Grand and Mysterious Egypt: Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor & More

Upon arrival into Cairo International Airport you will be met by Goway's local representative and transferred to your hotel. You will be presented with full documentation if required, including domestic airline tickets. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or explore on your own.

Cairo, the Triumphant City, is the glorious capital of Egypt, the cradle of civilization and the beacon of religion. It is the largest city in the Middle East and Africa and lies at the centre of all routes leading to and from the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Greater Cairo extends on the banks of the River Nile to the south of its delta. Here, the Nile divides into two tributaries, the Rosetta and the Damietta. On its East Side stands the evidence of 2000 years of Islamic, Christian Coptic and Jewish culture still flourishing to this day. On its West Side lies the Ancient Egyptian city of Memphis (Giza), the renowned capital of the Old Kingdom and the site of the Pyramids, the only surviving wonder of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. Indeed, a journey through Cairo is a journey through time, a journey through the history of an immortal civilization.

Today, you will visit Cheops' Pyramid, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the Sphinx, the great god-lion sentinel. Built over 35 centuries ago, the towering pyramids were erected to preserve bodies and treasures for the afterlife. You will also visit the Solar Boat Museum, housing the spectacular funerary boats placed at the disposal of the King for his journey to the afterlife. You'll continue on to Memphis, the first capital of ancient Egypt, and Sakkara, the "City of the Dead", to see the step pyramid of King Zoser and the Wall of Cobras.

After breakfast at your hotel, embark on your day of sightseeing with your private guide. First stop - the Egyptian Museum is the most important depository of Egyptian antiquities anywhere in the world. It features artifacts from the Pharaonic and Graeco-Roman periods, including the celebrated mummies of ancient Egypt's king and Tut Ankh Amun treasures. Next its off to The Citadel, situated on a highly visible spur of the Mokattam Hills of Old Cairo, was the nerve center of Egypt for almost 700 years.

Construction of the grand structure began in 1176 and was completed by Muhammad Ali Pasha, ruler of Egypt in the late 19th century. Mamluk sultans and Turkish governors resided in the Citadel, which is among the most splendid monuments of medieval warfare in the world. Facing the Citadel is the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, built between 1356 and 1363 and perhaps the most majestic monument of Arab architecture in Egypt and the Mosque of Al Rifai was constructed in two phases over the period between 1869 and 1912, when it was finally completed. The tour also includes a visit to Khan ElKhalili, known as the Turkish bazaar during the Ottoman period, was built in 1382 by Emir Djaharks ElKhalili, in the heart of what was then Fatimid City. Until this day, the bazaar is a center of trade and communion in the city, and offers a wide array of antiques, handcrafts of gold, silver and copper as well as numerous old coffee shops and local restaurants which attract both Egyptians and tourists alike.

After an early breakfast at your hotel this morning, transfer by road to Alexandria. On arrival, begin your days sightseeing including Pompey Pillar, Catacombs, Montazah Gardens, National Museum and Library. Pompey's Pillar, a column of red Aswan granite standing some 90 feet high, with a circumference of 27 feet, the pillar was erected in honor of the Emperor Diocletian. The Alexandria National Museum which comprises of more than 1800 archaeological pieces narrates the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic, and modern history of Egypt. Aside from a library displaying books on 7 levels that form a 'pyramid of knowledge', the cultural complex also includes other specialized libraries, museums, exhibition areas, education centers, and an international conference center. The El Montazah Gardens is a 114-acre complex belonged to the family of Mohamed Ali, which ruled Egypt from the mid-19th century until 1952. It is surrounded by great walls and is adorned with beautiful gardens and palm trees. This is a wonderful spot to enjoy the beauty of Alexandria.

This morning, you will be picked up from your hotel after breakfast for your tour to Alamein. El Alamein is the place where the Allied forces of WWII gained a decisive victory of the Axis Forces. Today, the village located about 66 miles east of Alexandria, is mostly a port facility for shipping oil. However, it was once described by Churchill as having the best climate in the world. There are several hotels and a beach resort nearby. There is also a war museum with collectibles from the Battle of El Alamein and other North African battles. The only historical interest in this village would be related to WWII, and includes Italian and German military cemeteries on Tell el Eisa Hill just outside of town.

After breakfast, check out and transfer by road back to Cairo. This afternoon, enjoy a tour of Old Cairo including the many synagogues and churches before drop off at your hotel.

Old Cairo is the eldest district in the Egyptian capital; which was formerly the City of Phas built by Amr Ibn ElAas. In later centuries, Romans built the fortress Babylon in the area, remnants of which still exist. Later, Old Cairo became the center of Christianity in Egypt, with as many as 20 churches built within an area of one square mile. Only five of these historic churches remain today. The Coptic Museum was founded in 1910 by Marcus Simaika Pasha, and is the most recently built of Cairo's major museums. The museum is home to one of the richest collections of Coptic Christian art in the world, featuring antiquities of the Coptic period (300-1000 AD). Around 16,000 pieces are displayed in the museum, arranged where possible in a chronological order. The Ben Ezra Synagogue, located in Cairo center, was built by chief rabbi in Jerusalem Abraham Ben Ezra in the late 9th century within the walls of the Fortress of Babylon (as Old Cairo was known in ancient times). The basilica style temple is home to a Jewish heritage library, which includes a Torah on gazelle skin dating back to the fifth century BC. The synagogue is known principally for its storeroom, or Geniza, which housed a rich store of political, economic, and social books and manuscripts about the condition of Jews under Arab rule in Egypt in the Middle Ages.

Transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight to Luxor. On arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. This afternoon enjoy a visit to the Luxor Museum which houses a large collection of tremendously significant objects. These include statues from the famous cachette found buried in Luxor Temple, as well as a selection of items from the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel this morning before meeting your guide for your trip to Dendarah and Abydos. Hathor, the ancient Egyptian goddess of love and joy, was what Aphrodite was to the Greeks and Venus to the Romans. It was at Dendarah, some 60 kms north of Luxor that the Egyptians worshipped Hathor in a Temple. You will also include a visit to Abydos a further 60 kms drive north of Dendarah. Abydos occupies an important place in the religious history of Pharaonic Egypt. By the end of the Old Kingdom, its local god, Osiris, was the most prominent and popular of the Egyptian gods, since he was considered the god of afterlife. According to the popular tradition, Osiris head was buried in Abydos. Here Seti I and his son Ramses II built a beautiful temple in 1300BC.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to your Nile Cruise, your floating hotel for the next 5 days. After lunch, in an unforgettable excursion, you will drive to the Luxor Temple. Built largely by Amenhotep III and Ramses II, the temple served as the setting for the rituals of the festival of Opet, which was held to reconcile the human aspect of the ruler with his divine office.

Next, visit Karnak Temple, erected in 1928 BC as a small shrine dedicated to Amun the God of Thebes. The temple comprises of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples all constructed over 1300 years ago. The three main temples of Mut, Monthu and Amun are at the centre. Karnak is now the largest and oldest temple compound on earth.

Luxor is a city that has often been called the "world's greatest open air museum". With the number and preservation of monuments in the area, it is unparalleled to anywhere else in the world. Luxor is actually composed of three different areas: the city of Luxor - located on the east side of the Nile, the town of Karnak - located just north of Luxor, and Thebes - which is on the west side of the Nile across from Luxor.

Today visit the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at El-Deir, El-Bahari and the Colossi Memnon. The Valley of the Kings in Upper Egypt is home to many pharaonic tombs of the New Kingdom, including those of King Tutankhamun and Ramses the Great. Each king's formal name and title is inscribed in his tomb, which is also adorned with his images and statues. Most of the tombs were cut into limestone following a similar pattern: three corridors, an antechamber, and a sunken sarcophagus chamber.

The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty was built just north of the Middle Kingdom temple of Mentuhotep Nebhepetre, amid the bay of cliffs known as Deir El-Bahri. In ancient times the temple was called Djeser-djeseru, meaning the sacred of sacreds. The female pharaoh chose to build her temple in a valley sacred to the Theban Goddess of the west, on a direct axis with the Karnak Temple of Amun on the East Bank.

Return to your ship for lunch and set sail to Esna. This evening enjoy a Captain's Welcome Cocktail and dinner on board.

This morning you sail to Edfu. The main monument at Edfu is the Ptolemaic Temple of Horus on the edge of the town. The temple is perhaps the best-preserved in all of Egypt and ranks second behind Karnak, simply because of its immense size of approximately 230 by 400 feet with a pylon measuring over 100 feet high. At the temple's entrance stand two large black granite statues of Horus depicted as a falcon. The elaborate carvings on the walls of the temple are as beautiful as if they were carved just yesterday. Inside the temple is a small sanctuary where the priests of the day offered the best parts of the animals to the gods.

Return to the ship in time for lunch while sailing to Kom Ombo. On arrival, visit Kom Ombo, which is located on a bend in the river Nile about 50 km north of Aswan. Located on the east bank, it is home to an unusual double temple built during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. The temple is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris (Horus the Elder). Despite being badly damaged, the temple is a beautiful sight as one approaches from either direction on the river, particularly as sunset nears and the colours change.

Return to the ship for dinner and sail to Aswan.

This morning's sightseeing includes Aswan's High Dams, unfinished Obelisk and the Temple of Philae. After lunch, sail around Elephantine Island and the Botanical Gardens.

The High Dam, Just north of the border between Egypt and Sudan lays the Aswan High Dam, a huge rock filled dam, which captures the world's longest river, the Nile, in the world's largest artificial reservoir, Lake Nasser. The dam, known as "Sadd El-Aali" in Arabic, was completed in 1970 after 10 years of work.

A short trip on a motorboat to temple of Philae will bring you to a magnificent vista of the island, before landing at what would have been the ancient quay on the south side. The temple was dedicated to the goddess Isis and has many legends connected to it. The most well-known legend tells the story of how Isis found the heart of Osiris here after his murder by his brother Seth.

Aswan, Egypt's sunniest southern city and ancient frontier town located about 81 miles south of Luxor, has a distinctively African atmosphere. Its ancient Egyptian name was Syene. Small enough to walk around and graced with the most beautiful setting on the Nile, the pace of life is slow and relaxing. Days can be spent strolling up and down the broad Corniche, watching the sailboats etch the sky with their tall masts, or sitting in floating restaurants listening to Nubian music and eating freshly caught fish.

Disembark from your ship after breakfast and transfer to your Aswan hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure.

After breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport in time for your flight to Abu Simbel. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the two temples for your guided tour. Not only are the two temples at Abu Simbel among the most magnificent monuments in the world but their removal and reconstruction was a historic event in itself. When the temples (280 km from Aswan) were threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser, due to the construction of the High Dam, the Egyptian Government secured the support of UNESCO and launched a world wide appeal. During the salvage operation which began in 1964 and continued until 1968, the two temples were dismantled and raised over 60 meters up the sandstone cliff where they had been built more than 3,000 years before. Here they were reassembled, in the exact same relationship to each other and the sun, and covered with an artificial mountain. Most of the joints in the stone have now been filled by antiquity experts, but inside the temples, it is still possible to see where the blocks were cut.

After your tour, return to the airport for your flight back to Cairo via Aswan. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be met and transferred to the airport in time for your onwarad flight.