On arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be greeted by our local representative in Egypt for a brief meet and greet. Later, proceed to your city centre hotel in Cairo for check-in.

Cairo, the capital of Egypt, is the largest city in the Middle-East and Africa. Established more than a thousand years ago on the banks of the Nile river, Cairo is a fusion of the old and the new, with both the ancient Pyramids and contemporary skyscrapers dominating the skyline. A predominantly Muslim city today, it is called the city of a Thousand Minarets for its stunning Islamic architecture. The Christian character of the city is preserved in the region called Coptic Cairo which was visited by Jesus Christ as told in the New Testament.

Rest of the day has been kept free for you to explore Cairo at your own.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Cairo.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will proceed for a sight-seeing tour of Cairo.

We will begin our tour with a visit to the Egyptian Museum. One of the most famous museums in the world, it houses incredible artefacts from Ancient Egypt, the most famous being the treasures of King Tutankhamen and offers a perfect start to our Egyptian adventure. After the museum visit, we shall visit Khan El Khalili bazaar. Built in the 14th century, the bazaar is a medieval-style mall with a cluster of shops having a stock of everything from basic needs to rare antiques. Next, we will visit the highlight of our Egyptian Wonders tour – the only surviving wonder of the ancient world – the Great Pyramids of Giza. These massive iconic structures are burial site of the ancient emperors of Egypt and were the tallest structure in the world for 3800 years! We will go inside the pyramids to explore the tomb where the mummified body of the emperor was kept along with rich funerary gifts. Next, we will see the Sphinx sculpture which is sculpted in the shape of a man with the hunches of a lion. Associated to the Egyptian God Horus, it was built to guard the Great pyramids. Finally, we will enjoy the amazing Sound and Light show on the pyramids that informs about their story with an incredible interplay of light and sound effects.

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – You should definitely check out the Papyrus Museum which preserves and showcases the technique of producing ancient papyrus. Papyrus was used to make paper in ancient Egypt, writings on which have been preserved till today. The museum shows a demonstration on the making and use of Papyrus and houses beautiful handmade paintings made on this amazing material.

After breakfast, we will check out of the hotel to catch a flight for transfer to Luxor. Upon arrival at Luxor, we will proceed to the dock to check-in at our fabulous Nile cruise.

Luxor is a modern name given to the glorious of city of Thebes, the capital of ancient Egypt. The city is popularly called the greatest open-air museum in the world for the wealth of its majestic monuments. The city has a unique structure where the river Nile divides the city into two parts called the modern city and the prehistoric burial ground located on the west bank. The legendary power, treasure, and wealth of antiquity have lured travellers from all over the world. 

After freshening up on the cruise, we will disembark and proceed for a tour of the monuments of the East bank of Luxor. 

We will begin the tour with a visit to Karnak Temple. Dedicated to the king of Gods, Amun-Re, it was built over 2000 years by more than 30 different rulers, and is one of the largest religious complexes anywhere in the world. After Karnak temple, we will walk down the aisle of sphinxes to reach Luxor temple. The Luxor temple was built to celebrate the Pharaohs or kings of Egypt and is not dedicated to any God. Each year, the temple hosted the coronation ceremony where it was believed that God Amon was reborn in the king’s body to guide the citizens to fortune and wealth.

After the tour of the East bank of Luxor, we will return to the cruise. Overnight stay at the cruise in Luxor.

After having a delightful breakfast, we will go for an exploration tour to the West Bank city tour of Luxor.

We will begin our tour with a visit to the historical Landmark of Egypt i.e. Colossi of Memnon. The temple’s entrance is protected by two huge stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who ruled Egypt during the 18th Dynasty. Next, we shall will visit the Valley of the Kings. It is a royal burial site dating back to 2100 BC having a total of 63 royal tombs. Scenes from Egyptian mythology decorate the walls of these tombs giving insight into the religious beliefs and funerary rituals practiced in that period. After this, we shall proceed to the dazzling Temple of Hatshepsut. The beautifully crafted, almost modern-looking temple was commissioned by one of the first female pharaoh’s of Egypt. We will end our tour of the west bank of Luxor by visiting the glorious Valley of Queens that is home to the tombs of the wives and daughters of the Egyptian pharaohs.

After the tour, we will return back to the cruise for overnight stay.

