9 days from $2099*

Includes airfare, fuel surcharges, great hotels, transfers, many meals, touring and more!

Once again, Friendly Planet is defying skyrocketing travel prices to bring you a fantastic, truly first class Egypt vacation deal fit for a pharaoh. You'll see the famous sphinx & pyramids at Giza, the temples at Luxor & Edfu, King Tut's tomb, old Cairo & much more, plus enjoy 4 nights on a luxury cruise on the Nile. Top it all off with an optional extension to the lost city of Petra and Amman in Jordan!

Detailed Itinerary - December 25, 2010

All departures except Dec 25 follow the standard itinerary.

Day 1: Depart USA. Your fascinating journey to Egypt begins this evening as you depart New York (JFK) for your flight to Cairo.

Day 2: Cairo. 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 transferred to your hotel.

Proceed to check in at your hotel and enjoy time to explore Cairo independently, including downtown shopping districts, restaurants, and the famous Egyptian Museum. Or rest from your flight and enjoy the facilities at your hotel. This evening, join your fellow travelers on an optional dinner cruise with entertainment aboard a floating Nile River restaurant ($75). Ramses Hilton or Cairo Sheraton (B)

Day 3: Cairo & Luxor. Transfer to the airport this morning for the flight to Luxor, capital of the New Kingdom when Pharoah Ahmos, in 1580 BC, drove foreign invaders (the Hyksos) from Lower Egypt. It was then that Luxor became a grand city of luxurious palaces, huge temples, large gardens, as well as an important diplomatic and trade center of the ancient world. Transfer from the airport to the pier for embarkation aboard your deluxe Nile cruise ship, the M/S Tulip. Settle into your cabin and enjoy lunch aboard.

This afternoon, visit the East Bank of the Nile. Highlights of today's tour include 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. M/S Tulip (B,L,D)

Day 4: Luxor & Esna. 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. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Esna, Edfu & Kom Ombo. Your cruise ship sails from Esna to Edfu. As you go south, you will have an opportunity to view rural life in Egypt. The crops, methods of farming, animals and irrigation systems have changed little from 4,000 years ago. Here you best appreciate the fascinating contrast of ancient and modern ways of life, which coexist in Egypt and make it one of the world's most interesting of travel destinations.

At Edfu, you'll see the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best preserved temple. Afterward, board your ship and 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. These Ptolemaic temples overlook the Nile and feature fascinating drawings on the walls, including detailed drawings of surgical instruments. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Kom Ombo & Aswan. Sail to Aswan, the gateway to Africa for the ancient Egyptians. Originally called "Sain" from "sanite", the red granite extracted form its quarries, Aswan became a hub of trade in spices, leather, ivory, fruit, grains, baskets and mummified and living crocodiles. An optional tour to Abu Simbel, the site of the Great Temple of Ramses II and one of the most magnificent of all temples in Egypt, is available early this morning.

Abu Simbel Tour: This extra optional tour is $265/person, if reserved and prepaid. Space is limited and we cannot guarantee availability once you arrive in Egypt, so we strongly recommend booking in advance.

After lunch aboard your cruise ship, visit Philae Temple which for centuries was the holiest site for Isis worshippers. The temple was officially closed down in the 6th century A.D. by the Byzantine emperor Justinian and was & the last pagan temple to exist in the Mediterranean world. After the construction of the Aswan Dam, the half-submerged Temple complex was completely dismantled and rebuilt to the original orientation on the nearby island of Agilika, which rises higher from the water and has been reshaped and landscaped to resemble the original Philae. Metal pylons on the old island of Philae can still be seen rising from the water to the south of Agilika.

