Ancient Egypt Tour 9 Days Cairo and Nile Cruise Holiday

Welcome to Egypt. Our airport transfer team is available 24/7. As soon as you get out of the exit gate of the Terminal, you will find Ancient Egypt Tours representative, holding a sign, waiting to meet and greet you. He will escort you to your private A/C vehicle. You will be transferred to the hotel and the reception manager will assist you in check-in procedures as smooth as possible. Ancient Egypt Tours agent will contact you to agree on a meeting time with you

­ 

Transfer from/to the airport is included in your tour package

Check-in in all hotels is at 14:00

Check-out is at 12:00

In case you arrive early then check-in limit you can enjoy waiting in the hotel until check-in time or you can ask your operator to book you a pre-tour extra night and get checked in immediately

­ 

Optional Tour:

­ 

2-hour open buffet dinner Nile cruise including a belly dancer, local band and skirt rotation performer if your tour starts in Cairo

­ 

Sound and Light show if available

­ 

Overnight in Cairo

Breakfast at your hotel in Cairo and then met your personal guide who will accompany you to Giza Plateau to visit one of the seven wonders of the ancient world  The great  Pyramid of Khufu’s (Cheops),3 small pyramids You will continue to explore the rest of Giza plateau including the sight of Khafre’s (kaphren) pyramid - Khufu's son, the second-largest pyramid on Giza site,, the remains of the funeral temple, the pyramid of Mankawra( Mykerinus) and 3 small pyramids. Then proceed to visit the Great Sphinx, the head of a pharaoh with a lion's body, which dates from the time of Chephren; the tour also includes a visit to the Valley Temple, which belongs to the pyramids of chefren This temple served definitely two functions: First, it was used for the purification of the mummy of the king before its burial. Second, it was used for making the Mummification process of the king. After visiting the pyramids, you'll then continue across the plateau for a photo opportunity of the three pyramids rising from the sands, with the Cairo skyline in the background. 

Then Move to visit The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, known commonly as the Egyptian Museum, in Cairo, Egypt, is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities, and dates back some 5000 years of art which is considered the largest most precious collection of Egyptian art in the world. Over 250,000 genuine artifacts are presented, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms, The Egyptian Museum which is filled with thousands of Pharaonic artifacts, including the golden treasures of King Tutankhamen. Fascinating objects such as jewels, headdresses, alabaster vases and toys from ancient Egypt are all on display, and many priceless statues and other artifacts can also be seen which was enclosed in his tomb for over 3,500 years before it was discovered in the 1922s when his tomb was excavated, The Egyptian Museum is one of the first stops on most people’s itineraries when travelling to Egypt. This distinctive museum that houses a vast store of priceless objects, from earlier time to the Greco Roman period is worth seeing.

Transfer to the train station for your overnight Sleeper train to Aswan. Dinner on the train, overnight Sleeper train to Aswan

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After having breakfast on train, our representative will meet & assist you then transfer to your hotel in Aswan. Free day in Aswan.

Optional Tours: 

Meals: Breakfast

overnight in Aswan.

Itinerary in Upper Egypt could be subject to some changes in time and order of visits but you will visit all the sites listed in your itinerary and you will be notified by your guide

After having your breakfast at your hotel, our representative will transfer you to board your 5 star Egypt Nile cruise before lunch, after your lunch 

­ 

you will begin your Aswan tour by a visit to the High Dam, An engineering miracle was constructed between 1960 and 1970. It aimed to increase economic production by further regulating the annual river flooding and providing storage of water for agriculture, and later, to generate hydroelectricity. The dam has had a significant impact on the economy and culture of Egypt, 

­ 

and then move to the Unfinished Obelisk, This obelisk is believed to belong to Queen Hatshepsut, one of the rulers of the 18th dynasty and the royal wife of king Tuthmosis II. The unfinished obelisk is the largest known ancient obelisk, located in the northern region of the stone quarries of ancient Egypt in Aswan, Egypt. It is unknown which pharaoh created this structure. It is nearly one third larger than any ancient Egyptian obelisk ever erected. If finished it would have measured around 42 m and would have weighed nearly 1,200 tons.

­ 

Then move to the beautiful located Temple of Philae on Isis Island and the Granite Quarries, which is dedicated to the goddesses Isis and Hathor. Dinner on board and

Overnight in Aswan

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sail by lunch time to Kom Ombo.

Upon arrival, visit the temple of Kom Ombo; Standing on a promontory at a bend in the Nile, where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank, is the Temple of Kom Ombo, one of the Nile Valley’s most beautifully sited temples. Unique in Egypt, it is dedicated to two gods; the local crocodile god Sobek, and Haroeris (from har-wer), meaning Horus the Elder.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Arrival at Edfu and visit Edfu Temple; This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Preserved by desert sand, which filled the place after the pagan cult was banned, the temple is dedicated to Horus, the avenging son of Isis and Osiris. With its roof intact, it is also one of the most atmospheric of ancient buildings.

Visit Luxor and Karnak Temple if the cruise arrives early enough to Luxor or will be added to the next day’s visits

 Karnak temple; Karnak is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Theban triad but also to the greater glory of pharaohs. The site covers more than 2 sq km; it’s large enough to contain about 10 cathedrals. At its heart is the Temple of Amun, the earthly ‘home’ of the local god. Built, added to, dismantled, restored, enlarged and decorated over nearly 1500 years, Karnak was the most important place of worship in Egypt during the New Kingdom.

Luxor Temple; Largely built by the New Kingdom pharaohs Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BC) and Ramses II (1279–1213 BC), this temple is a strikingly graceful monument in the heart of the modern town. Also known as the Southern Sanctuary, its main function was during the annual Opet celebrations, when the statues of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were brought from Karnak, along the Avenue of Sphinxes, and reunited here during the inundation.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Disembark and visit Valley of the kings; The west bank of Luxor had been the site of royal burials since around 2100 BC, but it was the pharaohs of the New Kingdom period (1550–1069 BC) who chose this isolated valley dominated by the pyramid-shaped mountain peak of Al Qurn (The Horn). Once called the Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of Pharaoh, or the Place of Truth, the Valley of the Kings has 63 magnificent royal tombs.

Queen Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple; At Deir Al Bahri, the eyes first focus on the dramatic rugged limestone cliffs that rise nearly 300m above the desert plain, only to realize that at the foot of all this immense beauty lies a monument even more extraordinary, the dazzling Temple of Hatshepsut. The almost-modern-looking temple blends in beautifully with the cliffs from which it is partly cut – a marriage made in heaven. Most of what you see has been painstakingly reconstructed.

Colossi of Memnon; The two faceless Colossi of Memnon, originally representing Pharaoh Amenhotep III, rising majestically about 18m from the plain, are the first monuments tourists see when they visit the west bank. These magnificent colossi, each cut from a single block of stone and weighing 1000 tonnes, sat at the eastern entrance to the funerary temple of Amenophis III, the largest on the west bank. Egyptologists are currently excavating the temple and their discoveries can be seen behind the colossi. transfer you to Luxor train station to catch you first class sleeper train to Cairo, Dinner served on board.

Meal: Breakfast, Dinner .

Overnight in sleeper train to Cairo.

Having your breakfast on train. Arrival to Cairo, you will be escorted by your private guide to visit to Coptic Cairo to visit   Babylon Fortress and the Hanging Church, Church of St. Barbara, Church of St. Sergius and Ben Ezra synagogue.

Enrich you tour with a visit to Amr Ibn El-Aas Mosque which is the very first mosque built in Egypt.

Then move to visit the important church Simon the Tanner (fl. 10th century), also known as Saint Simon the Shoemaker (Sam’ān al-Kharrāz) is the Coptic Orthodox saint associated with the story of the moving the Mokattam Mountain in Cairo, during the rule of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph al-Muizz Lideenillah (953-975) while Abraham the Syrian was the Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria. Simon the Tanner lived towards the end of the tenth century and many Coptic Christians in Egypt, who were also engaged in handicrafts. Saint Simon worked in tanning, a craft known there till this day. This profession involved other crafts that depend on the process, from when Simon carried several titles related to skins: Tanner, Cobbler, and Shoemaker. 

Before extending your trip, you will be served with a warm delightful lunch meal at a high-quality restaurant.

After Lunch visiting Egyptian Civilization, located near Old Cairo, at the archaeological site of Fustat which was the Egyptian capital about 1400 years ago, also known as the NEMEC Museum and overlooks Lake Ain Al-Sira. And very close to most of the Islamic and Coptic monuments in Cairo, it also displays collectibles from the Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic, Islamic and modern civilizations. The main exhibition hall displays the four main crafts that shaped the Egyptian civilization: pottery, wood, textiles and ornaments, and you can see there The oldest artificial finger worldwide, the skeleton of a man dating back 30,000 years, the Kiswa of the Kaaba which was last made in Egypt during the era of President Nasser and the Mahmal which carried the covering from Egypt to Saudi Arabia every year. In a large presentation, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is considered the first museum in the world that presents a comprehensive view of Egyptian civilization throughout history, from prehistoric times to modern history. A large part of the museum is the hall where the mummies are now displayed, not only that, wander the royal mummies hall, and see the golden sarcophagi and the remains of the pharaohs of the past. Find out more about famous rulers such as King Ramses II and Queen Hatshepsut Later, you will be transferred to hotel.

Overnight in Cairo

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before you leave to the airport for your flight back home. Ancient Egypt Tours representative will pick you up and transfer you to the airport.

­ 

Pick-up for international flights is 4 hours before departure time of your flight

For domestic flights, 3 hours before departure time is enough

If your flight is early before breakfast time you can make arrangements with the hotel to prepare a breakfast box for you to take it on your way to the airport.

­ 

Meals: Breakfast

­ 

Ancient Egypt Tours had a great time with you and hope you have enjoyed your time and was satisfied with the services you were offered