Ancient Nile

11 Day With Abu Simbel , Cairo and Fayoum Oases
And you thought the Pyramids were Ancient

Including Domestic Air fare within Egypt

How would you like to cruise the Nile the way the Pharaoh & Cleopatra did ? These graceful boats will allow you to cruise the great river in a stately Pharaonic style. Our 8-day "soft adventure" cruise visits all of Upper Egypt's top sights, and gives you the chance to see the timeless Nile as adventurers have seen it throughout the ages. If you prefer to be on your own private Nile Cruise or on your honeymoon, anniversary , we can provide a private boat . For train buffs click here to add the sleeper train , add Cairo stay and tours to this package

DAY 1 - LUXOR Saturday & Monday , weekly sailing , year round (LD)
Very early morning transfer to Cairo Airport . If you wish to add an extra day in Luxor please click here.

Air fare is included in economy class Cairo to Luxor .
In Luxor and we'll provide you with a complimentary transfer, to your Nile cruises . Check- in is at noon, if/when you arrive earlier , your cabin may not be ready ,yet all the public facilities son board are at your disposal. Welcome fruit basket awaits you with our compliments.

Morning tour of Deir El Medinah, the first known "Workers Village" these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.

Return to the cruise for a delicious lunch, complimentary welcome fruit basket in your cabin. Afternoon at leisure , maybe to explore the local bazaar on your own. Evening Sound & Light show at Karnak Temple.

Nile Cruise Shore Excursions : For private guide, private air-conditioned car, private driver for cruise shore excursions, please add $150 per person to the above listed rate. This supplement doesn't apply when you book the Presidential Suite.

DAY 2 - VALLEY OF THE KINGS Sunday (cBLD)
Today we tour the Valley of the Kings, including King Tut's tomb, Valley of the Queens : Queen Hatshepsut's Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. After a shipboard lunch. Sail for Edfu where we dock for the night. Cabin amenity tonight: One large bottle of water ( one for each guest).

DAY 3 - EDFU & ASWAN Monday (cBLD)
In Edfu, we board horse-drawn carriages for the ride to the Temple of Horus. The best preserved temple in Egypt. Returning to our ship, we set sail for Aswan .Complimentary Galabya , you may wish to try on for the evening when there's a jolly galabia party aboard. A complimentary galabya will be delivered to your cabin.

DAY 4 -ASWAN & CAMEL CARAVAN Tuesday (BLD)
Get ready for the tour of Aswan Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, The Nubian Museum, and Philae Temple ,before we head back for our lunch aboard. In the afternoon we board a graceful felucca and cruise among the islands of the Nile, be our guest if you wish on a complimentary short camel caravan to a near by Nubian Village for tea with the locals. Return to the ship in time for your "High Tea".
Cabin amenity: Complimentary Egyptian sweets/pastry platter.

DAY 5 - KOM OMBO Wednesday (BLD) Morning tour of Kalabsha Temple dedicated to the ancient god Mandulis, and the goddess Isis . Built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus , the small rock-cut temple of Beit El Wali, built by Ramses the Great , and the small yet charming Kiosk of Qertassi. In the afternoon we sail for Kom Ombo. Where we dock for the night.

DAY 6- KOM OMBO Thursday (BLD)We explore the twin Temples of Haroeris , the Sun God, and Sobek , the Crocodile God, at Kom Ombo, . Returning to our ship in time for tea. We set sail for Luxor.

DAY 7- LUXOR Friday (BLD)
After breakfast, on to the Gigantic Temple of Karnak & the great temple of Luxor are our goal this morning , after lunch we see the most recent discoveries housed in the relatively new & charming Luxor Museum. Return to our Nile cruiser in time for afternoon tea

DAY 8- LUXOR Saturday (B)
After breakfast, check - out. Disembarkation/ Aswan
After breakfast, we check out. Fly to Aswan ( This portion of the domestic air is part of our inclusions& rate), and on to your hotel :

Deluxe : Elephantine Island Movenpick Aswan Hotel ( on the Island of Elephantine in the Middle of the Nile ) Or the legendary colonial style : Old Cataract ( supplement : $110 per person : Subject to availability) . For First Class hotels we use Basma Hotel or similar.

DAY 9 - Abu Simbel/ Aswan/ Cairo - Sunday (B)
Very early breakfast. Abu Simbel We've planned our visit to Abu Simbel to be a highlight of your Egyptian adventure. Rising before dawn, we drive along the shore of Lake Nasser, watching the sky lighten and the sacred sun rise above the horizon. We reach the great temples while the air is clean, clear and cool, and the sun's light still golden;just right for photographs.
In the larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters.
The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple by ourselves in the quiet of the morning, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples we begin our leisurely drive back to Abu Simbel Airport , where we board our flight heading back to Cairo ( via Aswan ).
In Cairo , our local rep will assist with your transfer to your hotel

DAY 10 - Cairo - Fayoum Oases - Monday (B)
On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old

The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.

Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.

We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.

Then it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales ( In Arabic : Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived - almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.

The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi -El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the Zeuglodon Isis Whales .

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included

DAY 11 - Cairo - Departure - Tuesday (B)
After breakfast . Transfer to Cairo Airport . Bon Voyage. Have a nice flight .

Rates are  per person in USD

Christmas, New Year's & Easter: Please add 20% holiday supplement.

Please add 20 % supplement to upgrade to the ultra deluxe M/S Amarco

Rate Includes :

• All guided and shore excursions including all entrance fees as listed
  
• Domestic flight in Egypt in economy class : Cairo Luxor - Abu Simbel Aswan Cairo , tax included.
  
• Abu Simbel Excursion by private guide & private air-conditioned one way air conditioned vehicle .
  
• Domestic transfers as per itinerary
  
• All entrance fees.
  
• The service of an English Speaking guide
  
• All meals: B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner, as listed .
  
• Afternoon tea daily onboard.
  
• Hotel accommodation as listed with tax & service charges.

• Welcome fruit basket upon check-in on board the Nile cruise
  
• Large bottle of water per person per day delivered to your cabin.
  
• Tea or coffee and one small bottle of water per person with each meal

Not Included:

• International air fare from to your home country
• Any type of insurance, we'll be glad to send you the flyer upon request.

• Private guide, private air-conditioned car, private driver for cruise shore excursions, please add $150 per person to the above listed rate. This supplement doesn't apply when you book the Presidential Suite.
  
  

Cruise itinerary varies from one boat to another, some sites may not be covered by one boat or another, please check & verify the itinerary we confirm for exact details on the final confirmation for your booking.

Itinerary is subject to change without notice. Christmas, New Year's & Easter: Please add 10% holiday supplement.

Do we get sea sickness while sailing the Nile ?
This is river sailing, so do not expect any waves , no rough seas ! Your Nile cruises is actually a floating hotel that moves from place to place along the Nile. Actual cruising times are short and pleasant.

What to Pack: Most of the year look forward to warm, even hot weather in Luxor & Aswan, morning & evenings are cooler. For Shore excursions, we suggest comfortable cotton & natural fabric lightweight clothing. Comfortable walking shoes are essential

Clothing on Board: Lightweight comfortable & casual clothing. Swimsuits, sun hat. Dining room dress code is casual for breakfast & lunch, but smart casual for dinner. All ships are fully air conditioned

Click here for Intimate size Nile Cruise : 6 Cabins cruises, available also for charter and private cruising. Of course Air Conditioned