8 Days Luxury Egypt & Nile River Journey

After your hotel breakfast, your friendly, professional guide will pick you up for a full-day excursion to discover Cairo's most amazing ancient and cultural places. You will start with a visit to the Giza Plateau, the site of the famous Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure built over 4,500 years ago, and see the amazing guardian of the plateau, the Sphinx, take wonderful pictures, and enjoy an optional camel ride over the desert sands, also visit the Valley of Khafre and learn about an ancient Egyptian burial.

Next, you will visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, which contains more than 160,000 artifacts, including those found in King Tutankhamun's tomb and others. You will have a local lunch, and proceed to Coptic Cairo to explore the Fortress of Babylon, Hanging Church, Church of St Sergius, believed to be where the Holy Family stayed, and visit the Synagogue of Ben Ezra.

Finally, you will explore Islamic Cairo, where you will walk through medieval streets and visit the souks, feel the atmosphere, and taste the traditional Mint Tea at Fishawy Caf in Khan El Khalili bazaar, before returning to your hotel.

Enjoy your early breakfast at your hotel, check out, and transfer to Cairo Airport to fly to Luxor. At Luxor Airport, you'll be met, assisted, and escorted to check in to your luxury 5-star Nile Cruise. Following check-in and lunch onboard, you will commence your guided tour to Luxor's East Bank- one of the most stunning sites of archaeology in the world.

The site's grand Karnak Temple Complex, the largest religious building ever constructed by man, is dedicated to the Theban deities and was constructed over many centuries as the central focus of worship in ancient Egypt. Stroll through its huge colonnades, holy courts, and obelisks, where the reign of the pharaohs is strongly presented.

Then you will visit Luxor Temple with its graceful architecture standing on the Nile. It was built by many pharaohs and is magical at sunset and in the evening with the lamps lit, which shows the temple in a special light with all its history as a center for celebration and rituals of the gods.

Return to your Nile Cruise ship for leisure time. You will have dinner on board while cruising on the Nile.

Meal: Full Board
Stay: Overnight onboard

Your day will start off with a rich buffet breakfast on your Nile cruise ship before meeting your knowledgeable Egyptologist tour guide for a tour of the West Bank of Luxor. Your tour will take you first to the Colossi of Memnon, which are giant statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, and they have remained on the site for the last 3,400 years. They act as giant guardians of the Theban necropolis.

Your tour will then continue onto the Valley of the Kings, the tomb and final resting place of over 60 of the New Kingdom pharaohs, including Tutankhamun and Ramses II. You will find here spectacular tombs carved into the mountainside that were designed with the treasure and treasures needed for the Pharaoh in his journey to the afterlife. You will then continue onto the fabulous Temple of Hatshepsut at El Deir El Bahari, the monument to Egypt’s first female Pharaoh and one of the most architecturally impressive in Egypt.

You will enjoy lunch on board your ship before spending some free time, and then you will begin your southward voyage to Edfu, sailing the River Nile while having lunch on board. You will enjoy dinner and evening entertainment on board.

Optional: Take part in a stunning sunrise hot air balloon ride over Luxor, providing panoramic views of the temples, tombs, and Nile Valley.

Meals: Full Board Overnight on board

Begin your day with a delicious breakfast aboard your Nile cruise before setting out to explore one of Egypt’s finest Ptolemaic temples. Visit the magnificent Temple of Edfu, dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god of protection and kingship, and admire its well-preserved walls and detailed hieroglyphics that bring ancient stories to life.

Afterward, sail along the Nile to Kom Ombo and discover its unique double temple, dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, the falcon-headed god. This unusual temple reflects the duality of life and the gods’ influence over health, fertility, and protection in ancient Egyptian culture.

Return to your luxury cruise for a relaxing lunch as you continue sailing toward Aswan. Enjoy the peaceful scenery of the Nile’s lush riverbanks and desert landscapes as the ship glides through this timeless waterway. In the evening, savor a sumptuous dinner on board and unwind for the night on your luxurious Nile cruise.

Meals: Full Board
Overnight onboard

Enjoy your breakfast on board your Nile cruise before starting a full-day guided tour in Aswan and its fascinating sights. First, discover the High Dam, an architectural triumph that brought revolution to the Egyptian agricultural and economy. After taking a motorboat to the impressive Temple of Philae, the charming temple on the island, dedicated to the goddess Isis, and surrounded by blue waters.

After that, move to the famous Unfinished Obelisk within the quarries of granite at Aswan, the largest known ancient obelisk abandoned because it was fractured during the carving process, and it gives us clear information on the great engineering skills of ancient Egyptians.

You will then sail back to your Luxury cruise to enjoy your dinner on board in the quiet environment of the Nile and the beautiful scenery in the evening.

Optional tour: Abu Simbel, it is the spectacular temples carved into rock, constructed by Ramses II. It has 4 huge statues seated at its entrance and stands majestically on the bank of a lake.

Meal Plan: Full Board
Overnight: On Board

After your last breakfast aboard the Steigenberger MS Minerva Nile cruise, you will be disembarked and transferred to Aswan Airport to take a short flight back to Cairo. On your arrival, our representatives will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

The day is yours to explore or relax, take it easy at the hotel, or wander through the beautiful streets of Cairo, do some shopping, and enjoy the city in your own time after your magical trip along the Nile.

Overnight in Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast