Egypt

Arrive in Egypt and transfer to our hotel in Giza.

Travel to nearby Dahshur with its early-era Red and Bent Pyramids that provide insight into the trial-and-error process of pyramid building. After lunch journey to Saqqara, the necropolis of Memphis renowned for its roughly 5,000-year-old-step pyramid and mastabas (tombs), which reveal the architectural origins of the pyramid. Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner this evening.

This morning visits the awe-inspiring monuments of Giza—the quintessential symbols of ancient Egypt. Explore the massive pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Menkaure, and be treated to special access to the area at the foot of the enigmatic Sphinx. We are hosted for dinner in a private home this evening.

If the museum is open, spend the morning at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Then travel into the heart of Cairo for lunch at a local restaurant. Afterward, take a tour of Cairo’s Islamic landmarks, including Ibn Tulun, the oldest surviving mosque in Egypt.

Hop on a chartered flight from Cairo to Luxor, where we begin our exploration of the Nile Valley with a guided tour of the East Bank of Luxor. Board our luxurious riverboat, where gracious ship staff welcome us with lunch. Spend the afternoon at leisure, then depart for a special sunset excursion to the Temple of Luxor. Its graceful cluster columns, designed to look like papyrus, were built by Amenhotep III and later embellished by Ramesses II, Tutankhamun and Alexander the Great.

Today we explore the West Bank of Luxor, starting with a special trip to the tomb of Queen Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens. Visit Deir el-Bahri, whose highlight is the magnificent mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, the queen who declared herself king and whose mummy was discovered in 2007. Then wander through the Valley of the Kings, with its stunningly painted royal tombs and long corridors leading into deep burial chambers symbolizing the passage to the world of the dead. Learn about a variety of these tombs—including those of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramesses IV—from a local archaeologist.

Return to the West Bank of Luxor to visit its most beautiful tombs—those of the nobles—set in the limestone cliffs that stretch far into the valleys of the western desert. Proceed to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu, with its impressive wall reliefs. Also stop to admire the Colossi of Memnon, two massive sandstone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

After a calm morning on the water, call at Esna to admire the Greco-Roman Temple of Khnum, with its great hypostyle hall. Cruise to Aswan this afternoon.

Devote the entire day to exploring Aswan, beginning with the High Dam. Continue to the Temple of Isis, which was carefully moved to higher ground before the rising waters of Lake Nasser submerged its original location on Philae Island. Take a motorboat to Agilkia Island, where we attempt to decipher the well-preserved hieroglyphics at this temple. Then visit the granite quarries that supplied ancient Egypt with most of the hard stone used in its pyramids and temples. Later today board a felucca, a traditional Nile sailing vessel, to navigate around Kitchener’s and Elephantine Islands and view the stately Mausoleum of Aga Khan.

Spend the morning at leisure as we begin our cruise back downriver to Luxor, stopping in Kom Ombo for a visit to the Temple of Sobek and Horus. Built by the Ptolemaic rulers who governed Egypt after its conquest by Alexander the Great, the temple is unique as it honors two gods. This evening, enjoy a festive dinner party, including a meal of local Egyptian specialties.

Indulge in a relaxing morning on board, delighting in scenic views of life along the banks of the Nile. Back in Luxor, stroll around the temple precincts of Karnak, admiring Ramesses II’s magnificent hypostyle hall with its 134 columns, soaring obelisks and the enormous temple dedicated to Amun, the god of the air. Tour the Luxor Museum to deepen our understanding of the temple complexes and burial sites of Upper Egypt. This evening we toast the conclusion of our Nile cruise during the captain’s farewell dinner.

Board an early morning charter flight to Abu Simbel, one of the greatest temple precincts in ancient Egypt. Built by Ramesses II, the temples are famous for the colossal statues of the pharaoh and his favorite wife, Nefertari. As waters from the dam in Aswan rose toward the temples in the 1960s, an international team, in an extraordinary feat of engineering, raised the site 200 feet and relocated the statues about 600 feet from the water’s edge. Fly to Cairo and relish an evening at leisure.

Enjoy a special early-morning entry to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, considered “home” to our Egyptologists, with its more than 100,000 relics and artifacts, including the extraordinary gold treasures of Tutankhamun retrieved from his tomb by English archaeologist Howard Carter in 1923. Following lunch at our hotel, gather for a panel discussion about modern Egypt. Toast our experience at a farewell reception and dinner this evening.

Transfer to the airport for flights home.