12 Days Cairo , Nile Cruise & Hurghada

Welcome to Egypt! Upon arrival, your tour begins when you are greeted by our representative Executive Travel who will assist you through immigration and customs formalities. After you have collected your luggage, he will then take you, in our deluxe vehicle, to your Cairo hotel overnight. Optional Dinner cruise on board river Nile in Cairo

After breakfast, you will meet your Egyptologist guide in the hotel lobby. Begin by exploring the desert antiquities dating back to the beginning of a civilization that arose over 5,000 years ago. You will venture through the desert to visit some of Egypt's oldest sites. First, go to the Pyramids of Giza. Nothing evokes Egypt’s long and intriguing history as powerfully as the pyramids. Rising from the desert, Khufu (Cheops), Khafra, and Menkaura symbolize the enigmatic tug of Egypt in our imaginations. The Great Pyramid of Cheops immortalizes the son of Sneferu and Hetephres. Though little is known about this pharaoh, his pyramid is the largest of the three and is comprised of 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing an average of 2.5 tons., Then you will visit the famous Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The museum houses the greatest collection of Egyptian royal treasures in the world. Your expert guide will take you through the highlights, including the famous Tutankhamun Collection of golden treasures You will then visit the most famous Bazaar in the middle east Khan El Khalili Bazaar. Back to your hotel and overnight. Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

After breakfast, Today you will be transferred to the airport to take your flight to Luxor, later this morning, you will be transferred to the river to begin your Nile cruise After check-in, enjoy lunch on board. This afternoon, you visit the East Bank with its fabled Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. The temple of Luxor is close to the Nile and parallel to the riverbank. King Amenhotep III, who reigned 1390-53 BCE, built this beautiful temple and dedicated it to Amon-Re, king of the gods, his consort Mut, and their son Khons. This temple has been in almost continuous use as a place of worship up to the present day. It was completed by Tutankhamun and Horemheb and added to by Ramses II. Towards the rear is a granite shrine dedicated to Alexander the Great Osiris. A 20-meter/66-foot high, mud brick enclosure wall, surrounded all of these buildings. The Amon Ra Temple was known during the Middle Kingdom period as It-Swt, which means the Selected Spot. It was also called Pr-In, or the House of Amon. The name Al-Karnak in Arabic was derived from Karnak, which means fortified village Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today you will discover the legendary Valley of the Kings that encompasses the East Valley, home to the tombs of the New Kingdom Pharaohs, and the West Valley, which has only one tomb open to the public - the tomb of Ay, who succeeded Tutankhamun to the Egyptian throne. The temple of Queen Hatshepsut of Dynasty XVIII was built just north of the Middle Kingdom temple of Mentuhotep Nebhepetre in the bay of cliffs known as Deir el-Bahri. In ancient times the temple was called Djeser-desert, meaning the ’sacred of sacreds’. It was undoubtedly influenced by the style of the earlier temple at Deir el-Bahri, which Hatshepsut chose as the site of her temple in a valley sacred to the Theban Goddess of the West. More importantly, it was on a direct axis with Karnak Temple. Two huge ruined statues, the Colossi of Memnon, are around 17 meters/56 feet tall and once stood at the entrance gate of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, though very little of the temple behind them remains today. They were cut from two massive granite blocks, brought from quarries near Cairo, and carved to represent the pharaoh Amenhotep III of Dynasty XVIII. The Valley of the Queens is near the better-known Valley of the Kings, on the west bank of the Nile across from Thebes (modern Luxor). This barren area in the western hills was chosen due to its relative isolation and proximity to the capital. The pharaohs of the 18th Dynasty chose to be buried in rock-cut tombs instead of the traditional building of pyramids as burial chambers (perhaps because of their vulnerability to tomb robbers). Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Take in the Horus Temple in Edfu. The site of Edfu Tell was known as Wetjeset-hor, the place where the god Horus was worshipped and where, ancient mythology says, the battle between Horus and his traditional enemy Seth took place. The temple of Horus is the most well-preserved and the only one we know to have been completed. Built from sandstone blocks, the huge Ptolemaic temple was constructed over the site of a smaller, earlier temple, oriented east to west. The temple of Kom Ombo stands on the East Bank right next to the river, about 4 kilometers/2.5 miles from town. It was dedicated to two gods, Horus and Sobek, but primarily to Sobek, the crocodile God, together with his wife, who was in another form the Goddess Hathor. The temple is a Greco-Roman structure, dating back to the year 119 BCE, when Ptolemy VI, began its construction with limestone. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today, you see the temple of Isis on the island of Philae, the center for the worship of the goddess Isis. It attracted pilgrims from all over the ancient world. One of the great temples of Egypt, it occupies about a quarter of the island and is the main temple on the island, with its huge, complete pylons and beautiful scenes. The temple is built in the same style as the temples of the New Kingdom. It also incorporates other elements, which appeared in the Greco-Roman period, such as the Miami (the House of the divine birth of Horus), and a Nilometer. The temple was submerged after the first Aswan Dam was built in 1906. The Unfinished Obelisk lies, in its original location, in a granite quarry in Aswan. It is 42 meters/138 feet in length and was most probably abandoned when some cracks appeared in the rock, during its construction. Had this obelisk been completed, it would have been the heaviest obelisk ever cut in Ancient Egypt, weighing nearly 1100 tons! It is believed that it was constructed and abandoned during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty. Afterward, return to Aswan to visit the High Dam of Aswan, considered one of the most important achievements of in the last century in Egypt. For many years, it was a symbol of the New Era of the Revolution of 1952. It provides Egypt with water and electricity. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After Breakfast. This morning, disembark your cruise ship for an early transfer to the airport to fly to Abu Simbel. ( if reserved ) The temples of Abu Simbel are amongst the most interesting Pharaonic temples. Located close to the southern border with Sudan, it is 280 kilometers/174 miles south of Aswan and consists of two, rock-cut temples, which both dates back to the reign of King Ramses II (1290- 1223 BCE). Unfortunately, these unique temples suffered from the rising waters of Lake Nasser while the High Dam was being built. Then take your flight to Hurghada. Arrive in Hurghada, check-in at your hotel, and overnight. Meals: Breakfast, & Dinner

