This captivating vacation offers an exciting voyage through the Kingdom of the Pharaohs. In Cairo, marvel at King Tutankhamen's treasures, visit the enigmatic Sphinx, and see the Great Pyramids of Giza. Then, fly to Aswan for a 4-night Nile River cruise to Luxor. Along the way, visit the Aswan Dam, the Temple of Isis, the Valley of Kings and Valley of Queens, and Luxor Temple. You'll also ride through Edfu to the Temple of Horus, visiting colorful local bazaars and exploring the stunning monuments of Karnak.

INCLUDED FEATURES

Cruise:
Deluxe 4-night cruise from Aswan to Luxor in an outside stateroom with private facilities.

Cairo:
Welcome reception; guided sightseeing, visit Tutankhamun's Tomb in the Egyptian Museum, Ramses II & Alabaster Sphinx in Memphis, the "stairway to the sky" at Sakkara, the Great Pyramids & Sphinx of Giza

Cairo-Aswan:
By air, including airport transfers

Aswan:
Sail by felucca to Kitchener Island; visit the Botanical Gardens; excursion to Old Dam & High Dam; cruise to Agilika; visit Temple of Isis & ancient granite quarries

Edfu:
Visit the Temple of Horus

Luxor:
Guided sightseeing, visit the Valley of Kings, Valley of Queens, Deir el-Bahari, and the Luxor Temple

All Daytime Shore Excursions

Luxor-Cairo:
By air, including airport transfers

Note:

• All arrangements in Egypt are under the management of the official government tourist organization Misr Travel. As traffic conditions and the water level of the Nile are not always predictable, slight changes to the
• day-by-day itinerary cannot be excluded.
• Intra-tour flights: included in both land-only and air-inclusive prices.

  MEALS

  Welcome drink, 4 buffet breakfasts (B), 4 full breakfasts (B), 4 lunches (L), 5 dinners (D)

  SUPERIOR HOTELS

  CAIRO Oberoi Mena House Garden (D), ASWAN Elephantine Island Resort (SF), NILE CRUISE Royal Lotus, CAIRO Heliopolis (D)

  INSIDE VISITS

  Inside visits and special features are shown in the description, including admission charges when applicable.

  Itinerary

  Day 1

  (Fri.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

  Day 2 Arrival in Cairo, Egypt

  (Sat.) A welcome drink awaits you at your hotel; settle in and start soaking up the atmosphere of this exciting city.

  Day 3 Cairo. The Pyramids

  (Sun.) Meet your Egyptologist and traveling companions at 8 am. Sightseeing in and around Africa's largest metropolis starts at the EGYPTIAN MUSEUM with Tutankhamun's fabulous treasures, an exciting first encounter with the splendor of three millennia of Egyptian civilization. Then, leave for ancient MEMPHIS to admire the 40-foot statue of Ramses II and the Alabaster Sphinx. On to SAKKARA'S "stairway to the sky," the oldest of all pyramids. At GIZA, take a close-up look at the enigmatic SPHINX and the daunting Great Pyramids. Cheops, with an original height of 496 feet, is the most colossal pyramid ever built. A suggestion for tonight: enjoy an optional dinner cruise on the Nile River. (B)

  Day 4 Cairo-Aswan

  (Mon.) Enjoy time this morning for independent activities or join an optional excursion to walled Old Cairo. Saladin's 12th-century Citadel, the Alabaster Mosque, and the labyrinthine bazaar are well worth a visit. In the afternoon, fly 500 miles up the Nile Valley to the lovely resort town of Aswan. (B,D)

  Day 5 Aswan (Embarkation)

  (Tue.) Morning at leisure in Aswan. You may want to join an optional flight (weather permitting) to the huge sandstone temples of Abu Simbel. Then, check into your elegant river cruise vessel in time for lunch. In the afternoon, a special treat: board a felucca and sail right across the blue waters of the river. En route, see the ancient "nilometer" on Elephantine Island, Kitchener Island's lush BOTANICAL GARDENS, and the splendid Aga Khan Mausoleum on the left bank. (B,L,D)

  Day 6 Aswan-Kom Ombo

  (Wed.) Take a morning excursion to the turn-of-the-century OLD DAM-to this day the widest dam in the world-and to the gigantic Aswan HIGH DAM, completed in 1970. Board a motor launch to the island of Agilika between the two dams and visit the TEMPLE OF ISIS, transplanted from the submerged island of Philae. Also stop at the ancient GRANITE QUARRIES to see the famous unfinished obelisk. Before lunch, start your leisurely cruise down Egypt's river of destiny. Dock at KOM OMBO for a short walk to its bluff-top temple dedicated to the crocodile and falcon gods. Haggle for bargains in the local market before returning to the boat. (B,L,D)

  Day 7 Edfu

  (Thu.) Board a horse-drawn carriage for the drive through Edfu to the TEMPLE OF HORUS with its menacing black stone statue of the falcon god. Built in the time of Cleopatra about 2,000 years ago, it is recent by Egyptian standards and beautifully preserved. During the hottest part of the day, sip a drink on the sun deck of your cruise boat and savor the panorama. See white-clad farmers with their donkeys, camels, and water buffaloes work lush, green fields; and ever present on the horizon beyond the palm trees is the desert. Tonight, dock at Luxor and take advantage of the optional sound and light show at Karnak. (B,L,D)

  Day 8 Luxor

  (Fri.) Focus on the VALLEY OF KINGS and VALLEY OF QUEENS on the west bank of the Nile, where generations of pharaohs and nobles were buried in great splendor in crypts cut into the cliffs. Sixty-two royal tombs have been uncovered so far, of which only the tomb of Tutankhamun was nearly inviolate when discovered in 1922. Visit DEIR EL-BAHARI, Queen Hatshepsut's monumental rock temple. Stop for pictures at the two COLOSSI OF MEMNON guarding the valleys. The afternoon is dedicated to LUXOR TEMPLE. (B,L,D)

  Day 9 Luxor (Disembarkation)-Cairo

  (Sat.) Experience a grand finale to your sightseeing in the Nile Valley with the stunning monuments of KARNAK, the greatest city of ancient Egypt. To walk among the pillars of the colossal TEMPLE OF AMON RA and along the AVENUE OF THE SPHINXES is an experience you will treasure the rest of your life. Afterward, a late-morning flight takes you from Luxor back to Cairo. An afternoon at leisure lets you catch up on your postcard writing and souvenir shopping. Tonight's optional sound and light show at Giza might be just the way to top off an exciting touring adventure. (B)

  Day 10

  (Sun.) Homebound flight. (B)

  AIRPORT TRANSFERS

  Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements.