Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: Egypt Pyramids, Temples & Nile Cultural Discovery
Day 1 Arrive in Cairo, Egypt
Arrive in Cairo on a late flight and meet your MT Sobek representative at the airport for the transfer to your hotel.
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence
Day 2 Discover Cairo & the Great Pyramids of Giza
Cultural touring and camel ride
After a brief orientation, head out for a visit of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which is in an advanced soft opening phase. This museum is meant to be the largest on earth dedicated to one civilization. Have lunch at a local restaurant and set out to see the Great Pyramids of Giza. Enjoy a camel ride across the sands and visit the temple of the mysterious Sphinx. Enjoy a welcome dinner back at the hotel.
Accommodation: Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence
(B, L, D)
Day 3 Tour the Pyramids of Dahshur & Saqqara
Cultural touring
Today head out to visit the spectacular Dahshur Pyramids, an ancient royal necropolis approximately 25 miles south of Cairo. Take in the famed Bent Pyramid, unusual for its angled sides, and the Red Pyramid, the fourth highest pyramid ever built in Egypt, with almost 160 layers of stone. Have lunch at a local restaurant and drive on to the vast Saqqara complex, to see the step pyramid of King Zoser, the first freestanding stone structure in the world, and tour the ancient tombs with incredible wall art.
(B, L, D)
Day 4 Fly to Luxor & Explore the Temples of Karnak & Luxor
1-hour 10-minute flight transfer
Cultural touring
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Luxor. Upon arrival, head out for a guided tour of the Karnak Temple, built over more than a thousand years by generations of pharaohs. Marvel at its great Hypostyle Hall, an incredible forest of giant pillars. Transfer to your hotel and set out for a guided sunset visit of the temple of Luxor, a strikingly graceful spot dedicated to the god of Amun-Ra. This evening enjoy a delicious dinner at a restaurant in town.
Accommodation: Hotel Al Moudira
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Discover the Ancient Sites of Dendera & Abydos
Cultural touring
After breakfast, drive north of Luxor along the banks of the Nile to Dendera. Visit the ancient site of Abydos, the burial place for pre-dynastic kings and pharaohs. This center of a holy city dedicated to Osiris, King of the Underworld, has striking relief-covered walls. Enjoy a boxed lunch and move on to the Ptolemaic Temple of Hathor, goddess of pleasure and love, a wonderfully preserved complex complete with a massive stone roof, underground passages, and towering columns inscribed with hieroglyphs. Return to Luxor in the evening.
Accommodation: Hotel Al Moudira
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Visit the Valley of the Kings & Sail on the Nile
1.5-hour private van transfer
Cultural touring
Early this morning, check out and take an (optional) balloon ride over the western bank (at additional cost) or relax over a leisurely breakfast. Together, head out to visit the Valley of the Kings, a remarkable necropolis with over 60 magnificent royal tombs carved into the desert rocks. In a restricted area not open to the public, enjoy an exclusive audience with Dr. Bahaa Gaber, Head of the West Bank Antiquities. Dr. Gaber will share his insights about the Royal Tombs, behind the scenes stories related to the latest digs and finds on the West Bank of Luxor, and exclusive updates about the most recent archaeological projects. Transfer to your private dahabiya, a traditional sailing boat, for lunch and then set sail on the Nile.
Accommodation: HMC Zahra
(B, L, D)
Day 7 Cruise the Nile to the Ancient Sites of El-Kab & Edfu
Cultural Nile cruise
After breakfast on the boat, cruise to El-Kab, one of the oldest settlements of Upper Egypt, and visit the tombs of the governors and the ruins of the temple where Hathor and Horus used to meet. Enjoy lunch on board during the cruise down the Nile. Disembark to visit the majestic Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the falcon-headed god, Horus. This evening, enjoy a BBQ dinner on Fawaza Island.
Accommodation: HMC Zahra
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Visit a Nubian Village & Djebel Silsila
Cultural Nile cruise
Savor breakfast on the boat, then cruise to an island on the Nile inhabited by fishermen and farmers. Visit a charming Nubian village comprising of many colorful houses, walk through farm fields and orchards, and observe local fishing techniques. Enjoy lunch while cruising to the ancient site of Djebel Silsila, where you'll visit a temple from the Horemheb era and a quarry where sandstone for the temples was extracted. Have dinner on board in front of the temple.
(B, L, D)
Day 9 Tour the Temples of Kom Ombo and Philae
Cultural Nile cruise
Have breakfast on the boat as you cruise the Nile. Visit the temple of Kom Ombo, an unusual double temple built during the Ptolemaic period, from 108 to 47 BC. This stunning place of worship is dedicated to two triads of deities. One set consists of Sobek (crocodile god of the Nile), Hathor, and their child Khonsu; the other comprises Haroeris, Tasenetnofret, and their child Panebtawy. Return to the boat and enjoy lunch as you sail toward Aswan. This afternoon, visit the Philae temple complex, picturesquely situated on an island in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam.
(B, L, D)
Day 10 Fly to Abu Simbel Temple & Back to Cairo
1-hour private van transfer and 1.5-hour flight
Disembark after an early breakfast on the boat and transfer to the Aswan airport for your flight to Abu Simbel. Upon arrival, drive on to the Great Temple of Ramses II on the banks of Lake Nasser. This complex of two temples is carved out of sandstone cliff and fronted by colossal statues. After witnessing this monumental site, board a connecting flight from Abu Simbel to Cairo, where you'll meet your MT Sobek representative and transfer to the hotel.
Accommodation: Fairmont Nile City
(B, L, D)
Day 11 Discover Islamic & Coptic Cairo
Cultural touring
After breakfast take a tour of 7,000 years of Egyptian history with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which includes the world-famous golden treasures from King Tutankhamun's tomb. Next, visit Islamic Cairo, including the majestic Mohamed Ali Mosque and the medieval Citadel perched on a hill above the city. Also visit the mausoleum for the royal family of Egypt. Enjoy lunch, then head out for a tour of Coptic Cairo, featuring the Babylon Fortress, the Hanging Church (supported by only one column), and the Ben Ezra Synagogue. Finish your tour with a walk through the labyrinthine alleys of Khan el Khalili Bazaar. Return to your hotel for a farewell dinner.
Accommodation: Fairmont Nile City
(B, L, D)
Day 12 Bid Farewell to Cairo
Say goodbye to magnificent Egypt as you transfer to Cairo airport for your departing flight.
(B)
