Cairo, Alexandria and Nile Cruise (2024)

Giorno 1

Arrival at Cairo airport, where our staff will be waiting to take you to your hotel. Free time in the Egyptian capital, the largest city in Africa. Accommodation.

Giorno 2

Full day visit where we explore the famous Pyramids of Cheops, Kefren and Micerinos (tickets to go inside the pyramids are not included), and also the impressive Sphinx, which is sculpted from rock. Visit to the Egyptian Museum with its ancient art and where the treasure of the Lost Tomb of Tutankhamen is kept. Lunch included. Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. We will take a walk through the Coptic neighborhood where we visit the Hanging Church built above a Roman fortress.

Giorno 3

We leave Cairo, traveling to the WADI NATRUM region, an area known for its Coptic monasteries since thousands of Christians who were fleeing in the fourth century from Roman persecutions, settled in the area. The monasteries, fortified because of the attacks suffered in different historical periods, are places that receive the visit of many pilgrims and will allow us to discover their traditions. Coptic popes are chosen from among the monks of these monasteries. We will visit SAINT MACARIUS, founded in the year 360, where one of its monks will guide us through the enclosure. After that we visit the monastery of ANBA BISHOY, founded in the year 340, we access the fortified tower by a drawbridge. We will visit - also guided by a monk - the church, the refectory and the fortress, where several Coptic Popes are buried. Time to stroll through the lively area and also visit the huge new cathedral. We continue our route to ALEXANDRIA, arrival in this port city with over 5 million inhabitants. Lunch included. We visit this afternoon the great QAITBEY fortress, built in 1480 on a narrow peninsula where the Hellenistic lighthouse was located, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. After that, with the bus we travel the cornice, chaotic, noisy, commercial or elegant, depending on the areas. Free time. Accommodation.

Giorno 4

We continue our visit of ALEXANDRIA, entering the impressive CATACOMBS KOM ASH SHUQQAFA, the largest Roman cemetery in Egypt, surprising the fusion of Pharaonic and Greco-Roman style. From here we will walk with our guide between narrow, commercial and bustling alleys to the COLUMN OF POMPEY, an immense column of 30 meters high that rises on the ruins of a temple. After that, we will stop to photograph externally the new LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA, inaugurated in 2002 with a very modern architecture that reminds us that this city, in the third century BC, was one of the greatest centers of knowledge dissemination in ancient times. The Library of Alexandria at that time guarded more than half a million papyrus. Lunch included and continuation of our route to ROSETTA. In this small city, very close to the mouth of one of the tributaries of the Nile, the Rosetta Stone was found, just over a meter high, which was key to deciphering the hieroglyphic writing of the Egyptians since it contains the same text written in hieroglyphics, demotic and ancient Greek. We can see a replica of the Rosetta Stone in the fortress of Rashid, located a short distance away, in a picturesque small village of streets full of local life and with numerous fishing boats of multiple colors on the banks of the Nile.After that we visit Rosetta, a pleasant small town next to the Nile, we will walk through the center seeing (externally) the old Ottoman houses with their brick and wood architecture. We will also include a boat trip on the Nile to admire the views and activity of the fishing boats in the area. We return to CAIRO.- Arrival at the end of the day.NOTE: The fortress of Rashid is not very visited, sometimes it can be closed (in that case we will see it externally and walk through the picturesque village of fishermen and farmers)

Giorno 5

Transfer to the airport early in the morning to depart by regular flight (included) to ASWAN. Arrival and transfer to the ship, boarding procedures, and accommodation. In Aswan you will visit the Red Granite Quarry, where the famous Unfinished Obelisk is located. We will observe the ingenious procedure used by the ancient Egyptians for the extraction of granite blocks. We will also visit the High Aswan Dam, a huge engineering work that retains the waters of the Nile. Finally, we will enjoy a felucca ride on the river, typical fishing boats. Full board on the ship. Accommodation on board.

Giorno 6

In the morning, optional visit to Abu Simbel by bus or plane. Navigation to KOM OMBO. In the morning we will visit the Temple of Kom Ombo unique temple dedicated to two Gods, Sobek and Haroesis, where there is a Nilometer (ancient Nile River level measurement system) and a mummified crocodile. Departure to Edfu and accommodation on board. Full board on the ship.

Giorno 7

Stay on Full Board on the ship. Visit of Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the God Horus (God represented by a Falcon), was in the past partially covered by silt during periodic floods of the Nile. Once the rescue and restoration work finished, we find can now find one of the most beautiful temples of the Ptolemaic era in an exceptional state of conservation. Navigation to Luxor crossing the Esna lock. Arrival in Luxor in the afternoon and visit of the temple of Karnak and Luxor. Night on board. Note: Depending on the time of arrival and daylight, the visit of Luxor and Karnak can be done the next morning.

Giorno 8

Disembarkation and visits. We will visit the Necropolis of Thebes with the Valley of the Kings (tombs of the main Pharaohs) as the explanation of the tombs that are visited is not allowed inside them, our guide will give the explanations outside (the tomb of Tutankhamun is not included since all the treasures are in the Museum of Egypt in Cairo). Visit of Queen Hatshepsut´s temple in Deir el Bahari. Visit of Medinet Habu. Later we will visit the Colossi of Memnon, two impressive statues of Amenhotep II. Transfer to the airport and end of services. Check your flight time for an extra night in Luxor.