Since you will be arriving in the middle of the night, we have left this day at leisure so that you can all rest and be ready to start your tours tomorrow!

If you would like to schedule some activities for today, your guide will be happy to set up whatever you would like.

What better way to begin your tour of amazing Egypt than with a visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza!

These three phenomenal pyramids served as monumental burial sites where the Ancient Egyptian kings were buried.  You will have the option to enter into the biggest and most famous - the Great Pyramid of Cheops.

We'll take a brief Camel Ride in front of the Pyramids with individual and group portraits! 

Visit the Great Sphinx.

After lunch at an authentic Egyptian restaurant, we'll have a shopping opportunity at a Papyrus art gallery.

You will have the afternoon free to rest, enjoy the luxurious facilities at the hotel, or join in optional activities, such as additional time at the Pyramids, visits to a shopping mall, or hanging out in a local tea and shisa shop.

You'll enjoy dinner at an authentic Egyptian restaurant. After dinner, you will have the option of attending the famous Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids ($45 per person.)

This morning we will drive 12 miles from Giza to Memphis, which was the capital of ancient Egypt. Here we'll visit the Memphis Colossus of Ramses, an enormous statue of the king about 34 feet long carved in limestone; and the Alabaster Sphinx, the second largest sphinx in Egypt. Carved between 1700 and 1400 BC, the Sphinx is 26 feet long and 13 feet tall and weighs around 90 tons.

Then on to Sakkara, one of the most extensive archaeological sites in Egypt, and the cemetery for the capital city of Memphis. Here we'll visit: 

• Step Pyramid, the oldest known of Egypt's 97 pyramids. It was built for King Djoser (2667-2648 BC) by the architect genius Imhotep, and consists of six terraces some 200 feet high.

• Mastaba tomb of Ka-Gmni, who was a judge and a priest. The reliefs found in this tomb are amazingly rich in detail.

• Enter King Teti's Pyramid, which was originally 172 feet high. Climb down a shaft into the burial chamber, which is richly carved with thousands of hieroglyphs.

We'll stop for lunch at an authentic Egyptian restaurant.

Shopping opportunity: Egyptian Carpet school.

We will spend the afternoon at Khan el Kahlili Bazaar, a major souk (market) in the Islamic district of Cairo. It is significantly geared towards tourists, with shops that sell souvenirs, antiques and jewelry. Many traditional workshops also operate in the area, such as the goldsmiths' souk, which is still important for locals.  It has been an active marketplace since the late 15th century! 

We'll end the day with dinner at an authentic Egyptian restaurant.

After breakfast at the hotel in Giza, we'll transfer to Cairo Airport for a flight south to the magnificent city of Luxor. 

Upon arrival at Luxor, you will be transferred to board your 5-star deluxe Nile Cruise boat.

After settling in and having lunch on board, we'll visit the Karnak Temple complex, a vast open-air museum, and the second largest ancient religious site in the world (after the Angkor Wat Temple of Cambodia). Construction at Karnak started 4,000 years ago and continued for 2,000 years. Each Egyptian ruler who worked at Karnak left his or her own architectural mark. Approximately 30 pharaohs contributed to the buildings here, creating a complex unlike any other.

Shopping opportunity: Alabaster and onyx shop.

When the sun goes down, we'll visit Luxor Temple illuminated in the evening. Luxor Temple is a beautiful structure packed with history and legends. Construction took about 100 years, between 1370 BC and 1295 BC, and was added to by four different pharaohs.

We'll have a delicious buffet dinner on board the Nile Cruise boat.

If you're up for it, this morning you'll have an opportunity to take an optional Hot Air Balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings!

After this sunrise flight, we'll visit the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who reigned from 1386-1353 BC.

Then it's on to the famous Valley of the Kings, the most historically significant archeological site in the world. For the past 200 years, archeologists have been exploring the site, and have discovered 65 ancient tombs, including the most famous of all - the tomb of King Tut! We'll enter and explore three tombs, and you'll have the option to visit Tut's tomb and see his actual mummy.

We'll cross to the Valley of the Queens, and visit the magnificent Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. She was the longest reigning female pharaoh in Egypt, ruling 20 years in the 15th century BC.

After lunch on board the Nile Cruise boat, you'll have the afternoon free to rest or sit on the sundeck of our boat and enjoy the sights and sounds of life on the banks of the mighty Nile.

After dinner on board the Nile Cruise boat, we'll meet and party with other cruise passengers at the Captain’s Cocktail Party in the lounge.

This evening, our boat will cross through the Essna Locks - a fascinating site to see!

After breakfast on board the Nile Cruise boat, we'll take a horse-drawn carriage ride to visit Edfu Temple, the best-preserved temple of the ancient world, dedicated to Horus the Falcon God. It was built between 237 and 57 BC, and is known for its gigantic pylons.

We'll return to the boat for lunch, and then visit Kom Ombo Temple. One side of the temple is dedicated to the Crocodile God Sobek, God of Fertility and Creator of the World. The other side is dedicated to the Falcon God Horus.

Nearby, we'll visit the Crocodile Mummification Museum. You will see well -preserved remains of crocodiles, cats, fish and other animals who were mummified by the ancient Egyptians. It will provide you with an understanding of the ancient art of mummification.

Tonight is the festive Galabeya party on board the Nile Cruise boat! It is a tradition on the Nile cruise boats to have a party where everyone wears a Galabeya, a traditional Egyptian gown. You can purchase one in the ship’s gift shop or in the market for as little as $10, and join in the fun!

This morning, there is an optional early morning excursion to Abu Simbel – the grandest temple in Egypt. After a three-hour drive through the Sahara Desert, visit the Temples of Ramses the Great and his Queen Nefetari.

You might choose instead to sleep in, or explore the beautiful city of Aswan on your own.

Those who've gone to Abu Simbel will return to Aswan for lunch on board the Nile Cruise boat.

After lunch we'll take a leisurely Felucca sailboat ride on the Nile. Cruise the Nile River in a traditional sail boat, as Cleopatra did so many centuries ago. It's a perfect way to catching a cool breeze on a warm day and see the magnificent city on the Nile.

Then we'll have a chance to visit to Aswan Spice Market, or the main Aswan Market.

Shopping opportunity: Gold and silver jewelry.

Following dinner on board the Nile Cruise boat, we'll enjoy an exotic Whirling dervish and belly dance show in the lounge.

After breakfast we'll disembark the Nile Cruise boat, and take a short boat ride to visit the Philae Temple, one of the most important monuments in southern Egypt. Philae was an ancient pilgrimage center for the cult of Isis. Saved from a watery grave by UNESCO’s rescue project, it was transferred block by block from a nearby island to escape being flooded when the Aswan Dam was built between 1972 and 1980.

Lunch will be a special treat in a restaurant nestled on a beautiful island in the Nile in Aswan. Following lunch we'll have leisure time on the island to stroll or shop.

We'll take a short flight back to Cairo this afternoon. You'll have a little free time to rest or enjoy the spa or pool at our beautiful hotel before we join up for dinner at an authentic Egyptian restaurant.