“Do you not know that Egypt is a copy of heaven or rather, the very place on earth where the forces of heaven are balanced and ordered? Even more than that, if truth be told, Egypt is the temple of the entire world”
Egyptian Scribe
About the Tour
Your 10 day itinerary has been carefully designed to show case some of the greatest highlights of Egypt’s fascinating history. Explore some of the wonders of the ancient Egyptian civilization, including the enormous Karnak temple, tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the Great Pyramid and Sphinx and much more. You will stay in comfortable hotels and sail on a deluxe Nile Cruiser, taste delicious local cuisine and embrace the unique Egyptian culture Your experience of Egypt will be unforgettable
Tour Organiser
Kim Lings is the owner of Nile Travel, a founding, corporate and honorary life member of the Ancient Egyptian Society as well as a member of the Egyptian Exploration Society in London. She has visited Egypt on 45 occasions and has led over 30 tours to Egypt. Kim is a member of the Travel Centenary Club and has visited 134 countries/territories and all 100 of the Hillman Hundred Wonders of the World. She is in the process of writing a travel book on her experiences. She will be personally accompanying you on this unforgettable trip to Egypt.
Egyptologist
Eman Bahaa is a graduate of La Rose de Lisee, Horeya Language School, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management and she graduated from Helwan University. Eman has guided many archeological tours and has worked with some world renowned Egyptologists such as Dr. Zahi Hawass, Kent Weeks, Mark Lehner and Robert Ritner. She has lectured at the University of Pennsylvania, the Oriental Institute of Chicago University and has guided inspection groups from the USA, UK and Australian Embassies and has guided the King of Morocco. Nile Travel is delighted to have secured Eman to guide this tour.
Itinerary
Depart Johannesburg on Egypt Air flight MS 840 at 21H45 for Cairo.
Arrive in Cairo at 06H10. We will remain in transit until our flight departs to Luxor. Depart Cairo on MS 467 at 10H35, landing in Luxor at 11H45.
On arrival in Luxor we will be collected at the airport and transfer to the Sonesta St George hotel (rooms may not be ready on arrival). Rest of the day at your leisure. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel. 08H00 departure for our morning visit to the magnificent Karnak Temples. Named Ipet-Isut, the most perfect of palaces by the ancient Egyptians, it remains magnificent after thousands of years. Apart from its size, Karnak represents a vastness of historical time. The main temple of Amun, from the foundations of the original Middle Kingdom temple to the First Pylon, built during the 25th Dynasty, saw construction over a span of 1 300 years. The largest of all the temples of Egypt, its 25th dynasty pylon welcomes visitors. The Great Hypostyle Hall contains 134 columns with the royal names of Seti I and Ramses II. The great temple of Amun contains a double avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, pylons built by Tutmose I, Horemhab and Amenhotep II, shrines of Seti II, Amenhotep I and II, obelisks of Hatchepsut (325 tons of granite) and texts by Tutmose III, Ramses II and III.
We will return to our hotel and have the rest of the day at our leisure to relax and enjoy the pool and hotel facilities. Lunch for own account. We will meet in reception in the early evening and visit the impressive temple of Luxor. Construction at Luxor Temple began under the reign of Amenhotep III; it was then added to by Ramses II and Nectanebo I. It has an intact gathering of sphinxes in front of the Ramses II pylon. The Battle of Qadesh of Ramses II against the Hittites is detailed on the pylon walls. This is the only religious monument in the world that includes Pharaonic, Macedonian, Ptolemaic, Roman, Christian and Islamic constructions. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
After breakfast we will check out of the hotel (luggage will be moved to the cruise) and visit the West Bank of Luxor, one of the richest archaeological sites on Earth by crossing the road bridge. We will stop by the Colossi of Memnon who have stood the test of time, surviving long after the temple they guarded has vanished, for photographs.
We will then visit the world-famous Valley of the Kings. During the greatest period in ancient Egyptian history, most of the pharaohs were buried here, in tombs of extraordinary beauty and in chambers filled with vast treasures. We will visit three tombs where we will view their afterlife dreams coming true. We will study the voyage of eternity and the sailing through the sky, as the Pharaohs make their trip toward what is in the beyond. View the Kings succeeding in passing through the “Gates of the Afterlife,” in very detailed, brilliantly coloured and intact scenes. We will also visit the Tomb of Tutankhamen.
