Wonders of the Nile: Cairo to Aswan

THE PYRAMIDS, SPHINX & EGYPTIAN MUSEUM

Today we drive out of the city towards the Giza plateau for our first close-up view of the Great Pyramids. The truly gigantic size of the three main pyramids only becomes fully apparent when they tower above you in all their majesty. For the more adventurous, entry into the pyramids is available at extra cost payable locally, but for the Great Pyramid of Cheops there’s a daily limit to the number of visitors and there’s no guarantee of an entry. A little further down the hill is the mighty Sphinx, the world’s largest free-standing sculpture.

King ‘Tut’s’ tomb held so many treasures that it took 10 years to examine, photograph, catalogue and finally remove all 5,398 of them. The collection forms the centrepiece of the Egyptian Museum, without question one of the world’s greatest museums, a treasure-house overflowing with artefacts of remarkable ancient craftsmanship, ranging from the mundane to the mystical. The famous Royal Mummy room may be entered, upon payment of a small additional fee.

SAQQARA & COPTIC MUSEUM

We head south to the pyramids at the necropolis of Saqqara. Soon the lush fields give way to barren desert and we see the giant ‘step’ pyramid looming above the palms. Built using smaller blocks than the Great Pyramids at Giza, it’s easy to see how the architecture of pyramid-building evolved from a simple square flat-topped mound upon which similar smaller mounds were added.

This afternoon we’ll explore Old Cairo’s Christian history with a visit to the ‘Hanging Church’, built over a gateway to the Romanera Babylon fortress. We continue to the Coptic Museum and the nearby Ben Ezra synagogue, said to be where the Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses in his basket amongst the reeds.

FULL DAY SAIL

This morning our ship starts its long journey out of Cairo. As we leave the city behind and pass small farms, canals and plantations of date palms along the way, you’ll see how productive this land has been for so many generations. Enjoy the first of a couple of fascinating lectures on both modern and ancient Egypt. In the afternoon we arrive at the small town of Beni Suef where we moor overnight.

FULL DAY SAIL

After a sumptuous breakfast buffet, relax under one on one of the many comfortable shaded sun loungers or Balinese-style canopied day-beds as the unchanged landscape of the Nile Valley slips by. This afternoon we arrive in Minya where we will moor for two nights.

BENI HASSAN TOMBS

After breakfast, set out with a visit to Tuna El Gebel, the necropolis of Hermopolis, sacred to the Greek god Hermes and his Egyptian counterpart Thoth, god of writing and wisdom. Explore the tomb of Petosiris and the catacombs which once held thousands of mummified ibis and baboons.

After lunch on board, we continue with a tour of the tombs at Beni Hassan, with wonderful views across the valley.
 

AMARNA

This morning we arrive in Amarna, site of the short-lived capital of the Pharaoh Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti. We’ll visit Akhenaten’s tomb, as well as those of some of his courtiers. We return to our ship in time for lunch and continue our journey, sailing by Egypt’s Coptic monasteries. We moor in Assyut overnight.

FULL DAY SAIL

Today we continue our journey southwards, with a full day’s cruising, ideal to relax after the busy last couple of days and before seeing the monuments and temples of the second part of our journey.

ABYDOS

Abydos remains one of ancient Egypt’s most mysterious sites, with the Great Temple of Seti I as its centrepiece. Dedicated to the cult of Osiris, god of the dead, Abydos was a pilgrimage centre for thousands of years. The temple is known for its Gallery of the Kings, which lists all the pharaohs, as well as some hieroglyphs which look like modern machines! We sail on to Qena where we moor overnight.

DENDERA

The temple of Hathor is one of the most complete and best-preserved in all of Egypt. Hathor was the Egyptian goddess of love, beauty, joy and healing, and her temple, although only completed in Roman times, nevertheless follows the architecture and style of much older temples. We sail the short distance to Luxor where we moor overnight.

LUXOR WEST BANK

Anyone staying on for the full itinerary to Aswan will continue the tour crossing the Nile to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings! We also visit Howard Carter’s house which has been beautifully preserved and is next to the newlyopened replica of King Tut’s tomb. Our tour ends at the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh, with its stunning colonnaded terraces. We return to our ship at lunchtime and the rest of the day is at leisure.

KARNAK & LUXOR TEMPLES

This morning we visit the Temple of Karnak. The astounding Hypostyle Hall is the most aweinspiring part of this vast complex, said to be the largest religious centre of the ancient world. We also visit the Temple of Luxor. After lunch we set sail for Edfu where we moor overnight.
 

KOM OMBO

The temple at Kom Ombo is unusual in that it’s dedicated to two gods, Horus and Sobek, the crocodile. The temple had a lake with sacred crocodiles and many mummies for them have been found nearby. We sail to Aswan and moor overnight.

ASWAN

This morning is our last full day in Egypt and we visit one of modern Egypt’s greatest achievements – the Aswan High Dam. We continue to the temple of Philae, which had to be rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. After a visit to the Nubian museum, we take to the water on a felucca sail as the sun sets in the west, to Kitchener Island, which the general converted to a botanical park.

FLIGHT HOME

Early this morning we make our way to Aswan airport for the return flight, via Cairo, back to the UK after unique and truly fascinating tour.