8, days Cairo, Archaeological Museum & Pyramids, Meal at the award-winning floating restaurant “Le Pacha 1901” Alexandria, Luxor, Nile Cruise (Abu Simbel, optional excursion). Accommodation in a 5* hotel and cruise ship.
Egypt, the mysterious Egypt has captivated many, while in others it has left an insatiable thirst to know this mysterious land, which was once inhabited by Pharaohs and Caesar and formed the basis of many biblical stories.A visit to this wonderful country is a must for historians and more, as it is one of Africa’s most popular travel destinations. The first image of Egypt that comes to mind is the pyramids, the sheer volume of which is truly remarkable. The country’s most popular attractions are the Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza – particularly the Pyramid of Cheops, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Equally popular is the Nile River – the longest river in the world.The beauty along the Nile is amazing and a few days of travel on this river is a popular way to get to know this country. Thousands of tourists visit Egypt every year and many of them head to the Valley of the Kings, where Pharaohs and Queens of Egypt have been buried since the 11th century BC. The objects found here bear witness to the history of the entire country.
The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is where visitors can admire the largest collection of Egyptian artefacts in the world – more than 120,000 finds, including 9 mummies on display in The Royal Mummy Room, as well as the solid gold mask of Tutankhamun.The Egyptian capital, Cairo, also known as “the city of a thousand minarets”, is a place of contrasts, full of ancient landmarks, ornate mosques and gleaming modern skyscrapers. The Cairo metropolitan area is the second largest in Africa, home to more than 20 million people – a sea of people that contributes to the city’s chaos and at the same time to its … heartbeat. Many visitors find the frenzy of Cairo exciting, but those with a sense of humor and patience are in for a treasure trove of experiences they can’t find anywhere else.
Meet at the airport and fly DIRECT to Luxor, the Thebes of the Ptolemaic period. Arrival and visit to the magnificent temple of Karnak, the hypostyle area with 134 columns, the sanctuary and the sacred purification lake. It is the most important and luxurious temple in ancient Thebes, dedicated to the worship of the god Amon, in Upper Egypt. After the end of the tour, transfer and check-in to the Cruise Ship that will host us for the next few days. In the afternoon we will visit the Luxor Temple, which was once united with the Karnak Temple and was dedicated to the revival of royalty. Lunch, dinner and entertainment on board. Overnight.
Morning tour of the west bank of the Nile with the Valley of the Kings – the necropolis of ancient Thebes, where there are more than 60 tombs, including that of Tut Ankh Amun (Tutankhamun). The Sun god died on the western horizon to be reborn/revived, on the eastern horizon. For this reason ancient Egyptian cemeteries were generally located on the west bank of the Nile. We will then visit the epitaph temple of Hatshepsut – the only female pharaoh in history, in Deir al-Bahari. Consisting of three man-made terraces that gradually rise up the hillside, it is truly a sight to behold. The site of Deir al-Bahari was sacred to Athor, the goddess who nursed and nurtured every king, including their mythological ancestor, the god Horus, in Egypt’s primordial past. After our visit back to the cruise ship and departure. Our sailing along the green banks of the Nile will lead us to Edfu. Lunch, dinner and entertainment on board. Overnight.
Morning guided tour of Egypt’s most well-preserved temple, the temple of the god Horus or Horus at Edfu. The temple was built during the period of the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information about the language, myths and religion during the Hellenistic period in Egypt. There are also important Sacred Drama inscriptions about the ancient conflict between the gods Horus and Seth. We continue our water route to Komobo. Arrival and guided tour of its unique temple, built during the Greco-Roman period. It is actually a complex of two temples, dedicated to two gods: the crocodile god Sobek and the hawk god Haroeris/Horos. Our water route continues to Upper Egypt and Aswan. Lunch, dinner and entertainment on board. Overnight
Guided tour of Aswan during which we will see the Great Dam, a gigantic work of modern times, as well as the Temple of Philae Island. The Temple of Isis was one of the last ancient Egyptian temples to remain active, as it continued to function until the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (AD 527-565), who ordered the closure of all pagan temples. Here a priest of Isis named Esmet-Akhom carves the last hieroglyphic inscription, dating to the late 4th century AD. (394 AD). Return to the Cruise Ship. In the afternoon ride a traditional felucca – the characteristic local Nile sailing boats – with Aswan as a background to enjoy the sunset. Lunch, dinner and entertainment on board. Overnight.
Early morning flight to Cairo. Arrival and first visit of our today’s tour will be at the Citadel of Cairo, the famous Citadel of Saladin (Salah El Din Citadel). Then we will visit the church of Agios Georgios from the 7th or 8th century. It is the only round church in Egypt, as it was built on the foundations of a Roman round tower. Finally, we will visit the famous National Museum of Egyptian Culture, which houses a collection of around 50,000 exhibits – it is the first museum in the Arab world to focus on Egyptian culture from prehistoric times to the present day.
Full day excursion to Alexandria, the city he founded in 331 BC. Alexander the Great. During our tour we will see the Hellenistic parish, the Greek Patriarchate, as well as the fortress of the Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay (external visit), built in 1477 on the ruins of the ancient lighthouse of Alexandria. We conclude our city tour with a visit to the new Library of Alexandria – a stunning modern architectural achievement. Lunch at a restaurant in Alexandria. Late afternoon return to Cairo. Overnight
Full day city tour. We will start from the archaeological museum of Cairo, where masterpieces of thousands of years and of untold value from all periods of Egyptian history are housed. Among them are the unique findings of the tomb of Tut Ankh Amon (Tutankhamun). We continue with the imposing Pyramids of Giza, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, as well as the Sphinx, which represents the Pharaoh Chephrin with the body of a lion. A short stop at the papyrus and perfume workshops and we continue to the bustling bazaar of Khan El Khalil, drowned in colors and folk art shops. Free time to bargain in the countless markets. Lunch at the award-winning floating restaurant “Le Pacha 1901”. Overnight.
Optional Excursion to Abu Simbel:
If you don’t mind getting up early, we suggest you take part in an optional road trip to one of Egypt’s most popular archaeological sites, Abu Simbel, 280 kilometers southwest of Aswan and 40 kilometers from the Sudanese border.Abu Simbel consists of two magnificent temples, part of a complex of seven temples built by Ramses II (1244-1224 BC) to commemorate his victory over the Hittite army at the Battle of Qades. They are located on the western shore of Lake Nasser, where they were transferred by UNESCO, when the government of Egypt decided to build a huge dam and create this lake. Ramses II dedicated the Great Temple to himself and the gods Ftha, Ra-Horakti and Ammona-Ra.At the entrance of the temple there are four statues, 20 meters each, representing Ramses II, seated with the royal diadems and the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The Great Temple was built with absolute astronomical precision in terms of calculating the movements of the sun: every morning it is illuminated by the sun’s rays, while twice a year – February 22, the birthday of Ramses II, and October 22, the day of his ascension on the throne – a beam of light from the rising sun penetrates to the sanctuary of the temple shrouded in darkness and illuminates the faces of the statues.
On the northern side of the rock is a smaller temple, which was dedicated to the goddess of love Athor and Ramses’ wife Nefertari. Return to Aswan and tour with the rest of the group.
Transfer to the airport and boarding the return flight to Athens.
