Egypt: Cradle of the Nile

Day 01: Arrive Cairo
Ahlan wa sahlan (welcome in Arabic)! We are warmly received at Cairo Airport and transferred to our hotel. Check in starts from
2:00 PM. Relax and recover from jetlag, or take part in some of the many optional tours we offer, such as a visit to the Grand
Egyptian Museum, a tour of Coptic Cairo, or a visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Please find full details in our
Notes section.
Interested in experiencing the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)? While the official opening date of the GEM has not
yet been announced, the museum is partially open, and guests can view many of the artifacts already there. We are thrilled to
offer an optional introductory visit to the GEM for interested guests (subject to approval, passport details required). This tour
will include a visit to the well-known obelisk that has been moved here, and the colossal statue of Ramses II, one of the most
famous pharaohs. We will see the Grand Staircase from the outside, as well as Merenbetah and some statues from the Batlimos
era. This guided tour takes from approximately 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. It is available at a cost of US$ 120 per person, with no
minimum participants needed. Please contact Bestway to pre-book.
Overnight: Kempinski Cairo Hotel, Cairo (2 nights)

Day 02: Cairo

This is a day to go back in time, starting with a visit to the most famous of the Egyptian sphinxes, the Great Sphinx of Giza. We
then discover the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops). Completed around 2600 BC, this pyramid was 146 meters (478 feet) high
and consisted of more than 2 million limestone blocks weighing over 2 tons each. We also experience the Chephren and
Mycerinus pyramids. Next, we visit Memphis and the Saqqara Step Pyramid, the world's first great stone structure. Evening, an
ideal opportunity to join in our optional viewing of the spectacular Sound and Light Show at the foot of the Great Pyramids.

Day 03: Cairo/Luxor (Flight)
A short flight brings us to Luxor, where we are warmly received and transferred to our boat, home for the next four nights. Over
the next few days, we enjoy an essential Egypt experience: cruising the Nile. We’ll watch rural life along the river banks and
visit some of the world’s most impressive ancient sites.
Overnight: Movenpick Royal Lily Nile Cruise/Acamar Nile Cruise

Day 04: Nile Cruise Luxor
This afternoon, we visit Karnak and Luxor temples. A place of pilgrimage for nearly 4,000 years, Karnak continues to
overshadow many of the modern wonders of the world. This city of temples was built over the course of 2,000 years and
dedicated to the Theben triad of Amon, Mut and Khonsu. Nearby Luxor temple complex was the largest and most significant
religious centre in ancient Egypt, and is said to be where pharaohs were crowned. Its vast Great Colonnade Hall, with its 28
towering columns, will take our breath away.

Day 05: Nile Cruise Luxor/Esna/Edfu

We begin our day with an exploration of the West Bank of Luxor. The highlight is a visit to the Valley of the Kings, a vast City of
the Dead where magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rocks, richly decorated, and filled with treasures for the afterlife
by generations of pharaohs. As we wander the tombs, we’ll be astonished by how well-preserved the paintings are – as if they
were done recently, and not thousands of years ago! We will also experience impressive Queen Hatshepsut Temple and the
Colossi of Memnon. Sail to Esna, where we have the unique experience of crossing the Esna Lock. Then, continue on to
Edfu.

Day 06: Nile Cruise Edfu/Kom Ombo/Aswan

Morning, discover the meticulously-preserved Greek built Temple of Horus. This temple, built during the reigns of six
generations of Ptolemys, is not only the best-preserved ancient temple in Egypt, but also the second largest after Karnak.
Afternoon,sail for Kom Ombo to visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile-god Sobek. It stands at a bend in the
Nile where, in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank, and we can even find mummified crocodiles
on display here.

Day 07: Aswan/Cairo (Flight)

Disembark after breakfast. Optional excursion by air to Abu Simbel (US$ 615 per person includes air) to see the temples of
Ramses II and Queen Nefertari. Visits in Aswan include the famous and imposing Aswan High Dam, and romantic Philae Temple
on the island of Agilka. This afternoon, we take a ride on a felucca, a typical Egyptian sail-boat, around Elephantine Island.
Evening, we are transferred to the airport for our flight to Cairo. Arrival in Cairo, where we are met and transferred to our hotel.
Overnight: Kempinski Cairo Hotel, Cairo

Day 08: Cairo
Our day starts with a fascinating tour of 7,000 years of Egyptian history during our visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.
A brief stop will also be made at Tahrir Square before diving into Islamic Cairo, home to one of the largest and densest
concentrations of historic architecture in the Muslim world. We see graceful Mohamed Ali Mosque and the ancient Citadel, a
spectacular medieval fortress perched on a hill above the city. Originally built by Salah El-Din in 1176 to fortify the city against
the Crusaders, the Citadel is now a complex of three mosques and four museums. Our last stop is maze-like Khan El-Khalili
Bazaar, reputed to be the largest bazaar in the Middle East. Originally founded as a watering stop for caravanserai in the 14th
century, the bazaar has now grown to vast proportions.
Visits to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (home of royal mummies such as Ramses II, Queen Hapshepsut and
Thutmose III) can be arranged to be part of your Egypt tour on special request. Additional costs may apply.

Day 09: Depart Cairo

Bid farewell to Egypt as we are transferred to the airport in time for our departure flight. Or, continue our adventure with add-
on excursions to the coastal Egyptian city of Alexandria, the beautiful desert landscapes of Jordan, and beyond. Contact
Bestway Tours & Safaris for details and ideas.