Egypt is a vast and varied country, and this Deluxe Tour will introduce you to many of the country's highlights, especially if you are interested in the ancient Egyptian civilization. Experience Cairo, Africa's largest city, with its colourful bazaars, the Citadel, Coptic Christian churches, the amazing Egyptian Museum and of course the famous pyramids of Giza. The Nile cruise will take you to many of the country's famous temples and tombs of Upper Egypt, lining the majestic Nile River between Luxor and Aswan.

This Egypt program includes the following services:

• Meet & assist and private airport transfers
• 4 nights in a double room in the 5-star deluxe Cairo Marriott Hotel, with breakfast
• 2 days of touring in Cairo with private guide/Egyptologist, including entrance fees and lunch
• 4 nights Nile Cruise Aswan-Luxor on the luxurious TIYI or TUYA cruise ship, based on full board
• Egypt domestic flights Cairo-Luxor and Aswan-Cairo 
• Baggage handling, local taxes, service charges

Itinerary Outline**

Day 1 - Cairo
Arrival and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo. (-/-/-)

Day 2 - Cairo (Pyramids, Sakkara, Memphis)
See the Great Pyramid and Sphinx in Giza. Visit the Old Kingdom capital of Memphis and the massive statue of Ramses II. Lunch en route. Continue to Sakkara, location of the Step Pyramid, the prototype of all later pyramids. Overnight in Cairo. (B/L/-)

Day 3 - Cairo > Luxor (Karnak & Luxor Temple)
Morning flight Cairo-Luxor and transfer to Nile cruise ship for embarkation. Afternoon tour of the great Temple of Luxor and the magnificent Karnak Temple complex. Overnight in Luxor on board cruise ship. (B/L/D)

Day 4 - Luxor (West Bank)
Morning tour to the Valley of the Kings, with its famous royal burial chambers, continuing to Hatshepsut's funerary temple and the Collossi of Memnon. In the afternoon your cruise ship will begin its upstream journey to Edfu, passing the locks of Esna. Overnight on board cruise ship. (B/L/D)

Day 5 - Cruise (Edfu & Kom-Ombo)
Morning tour of the Horus Temple of Edfu of the Ptolemaic period. After sailing to Kom-Ombo visit of Sobek Temple, with its famous murals. Sail to Aswan and overnight on board cruise ship. (B/L/D)

Day 6 - Aswan (High Dam, Philae Temple, Felucca)
Morning Tour to the Aswan High Dam, the ancient Granite Quarry and Philae Temple. Afternoon boat ride on a traditional Egyptian felucca. Overnight in Aswan on board cruise ship. (B/L/D)

Day 7 - Aswan > Cairo
Disembark Nile cruise ship, flight from Aswan back to Cairo. Transfer to hotel and rest of day at your leisure. Overnight in Cairo. (B/-/-)

Day 8 - Cairo (Egyptian Museum, Citadel, Old Cairo, Khan El Khalili Bazaar)
Morning tour of the famous Egyptian Musuem, including the treasures of Tut Ankh Amun. Proceed to Old Cairo for an afternoon tour of the Citadel area, Mohammed Ali Mosque, the oldest Coptic Christian church and Cairo's oldest Jewish Synagogue. Lunch en route. Last stop on the tour is the bazaar. Overnight in Cairo. (B/L/-)

Day 9 - Depart Cairo
Transfer to Cairo Airport for journey home or onward destination. (B/-/-)

**A detailed itinerary for this tour is available upon request 

Discover more of Egypt with an Alexandria tour program, with optional extensions to stay at an oasis and a desert camp in the Sahara, or unwind after your tour at one of Egypt's popular Red Sea resorts Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh, and go diving, snorkeling, or just enjoy relaxing at the beaches, and in the evenings wine and dine at local and international restaurants, or enjoy the busy nightlife.

Egypt is famous for its cotton products. Ask your guide to take you to one of the fine cotton stores, where you can expect to get only good quality products. You will find it hard to resist the soft touch of the finest bed sheets or clothes. Unlike just about everywhere else in Egypt, these government controlled stores do have fixed prices and the best you can hope for is a modest discount for larger purchases. But you won't have to worry about the quality.

If you are passionate about Ancient Egypt, do not miss the fine Archeological Museum of Luxor. It's modern (only the building), well organized, and the artefacts are stunning. It's usually open until mid-evening, but check opening hours locally.

*International flights not included. Surcharges may apply based on single occupancy, seasonality, day of the week, local holidays or special events, such as Christmas, New Year, Easter. Ask us for a price quote with specific travel dates and room requirements. Program is based on Sunday and Thursday arrivals, Oct 2011 - Apr 2012.