9 Days Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Nile Cruise By Air

After breakfast, you meet your private Egyptologist guide and set out for the Giza Plateau, home to the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. You stand before the Great Pyramid of Khufu, then the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, learning how these colossal tombs were raised more than 4,500 years ago. You continue to the enigmatic Great Sphinx and the granite-pillared Valley Temple, where you can capture classic photographs of the guardian lion-king against the desert horizon. A relaxed lunch at a local restaurant follows. In the afternoon, you transfer to the airport for your short domestic flight to Aswan, Egypt's serene city on the southern Nile. On arrival, you are met and driven to your hotel in Aswan, where you check in and settle in after the journey. Enjoy dinner at the hotel and a restful night ahead of tomorrow's sightseeing, after which you board your Nile cruise ship, your floating hotel for the next three nights.

• Great Pyramids of Giza — The pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure on the Giza Plateau.
• Great Sphinx — The colossal lion-bodied guardian of the plateau.
• Valley Temple — Granite-pillared temple linked to the pyramid of Khafre.

This morning, savour breakfast at your hotel as Aswan wakes around you. With your private guide you explore the city's blend of ancient genius and modern engineering. You begin at the mighty Aswan High Dam, the 1960s marvel that tamed the Nile's floods and created the vast Lake Nasser. Nearby, in the granite Northern Quarries, you see the Unfinished Obelisk which, had it been completed, would have been the largest ever carved, its abandonment revealing the secrets of pharaonic stonework. A short motorboat ride then carries you across the water to the enchanting island Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and painstakingly rescued from rising waters. After lunch you check out of your hotel and board your Nile cruise ship, where you settle into your cabin and meet the crew. In the late afternoon you may relax on deck or glide around Elephantine Island by traditional felucca sailboat. Dinner on board is followed by an evening of Nubian music as the ship rests at Aswan, and you spend your first night on board, moored in Aswan.

• Aswan High Dam — The vast modern dam that created Lake Nasser.
• Unfinished Obelisk — An abandoned giant obelisk in the ancient granite quarries.
• Philae Temple — The island Temple of Isis, relocated to Agilkia Island.

Rise early for the drive south to Abu Simbel, near the Sudanese border, with a breakfast box for the road. Ramesses II carved the twin temples into the mountainside more than 3,200 years ago, and engineers later lifted them block by block above the rising waters of Lake Nasser. You stand before the four colossal seated statues of the Great Temple and visit the graceful Temple of Nefertari, dedicated to his queen and the goddess Hathor. Back in Aswan, you return to your Nile cruise, which casts off and begins sailing north. At sunset you step ashore at the double Temple of Kom Ombo, honouring the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Haroeris, before the ship sails on towards Edfu for your second night on board.

• Abu Simbel Temples — The Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Nefertari, relocated above Lake Nasser.
• Kom Ombo Temple — A double temple dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris.

Early in the morning you ride by horse-drawn carriage to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best preserved temple in Egypt. Back on board, enjoy breakfast and lunch as the ship sails north to Luxor, the world's greatest open-air museum, built upon ancient Thebes. In the afternoon your private guide takes you to the vast Karnak complex, with its forest of giant papyrus columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall, and then to Luxor Temple, especially beautiful as the evening lights come on. Return to your Nile cruise for dinner and your third and final night on board, moored in Luxor.

• Temple of Horus at Edfu — One of Egypt's best-preserved temples, reached by horse-drawn carriage.
• Karnak Temple — Egypt's largest temple complex, dedicated to Amun-Ra.
• Luxor Temple — An elegant riverside temple in the heart of the city.

An optional pre-dawn treat awaits: a hot air balloon flight over Luxor's West Bank as the sun rises over the desert. After a final breakfast on board, you say farewell to the crew and disembark your Nile cruise. With your luggage loaded into your private vehicle, you cross to the West Bank with your guide to enter the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs including Tutankhamun were laid to rest in painted rock-cut tombs. You continue to the terraced Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari and pause before the Colossi of Memnon. You then transfer to Luxor airport for the short flight back to Cairo, where your driver takes you to your hotel for a restful evening.

• Luxor Hot Air Balloon — Optional sunrise balloon flight over the West Bank monuments.
• Valley of the Kings — Royal rock-cut tombs of the New Kingdom pharaohs.
• Temple of Hatshepsut — The terraced mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari.
• Colossi of Memnon — Two towering statues of Amenhotep III.

After breakfast, your guide takes you to the Grand Egyptian Museum beside the Giza pyramids. You wander galleries holding thousands of years of treasures, culminating in the complete collection of the boy-king Tutankhamun, his golden funerary mask, gilded shrines and jewellery displayed together, and you pause before the towering statue of Ramesses II in the grand atrium. In the afternoon you ascend to the medieval Citadel of Saladin, with sweeping views across the city, and the alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali within its walls. You end the day in Khan el-Khalili, Cairo's centuries-old bazaar, where you can sip mint tea in a traditional coffee house and shop for spices, silver and handcrafted souvenirs.

• Grand Egyptian Museum — Home to the complete Tutankhamun collection, beside the Giza pyramids.
• Citadel of Saladin — The medieval fortress overlooking Cairo.
• Mosque of Muhammad Ali — The alabaster mosque crowning the Citadel.
• Khan el-Khalili — Cairo's historic bazaar in Islamic Cairo.

Journey back to the very origins of pyramid building on a private guided tour south of Cairo. Your first stop is Saqqara, the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis, where you stand before the revolutionary Step Pyramid of Djoser, designed by the architect Imhotep as Egypt's first monument built entirely of stone. You explore surrounding tombs adorned with delicate reliefs of daily life. Continuing to Dahshur, you admire the Red Pyramid and the curiously angled Bent Pyramid, both raised by the pharaoh Sneferu as pivotal experiments on the path to Giza's perfect pyramids. Finally, at the open-air museum of Memphis, once Egypt's glittering capital, you meet the colossal fallen statue of Ramesses II and a beautifully carved alabaster sphinx. After a leisurely lunch, you return to Cairo with time to relax or enjoy a little last-minute shopping before your final night in Egypt.

• Step Pyramid of Djoser — Egypt's oldest stone pyramid, at Saqqara.
• Red Pyramid — Sneferu's first true pyramid at Dahshur.
• Bent Pyramid — The distinctively angled pyramid of Sneferu at Dahshur.
• Memphis — The ancient capital, with the colossus of Ramesses II and alabaster sphinx.

Your memorable journey through Egypt draws to a close. Enjoy a final breakfast at your hotel and, depending on your departure time, perhaps a last stroll or some souvenir shopping in the capital. At the appointed hour, your Travel Joy representative meets you and transfers you in comfort by private vehicle to Cairo International Airport, assisting with the check-in formalities for your onward flight. You leave with memories of towering pyramids, painted royal tombs, timeless temples along the Nile, and the gentle rhythm of your Nile cruise, an unforgettable private guided adventure through the land of the pharaohs. It has been our pleasure to share the wonders of Egypt with you, and we look forward to welcoming you back one day. Ma'a salama, and safe travels home.