SPLENDOURS OF EGYPT

Day 1 Arrival Cairo

Arrive into Cairo, the capital of Egypt and the largest city in northern Africa, a thriving mixture of cosmopolitan culture, history and tradition. You will be transferred to your hotel to relax and unwind after your journey.

Overnight: Four Seasons Nile Plaza

Day 2 Cairo - Pyramids and Sphinx

Embark on your exciting journey by starting with a visit to visit one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramids of Giza built for some of the mightiest Pharaohs, Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus. A single pyramid is built with 2,300,000 blocks, each weighing an average of two and a half tonnes. 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. Today lunch will be served at the Marriott Mena House, surrounded by verdant green gardens in the shadow of the Great Pyramids. Your afternoon continues with a visit to the ancient capital of Memphis and Sakkara where the Step Pyramid, which was built for the Pharaoh Zoser, is the oldest pyramid in the world, dating back from 2700 BC. It can be said without exaggeration that the Step Pyramid complex constitutes a milestone in the evolution of monumental stone architecture. Your evening is at leisure for you to enjoy an optional visit of your choice or to simply to reflect on your fascinating day.

Overnight: Four Seasons Nile Plaza

Day 3 Cairo - Museum, Coptic Cairo, Citadel and Khan El Khalili Bazaar

Take a leisurely breakfast in the hotel and then transfer to the Grand Egyptian Museum for an unforgettable visit. The museum houses over 100,000 artefacts spanning five millennia, from monumental statues to exquisite jewellery. Walk through luminous galleries that echo the scale and grandeur of ancient temples, where the complete treasures of Tutankhamun are on display as a complete collection for the first time. Leaving the museum behind, you will take a short drive to fascinating Coptic Cairo, a historic area of the city and where the Hanging Church is found. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is thus also known as Sitt Mariam or St. Mary's Church. The morning concludes with some time at Khan El Khalili bazaar where a delicious lunch will be enjoyed at Naguib Mahfouz Cafe. You will then have some free time to browse the many souvenir shops. The afternoon will be spent at the Citadel which accommodates a number of ancient mosques and museums before transferring back to your hotel for your final night in the city.

Overnight: Four Seasons Nile Plaza

Day 4 Cairo to Aswan

This morning you will travel to the airport for your onward flight to Aswan. You will be met and transferred to the Oberoi Zahra for embarkation. The luxury cabins and suites are complemented by expansive views of the river framed by large windows. The Oberoi Zahra is the only boat on the Nile with a full-service spa. Your first day will include a visit to the Botanical Gardens by felucca and, after dinner, a sound and light show at Philae Temple. Tonight the vessel remains in Aswan.

Overnight: Oberoi Zahra

Day 5 Abu Simbel - High Dam - Philae Temple

During the next five days you will have time to relax and take advantage of the many facilities on-board and to leisurely discover the five thousand years of Egyptian culture. This morning there will be an optional visit to Abu Simbel. Built to honour Ramses II, the magnificent temple was discovered half-buried in sand in 1813 by explorer Jean-Louis Burckhardt and relocated in the 1960s as Lake Nasser rose. Alternatively, you may enjoy some free time for visiting the onboard spa, go shopping in Aswan or visit the Nubian Museum. This afternoon, visit the High Dam, a splendid feat of engineering containing Lake Nasser, the Unfinished Obelisk dating back to the New Kingdom and the Temple of Philae, the centre of the cult of Isis.

Overnight: Oberoi Zahra

Day 6 Aswan - Kom Ombo - Edfu

Depart Aswan and sail north. Your first stop will be at the twin Graeco-Roman Temple of Kom Ombo, a temple dedicated to the falcon God, Horus the Elder and the crocodile God, Sobek. A museum at the temple's entrance contains some 40 crocodile mummies from a nearby crocodile necropolis. Continue northwards and on to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best preserved temple of the ancient world and said to be the battle site of Horus and Seth. Two black granite statues of Horus stand at the entrance to the first pylon, an imposing structure inscribed with Pharaonic battle scenes.

Overnight: Oberoi Zahra

Day 7 Edfu - Esna - Luxor

Continue on to Esna and then on to Luxor (Ancient Thebes). This afternoon you will visit one of Egypt's highlights, Karnak, a vast complex of colossi, halls, pylons and temples, with the Temple of Amun, God of Gods at its heart. The complex was added to and changed with the progression of the pharaohs throughout the ancient dynasties. After lying in the sands for some 1,000 years, the complex was discovered in the mid nineteenth century. Highlights include the Great Hypostyle Hall, the Colossus of Ramses II, the Great Festival Temple and the Sacred Lake, where priests purified themselves in holy water.

Overnight: Oberoi Zahra

Day 8 Luxor

This morning, cross the Nile to ancient Thebes on Luxor's west bank and continue to the place of almost legendary proportions, the Valley of the Kings. The valley became the resting place of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom who sought the security of the Theban hills for their worldly possessions. Sadly tomb raiders plundered the vast majority of the tombs, leaving just a few to be discovered by Egyptologists such as Howard Carter in 1922. Your return back to Luxor will include a visit to Medinet Habu, the mortuary temple of Ramses III and statues of Amenhotep, the Colossi of Memnon. This evening, return to Karnak for an atmospheric sound and light show.

Overnight: Oberoi Zahra

Day 9 Luxor - Qena

This morning, sail to Qena to visit Dendara, and the Temple of Hathor, the goddess of pleasure and love. Hathor was the lover of Horus and gave birth to his child, Ihy. Though dating to Graeco-Roman era, the temple is distinctly pharaonic in style with hypostyle halls leading to a sanctuary. This evening there will be a reception at the temple.

Overnight: Oberoi Zahra

Day 10 Luxor - West Bank and Luxor Temple

This morning, return to Luxor where you will cross over to the West Bank to visit the Tombs of the Nobles of the New Kingdom and Deir El Medina, also known as the Workmen's Village. It was at Deir El Medina that the workers, craftsmen and servants who worked on the royal tombs lived. Early evening, visit Luxor Temple on the banks of the Nile in the centre of Luxor. Completed during the 18th Dynasty and added to during the 19th, the temple is dedicated to Amun, Khonsu and Mut. The temple is partly connected to Karnak two kilometres away by the Grand Avenue of Sphinxes.

Overnight: Oberoi Zahra

Day 11 Depart

Disembarkation will follow breakfast and you will be transferred to Luxor airport for your flight home.