We will then visit the unique temple of the female pharaoh Hatchepsut at Deir El-Bahri, which is the show piece of the West Bank. In its superb setting, the temple rises in a series of broad terraces that at the topmost level joins with the limestone cliffs. It is in this temple of beauty and power that you can view Hatchepsut’s peaceful expedition to Punt, with its commercial exchange of goods and warm relations.
We will return to the East Bank of Luxor and check into our Nile Cruiser in time for lunch. Rest of the day at your leisure to enjoy the pool and cruise facilities. Dinner at 19H30, following by a Belly Dancing Show in the Lounge Bar at 21H00. Overnight on board, docked in Luxor.
We will have a very early wake-up call this morning around 04H30 and transfer to the West Bank of Luxor by boat to do a hot air balloon ride over some of the temples and tombs of Luxor (optional excursion @ $120 pp). After the balloon ride we will return to the cruise for breakfast. For those not doing the hot air balloon ride you will have the morning at leisure.
Lunch on board as we depart Luxor and set sail for Esna passing through the lock (delay in crossing the lock depends on cruiser traffic). Sail to Edfu, enjoying the unique scenes along the banks of the Nile. View Egyptian farmers and mountains as we sail between them. Dinner at 19H30, followed by music and dancing in the Lounge Bar at 21H00. Overnight on board, docked in Edfu.
After breakfast we will visit the huge temple dedicated to the God Horus at Edfu. This is the best-preserved temple of its time, built during the Ptolemaic rule, the construction commenced in 237 BC under Ptolemy III Evergetes I and was accomplished in 57 BC. The temple celebrates the legendary battle between the Gods Horus and Set.
Lunch on board as we sail to Kom Ombo to visit the temple situated on a hill (kom) overlooking the East Bank of the Nile, and dedicated to two Gods, Horus the Elder and Sobek the Crocodile deity. Built in the time of Greco-Roman rule, it contains sanctuaries, hypostyle-pillared halls and corridors. The temple also contains mummified crocodiles now placed in a small shrine dedicated originally to Hathor. The name Kom Ombo (the ancient Greek settlement of Ombos) is derived from the Ancient Egyptian word, nubt, which means city of gold. Sail to Aswan. Dinner, followed by a fancy dress party (Galabeya night) and overnight on board, docked in Aswan.
After breakfast we will visit the ancient granite quarry with its 1 000 ton Unfinished Obelisk. We will then visit Philae Temple, built on an island, and devoted to the goddess Isis. We will travel by a small motor boat to Agilika Island. The temple was moved to this island in the 1960’s when the new High Dam threatened to put the island underwater forever. The temple rose in importance during the time of the Ptolemy’s and was the main cult center of Isis. The site was so popular that it survived well into the Christian era as one of the last outposts of paganism. Early Christians transformed the main temple’s hypostyle hall into a chapel and added churches to the island. Dedicated to Isis, mother of the Lords, guardian and magician, the temple was built by Egyptians under the rule of Taharqa and Nectanebo I. Later the Ptolemy’s and Romans added their royal names on the original construction. This was the last temple where the Pharaonic cult was practiced; the last hieroglyphic inscriptions (394 AD) were carved and has the last demotic graffiti (425 AD). We will then visit the Aswan High Dam which forms the 500 km long Lake Nasser.
Lunch on board. In the late afternoon we will board a traditional Felucca Cruise from which we will view Kitchener’s and Elephantine Islands and the Mausoleum of the Aga Kahn. This is a relaxing way to learn about the importance of the Nile to both its ancient and modern cultures. Dinner and overnight on board, docked in Aswan.
After breakfast we will disembark from the cruise and transfer to the airport for our flight to Cairo. Depart Aswan on flight MS 083 at 08H05, arriving in Cairo at 09H30.
On arrival in Cairo, we will be collected at the airport and immediately visit the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). This guided tour will focus on some of the most ancient Egyptian artifacts and the legendary treasures of Tutankhamen.
We will then transfer to our hotel. Rest of the afternoon at your leisure. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
After breakfast we will be collected at our hotel and drive approximately 40 minutes to Saqqara, one of the richest archaeological sites in Egypt. This vast desert necropolis was built for kings and nobles of the Old Kingdom. We begin at the centerpiece of Saqqara, the Step Pyramid and the surrounding enclosure of King Djoser, king of Egypt from 2667 to 2648 BC. Built for the king by Imhoptep, high priest and the world’s first architect and physician. We continue on to the Pyramid of Titi, first king of the 6th dynasty, with its hymns, litanies and spells of protection, the first flowerings of a tradition that would later blossom into the full blown, full-colour, floor-to-ceiling wall paintings seen in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings and Queens in Luxor. We then visit the mastaba tomb of Mereruka (or similar) with its 33 chambers and magnificent relief’s including hunting scenes of birds, fish and hippo.