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – Start the day early to enjoy a breath-taking hot air balloon ride in Luxor. It will be a spectacular experience of viewing the beautiful sunrise while taking the majestic view of the valley of the kings, sparkling Nile river, and splendid Karnak complex.

Early morning, the cruise docks at Edfu. After breakfast, we shall disembark for a tour of Edfu temple.

After Egypt was overtaken by Alexander the great in 332 BC, Edfu became a flourishing Greek city in the upper part of the western bank of the Nile River. Here, we shall visit the surprisingly well-preserved Temple of Edfu which was built by Alexander’s military general, Ptolemy I, who he had installed to oversee Egypt. After years of decline and abandonment, the temple got buried under the sand which led to its preservation in such a fantastic shape as seen today. The temple, dedicated to the falcon God Horus, informs us about ancient rituals practiced at that time.

After the tour of Edfu temple, we will return to the cruise and set sail for the city of Kom Ombo. Upon reaching the city, we will disembark from the cruise and visit the Temple of Sobek and Horus there.

Dedicated to two Gods, both enemies, Sobek and Horus, the temple is one of the most unique temples in Egypt. Sobek is the God of Crocodiles, which ruled the areas in present day Kon Ombo and threatened the lives of people and livestock. It was believed that if they worshipped Sobek, the crocodiles would not harm them. At the temple, you will find the rare mummified bodies of crocodiles at the new Crocodile Museum.

After the temple tour, we will return to the cruise for an overnight stay.

Early morning, the cruise docks at its final port in Aswan. After breakfast, we shall check-out from the cruise and proceed to our hotel in the city of Aswan and check-in.

Aswan is a small town that lied at the southern boundary of Pharaonic Egypt. Tolls and Customs were levied here on all boats passing through it. The quarry’s of this garrison town supplied granite for building of monuments throughout Egypt including the granite used in the interior chambers in the great pyramids of Giza. Even today, its granite is quarried and the town has become a large industrial centre producing copper, steel, chemical fertilizers and sugar.

After freshening up at the hotel, we will proceed for a sightseeing tour of the city. We shall start the tour with a visit to Aswan’s high dam. The dam is of significant importance to Egyptians as it prevented the great annual flooding of Nile river that has been happening since antiquity. Next, we will visit the site of the Unfinished Obelisk. The large obelisk was left unfinished by its masons because of a flaw that appeared during the later stages of its construction. Its discovery has given great insights into the construction process of these gigantic structures. We will conclude the sightseeing tour at Temple of Philae which is dedicated to Goddess Isis. The fantastic temple was submerged under water until a team of historians discovered it and transported the entire temple to a nearby island.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Aswan.

SEGV’S RECOMMENDATION – During your visit to the city of Aswan, a visit to the colourful Nubian village is a must. Apart from marvelling at the vividly decorated mud houses, you can interact with the villagers as they are known to be extremely friendly. Also can relish the unique Nubian cuisine prepared from locally-sourced spices and scour the markets for beautiful souvenirs such as trinkets, roasted nuts and Nubian dolls. The Nubian museum in Aswan is also a great place to learn about the amazing Nubian culture and history.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will check out and proceed to Abu Simbel village to explore the famous temples located there.

A UNESCO World heritage site, Abu Simbel is a complex of two spectacular temples that were carved out from the cliff built of sandstone rock during the reign of King Ramses II. We will begin the exploration of this complex with a visit to the main temple which is named after Ramses II himself. This temple is dedicated to sun god Amun-Re and has four huge statues of king Ramses II guarding the entrance to the temple door. The walls are decorated with scenes from the battle of Kadesh which was fought between the Egyptians under King Ramses II and Hitties of Syria.

Next we will visit the smaller temple dedicated to Goddess Hathor, the Goddess of love and fertility, and has colossal statues of King Ramses II and his wife, Queen Nefertari decorating the entrance to this temple.

After the temple tour, we will return to the city of Aswan. After reaching there we will board a flight to Cairo. Upon reaching Cairo, we will check-in our city-centre hotel there.

Overnight stay at the hotel in Cairo.

After breakfast at the hotel, we check out from the hotel and transfer to the Cairo International Airport to board your return flight to India.

Arrive home with pleasant memories of your Egypt tour organised by State Express Global Voyages, which we are sure you will treasure for a lifetime.