Egypt & the Nile Tour

12 Days from $2,749 USD

Please note: A visa is required for U.S. and Canadian passport holders to enter Egypt.

Take an unforgettable 12-day tour through the stunning pyramids of Egypt. Cruise along the Nile and visit the numerous temples that make Egypt so famous. You’ll discover firsthand the rich, ancient culture of this magnificent country.

You are viewing the 2010 itinerary
The 2011 itinerary and pricing are different for this tour. Click here to view the 2011 itinerary.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 - Giza & the Pyramids

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Cairo aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 - Giza & the Pyramids

Welcome to Egypt! A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and then escorts you to your hotel in Giza. The rest of the day is free. At an included dinner this evening, meet your fellow travelers.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 - Giza & the Pyramids

Your Tour Director, also a professional Egyptologist, is an expert in the history and anthropology of the regions on tour. Today, your Tour Director leads a fascinating tour of ancient Egypt. The Pyramids of Giza are the only “Wonder of the Ancient World” to have survived to the modern era, and your guided sightseeing tour introduces you to the three pyramids here, including the stunning Great Pyramid of Cheops. Then visit the enigmatic Sphinx. Continue to Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara, Memphis

Day 4 - Giza & the Pyramids

Today is yours to explore Giza on your own, or join an optional excursion to Alexandria (weather permitting), where you’ll see the new Library of Alexandria, the Catacombs, Montassa and the Amphi Theater.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Alexandria $105 USD

Alexandria

Travel to Egypt’s second-largest city. Visit Alexandria Library, where you’ll have a brief tour with the currator followed by free time to explore. Next, visit the Catacombs of Kom el-Shogafa, Egypt’s largest known Roman funerary complex. Lunch is included.

Please note: This optional only runs as long as weather permits.

Day 5 - Aswan

Fly from Cairo to Aswan. You’ll then take a felucca (boat) ride past Elephantine Island, on which lies the frontier fortress of Egypt. The island takes its name from the dark granite rocks at its southern end, which resemble a herd of elephants bathing in the river. Also view the mausoleum of Agha Khan, which is perched on a hill affording panoramic views. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 6 - Nile River Cruise

Opt for a trip to Abu Simbel and the Temple of Ramses II. Then embark upon your cruise.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Abu Simbel $295 USD

Abu Simbel

In Abu Simbel, visit the Temples of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari, relocated block by block on the shore of Lake Nasser after the Aswan High Dam’s construction.

Please note: This excursion requires advance booking and payment at least 35 days prior to departure.

Day 7 - Nile River Cruise

Enjoy a visit to the Aswan Dam, one of the greatest engineering projects of the 20th century. Also, gaze upon the Temple of Isis at Philae and the “unfinished Obelisk,” once destined to be the largest structure of worked stone in the world.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8 - Nile River Cruise

Visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, built during the Greco-Roman period. The temple is noted for its twin deities, Sobek and Horus. Next, sail to Edfu to visit the Temple of Horus. Built nearly 2,000 years ago, this amazingly well-preserved temple is a perfect example of the architecture of its era.
Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9 - Nile River Cruise

Spend the morning at your leisure. This afternoon, explore the painstakingly excavated Temples of Karnak and Luxor, once connected by an avenue of sphinxes. Your Tour Director/Egyptologist takes you inside the temples for guided tours and leads you to the secluded Valley of the Kings, a series of tombs hidden in the Theban Hills. This “Place of Truth,”as the ancient Egyptians called it, is the location of the tombs of Pharaohs Tutankhamun and Ramses. You’ll enter the tombs for a tour.
Then visit and tour the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, devoted to one of the few female pharaohs. Also view the 64-foot-high Colossi of Memnon and tour the Valley of Nobles, whose temples depict amazing scenes of daily Egyptian life. Tonight, opt to attend a sound and light show.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Sound and Light Show $45 USD

Sound and Light Show

After sunset, the area around the Karnak temples is cleared for the Sound and Light Show. Watch a performance of synchronized light and music  amid the ancient monuments of Egypt.

Please note: Travelers are advised to bring a flashlight and comfortable shoes. Also, this excursion involves walking on uneven terrain.

Day 10 - Cairo

Disembark from your cruise and fly from Luxor to Cairo. Later, join an optional Egyptian Folklore Dinner.
Included meals: breakfast

Egyptian Folklore Dinner $75 USD

Egyptian Folklore Dinner

Board a Nile riverboat for this evening’s dinner and live performance. Savor local specialties and Egyptian delicacies while a troupe of performers show you age-old music and dance traditions.

Day 11 - Cairo

Your Tour Director/Egyptologist leads a sight-seeing tour of Cairo. The city’s mosques, of which there are more than 500, display some of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the world. Visit the Citadel and Mohammed Ali Mosque, also known as the Alabaster Mosque. Built in the 12th century by mighty Salah el-Din, the Citadel was originally used as a fortress and was the residence of the Sultans until 1850. Also visit the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, which houses the famous masks of Tutankhamen. After, you may join our optional Cairo Lunch excursion. Later, you may wish to spend your free time roaming through the winding streets and alleyways of the Khan-el Khalili Bazaar. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Alabaster Mosque, Citadel of Salah El Din, Egyptian Antiquities Museum

Cairo Lunch $24 USD

Cairo Lunch

Visit a local restaurant to savor a collection of dishes, ranging from Egyptian mezze (small dishes, usually with bread or rice topped with dipping sauces) to kebab (grilled beef, chicken or lamb).

Day 12 - Cairo

Transfer to the airport for your departure home or journey to Sinai for our beach resort extension.
Included meals: breakfast (boxed by the Cairo hotel)

Extend Your Stay

Red Sea Resort
Add 5 nights in Red Sea Resort for only $799 USD (Single room: add $150 USD)

One of the largest tourist destinations in the Middle East, Sharm el-Sheik was once just a small fishing village of 100 people. Today, it offers gorgeous beaches and has one of the finest diving spots in the world. A trip through this untamed desert mountain range is an unforgettable adventure as you move from mountain to desert to sea.

Please note: A visa is required for U.S. and Canadian passport holders to enter Egypt.

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