We will drive to Giza and have lunch at the 9 Pyramids Restaurant with wonderful views of the Pyramids. After lunch we will visit the Pyramid of Khufu, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids on the plateau. Originally 482 feet high, it is now slightly lower due to the removal of its outer casing and capstone. The pyramid of Khafre, slightly smaller than that of Khufu his father, retains some of its outer limestone covering. The pyramid of Menkaure’s is the smallest of the group, but perhaps the most expensive to construct due to its building material. (Entrance into the Great Pyramid is optional. Cost to be paid directly on the day EP 1 500, around $30).
We will then visit the panorama area where there may be an opportunity to ride a camel followed by a visit to the Sphinx and the valley temple. Dinner and overnight in hotel.
After breakfast we will have the morning at our leisure. We will be collected at our hotel with our luggage in the early afternoon and visit the Citadel of Salah-El-Din who ruled Egypt from 1171 to 1192 AD. Situated within the Citadel is the Mosque of Mohammed Ali, which he built after taking the throne of Egypt in 1805. He is buried within his alabaster mosque that took fifteen years to complete and possess one of the largest minibards (pulpits) in the world. We will then visit the Hanging Church before going to the famous Khan El Khalili Bazaar for dinner at Nagib Mahfous Restaurant and time for shopping.
We will transfer to the airport around 20H30 for our return flight to Johannesburg. Depart Cairo on flight MS 839 at 23H00
Arrive in Johannesburg at 07H05.
THE ABOVE ITINERARY INCLUDES:
- 2 nights’ accommodation at the Sonesta St George hotel in Luxor on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis in a side Nile View room
- 4 nights on board the 5 star deluxe M/S Movenpick Lily Nile Cruiser on a full board basis
- 2 nights’ accommodation at the 5 star Giza Palace hotel in Cairo on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis
- All sightseeing and entrance fees as per the above itinerary
- Special entry tickets into the tomb of Tutankhamen
- Private guiding by an Egyptologist Eman Bahaa
- Tour leader Kim Lings accompanying the trip from South Africa
- All tipping
THE ABOVE ITINERARY EXCLUDES:
- International and domestic flights to Egypt
- Visa application for foreign passport holders
- SA passport holders can get their visa on arrival in Cairo free of charge
- Medical and/or baggage insurance (compulsory)
- Any meals not mentioned in the above itinerary (lunch during hotel stays)
- Drinks are never included in any meals except breakfast
- Optional hot air balloon ride in Luxor (estimated cost USD $120 pp)
- Optional entrance into the Great Pyramid (estimated cost USD $30 pp)
- Items of a personal nature such as, but not limited to, telephone calls, laundry and postage
- Optional excursions and items not specified in the attached itinerary
NB: Please note the standard of accommodation in Egypt can vary considerably to the same star accommodation in South Africa. Therefore a 5 star hotel in Egypt is not necessarily representative of a 5 star hotel in South Africa.
Nile Travel reserves the right to change the order of the itinerary, guide, hotels and cruise should the need arise. Nile Travel shall not be liable for any loss or harm, delay, damage or injury to property or person however caused. For a list of our full terms and conditions please visit www.nile.co.za.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
While we will strive to include all the sites mentioned in the above itinerary Nile Travel cannot be held responsible for any sites being closed at the time of visiting. The order of the above itinerary may also vary in order to accommodate the weather and energy levels of the group. Please ensure that you wear comfortable shoes and dress accordingly for the weather. If you have any strict dietary requirements or need to eat at regular intervals please ensure that you have enough food and drinks with you prior to departure each morning as we may not get back to the hotel/cruise exactly at lunchtime every day. The hotels will be able to arrange a lunch box for you if required, please check costs with reception.
TOUR PRICE
The above Egypt tour itinerary will cost USD $4 695 per person sharing excluding any international or domestic flights. The single-room supplement is an additional USD $1 410.
Please budget an additional R15 000 per person depending on the seat class availability at the time of issuing, flying from Johannesburg on Egypt Air in economy class. The price is subject to the rand/dollar exchange rate and airline increases until full payment has been received.
A non-refundable deposit of R20 000 per person secures your booking. The deposit will be refunded in full if Nile Travel cancels the tour for any reason. Once the minimum number of 10 passengers has been confirmed, payment for the flights will be due. The balance owing for the land arrangements will be due by 20 September 2026. The price is based on a minimum of 10 passengers.
