DAY ONE
On your first day, a Beyond the Pyramids Tours representative will await you at Cairo airport with a private driver and air-conditioned vehicle. Your representative will assist you and facilitate the visa process. You will then travel to the five-star Mena House accomodation overlooking the Giza Plateau to settle in to your first night's stay.
MENA HOUSE
Arrive in Cairo
DAY TWO
On your second day, enjoy breakfast while gazing at the magnificence of the Giza Pyramids just outside your windows. After breakfast, an expert Egyptologist guide will take you on a historical exploration of the Giza Plateau. The Great Pyramid itself, built as a tomb for the Pharoah Khufu (also referred to as Cheops). Finish off your pyramid excursion with a visit to Saqqara where you will explore the oldest complete stone pyramid, the Djoser Step Pyramid.
Next, your private tour will continue to Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt during the Old Kindgom period. Complete your visit to Memphis with a delightful meal at one of the best local restaurants.
A magical evening awaits you for your second night in Egypt, as you embark on an exclusive sunset experience. A private guide will lead you on either a camel- or horse-back ride along the sands of the Giza Plateau. The night will be truly complete when you feast on a sumptuous dinner at a Bedouin restaurant.
COLOSSUS OF MEMNOM
Giza, Saqqara and Memphis
DAY THREE
On your third day of this tour, it is time to journey via a short flight from Cairo to Aswan, located in Upper Egypt. Your visit to Aswan will begin by visiting Philae Island.
After visiting the Temple, you will head to see the High Dam, built in 1971 as an effort to tame the annual floods of the Nile. After learning about this massive construction project, return to the ancient past with a visit to the Unfinished Obelisk, where you will learn about the Egyptian method of cutting obelisks from the granite quarry.
After lunch, you will check in to the Sonest Star Goddess, a five-star cruise ship, which will be your "homebase" for the next few days. After check-in, you will embark for a smaller, private Nile tour in a felucca, or sailboat. Experience the beauty of Aswan from a water-view, then embark to visit the Cataract Hotel. The hotel was the inspiration for Agatha Christies' famous novel "Death on the Nile."
After your Aswan Nile tour, return to the Sonesta Star Goddess cruiseship for evening entertainment, including a Nubian show.
TEMPLE OF ISIS
Aswan, High Dam and Cruise
DAY FOUR
Your fourth day on your trip will begin when you start your sailing journey from Aswan to Luxor. The first stop is Akom Ombo, located about 30 miles north of Aswan. Explore the Kom Ombo Temple, a unique "double temple," dedicated to both the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus. After Kom Ombo, the ship will continue its journey to the north towards Luxor.
After a lunch onboard on the sundeck, disembark and visit the Edfu temple, also built to honor Horus. The Edfu temple is the second largest temple in Egypt and the best preserved one.
After exploring this magnificent structure, return again to your cruiseship where you can take part in an oriental Egyptian party -- a Galabya party. Dress and walk like Egyptians and amuse yourself with many fun games, all while enjoying a traditional dinner and local music.
HORUS
Cruise Aswan to Luxor
DAY FIVE
Your fifth day of this seven-day tour brings you to Luxor, or Thebes. This is the home of the famous tomb of King Tutenkhamen which sits along the west bank of the Nile in the Valley of the Kngs. Your private tour will also take you to the Al Deir Al Bahari temple, which was bult by the most powerful woman in ancient Egyptian history, Queen Hatshepsut.
After a traditional Egyptian lunch aboard your cruiseship, you will journey to the east bank of the Nile, to visit the Karnak and Luxor temples.
Luxor is often described as the "world's greatest open-air museum" because the ruins of the Karnak and Luxor Temple complexes both lie within the city boundaries. The Karnak Temple complex is the second-largest ancient religious site in the world and was contributed to by approximately 30-pharoahs. You will also have the opportunity to visit the Luxor Museum and the Mummification Museum.
HATSHEPSUT TEMPLE
Luxor, Karnak, Hatshepsut and Mummification Museum
DAY SIX
On the final full day of your tour, you will return to Cairo via air, with private transfer to and from both airports provided.
Once back in Cairo, you will spend your day investigating the Egyptian Museum with your personal Beyond the Pyramids Egyptologist guide. Your guide will be sure to show you to the collection of King Tutenkhamen's treasure and a tour inside the royal mummies room.
After taking in the vast Egyptian Museum, relax and unwind with a local lunch in downtown Cairo. Then, journey to Old Cairo and learn about its history with your own personal guide and driver.
In the evening, enjoy a luxurious and delicious Egyptian dinner at Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant and Cafe. Then you will have the opportunity to peruse the Khan Al-Khalili bazaar, where you can shop to your heart's content or merely wander amidst the exotic scents and craftsmen.
That night you will stay at the Fairmont Nile City, one of the most luxurious hotels in Cairo, located alongside the River Nile. The Fairmont Nile City boasts one of the finest restaurants in Cairo
RAMESSES II
Luxor, Cairo, Egyptian Museum and Old Cairo
DAY SEVEN
At the end of this amazing excursion, you will be driven from the Fairmont Nile City Hotel to the Cairo airport in a private vehicle. Assistance at the airport will also be provided, ensuring that your return to your "real world" is as seemless as possible.
FAIRMONT HOTEL