Pyramids & Nile Cruise

Cairo, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna & Luxor

The birthplace of one of the greatest civilizations ever known, Egypt retains the glory of the past in its extraordinary pyramids and temples. Over the centuries, through the Pharaohs, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, and Europeans, Egypt's eternal river of life, the Nile, has flowed on. Your deluxe hotel in Cairo is located on its bank, with a view that will enthrall even the most well-traveled visitor.

Our Pyramids & Nile Cruise tour features flights, 5-star deluxe hotel accommodations, a lavish buffet breakfast daily, transfers, and a guided tour of the great Pyramids at Giza and Sphinx. Plus, enjoy a three-day deluxe cruise on the Nile River aboard the M/S  Tulip. Visit the fabulous temples and tombs at Karnak and Luxor, the engineering marvel of the Aswan Dam, and the Temples of Philae, Kom Ombo and Edfu. Explore further on your own or take advantage of fascinating optional tours. Round out your vacation by adding an extension to the fabulous Lost City of Petra in Jordan. This is a spectacular journey for a truly spectacular price!

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA. Your fascinating journey to Egypt begins this evening as you depart JFK International Airport in New York for your non-stop, overnight flight to Cairo.

Day 2: Cairo. Midday arrival in Cairo, where East and West come together in a wonderful and chaotic mix of old and new. You'll be met by our representatives in Cairo and assisted with visa and customs formalities. Proceed to check in at your centrally located 5-star hotel overlooking the Nile River.

You’ll have the rest of the day to explore independently. Or, join an optional tour to the Old City of Cairo, where you'll visit the Christian and Jewish Quarters as well as some of the city's significant sites, including Abu Serga, Hanging Church, and Ibn Ezra Synagogue ($25 per person). Ramses Hilton

Day 3: Cairo & Aswan. Transfer to the airport this morning for the flight to Aswan, Egypt's southernmost city and the crossroads of the ancient caravan routes. Transfer to the pier for embarkation and lunch aboard. This afternoon enjoy a tour by felucca (a small, swift Egyptian sailboat) around Elephantine Island, once the center of modern Aswan.

Before returning to your cruise ship for dinner and evening activities, you'll visit the magnificent Botanical Gardens of Lord Kitchener. Tonight, join an optional excursion to the Temple of Philae for a Sound and Light Show. Enjoy the spectacular lights of this multimedia presentation which vividly reveals the form and majesty of this ancient site. Walk through the dramatically lit temple as its history is narrated ($45 per person). M/S Tulip or M/S Tamr Henna Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Abu Simbel Optional Tour: Take advantage of a special opportunity to visit the fascinating site of Abu Simbel. The Abu Simbel Optional Tour departs early morning on Day 4 and costs $199 per person, if reserved and prepaid. Since space is limited and arrangements are difficult once you arrive in Egypt, we strongly recommend prior booking of this fantastic extra tour. We cannot guarantee availability on the Abu Simbel optional tour unless booked in advance.

Day 4: Aswan, Kom Ombo & Edfu. Today, you'll visit Aswan's High Dam, which controls the Nile and is a major source of hydroelectric power in Egypt, and Philae Island with its temple dedicated to Isis. (An optional tour to Abu Simbel is available early this morning). After lunch, sail to Kom Ombo, where, in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank. The Temple of Kom Ombo is unique in all of Egypt and is shared by the two gods Sobek and Haroeris. Continue sailing to Edfu. Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 5: Edfu, Esna, & Luxor. Today's visits include the Temple of Edfu, a Greek-built monument to Horus, falcon-headed son of Osiris. It took about 200 years to complete and has helped fill in many gaps of knowledge about the Pharaonic architecture that it imitates. Sail to Esna, and cross Esna Lock to Luxor, one of Egypt's greatest attractions for the sheer grandeur of its monumental architecture and excellent state of preservation. Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 6: Luxor & Cairo. After breakfast, disembark and board your touring coach to visit the West Bank of the Nile and the Valley of the Kings, where 64 of Egypt's Pharaohs have their royal tombs hewn into the sheer rock. Continue to the impressive Deir El Bahari mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, an architectural wonder built against the backdrop of a looming cliff face and the Colossi of Memnon, two huge seated statues of Amenhotep III.

Highlights of today's tour are visits to the Temple of Karnak, one of the most overwhelming monuments of the Pharaonic legacy, with work carried out on the temples over a period of 1500 years, and Luxor Temple, strikingly graceful and added to over the centuries by Tutankhamen, Ramses II, Alexander the Great and others. Late afternoon flight back to Cairo. Ramses Hilton or Sheraton Cairo Hotel, Towers & Casino Breakfast provided.