An optional 5 nights extension to Jordan is available on request. Price to be advised.
OPTIONAL JORDAN EXTENSION:
After breakfast we will have the morning at our leisure. We will be collected at our hotel with our luggage in the early afternoon and visit the Citadel of Salah-El-Din who ruled Egypt from 1171 to 1192 AD. Situated within the Citadel is the Mosque of Mohammed Ali, which he built after taking the throne of Egypt in 1805. He is buried within his alabaster mosque that took fifteen years to complete and possess one of the largest minibards (pulpits) in the world.
The rest of the group will visit the Hanging Church and the rest of us will transfer to the airport for our flight to Amman. Depart Cairo on MS 701 at 16H45, arriving in Amman at 18H20. On arrival in Amman we will be collected at the airport and transfer to the Kempinski hotel for overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.
After breakfast we will check out of our hotel and transfer via the King and Desert Highways to Petra (takes around 3 to 4 hours excluding site visits). Along the way we will stop in Madaba to see the map which is proudly displayed on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, built in 1896. We will then continue to Mt Nebo situated some 10 kilometers from Madaba, and at an altitude of about 800 meters above sea level. Mount Nebo is the presumed site of Moses’ tomb and where he is thought to have viewed the Promised Land. The hilltop of Mount Nebo indeed commands a spectacular, breathtaking view across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
We will continue to Kerak Castle. Nestled on the ancient caravan routes from Egypt to Syria, Kerak is most famous for its massive, imposing Crusader Castle built in 1132 AD by the Crusader King Baldwin I. Dominating the walled city, with five thousand Christian knights defending it, the castle fell to Saladin’s forces after fifty years of fighting in 1188 AD. The fortress is a maze of galleries, arched chambers and fortified towers located at an altitude of about 1000 meters. Particularly magnificent is the view from the top of the fortress, embracing the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley, and the valley of Wadi Mujib. We continue to Petra and on arrival we will check into the Rock Camp for overnight on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
After breakfast we will be collected at our hotel and do a full day tour of Petra visiting the main sites. Please note this is an exciting but physically demanding day. Most treasured and Jordan’s pride and joy, Petra stands proud and erect in the south of the Kingdom. The soul-stirring, mind-blowing, rose-red city of Petra is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in south Jordan more than 2000 years ago. The Nabataen Kingdom lasted for many centuries, and Petra, at the time, became widely admired for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels. It remains so to this very day, thousands of centuries later.
The city of Petra was lost for 300 years, only to be re-discovered in 1812 by the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Today, Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its art revered and respected, its architecture admired, its vastness awed, its beauty eternally famed. From the main entrance, you walk through the siq (chasm), which ripped through the rock in a prehistoric quake, only to be taken aback by beauty and immensity when your eyes first land on Petra’s most famous monument, Al- Khazneh (the Treasury). This towering facade is only the first of Petra’s secrets, treasures that are scattered around the city in abundance, from buildings, facades, tombs, baths and funerary halls to temples and haunting rock drawings. The majesty of the site of Petra will be etched in your mind forever.
You can have lunch at the basin restaurant (own expense) before deciding on whether to climb the 950 steps to El Deir (the monastery) which is highly recommended. You can hire a donkey for an additional cost of around US $35. Transfer by road to Wadi Rum for overnight at the Rum Camp on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
After breakfast we will transfer to 4 X 4 vehicles for a two hour ride into the desert.
“Vast, echoing, and God like, that is Wadi Rum” in the words of T. E. Lawrence who was based there during the Arab Revolt. With its awesome stretches of reddish sand, Wadi Rum is a vast, silent place that is both romantic and starkly beautiful. Massive mountains and rocks, in strange shapes and colors, seem to come out of nowhere everywhere you look. Engravings on the rocks and inside the natural caves indicate that the area was inhabited since the earliest known time. Today, this desert, overwhelming with its indescribable beauty, is home to several friendly, hospitable Bedouin tribes where we will enjoy lunch.
We will then travel to the Dead Sea (about 4 hours’ drive) an on arrival we will check into the Movenpick hotel on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
After breakfast you will have the morning at your leisure to enjoy swimming in the Dead Sea and/or book a spa treatment.
Afternoon visit to Jerash. Overnight in the Movenpick hotel on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
After breakfast transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
CONTACT DETAILS
If the mysteries of Egypt, its Pharaohs and Pyramids fascinate you contact: Kim Lings on +27 83 630 7926 kim@nile.co.za. www.nile.co.za