore the Nile’s West Bank, the world’s largest open-air museum. We’ll explore the Valley of the Kings where we have the opportunity to go underground and experience the tombs first-hand. We then continue on to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut; it was built of limestone, not sandstone like most of the other funerary temples of the New Kingdom period, and is therefore one of the most distinctive temples in the whole of Egypt. We end our day at the Colossi of Memnon. [B,L,D]

Day 11 Nile Cruise
Our cruise ship today navigates towards Esna before continuing to Edfu. Sit back, relax and watch the day to day happenings of rural Egyptian life on the riverbanks of the Nile as we sail past. [B,L,D]

Day 12 Nile Cruise
Today we will visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu, the best-preserved of Egypt’s temples. We then sail on to Kom Ombo. The Temple of Kom Ombo is an unusual double temple, built between 145-180 BC. The building is unique because its 'double' design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods. We then continue to Aswan. [B,L,D]

Day 13 Nile Cruise
Today we explore Aswan. Highlights include the High Dam, an engineering masterpiece built in the 1960s, the picturesque Temple of Isis on Philae Island, and the Unfinished Obelisk. This afternoon we enjoy a relaxing trip on the Nile by
traditional felucca sail boat. [B,L,D]

Day 14 Aswan
We rise very early to cross the desert – our destination is the incredible temples of Abu Simbel. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC, as a lasting monument to himself and his queen Nefertari. In the 1960s the complex was relocated in its entirety to an artificial hill, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. We then return to Aswan where the rest of the day is at leisure in our hotel. [B]

Day 15 Cairo
Today we have a short flight from Aswan back to Cairo. This evening we enjoy a wonderful farewell dinner. [B,D]

Day 16 Depart Cairo
Today you transfer to the airport for your flight home. [B]

Day 17 Arrive Australia

*Note on Nile Cruises: The Nile cruises featured on all itineraries to Egypt operate between the cities of Luxor and Aswan. These cities lie only 240km apart which means this distance could easily be covered in only 1 or 2 days without stops. Due to logistical and scheduling reasons the cruises are offered only as 3, 4 and 7 night packages. This allows for extensive sightseeing along the way and, as such, much of the time is spent in port in Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo or Aswan. Each cruise itinerary will, however, have an element of day-time cruising - allowing you to relax and see life along the river.

Note on Esna Lock and Itinerary Schedule: Please note that due to the high volume of river traffic all cruise itineraries are subject to change without notice. The order and timing of sightseeing may therefore change, however all inclusions will remain the same. Similarly, travel through the Esna Lock is subject to river traffic and local conditions, which means you may pass through the lock during the night or have an extended wait prior to entering the lock.

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