SKVEG 001: 14 Days Experience of the Best of Egypt Tourism

A Nile Cruise journey is definitely the most perfect way we can introduce you to the “Land of the Pharaohs". Egypt has often been described as the gift of the Nile and a cruise along this magical waterway is for many, the experience of a lifetime. There can be no better way to discover the rich Egyptian tourism other than to take a Nile Cruise.

pyramids of gizaThe most enjoyable part of your trip is to float serenely down the river Nile. It’s a marvelous experience to sit on the shaded deck of your floating hotel, sipping an iced drink, watching the culture of 5,000 years of the ancient pyramids drift by. The Nile cruise ships are air conditioned, many have swimming pools, bars, restaurants with every facility.

A journey through the Nile takes you to monuments and temples bearing witness to the glories of an ancient civilisation. You’ll have a chance to see the historical temples of Luxor and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the romantic temple of Isis at Philae and further South the majestic Abu Simbel monument.

And your journey in Egypt will never be complete until you see the great Pyramids of Giza, the most famous monuments of ancient Egypt. These massive stone structures were built around 4500 years ago on a rocky desert plateau close to the Nile.

But the intriguing Egyptian pyramids were more than just tombs for kings. The mysteries surrounding their symbolism, design and purpose have inspired passionate debate. It is likely that many of these mysteries will never be solved…

Day 1: Cairo

On arrival at Cairo International Airport, you’ll be welcomed by our representative and then transferred to your hotel within Cairo City in an air-conditioned coach. Overnight at your Hotel.

Day 2: Cairo- Tour of Aswan City

After breakfast, we’ll take you for a tour around Aswan City, in the South of Egypt. This is one of the most beautiful places in Egypt, with the town located on the East Bank and the desert coming right to the Nile on the West Bank.

The river is dotted with islands, the two main ones being Elephantine and Kitchener. Kitchener’s Island is the site of a botanic gardens, while Elephantine has ruins, a museum and an Oberoi hotel.

One of the best views of Aswan is from the Aga Khan’s Mausoleum on the West Bank, although access to this has been restricted in recent years. For total relaxation, we’ll take a felucca around the islands.

Just South of Aswan is the Old Dam built around the turn of the century and later increased in height. Just South of the dam is the beautiful island temple complex of Philae. Even further to the South is the mighty Aswan High Dam built in the 1960s. Behind it have amassed the waters of Lake Nasser which extend some 500 kilometres South along the old course of the Nile. The lake is often referred to as the Nubian Sea by tour operators who now operate cruise boats on the lake visiting old re-located sites.

Many of the objects found in ancient Nubia before it was flooded can now be found beautifully displayed in the Nubia Museum which opened in Aswan in November 1997.

We’ll transfer you to the Sleeper Train in the evening. Dinner & overnight onboard Sleeper Train.

Day 3: Aswan

The whole day will be spent at Aswan. Breakfast will be served onboard Sleeper Train. Arrive Aswan and transfer to your Nile cruiser. At the end of the cruise, we’ll reach the temples of Abu Simbel, which is North of the border with Sudan. After dinner, you may want to dance to music. Dinner and overnight onboard Nile Cruiser.

Day 4: Aswan, Kom Ombo and Edfu

After breakfast in the Nile Cruiser, you’ll visit the Aswan High Dam, the Old Dam, The Granite Quarries and the Temple of Philae.

Marvel at ancient Egyptian architecture on this trip to the Kom Ombo and Edfu temples in Aswan. Appreciate the views from the boat as you approach the Kom Ombo temple, perched on a high dune overlooking the Nile. See the temple of crocodile god, Sobek and the Temple of Haroeris.

Explore the fascinating past of Egypt as you take a tour around the Edfu Temple dedicated to the falcon-headed God, Horus. Admire its magnificent construction – the temple gets a generous amount of sunlight throughout the day. Look out for a variety of battle and religious inscriptions on the walls as you explore its library, sanctuary and numerous other chambers.
Thereafter sail to Edfu.

Dinner (oriental) and overnight onboard Nile Cruiser

Day 5: Edfu, Esna and Luxor

After breakfast at the Nile Cruiser, we’ll take you for a trip to the Temple of Horus in Edfu. Edfu was the cult centre of Horus the falcon god. It is perhaps the best preserved of ancient temples of Egypt.

