Depart Johannesburg on Egypt Air flight MS 840 at 21H45 for Cairo.

Arrive in Cairo at 05H35.  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.  

We will meet again in the late afternoon for a visit to 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 hotel.

After breakfast we will visit the West Bank of Luxor, one of the richest archaeological sites on Earth by crossing the road bridge to see 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 visit the tomb of Ramses VI, and have special entry tickets to view the stunning tomb of Seti I and the famous boy-king Tutankhamun’s tomb. 

We will then transfer to the Valley of the Queens and visit the breathtaking tomb of Queen Nefertari (special entry ticket).  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.  On our way back to the hotel we will stop at the Colossi of Memnon who have stood the test of time, surviving long after the temple they guarded has vanished, for photography.

We will return to the East Bank of Luxor and have the rest of the day at your leisure to enjoy the hotel swimming pool and hotel facilities. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.

We will have a very early wake-up call this morning around 05H00 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. 

We will visit the Workmen’s Village and two workmen’s tombs, noblemen tomb of Ramose and the temple of Medinet Habu.  We will transfer back to the East Bank of Luxor and check into our Nile Cruiser in time for lunch.  Afternoon at your leisure.  We will meet again in the late afternoon and go on an interesting horse and buggy ride about modern Luxor.  Dinner and overnight on board, docked in Luxor.

Breakfast on board.  Morning visit to Karnak Temple.  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 25^th Dynasty, saw construction over a span of 1 300 years.   The largest of all the temples of Egypt, its 25^th 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 cruiser and sail to Esna passing through the lock (delay in crossing the lock depends on cruiser traffic).  Lunch on board as we sail to Edfu enjoying the unique scenes along the banks of the Nile.  View Egyptian farmers and mountains as we sail between them. Dinner and overnight on board, docked in Edfu.

Breakfast on board.  Morning visit to Karnak Temple.  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 25^th Dynasty, saw construction over a span of 1 300 years.   The largest of all the temples of Egypt, its 25^th 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 cruiser and sail to Esna passing through the lock (delay in crossing the lock depends on cruiser traffic).  Lunch on board as we sail to Edfu enjoying the unique scenes along the banks of the Nile.  View Egyptian farmers and mountains as we sail between them. Dinner and 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 disembark from the cruise and transfer to the airport for our flight to Cairo visiting the Aswan High Dam which forms the 500 km long Lake Nasser on the way.  Depart Aswan on MS 392 at 08H55, landing in Cairo at 10H20.

On arrival in Cairo we will be collected at the airport and immediately visit the world famous Cairo Museum.   This guided tour will focus on some of the most ancient Egyptian artifacts, Ra-Hotep and Nofret’s legendary statues, Khafre’s immaculate diorite statue and the artifacts and gold of Tutankhamen.  If time allows we will visit the famous Khan El Khalili Bazaar with its vast lanes of ancient shops, spices, gold and silver, with time for shopping.

We will then transfer to the Grand Hyatt hotel.  Rest of the day at your leisure.  Dinner and overnight in hotel. 

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 be collected at our hotel and do a full day tour to the Giza Plateau and Saqqara Necropolis.  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 included).

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.

We will then 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 6^th 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.  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 a local restaurant for our farewell dinner. 

The people doing the optional extension to Jordan will be transferred to the airport for their flight to Amman.

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.