Day 7: Cairo, Pyramids & Sphinx. This morning, your guide will escort you on a fascinating tour of the most famous of all sites in Egypt—the Pyramids of Cheops and Chephren. These monuments have stood for 46 centuries and are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, possibly the most visited monuments of Egypt. The Sphinx, a feline character with the body of a lion and the face of Khufu (Cheops in Greek) is 50 meters long and 22 meters high. Carved from a single stone, it lies just before the Pyramids, and even today its meaning and origin remain shrouded in mystery.

After the tour, enjoy the rest of the day to explore Cairo on your own. Your hotel is conveniently located near such tourist sites as the Egyptian Museum and the city's shopping district. Or, enjoy an optional afternoon tour to the Egyptian Museum, where you'll see, among other treasures, the priceless antiquities of Tutankhamen's tomb ($30 per person). Continue to the world-famous Khan El Khalili bazaars, where the sights, sounds, spices and exotic clothing and jewelry, hand-hammered copper, ceramic ware and other treasures are waiting for your deft bargaining to win them at astounding prices. Another optional this evening includes a fun-filled farewell dinner with entertainment on a floating restaurant on the Nile River ($45 per person). Both optional tours are part of the optional tour special package. (See note under prices.) Breakfast provided.

Day 8: Cairo/USA. Today you'll be escorted to the airport as you bid farewell to Cairo and board your return flight to the USA. Your fascinating journey comes to an end as you arrive in the USA later today. Or, why not take advantage of your already-included airfare to extend your stay at the mysterious, rose-red city of Petra in Jordan! Breakfast provided.

Optional Tours Package

In order to help you maximize your time (and stretch your budget) we offer a discounted package of 3 popular optionals that includes a half day of guided touring of the Old City and Egyptian Museum, the spectacular Sound and Light Show at the Philae Temple, and a farewell dinner cruise on the Nile, with entertainment. (These tours, when purchased individually in Cairo, cost $135.)

Lost City of Petra Extension

Filming Location of Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade

The ancient city of Petra is hidden among the ancient canyons of southern Jordan, where it was half-carved, half-built more than 2000 years ago by an industrious Arab people, the Nabateans. You'll marvel at the spectacular setting deep inside a narrow desert gorge, which suddenly and dramatically opens into a wide plaza with Petra's most famous monument, the Treasury, soaring before you. During your visit you'll stay at the deluxe Taybet Zaman village, a lovely and enchanting recreation of an ancient Nabatean village, complete with winding paths, narrow passages, and rooms decorated like the Bedouin tents still found deep in the deserts of the region.

Day 8: Cairo/Amman. Enjoy the morning at leisure in Cairo. Later this afternoon transfer to the airport for the short flight to Amman. After customs formalities, transfer to your hotel. Landmark Hotel Amman Breakfast & dinner provided.

Day 9: Amman/Petra. Early morning departure via the Kings Highway to the lost city of Petra. Your guided tour begins with a ride on horseback and then a walk through the Siq, a narrow gorge flanked by huge cliffs.

As you reach the end of the Siq, you'll behold the breathtaking sight of the Treasury, its elaborately carved façade looming high above you. Spend the rest of the day touring the various tombs and structures in this site and marveling at the artistry and creativity that must have inspired the Nabateans to construct so marvelous and dramatic a city. Late this afternoon, drive to your deluxe hotel, located only 9 km from the archeological site of Petra, where you'll enjoy a spectacular view of the ancient site and surrounding mountains. Taybet Zaman Breakfast & dinner provided.

Day 10: Petra/Amman/Cairo. This morning enjoy some leisure time at your hotel. Among the amenities are a Turkish Bath, an outdoor swimming pool, museum and Souk (market) where pottery, weaving and other crafts are produced on site. Later this afternoon, drive north to Madaba, where you'll view the oldest preserved ancient mosaic map of the Holy Lands. Enjoy an opportunity to see the ancient art of Madaba rug weaving on traditional hand looms before heading to the city of Amman for a panoramic tour of Jordan's modern capital. Later, drive to the airport for your return flight to Cairo. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel. Le Passage (ex Movenpick Heliopolis) Breakfast provided.

Day 11: Cairo/USA. Today you'll be escorted to the airport as you bid farewell to Cairo and board your return flight to the USA. Your fascinating journey comes to an end as you arrive in the USA later today.

The Lost City of Petra Extension requires a minimum of 10 passengers in order to operate.

Destination FAQs

For quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions about travel to Egypt, click here.

For quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions about travel to Jordan, click here.