The best of Egypt: Cairo + Nile + Hurghada

Day 1: Arrival in Cairo Departure for Cairo. Upon arrival in Cairo, welcome by our representative and transfer to the hotel. Free dinner. Overnight in Cairo.

Day 2: Cairo After breakfast, the day begins with a visit to the Giza Plateau, one of the seven wonders of the world, the great pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos, the famous Sphinx and the Valley Temple facing the great statue. Lunch at a local restaurant. We then discover the Cairo Museum and finish with a stroll through the Khan El Khalili souk. Return to your hotel. Free dinner. Overnight in Cairo.

Day 3: Cairo – Aswan Very early in the morning, transfer to Cairo Airport for the flight to Aswan. Upon arrival, we will discover the Aswan High Dam. It is one of the largest hydroelectric dams in the world. Implemented in 1960 and completed in 1971, the High Dam forms the reservoir of Lake Nasser. Today it supplies electricity throughout the country. Furthermore, it provides the country with water, regulates floods, enables a year-round irrigation system and improves navigation. The visit will continue with the discovery of the Philae Temple. After the construction of the first dam, the Philae Temple was submerged for a period of 30 years, from 1934 to 1964, by the reservoir. Under the aegis of UNESCO, the temple was cut into blocks and rebuilt on the neighbouring island of Agilka. It has been restored to its original layout. Dedicated to Isis, sister and wife of Osiris, mother of Horus, the Philae Temple is "the Pearl of Egypt". Return to the boat. Lunch on board and free time. Enjoy the afternoon to pick up souvenirs or visit the Nubian village. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 4: Aswan - Kom Ombo After breakfast on board, departure for the visit of Kom Ombo, dedicated to two deities: Sobek (the crocodile god) and Haroeris (Horus the Elder). The temple stands on a promontory overlooking a bend in the Nile where crocodiles once populated the banks. Built like an acropolis in a spectacular setting, the sandstone temple dates back to the Ptolemaic era. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 5: Kom Ombo – Edfu – Luxor After breakfast on board, departure for a visit to the Temple of Horus at Edfu. The Temple of Horus is one of the best-preserved sanctuaries in the Nile Valley and the second largest building after Karnak. Lunch on board and navigation towards Luxor. In the afternoon, departure for a visit to the Karnak Temple. Built by the pharaohs of the 12th dynasty, it is the largest religious complex ever built. Then a visit to the Luxor Temple, whose oldest currently visible parts date back to Amenhotep III and Ramesses II. At the time, the two sanctuaries were connected by an avenue of 1,300 sphinxes. Return to the boat. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 6: Luxor After breakfast on board, departure for a half-day packed with visits. At the very beginning of the New Kingdom, around 1539 BC, after establishing Thebes as the new capital of the kingdom, the pharaohs wanted to build new types of tombs. They wanted to distinguish themselves from the great pyramids of their predecessors. And this gave birth to the Valley of the Kings. The Valley of the Kings takes shape as a monumental desert and rocky alley nestled at the foot of gigantic mountains. Along the path, one discovers one after another stone openings leading to an unknown and mysterious world — the tombs of the pharaohs. The most famous of them is undoubtedly the tomb of Tutankhamun (entrance fees apply). We will then head to the Funerary Temple of Hatshepsut, the only daughter of Thutmose I and his chief wife Ahmose, who was the second woman to be crowned pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire. Seeing it from afar is a unique and striking sight you will never forget. A brief stop in front of the Colossi of Memnon, before returning to the boat. Check-in at the hotel in Luxor. Free dinner and overnight in Luxor.

Day 7: Luxor - Hurghada After breakfast, transfer to Hurghada. Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel and free time. Dinner and overnight in Hurghada.

Days 8-10: Hurghada Free time in Hurghada on a full-board basis

Day 11: Hurghada - return flight After breakfast and according to flight schedules, transfer to the airport for the return flight. Return flight.