From the green and fertile Nile Valley to the lunar-style landscapes of the White Desert, this is a fascinating journey through Egypt’s contrasting landscapes. We take a relaxing cruise along the great Nile from the ancient town of Luxor to the colourful markets of Aswan. We visit Cairo’s famous antiquities and see Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. We then travel deep into the dusty desert to remote oasis towns: here we can see the well-preserved Christian necropolis in Al Bagawat with its 263 mud-brick tombs. We roam through the streets of Dakhla Oasis and discover the Valley of the Golden Mummies in Bahariya. One of the trip highlights is a night under the stars among the spectacular wind-eroded rock formations of the White Desert.
Itinerary
[+] Detailed Itinerary
Day 1:
Join tour Cairo
Arrive Cairo and check-in at hotel.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Day 2:
In Cairo
Cairo is Africa’s largest capital city and is known as the city of a thousand minarets. Driving to Giza we see the Pyramids and Sphinx, among the most impressive man-made spectacles in the world. The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the largest of the group (originally 145m high with a square base 232m). Second is the Pyramid of Chephren (136m high, width 210m). The complex includes the Sphinx, a crouching lion with a human head carved from solid rock, and the splendid Granite Temple. We also visit the Egyptian Museum which contains the treasure of Tutankhamun.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 3:
Free day in Cairo; PM Fly to Luxor
Today is a free day for optional trips to Saqqara the impressive step pyramid/necropolis of Zozer (Djoser) – the earliest of the pyramids of Egypt and the recently opened Red and Bent Pyramids at Dashur. Or an optional trip to Islamic Cairo to visit the illustrious Citadel, one of Saladin’s many strongholds during the Crusades period. There will also be the opportunity to enter one or more of the medieval mosques of Cairo. Alternatively you could use this free time to revisit the vast Egyptian museum. This evening we will have our flight to Luxor and transfer to our Riverboat.
Overnight Accommodation on Boat (U)
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4:
In Luxor
Arriving early in Luxor today will include a visit by ‘calesh’ (horse drawn carriage) to the stupendous Temple of Amun at Karnak, the labour of numerous pharaohs. Begun about 2000 BC, this vast temple was still being added to in Cleopatra’s time (1st century BC). This morning you have the chance to enjoy a spectacular balloon flight over the West Bank, for an experience of a lifetime! There is also the opportunity to visit Deir-el-Medina and Medinet Habu - relatively little-visited sites and for many a real highlight of the tour. Or you could even enjoy am optional Donkey Trek on the West Bank, through villages and fields ending watching the sun set over the Nile.
Overnight Accommodation on Boat (U)
Included meals: Breakfast
Swimming available
Day 5:
In Luxor; sail to Edfu
This morning, we cross the Nile and journey by bus to visit the extraordinary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s only female Pharaoh, who usurped the throne from her son, the future Tuthmoses III. The scale of the temple and its magnificent setting are breathtaking, but perhaps even more remarkable are the details - look out for the fine carving of the ‘Expedition to the Land of Punt’. We then take a short bus ride to the Valley of the Kings’ to explore some of the more important sites made famous in 1922 by the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter. We visit three tombs. On our return to the Nile Riverboat we set sail upstream towards Edfu, passing en route the dam at Esna, built in 1906 to regulate the Nile floodwaters.
Overnight Accommodation on Boat (U)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6:
Sail to Kom Ombo and Aswan
In the morning we visit Edfu, the largest Egyptian temple after Karnak. A falcon-headed god guards the Temple of Horus which is in almost perfect condition, in fact the temple is unusual in that its roof has survived intact. We then continue upstream, seeing the intensive cultivation of the Nile Valley and small villages which depend upon the river for their livelihood. In the afternoon we aim to reach Kom Ombo. The temple of Kom Ombo is unique in that it is dedicated to two gods, Horus and Sobek. Sobek the crocodile god was much needed at this spot as the river here was noted for crocodiles until early this century. After our visit we continue to Aswan, arriving late tonight.
Overnight Accommodation on Boat (U)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7:
In Aswan; optional visit to Abu Simbel
Today we disembark from our Riverboat. Aswan is Egypt’s most southerly city, traditionally regarded as the frontier post of Upper Egypt. Sited on the east bank, it stands just below the first Cataract and is the meeting point of Arab culture with Nubia and Black Africa. Today we have the chance to travel by bus or air to the fabulous rock-hewn temple of Abu Simbel, a major highlight of the tour. Cut into the rock face, this enormous structure was raised 61m to save it from inundation by the artificial lake created by the Aswan High Dam. The 20m high statues represent Ramses II, known as the Great Builder. Alternatively wander the streets of this fascinating city, where stalls laden with colourful spices line the streets.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 8:
In Aswan
A popular optional excursion is the camel trek to the deserted coptic monastery of St. Simeon. You may wish to take an excursion to Philae Temple, situated on a picturesque island in the Nile.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 9:
Bus to Luxor
Arriving in Luxor at around lunchtime, the remainder of the day is left free for personal exploration in Luxor, during which you may like to take a calesh tour of local villages, or visit the Explore sponsored Sunshine Orphanage.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 10:
Drive to Kharga Oasis
Today we spend the day heading west, entering the Western Desert, part of the Great Sahara. Christian in its early history, the Western Desert then fell to the Muslims and the Berbers. Finally, in the 11th century, it became part of Egypt. The first of the four major oases we visit is Kharga whose main wealth comes from date palms.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11:
Drive to Dakhla Oasis
One of the best preserved Christian necropoli in the world is located at Al Bagawat, home of some beautifully preserved old testament frescoes. Situated on a hill just outside Kharga Oasis, we visit several of its 263 mud-brick tombs, dating back to the 4th-6th centuries. Close by the town are the remains of a temple of the Persian period, practically unique in Egypt, called the Temple of Hibis. Later we continue westward along a surfaced road towards Dakhla, bordered on one side by the impressive sandstone mountain of Jebel Abu Tartur. On arrival in Dakhla we have the chance to trek on camels across the desert to our camp under the spectacular desert stars.
Overnight Basic Camping (C)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12:
Drive to Farafra Oasis
During our time in Dakhla we visit the unusual mud-brick Islamic village of Al Qasr. We wander the ramshackle streets – a living museum of crumbling mosques, pottery workshops, basket weavers and blacksmiths. We also visit the fascinating ethnographic museum. Continuing north as we approach Farafra the terrain becomes a white limestone ‘moonscape’. Farafra is the smallest of the four major oases, the desert scenery is at its best here – steep cliffs ring the oasis on one side and the wind forms dunes from the sand on the other.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 13:
In Farafra Oasis
We enjoy a leisurely morning in Farafra oasis wandering the backstreets and soaking up the easy-going ambience of this remote town, poised at the eastern edge of the Great Sand Sea. In the afternoon we strike out to explore the extraordinary and spectacular geology of the White Desert. Travelling in 4WD vehicles, we visit the most dramatic parts of the desert, marvelling at the wind-eroded chalk outcrops, before reaching our overnight camp.
Overnight Basic Camping (C)
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 14:
Drive to Cairo via Bahariya Oasis
Returning by 4WD to the road, we continue by bus to Bahariya Oasis, past isolated springs and across a wind-eroded sandstone plain. The environs of Bahariya have many sites of archaeological interest, including the valley of the Golden Mummies, one of the most important finds in Egypt since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Overnight Standard Hotel (H+)
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 15:
Tour ends Cairo
Included meals: Breakfast