Two majestic granite falcons adorn the entrance and some of the walls bear reliefs depicting Horus. Sail to Esna while having lunch on board. And then further to Luxor. You may enjoy a disco party after dinner. Dinner & overnight onboard Nile Cruiser

Day 6: Luxor

You have breakfast and then we take you for a tour of the West Bank Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and Colossi of Memnon.

Luxor is the highlight of the cruise. The range, magnificence and diversity of the monuments in the Luxor area is unsurpassed in all of Egypt. The Valley of Kings is where the rulers of the period historians refer to as the New Kingdom period (BC 1550-1070) awaited the afterlife. More than 60 tombs have so far been excavated in this valley. Some of the best tombs we may visit include Ramses I, Tuthmosis III and Ramses VI.

On the other side of the Valley of Kings is the Temple of Deir el-Bahri, built by Queen Hatshepsut. The temple is very impressive from a distance and is a great place to take photos. Take more photos at the Colossi of Memnon – two huge statues that are the sole legacy of the temple of Amenhotep III. You’ll disembark afterwards and we’ll transfer to your hotel in Luxor.
Dinner and overnight in your Hotel in Luxor.

Day 7: Luxor

After your breakfast in your hotel, you’ll venture out for another day-long tour of Luxor touring other outstanding attractions that we have not been to. They include the Temple of Luxor, Temple of Karnak and Luxor Museum. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Luxor

Day 8: Luxor and Hurghada

After breakfast in your hotel in Luxor, you’ll be transfer by air-conditioned coach to Hurghada on the Red Sea.

The Hurghada city was founded in the early 20th century. Holiday villages and hotels provide aquatic sport facilities for sailboarders, yachtsmen, scuba divers and snorklers.

Hurghada stretches for about 40 km along the seashore, and it does not reach far into the surrounding desert. The resort is a destination for Egyptian tourists from Cairo, the Delta and Upper Egypt, as well as package holiday tourists from Europe.

Hurghada has become an international center for aquatic sports like windsurfing, kiting, sailing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, and above all snorkeling and diving. The underwater gardens offshore are considered some of the finest in the world. The warm waters here are ideal for many varieties of fish and coral, which may also be observed from a glass bottom boat.

The city provides a gateway to diving sites throughout the Red Sea, owing to its central location. In addition, Hurghada is known for providing access to many uninhabited offshore reefs and islands.

The Red Sea lies between arid land, desert and semi-desert. The main reasons for the better development of reef systems along the Red Sea is because of its greater depths and an efficient water circulation pattern, The Red Sea water mass exchanges its water with the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean via the Gulf of Aden. These physical factors reduce the effect of high salinity caused by evaporation and cold water in the north and relatively hot water in the south.

The Red Sea is a rich and diverse ecosystem. More than 1100 species of fish have been recorded in the Red Sea, and around 10% of these are found nowhere else. This also includes around 75 species of deepwater fish. The rich diversity is in part due to the 2,000 km of coral reef extending along its coastline; these fringing reefs are 5000-7000 years old and are largely formed of stony acropora and porites corals. The reefs form platforms and sometimes lagoons along the coast and occasional other features such as cylinders (such as the Blue Hole (Red Sea) at Dahab). These coastal reefs are also visited by pelagic species of red sea fish, including some of the 44 species of shark.

Divers and snorkellers should be aware that although most Red Sea species are innocuous, a few are hazardous to humans. Other marine habitats include sea grass beds, salt pans, mangroves and salt marshes. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Hurghada

Days 9 – 11: Hurghada

Your next three days will be spent enjoying the beauty of Hurghada. Breakfast, dinner and overnight at your hotel in Hurghada

Day 12: Hurghada and Cairo

After breakfast in your Hurghada hotel, you’ll be transfered by air-conditioned coach to Cairo. After arrival at Cairo, transfer to your hotel for overnight in the capital city.

Day 13: Cairo

You have your breakfast at the hotel. You spend the rest of the day at leisure in Cairo. This would be a good time to do some shopping or take a day trip to see attractions in the greater Cairo area. Overnight in your Hotel in Cairo

Day 14: Cairo and Depart Home

After breakfast at your hotel, our driver/guide will transfer you to Cairo International Airport for your flight back home.