THE BEST OF EGYPT
Egypt, a country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the pharaohs. Millennia-old monuments sit along the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza's colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx as well as Luxor's hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings tombs. The capital, Cairo, is home to Ottoman landmarks like Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum, a trove of antiquities.
Day 01 Arrival Cairo (D)
Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, Excel Travel representative welcomes you and assists you through the immigration process. Escorted transfer by a modern air-conditioned coach will take you to the hotel through Old Cairo to enjoy the panoramic view of the citadel with the towering mosque of Mohamed Ali pass by Sultan Hassan & El Refaie mosques
Check in the hotel upon arrival & free time to refresh.
Dinner in an oriental restaurant & optional tour of the Sound & Light Show by the Pyramids
Back to the hotel & overnight in Cairo
Day 02: Full day tour to Alexandria (B-L-D)
Early breakfast at the hotel in Cairo then transfer to Alexandria via the desert road –about 225 km– whereby you will start a guided tour to visit the Bombay’s’ pillars, the Catacombs & Montazah Gardens. You will also pass by Alexandrina Bibliotheca & overview Qaite Bay citadel from outside
Pompeii Column and Kom el-Shuqafa Catacombs Thirty meters high and built from Aswan pink granite, the Pompeii Column is thought to have been a present from the people of Alexandria to Emperor Diocletian. The majority of the remains found around the column can be been at the Greco-Roman Museum. At the top of the hill lies the entrance to the Kom al-Shuqafa Catacombs dating from the first and second centuries. They have been discovered by chance at the beginning of 20th, century.
Montazah Gardens; is about 150-hectare park surrounding the palace of Khedive Abbas with its amazing architecture worth of Walt Disney. Visitors enjoy strolling in the gardens or swimming of the nice sandy beaches.
Alexandrina Bibliotheca; the New Library of Alexandria, the New Bibliotheca Alexandrina is dedicated to recapture the spirit of openness and scholarship of the original Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It is much more than a library as it contains 13 different departments
Besides, the New Library also hosts a number of institutions which is growing, and it is becoming the nerve center of many international and regional networks.
Qaite bay Fort has been guarding the bay for centuries; at the end of the Cornish rises the crenellated walls of the Mameluk fortress built in 1480 on the site of the Alexandria lighthouse
Lunch will be served during the tour in a local restaurant
Drive back to Cairo, dinner at a restaurant & overnight at the hotel
Day 03: Pyramids, Sphinx, Museum, Khan El Khalili (B-L-D)
Early breakfast at the hotel in Cairo then start a guided tour to visit one of the Seven Wonders the great Pyramids of Giza; (Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus) were reckoned by the Greeks to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A single pyramid is built with 2.300.000 blocks, each weighing an average of two and a half tones. In the face of such immensity, one cannot help but feel the wonder and awe that, so many writers and artists have sought to convey over the centuries. The Cheops Pyramid is more interesting, because its interior burial chambers are open for inspection by the public. Not far from the Pyramids is the Great Sphinx of Giza, which dates from the time of Chephren (2620 BC). Hewn from natural yellowish limestone and standing 65 feet-high and 187 feet-long, this unforgettable statue combines the head of a Pharaoh with a lion's body. A quick visit to papyrus institute or a perfume shop can be arranged after the visit.
Lunch at an oriental restaurant then start afternoon visit to the Egyptian Museum for another tour
Egyptian Museum; was established by the Egyptian government in 1835. The present museum building was built in 1900, in the new classical style by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon. The museum exhibited collections now exceed 120,000 objects ranges from pre-historic era to the Greco Roman period. It has 107 halls, and the ground floor houses huge statues. The upper floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamen treasures. The museum also comprises of a photography section and large library.
After the visit of the museum a short drive through the downtown will take you to Khan El Khalili bazaars; which is one of the most famous worldwide with its amazing narrow alleyways.
Free time at leisure till departure time to the station to board the sleeping train to Aswan.
Dinner and Overnight in the sleeping train.
Day 04: Train - Aswan- Cruise (Friday) (B, L, D)
Breakfast onboard the train and meet & assist upon arriving at Aswan Station and transfer to the Nile cruise
11:00 Check-In
12:30 Lunch on board
13:30 Visit the High Dam, the Temple of Philae
19:30 Dinner on board.
Overnight in Aswan
Day 05: Aswan – Kom Embo – Edfu (B, L, D)
07:00 Breakfast on board (Optional tour to Abu simble)
12:30 Lunch on board
13:00 Sailing to Kom Ombo
17:00 Visit the Temple shared by two gods Sobek & Haeroris in Kom Ombo
18:30 Sailing to Edfu.
19:30 Dinner on board.
Overnight in Edfu.
Day 06: Edfu – Luxor (B, L, D)
06:00 Tea and Coffee Before the visit of Edfu temple
06:30 Visit of Horus Temple in Edfu.
08:00 Breakfast on board.
08:30 sailing to Luxor via Esna
13:00 Lunch on board.
Visit Karnak temple upon arrival & overview Luxor temple from outside as it is like an open museum.
20:00 Dinner on board.
Overnight in Luxor.
Day 07: West bank – Sleeping Train (B, D)
07:00 Breakfast on board
08:00 Check- out after breakfast
08:00 Visit West Bank - Valley of the Kings, and Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
After the visit, transfer to Luxor train station to Cairo.
Dinner and Overnight in the sleeping train.
Day 08: Cairo (B)
Meet & assist upon arriving at Cairo Station and transfer to Cairo airport for the final departure.