Before returning to your cruise ship, enjoy a tour by felucca (a small, swift Egyptian sailboat) around Elephantine Island, once the center of modern Aswan. Conclude today's sightseeing at the magnificent Botanical Gardens of Lord Kitchener. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Aswan & Cairo. This morning's visits include Aswan's High Dam, which controls the Nile and is a major source of hydroelectric power in Egypt. Also visit the granite quarries where a huge, cracked obelisk will clearly demonstrate how the giant stones were carved from rock. Transfer to Aswan airport for the short flight back to Cairo.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore the city on your own. Or, take advantage of an optional guided tour of Old Cairo ($45), including the Citadel of Saladin, built on the remains of a Crusader-style fortress and the Alabaster Mosque. 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 await your deft bargaining to win them at astounding prices.

This evening, enjoy a Gala New Year Dinner at your hotel in Cairo. Ramses Hilton or Cairo Sheraton (B,D)

Day 8: Cairo, Pyramids & Sphinx. This morning, after a well deserved rest and breakfast, 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.

The afternoon is yours to explore Cairo on your own, or take advantage of an optional afternoon tour to the Egyptian Museum, where you'll see, among other treasures, the priceless antiquities of Tutankhamen's tomb ($45). (B)

Day 9: 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. (B)

Optional Tours in Egypt

To take full advantage of your visit to Egypt, we offer several optional tours to other "must see" sites. These are not "seat in coach" tours that pick up passengers in various hotels. All the optional tours are operated for Friendly Planet groups only.

• Dinner cruise on the Nile, with entertainment
• Half-day of guided touring of Cairo's Old City
• Half-day guided tour of the Egyptian Museum and the Khan El Khalili bazaars

These optional tours are available for the special package price of $140/person when booked and prepaid prior to departure.* Optional tours will be available for booking individually in Egypt for a little more. We regret that we cannot accept bookings for the pre-paid optional tours package within 75 days from departure or after final payment has been received.

Destination FAQs

Quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Egypt.

Pyramids & Nile Cruise
Included Features

• On the Pyramids & Nile Cruise, round trip flights from New York (JFK) via EgyptAir including fuel surcharges (flight schedule)
• Pyramids, Nile Cruise & Petra, round trip flights from New York (JFK) via Royal Jordanian Airlines including fuel surcharges. (flight schedule)
• Pyramids, Nile Cruise, & Petra September 8 & October 6 departures will fly via Egypt Air (flight schedule) and will depart on the same day as the Pyramids & Nile Cruise main tour.
• Arrival and departure transfers with meeting, assistance and porterage
• All intra-Egypt flights and ground transportation
• Five star hotel accommodations at the Ramses Hilton or Cairo Sheraton
• 4 nights aboard the 5-star Tamr Henna ship in outside balcony cabin
• Buffet breakfast daily and all meals aboard the cruise, including mineral water and complimentary local wine and local beer (B,L,D)
• Half day of included touring in Cairo featuring the famous Pyramids at Giza and the Sphinx.
• Optional Extension to the Lost City of Petra in Jordan

Pyramids & Nile Cruise Departures & Prices* Depart Return Book by Oct 20 After Oct 20 2010 DEPARTURES Jun 2 Jun 10 $2399 Jun 16 Jun 24 $2399 Jul 7 Jul 15 $2399 Jul 21 Jul 29 $2399 Aug 4 Aug 12 $2399 Sep 8 Sep 16 $1599 Sep 15 Sep 23 $1599 Sep 22 Sep 30 $1599 Sep 29 Oct 7 $1699 Oct 6 Oct 14 $1899 Oct 20 Oct 28 $2099 $2399 Nov 17 Nov 25 $2099 $2399 Nov 24 Dec 2 $2099 $2399 Dec 1 Dec 9 $1799 $2099 Dec 8 Dec 16 $1899 $2199 Dec 25 Jan 2 $2699 $2999 2011 DEPARTURES Jan 12 Jan 20 $1999 $2299 Jan 26 Feb 3 $2099 $2399 Feb 9 Feb 17 $2099 $2399 Feb 23 Mar 3 $2099 $2399 Mar 9 Mar 17 $2099 $2399 Mar 16 Mar 24 $2099 $2399 Apr 6 Apr 14 $2099 $2399 Apr 27 May 5 $2399 $2699 May 4 May 12 $1699 $1999

Tour prices are per person, double occupancy, including airfare. Prices in red reflect an early booking discount if you reserve by Oct. 20, 2010. * Prices do not include Additional Taxes, Fees & September 11th Security Fee for this tour of $100.

