Alexandria, Ancient Egypt & Nile Cruising

Welcome to Egypt. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport you'll be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or if arriving early, you can opt to pre book our optional private Backstreets of Cairo tour, which introduces you to the highlights of Egypt's bustling capital.

Bright and early this morning, drive to the port side city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Coast. Arriving at the windswept city known for its broad beaches and seafront corniche dotted with sun loungers, amusements and cafes you'll embark on a guided tour of the Roman catacombs. Heading underground, view the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, complete with burial chambers, labyrinth alleyways and entertaining rooms for families coming to visit the dead.

From the catacombs, visit Pompey's Pillar, a modest 25m tower, which is all that remains of an ancient column, from the ruined Temple of Serapis. Next stop is the impressive Library of Alexandria, where free time will be offered for photos of the exterior (sometimes it is open to the public - if you're interested you can go inside!). Lastly today, take a leisurely stroll along the corniche to the Citadel of Quaitbey. Explore this attractive fortress, which was built on the site of the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which was destroyed by a powerful earthquake 1323AD.

After hotel check in and time to freshen up your guide will take you for a drive along the corniche followed by dinner (included).

Enjoy a free day in Alexandria, at your leisure. Why not start the morning by taking a walk by Alexandria Harbour - take in the surroundings as the seagulls fly overhead and the boats pull into port. Later, you can check out the Bibliotheca, one of the biggest and most famous libraries in the world. There's also Montazah Palace and Gardens to explore! Depending on how you want to spend your day, the possibilities are endless.

Today, visit the Commonwealth War Graves of El Alamein. It is here where two extended battles were fought during World War II. The first began on the 1st July 1942 and lasted for 27 days, it ended as a stalemate. After 3 months of holding back the enemy, the Allies launched a second attack which lasted for 13 days. This saw the Allied forces (including British, Australian and New Zealand soldiers) push back the Axis powers for ultimate defeat in Tunisia. Some 13,000 Allied soldiers were killed and 70,000 were wounded in the battle.

Later, tour the compact El Alamein military museum that acts as a memorial for the battle and houses lots of original war vehicles, weapons, uniforms and records. Displays in the museum detail the complete history of World War II in North Africa from all sides and stands on the site where the actual battle took place. This afternoon return to Cairo.

Visit the famous pyramids and iconic Sphinx at Giza Plateau today. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. Continuing to Saqqara, explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s step pyramid - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC! A visit to a government supervised Papyrus Museum will also be made at some point during today.

Cairo - Aswan. Take a guided tour of the vast new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza this morning. This extraordinary 490,000 sq.m complex houses over 100,000 artefacts spanning nearly every era of ancient Egyptian history. Discover treasures that have never been publicly displayed before, including items brought together from across Egypt and the world.

Later, visit the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, home to an incredible collection of statues, jewellery, and sarcophagi. Among the highlights are the remarkably well-preserved mummies of Yuya and Thuyu, high-ranking nobles and great-grandparents of King Tutankhamun, whose thick locks of hair and detailed features remain visible thousands of years later.

Then there's time to relax back at the hotel before your guide assists you in boarding the night overnight train to Aswan this evening. Your new guide will welcome you on your arrival to Aswan tomorrow morning.

This morning you'll arrive into Aswan where you'll be welcomed by your new guide. Enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island for Philae Temple - dedicated to the goddess Isis. Then a brief stop will be made at a perfume oil emporium before check-in on board the Nile Cruiser which will be home for the next three nights. Later, there is free time to perhaps enjoy some shopping in the colourful souks and markets or simply relax in this attractive town which straddles the River Nile.

Aswan - Abu Simbel (optional) - Kom Ombo - Nile Cruising. Today there is an optional early morning flight excursion to Abu Simbel offered. Choose to either join a guided journey to Abu Simbel or opt for a self-guided exploration by exploring the temples at your own pace. Abu Simbel is home to the famous the rock-cut temple of King Ramses II. The Nile cruiser departs Aswan this afternoon and you'll cruise the River Nile to Kom Ombo and disembark to visit the temple which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek before returning to the cruiser.

Nile Cruise - Luxor. Relax, enjoy a swim in the pool and chill out in the sun on deck this morning. Let your troubles melt away as you cruise the River Nile to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Arriving into Luxor this afternoon the rest of the day is free to explore the city before spending your final night aboard the cruiser.

Kom Ombo - Luxor. This morning, disembark and check into your 5 star Luxor hotel. Following check in, you will visit Karnak Temple, a spectacular religious complex built on a gigantic scale, where you get lost wandering around the stone papyrus columns. Later, there is an optional excursion to the Luxor Temple, which is long rumoured to be the location of Pharaoh crownings. Built by Amenophis III, Luxor Temple looks stunning at night when it's illuminated by hundreds of lights (book and pay locally).

Luxor. Today you'll tour the West Bank of the Nile. An early start allows you to avoid some of the fierce midday heat as you venture to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. Highlights of the visit include the Colossi of Memnon, a massive pair of statues that stand silent against a historic backdrop, the Valleys of the Kings with its beautifully decorated tombs, constructed to once house the regal sarcophagi enclosed mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting passage into the after-life and the awesome colonnaded Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

Luxor - Cairo. You will be transferred to Luxor Airport where you will fly on to Cairo. Arrive back in Cairo where today is free for you to relax or explore Egypt’s capital at leisure. You can opt to visit Khan el Khalili bazaar, the ideal place for some last minute souvenir shopping.

Hotel check out and included onward departure transfer to airport.