Days at leisure, enjoying the marvels of sand & sunny beach, enjoy swimming, snorkeling, diving, and different water sports are available upon request Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Optional: Giftun Island is the first nature reserve in the Red Sea and is considered one of the most important natural habitats for seagulls, as it is inhabited by about 50% of seagulls in the world, in addition to other types of birds and reptiles. Giftun Island was separated by faulting processes into: Great Giftun Island: It is the largest island of the Giftun group, with an area of 18 km2, and it extends in a longitudinal form at a distance of about 11 km from the coast of Hurghada, and its coastline is 34 km long, at a rate of 1.9 per km2 of its total area. Giftun Island is small, with an area of 3 km2, located to the southeast of the large island of Giftun. Its coasts are 8 km long and are wider in the south than in the north. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast. Optional Orange Bay: The island is surrounded by unspoiled coral reefs, impressive marine life species, and white sandy beaches. The shallow crystal-clear turquoise sea stretches for almost one and a half KM and has a maximum depth of five M, making it an ideal spot to float away your worries. P.m.: Optional Hurghada Grand Aquarium: Hurghada Grand Aquarium is dedicated to inspiring guests of all ages to appreciate the marine environment while promoting conservation action and developing an understanding of the irreplaceable value of all life in our world’s oceans. By teaching children and adults, the importance of conservation, ecology, and stewardship, we believe they will apply this knowledge to make sustainable choices and take an active part in preserving our marine environment. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After Breakfast. Departure from Hurghada to Cairo by car, Arrive in Cairo overnight. Meals: Breakfast

Today you will be transferred to the airport to take your international flight back home. Meals: Breakfast