Welcome to Cairo, both Egypt’s capital and its largest city! Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport at 11 AM, we will be met and assisted through customs and formalities, obtain our visa, then transferred to our hotel located right at the Giza pyramids. 

We will meet our tour director, Ahmed, and be given some free time to relax and enjoy dinner at our own leisure. Our hotel enjoys close up views of the pyramids, perhaps enjoy dinner at the hotel restaurant this evening! (Please note that lunch and dinner are not included today). 

This morning visit the Pyramids of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built during the Third and Fourth Dynasties, these monumental undertakings stand as a marvelous testimony to the almost unbelievable skill and determination of their builders. Enjoy an up-close view of the Great Pyramid and then see the great Sphinx of Giza, the legendary chimeral statue that combines the head of king Khfren with a lion’s body. 

Lunch will be on your own today. Then make a stop at the infamous Egyptian Museum - a new & improved museum with some of the most incredible artifacts you will ever see. Tonight is the World Next Door “Welcome to Egypt” dinner on board a Dahabiya boat! Board a private boat and enjoy beer, wine, vodka, whisky, and soft drinks over dinner. Sail down the Nile River as the sun sets and your Egyptian adventure begins. 

Say goodbye to Cairo after an early breakfast for a flight from Cairo to Aswan, departing at 6:30 AM. 

Upon arrival , you will visit a traditional Nubian Village to see how a local village exists. You will have lunch in the village, get a henna tattoo, and have some time to stroll around and explore this fascinating way of life. An optional excursion to Abu Simbel will be offered today.  Dinner is on an independent basis this evening. 

Check out of your hotel after breakfast and transfer to your Nile cruise ship for your three-night cruise from Upper Egypt to Lower Egypt. 

The Nile is one of the few rivers in the world which flows North and this unique characteristic is why southern Egypt is called Upper Egypt, while the northern part of Egypt is called “Lower Egypt”. Visit the Aswan High Dam and Philae’s Temple of Isis. This temple was almost lost to rising water in the 1960’s until the Aswan High Dam was built. 

Enjoy your first night aboard your floating hotel! All meals will be included and served aboard your ship for the duration of your Nile cruise experience. The cruise boat has all outside facing cabins, a upscale roof deck, and tonight there will be a performance aboard our ship (typically a Nubian performance). 

Today is your first full day on your Nile Cruise experience. Today you will sail to Kom Ombo to see the Ptolomaic Temple built for Horus the falcon god, and Sobek the crocodile god. The temple complex consists mainly of two temples running parallel with the traditional components of ancient Egyptian religious structures including a courtyard at the front of the complex, with halls following. 

After exploring Kom Ombo, sail to Edfu, an Egyptian city on the west bank of the Nile River. 

Tonight on the cruise boat we will enjoy a Galabia party! 

Optional Hot Air Balloon Ride early this morning to watch the sunrise over Luxor! 

Today you will visit the Horus Temple in Edfu, the largest and most completely preserved Pharaonic, albeit Greek-built, temple in Egypt. 

Sail onward to Luxor via Esna. The premier destination in Upper Egypt, Luxor features an array of ruins and monuments and is often considered the most extraordinary open-air museum in the world. The city is also known for its horse carriages, called caleches, which offer a charming way to enjoy the areas many sightseeing opportunities. This afternoon, explore the famous Valley of the Kings and tour the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. After dinner, there will be a belly dancing performance on the cruise boat. 

Disembark the cruise boat after breakfast and a private car will be waiting for you to bring you to Hurghada, the home of your beachfront resort. (Driving distance is appx 3.5 hours). 

Upon arrival, check in and arrive to your water view room! Your all-inclusive adult only beach front resort is in a prime location and all travelers’ rooms will have a partial ocean view.

The rest of your afternoon and night are on an independent basis. 

Enjoy a free day at your beachfront resort.  All meals and drinks are included!

Today’s full day excursion will bring you out onto the Red Sea! Join the group for a day of swimming and snorkeling including lunch on our own private boat. 

Enjoy another full day at the Red Sea. Take an evening flight (7:30 PM) out of Hurghada to Cairo. *Please note that we will have to check out of our rooms late morning/early afternoon, but the hotel will endeavor to give us as late of a checkout as possible. We can access the bathrooms & pools at the hotel in common areas all day long.* Once our flight arrives in Cairo, we will be brought to our hotel in Heliopolis, where there is a shopping mall and restaurants located nearby. Breakfast is the only meal included today. 

BONUS DAY IN CAIRO! Our final day in Egypt will be sent either on a leisurely basis or you may wish to participate in an optional tour (details coming soon) which will give you more time to explore this multifaceted city. Breakfast will be included today but all other meals will be at your expense. Our nonstop flight from Cairo to IAD is scheduled to depart at 11:20 PM this evening. 

Our flight is scheduled to return to IAD at 5:10 AM this morning. If you are flying from IAD to another hometown airport, please do not book your connecting flight to depart IAD any earlier than 9 AM.