1^st Day: Cairo – Siwa

In the early morning we will pick you up at the reception of your hotel in Cairo and you will travel to the Siwa Oasis. If you stay in any other part of Egypt such as Luxor or the Red Sea we can of course organize the transfer to Cairo or directly to the oasis for you. We will make a lunch break en route.

Now you will discover the extraordinary flair of this vast green area with its lakes and springs amidst the desert. And you will enjoy an exciting walk through Shali, the old labyrinth-like part of Siwa.

Dinner included. Overnight in Siwa Oasis.

2^nd Day: Siwa Oasis – Culture

After breakfast in your hotel you will visit the rock cut tombs on the Mountain of the Dead, containing beautiful paintings as well as well preserved mummies. Afterwards you will have lunch. Then you will be transferred to Aghurmi, the oldest settlement in the oasis, where you can see Siwa’s greatest historical treasure – the  Temple of Amun and its famous oracle, once even consulted by Alexander the Great himself. Besides you can swim in Cleopatra’s Bath, a rock pool fed by a natural hot spring, and you will see the remains of a second Amun Temple in Umm Ubeida. Then you will visit Balad Al Rum with rock cut tombs dating back to the Greco-Roman era, the remains of a Doric temple and the relics of a bid mud brick building which is reported to once have been a church. Finally we will transfer you to Dakrur with its limestone hills; they contain some burial chambers, but most of all they offer a great view over the area when you climb up to the top. You will spend sunset here. Then you will travel back to the town for dinner. You will spend the night in your hotel.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight in a hotel in Siwa Oasis.

3^rd Day: Siwa Oasis – Nature

After breakfast you will leave the oasis to enjoy a 4×4 jeep tour through the Great Sand Sea surrounding Siwa, with its great sand dunes created by wind. Also you can find numerous fossils and petrified trees. On the way back you will stop at the Bir Wahed, an idyllic hot spring surrounded by palms where you can have a bath. You will also enjoy a picnic lunch here. Only some meters away you can further see a small lake embedded in the desert’s sand dunes. Finally we will make a tour to the Lake Siwa with the nowadays silted island Fatnas. You can go swimming or just enjoy the relaxed time in the great landscape. You will besides see a wonderful sunset here. In the evening you will return to your hotel where you will have dinner and spend the night.

Breakfast, lunch (picnic) and dinner included. Overnight in a hotel in Siwa Oasis.

4^th Day: Siwa Oasis – Cairo – Night Train to Luxor

After breakfast you will travel back to Cairo; you will have lunch en route; in the evening you will take the night train to Luxor; dinner will be served in the train.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight in the train’s sleeping car.

5^th Day: Luxor – Nile Cruise Day 1

YYou will have breakfast in the train; then our guide will pick you up from Luxor’s train station and take you to your cruise for your embarkation. After this you will visit Luxor’s West Bank, the ancient Thebes. You will marvel at the huge Colossi of Memnon, once guardians of a no longer existing temple, and the colored Pharaonic tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Then you will visit Medinet Habu with its colossal statues, well preserved pylons and walls and more than 7,000 m² of decorated and inscribed wall reliefs before you will have lunch. And finally you will see the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a fascinating mortuary temple which is unique in its architecture. Lunch will be enjoyed in a local restaurant. In the evening you can discover Luxor on your own. Dinner will be served aboard.

Optional activities (against supplement):

• Sound and Light Show at the Temple of Karnak
• Shopping on Luxor’s biggest bazaar
• Carriage Ride through Luxor

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight aboard.

6^th Day: Luxor & Esna – Nile Cruise Day 2

You will have breakfast aboard. Then you will visit Luxor’s East Bank with the Temple of Karnak, one of the largest and most fascinating temples in the world; as it is still in an amazingly good state with giant pillars and colored reliefs, you can really get a feeling of the ancient Egyptians’ architecture and religious cult. Finally you will visit Luxor Temple, a fascinating ancient edifice uniting building activities of various eras. After lunch you can enjoy some leisure time at your own disposal. Then your cruise will move to Esna where you will visit the remains of a beautiful temple dating back to the Greco-Roman period, featuring magnificent columns with varying lotus-leaf capitals and a pronaos decorated with great relief.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight aboard.

7^th Day: Kom Ombo & Edfu – Nile Cruise Day 3

After breakfast aboard you will visit the amazing double temple of Kom Ombo, a sanctuary symmetrical along its main axis, one side dedicated to Haroeris, the other to Sobek, with impressing reliefs. Then you will sail to Edfu and enjoy lunch en route. The Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the falcon-god Horus whose statues flank the portal, is one of the best preserved temples in Egypt; its completion once took almost 200 years, and its beautiful decorated walls provide precious information about the ancient religious myths.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight aboard.

8^th Day: Abu Simbel & Aswan – Nile Cruise Day 4

You will arrive in Aswan in the early morning and we will take you to your visit of the Twin Temples of Abu Simbel. The Temple of Ramesses II is 30 meters high and four enthroned colossal statues of the pharaoh guard the portal. The interior of the temple was dug into the rock on a length of more than sixty meters and beautifully decorated with pillars, colored reliefs and rock cut figures. The Temple of Nefertari, Ramesses’ wife, is a simplified version of the Great Temple. Please be aware that you see here something unique in ancient Egyptian art – the statues of the king and the queen adorning the façade are equal in size.

After returning to your cruise you will have lunch. The rest of the day is at your own disposal. If you need to refresh, just relax on the ship and enjoy its facilities. Or have a walk in Aswan or book an additional visit.

Optional activities (against supplement):

• Sound and Light Show at the Temple of Philae
• Visit of the Temple of Kalabsha
• Visit of St. Simeon’s Monastery

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight aboard.

9^th Day: Aswan – Nile Cruise Day 5

You will disembark after breakfast. Now you will get to know Aswan. You will visit the giant High Dam, one of the greatest achievements in architecture and engineering of the 20^th century, and the Unfinished Obelisk in the ancient granite quarries. Then you will have lunch before you will sail to the amazing botanical garden on Kitchener’s Island, an unexpected green and calm oasis amidst the busy city, and visit Elephantine Island with the famous nilometer, the ancient ruins and the Nubian villages. And finally you will see the enchanting Nubian Temple of Philae which was once saved from disappearing in the floods of the Lake Nasser reservoir by dismantling and rebuilding it on a higher location. In the evening you will take the night train to Cairo. Dinner will be served in the train.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Overnight in the train’s sleeping car.

10^th Day: Cairo

You will have breakfast in the train; our guide will pick you up at Cairo’s train station and transfer you to your hotel. This concludes our program and services.

Note: If you would like to extend the program and visit Cairo with us, we can organize this for you.

Breakfast included.

Included:

• All mentioned transfers in high-class air-conditioned vehicles
• Train rides Cairo – Luxor, Aswan – Cairo
• Guided tours in your language
• Entrance fees for the above mentioned sights
• Hotel accommodation in Siwa with half-board
• Meals, mineral water and soft drinks during the excursions and tours
• 5-days-cruise Luxor – Aswan with full board

Not included:

• Gratuity (tips) for drivers, tour guides
• Personal items, meals, drinks or services not mentioned
• Listed optional activities
• International and domestic flights
• Visa