Pyramids & Nile Cruise plus Petra Departures & Prices* Depart Return Book by Oct 20 After Oct 20 2010 DEPARTURES Jun 1 Jun 13 $2999 Jun 15 Jun 27 $2999 Jul 6 Jul 18 $2999 Jul 21 Aug 1 $3099 Aug 4 Aug 15 $2999 Sep 8 Sep 19 $2499 Oct 6 Oct 17 $2799 Nov 17 Nov 28 $2799 $3099 Nov 23 Dec 5 $2799 $3099 Dec 1 Dec 12 $2699 $2999 Dec 8 Dec 19 $2799 $3099 2011 DEPARTURES Jan 12 Jan 23 $2799 $3099 Jan 26 Feb 6 $2799 $3099 Feb 9 Feb 20 $2799 $3099 Feb 23 Mar 6 $2799 $3099 Mar 16 Mar 27 $2799 $3099 Apr 6 Apr 17 $2799 $3099 Apr 27 May 8 $3099 $3399 May 4 May 15 $2899 $3199

Tour prices are per person, double occupancy, including airfare. Prices in red reflect an early booking discount if you reserve by Oct. 20, 2010. * Prices do not include Additional Taxes, Fees & September 11th Security Fee for this tour of $150.

Pyramids & Nile Cruise Taxes and Fees Service Price Additional Taxes, Fees & September 11th Security Fee +$100 Egyptian Visa Fee +$28

Pyramids & Nile Cruise plus Petra Taxes & Fees Service Price Additional Taxes, Fees, & September 11 Security Fee +$150 Egyptian Visa Fee +$28

Pyramids & Nile Cruise Optionals & Upgrades Service Price Discounted Optional Tours Package +$140 Abu Simbel Optional Tour +$265 Single Room Supplement   Oct 6, Nov 17, Nov 24, Dec 1, Dec 8, Jan 12, Jan 26, Feb 9, Feb 23, Mar 9, Mar 16, Apr 6 +$498 Mar 31 +$548 Dec 25, Apr 27 +$698 All other departures +$398 Cruise Single Supplement (for third passenger in party of 3)*   Dec 25, Apr 27 +$529 All other departures +$339

* This cruise supplement applies only to the third passenger in a party of three. Triple occupancy hotel rooms are available on this tour. However, triple occupancy cabins are not available on the cruise ship. The cruise supplement listed above provides a single cabin on the cruise portion of the tour.

Pyramids & Nile Cruise plus Petra Optionals & Upgrades Service Price Discounted Optional Tours Package-Cairo & Amman +$240 Abu Simbel Optional Tour +$265 Single Room Supplement   Jun 1, Jul 6, Jul 21, Aug 4 +$658 All other departures +$738 Cruise Single Supplement (for third passenger in party of 3)*   Apr 27 +$499 All other departures +$339

* This cruise supplement applies only to the third passenger in a party of three. Triple occupancy hotel rooms are available on this tour. However, triple occupancy cabins are not available on the cruise ship. The cruise supplement listed above provides a single cabin on the cruise portion of the tour.

Departure Airport: This tour departs from New York Kennedy International (JFK).

Coming from somewhere else? Unfortunately, we don't offer departures from other cities for this tour, but you can book your own connecting flights separately.

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* Prices shown are good while inventory lasts, may reflect an early booking discount, and do not include Additional Taxes, Fees & September 11th Security Fee.

Though we do our best to provide accurate and up-to-date information on our site about our tours, sometimes oversights and typographical errors can occur. Please confirm all tour prices and details with us via email or phone prior to booking. We will not be held responsible for misunderstandings arising from such errors.