8-day Egypt adventure: Cairo exploration and Nile River cruise

Our Marsa Alam tour representative will greet you upon arrival at Cairo International Airport and arrange your transfer via private air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel. Check in and relax after your journey. Spend the evening at your leisure to acclimate. Overnight accommodation in Cairo.

Your guide will collect you from your Cairo hotel to commence an exceptional day exploring The Pyramids of Giza ( Cheops , Chephren and Mykerinus . Visit the iconic Great Sphinx and discover the Valley Temple Then explore the Egyptian Museum , which houses a remarkable collection exceeding 250,000 authentic artifacts spanning 5000 years , featuring the celebrated Tutankhamen exhibition with royal treasures, precious metals, and ornaments entombed for 3,500 years before discovery in 1920.
Note: Mummy chamber access requires separate paid entry. Evening return to your Cairo hotel.

Depart your Cairo hotel for Cairo airport and fly to Luxor . Upon arrival in Luxor , our agent will welcome you and arrange transfer to your Nile cruise ship for embarkation and lunch. Begin your riverside tour with visits to the East Bank, featuring Karnak Temple. Karnak transcends a single temple—it's an awe-inspiring Sanctuary Complex housing Kiosks, Monumental Pylons and Sacred Obelisks, Devoted to Theban Deities and Egypt's Pharaonic Glory. Karnak served as the Primary Worship Center for the Theban Trinity—Amun, Mut, and Khonso. Visit Luxor Temple, predominantly Constructed by Amenhotep III and Finalized by King Tutankhamon and Ramses II. The Primary Pylon bears Ramses II's Engraved Military Victory at Kadesh. Enjoy dinner and overnight on your cruise in Luxor .

After breakfast aboard, discover the West Bank's wonders, including the legendary Valley of the Kings—once revered as the Great Place of Truth. This sacred valley preserved royal tombs in monumental Stone Sarcophagi where Pharaohs awaited eternal life. Behind Deir el Bahri, a distinctive Pyramid-shaped Peak dominates the landscape. Marvel at the Memnon Colossi: two massive paired statues towering 18 meters, remnants of Amenhotep III's once-largest West Bank complex. Experience the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut—a multi-tiered masterpiece carved from the golden limestone cliffs where human artistry and Nature merge seamlessly into an unforgettable monument. At 13:00, sail to Esna lock with lunch served during passage. Arrive Esna at 18:00, then continue sailing to Edfu. Enjoy dinner and overnight aboard your cruise in Edfu.

Commence your day with breakfast aboard. At 07:00, visit Edfu Temple—an Upper Egyptian masterpiece dominated by a meticulously Preserved Structure dedicated to Horus, the Falcon God. This Ptolemaic Temple of Horus, constructed between the reigns of Ptolemy III (246 B.C.) and built upon an earlier sacred site, displays inscribed Mythological Narratives including the legendary Contest between Horus and Seth, likely performed annually as religious theater. At 09:30, sail toward Kom Ombo with lunch served onboard during passage. Arrive Kom Ombo at 15:30 to visit its unique Double Temple—located 40 km north of Aswan and dedicated to both Sobek and Horus. This architectural wonder flourished primarily during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods (332 B.C.–395 A.D.). Depart at 17:30 for Aswan with dinner service underway. Arrive Aswan at 21:00 for overnight accommodation aboard your cruise.

Start with breakfast aboard. At 08:00, explore Aswan's treasures including Philae Temple and an enchanting Felucca sailing adventure circumnavigating Elephantine Island, viewing the majestic High Dam and the incomparable Unfinished Obelisk. Philae Temple stands as an architectural testament to Isis, the last sanctuary built in classical Egyptian tradition. Its construction commenced around 690 B.C., representing one of antiquity's final bastions of goddess worship. The Aswan High Dam—an impressive rock-fill structure anchoring Egypt's northern border with Sudan, fed by the Nile's flow to form Lake Nasser—began construction in 1960, concluded in 1968, and was officially dedicated in 1971. The Unfinished Obelisk resides in Aswan's northern quarries, revealing invaluable insights into ancient Egyptian quarrying techniques. This granite monolith, measuring nearly 42 meters when three-fourths complete, weighs an extraordinary 1168 tonnes—the heaviest single-stone achievement in Egyptian engineering history. At 12:00, return for lunch aboard. Conclude with dinner and overnight accommodation on your cruise.

Optional excursion to Abu Simbel. The twin temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari were masterfully carved from mountainside rock along the Nile's western flank between 1274 and 1244 B.C. The Great Temple honored Ramses II, Ra-Harakhty, Amun-Ra, and Ptah, crowned with 4 colossal sculptured figures. The second sanctuary revered Queen Nefertari alongside the goddess Hathor. Following the Aswan Dam's construction threatening submersion, UNESCO undertook an extraordinary conservation initiative: both temples were meticulously extracted block-by-block and reconstructed on elevated terrain. This monumental preservation effort stands as UNESCO's most celebrated engineering triumph. Following your optional Abu Simbel exploration, fly from Aswan back to Cairo and transfer to your hotel in Cairo.

Depart your hotel at 08:00 with your Egyptologist guide for an immersive 8-hour Cairo experience featuring Old Cairo and Islamic Cairo's vibrant heritage and historical landmarks. Journey to Saladin Citadel, erected by Salah al-Din atop Moqattam Hills in 1183 A.D. as protection against Crusader incursions. This preserved historic stronghold offers pristine air and panoramic Cairo vistas, hosting mosques and museums including the celebrated Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha. Designed by Turkish architect Yousif Boushnaq, specially summoned from Istanbul, the mosque's luminous alabaster facade creates harmonious contrast with Cairo's rustic sandstone architecture. Enjoy lunch at an authentic local restaurant in Old Cairo. Subsequently, explore Old Cairo's sacred landmarks: the Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Church of St. Barbara, and Church of Abu Serga—one of Cairo's most ancient Coptic sanctuaries. Conclude your journey at Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, among the world's oldest and most storied marketplace traditions. Return to your Cairo hotel.

Enjoy a final breakfast at the hotel. Our representative will then escort you to the airport, guiding you through all departure procedures and farewell formalities. (B)