EGYPT

Fellow Passengers -Anyone with a penchant for impeccable service, award-winning hospitality and lavish decor will delight in this cruise. Young at heart romantics, lovers of history and those with a taste for the exotic and a sense of adventure are also in for a treat.

Notes
REF: P945. Prices are per person sharing a twin in hotels and include category 3 cabins on cruise. Single supplement or any cabin upgrades are available for an additional price. Please call reservations for pricing.
There are no triples available on the cruise. Price from 22 October are subject to confirmation and the Peace of Mind Guarantee does not apply to these departures.

Itinerary Variations & Esna Lock Closure applies to this tour. Due to the unreliabilityof domestic air scheduling, religious festivals and other unforseen circumstances, the order of this itinerary mayneed to change at short notice. On such occaisions an alternative cruise boat of equal standard may be used.

Additional visa requirements
Ask your Travel Agent about visas for this tour.

2009

Day 1 - DEPART USA

Overnight flight.

Day 2 - ARRIVE CAIRO

Welcome to Egypt! Travellers have been coming here for centuries, lured by a wealth of monuments, tombs and temples. On arrival, you are met and transferred to your tour hotel, a former royal palace combined with twin towers and six acres of gardens.
Hotel: Marriott

Day 3 - CAIRO SIGHTSEEING

Meet your Tour Director for a detailed pre-tour briefing then drive out to Giza. Here at one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, your guided tour includes entry into one of the Pyramids and you see their guardian Sphinx! Nearby lies Memphis, famous capital of ancient Egypt. See the colossal statue of Ramses II and the Alabaster Sphinx. Continue to Sakkara, to see the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the oldest in the world, dating back from 2700 BC. Return to Giza as night falls to attend a magical Sound and Light Show at the world famous Pyramids, which literally illuminates the ancient history of Giza! (BB)

Day 4 - CAIRO - LUXOR - join cruise

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Luxor, nestled on the banks of the Nile. There is no better introduction to Upper Egypt than a tour of the temple complex of Karnak, dedicated to the Sun-God Amon. Walk spellbound through the avenue of sphinxes into the vast Hypostyle Hall. At lunch time board your luxury cruise ship, one of the most stylish and spacious in Egypt. Overnight on-board in Dendara.
Ship: Ms Tosca. (BB,L,D)

Day 5 - ON BOARD SHIP

This morning visit the Temple of Hathor in Dendara, one of the best preserved temples in Egypt and containing a rare depiction of Cleopatra and her son Caesarian. After cruising back to Luxor, visit the temple of Luxor, founded in 1400 BC during Thebe's Golden Age under the 18th and 19th Dynasties. (BB,L,D)

Day 6 - ON BOARD SHIP

Travel by air-conditioned coach to the West Bank of the Nile for a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Drive on to visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, before continuing to the Valley of the Kings, where many illustrious Pharoahs were buried. After visiting some of their tombs return to your cruise boat and set sail for Kom Ombo. Join an Egyptian dinner and galabea party tonight. (BB,L,HD)

Day 7 - ON BOARD SHIP

Visit the only double temple of Egypt dedicated to two gods, the crocodile headed Sobek and falcon headed Horus the Elder. Now relax and enjoy a visual feast as you cruise along the Nile to Aswan. Your sightseeing includes a visit to the Aswan High Dam and Granite Quarries to see the enormous unfinished obelisk. Travel by motorboat to the Temple of Isis, rising from the waters of the Nile on the Island of Philae. Later, return to Aswan to sail in a traditional Nile felucca around Aswan's Botanical Gardens Enjoy a Nubian show tonight.(BB,L,D)

Day 8 - DISEMBARK ASWAN

Disembark and check in to your resort on Elephantine Island in the middle of the River Nile. You are at leisure to explore, relax by the pool, or maybe take an optional excursion by air to visit the amazing temples of Abu Simbel?
Hotel: Mövenpick. (BB)

Day 9 - ASWAN - CAIRO

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Cairo where the rest of the day is free to explore at your own pace. Tonight you might like to join your friends for dinner and a traditional Egyptian folklore show?
Hotel: Marriott (BB)

Day 10 - CAIRO SIGHTSEEING

You've seen the Valley of the Kings, where the boy king was laid to rest; now visit the Egyptian Museum to gaze upon the treasures of Tutankhamun, recovered from the pharaoh's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922! The Citadel dominates the Cairo skyline, and from here you get a breathtaking view over the whole city. Salah El Din, arch adversary of the Crusaders, started the Citadel in the 12th Century, but it owes its present outline to Mohammed Ali whose great alabaster mosque we visit next. Finish off with a visit to the famous Khan El Khalili bazaars where you can put your bargaining skills to the test. (BB)

Day 11 - RETURN TO USA

Sadly, your tour comes to an end today. There are transfers to Cairo Airport for your onward flight home. (BB)