Amid the shifting sands of the desert, countless civilizations have risen and fallen, leaving the ruins of their temples and monuments as silent testaments to past grandeur and power. On this journey, you’ll visit some of the most renowned sites of the ancient world. You’ll discover the awe-inspiring Pyramids and Great Sphinx of Giza, the temples and tombs of the Pharaohs in Luxor, ancient Thebes, and the nearly lost Abu Simbel temples. In 2009 we have included three spectacular nights on the Nile River’s best cruise ship, the Sun Boat IV (in 2008 we have a 4-night cruise). With just 36 large cabins and 4 suites, she embodies the ultimate cruise experience. On land, you will be accommodated in Egypt’s finest hotels, including the Four Seaons Nile Plaza Hotel, where Nile View rooms have been reserved, the Sonesta St George with Nile View rooms, and the Four Seasons First Residence in Superior rooms. This 10 day tour of Egypt is simply the best way to discover this ancient land.

Day 2 -- CAIRO
Arrive at Cairo International Airport, where you will be met by our representative, who will assist you with all customs and visa formalities. Transfer to the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel where Nile View rooms have been reserved. You are assisted with check-in and informed of the following day's schedule.

Day 3 -- CAIRO
Buffet breakfast at leisure at your hotel. Today you embark on an unforgettable tour of Memphis, Sakkara, the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx.

Founded around 3,100 BC during the Old Kingdom, Memphis is the legendary city of Menes, the King who united Upper and Lower Egypt. According to tradition, he first created dikes to protect the area from Nile floods and then started building. Much of what we know of Memphis comes from its necropolis, texts and papyrus from other parts of Egypt, and from Herodotus, who visited the city. Early on, Memphis was probably a fortress from which Menes controlled the land and water routes between Upper Egypt and the Delta. Later, this great city became the administrative and religious center of Egypt, home to a cosmopolitan community and most likely one of the largest and most important cities in the ancient world.

Across the Great Court of the Pyramid Complex of Zoser in Sakkara, stands the Step Pyramid, the oldest known of Egypt’s 107 pyramids, built by Imhotep, one of the world’s most famous historical figures. This architect of the world’s first freestanding stone structure is often also recognized as the world's first doctor, as well as a priest, sage, poet, and astrologer. Although the original structure was a burial chamber 28 meters underground, Imhotep enlarged it several times to eventually reach a six tiered rectangle 60 meters high. Sakkara seems to have been the first area where limestone was employed, not only for the outer casing of the pyramid but also to cover interior walls.

Lunch today will be at the historic Mena House Oberoi Hotel, next to the Pyramids.  Built as a palace for the Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, during her visit to Egypt for the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The Mena House “Khan El-Khalili Café” has floor-to-ceiling windows with views over the lush gardens of the hotel, and out onto the Great Pyramids themselves.

Continue after lunch to the Great Pyramids of Giza built for the Pharaohs Cheops, Chefren and Mycerinus. They were constructed about 2500 BC with blocks of limestone from the plateau and from the Turah hills on the outskirts of Cairo The Great Pyramid of Cheops alone, the only present-day survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, required over 2,300,000 blocks of stone, each weighing about 2.5 tons. At its base, it covers 13 acres of land. Millions of visitors come each year to ponder the fascinating mystery of their existence and explore the ancient burial chambers within.

Visit the Valley Temple, housing the mysterious Sphinx, located in what was once a quarry to the east of Chephren’s pyramid. One theory suggests this Pharaoh’s workers shaped the body into a lion and gave it their king’s face, as a guardian of the necropolis. Almost a thousand years after its construction, King Thutmose IV placed a stela between the front paws. It describes how the Sphinx had spoken to the then prince in a dream, promising him kingship if he cleared away the desert sand that was choking the Sphinx. Explore this and the many other legends surrounding this timeless regal figure.

This evening, gather for a welcome dinner at one of the hotel's fashionable restaurants.

Day 4 - CAIRO
Buffet breakfast at leisure at your hotel. Your Egyptologist will escort you today on a fascinating tour of 7,000 years of Egyptian history with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, open since 1902. The Museum exhibits over 120,000 objects in its 107 halls, comprising the world’s greatest collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts. Two grand halls containing countless artifacts and one room reserved for the golden treasures, all from the world-famous tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamun astound and delight visitors. More than 2 million people flock to this magnificent site each year. Enter the Mummies Room, a specially built area dedicated to the well-preserved mummies of 11 Royal Kings and Queens of Ancient Egypt, including the Great Ramses II, Egypt’s longest ruling pharaoh. Return to hotel and enjoy the afternoon at leisure for spa appointments at the fantastic facilities of the Four Seasons Hotel. Alternativelyu, you may wish to shop in the Khan el Khalili Bazaar where all sorts of treasures can be found. Lunch and dinner are on your own.

Day 5 -- CAIRO/LUXOR
Depart very early this morning on a flight to Luxor. Upon arrival at Luxor, begin touring Karnak Temple, built over more than a thousand years by generations of Pharaohs. After the tour, check in on the Sun Boat IV where lunch will be served. In the afternoon, visit the west bank to explore the Valley of the Kings. Retrace the steps of Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon and enter the tomb of the famed boy-king Tutankhamun. Continue to the Valley of the Queens. Rising out of the desert plain in a series of terraces, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Ancient Egypt’s only female Pharaoh) merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it, as if nature herself had built this extraordinary monument. Return to the ship in the late afternoon, This eveing enjoy a Captain's Welcome cocktail reception on board. Overnight in Luxor.

Day 6 -- LUXOR/NILE CRUISE
The ship departs early this morning for Qena. Breakfast buffet is served on board while we cruise northwards to Qena. This part of our cruise is very much off-the-beaten-track and passes through some of the most beautiful scenery along the Nile, far from the crowds or other cruise boats. 

Visit the Ptolemaic Temple of Goddess Hathor in Denderah. This wonderfully preserved temple complex is a rare sight to behold, complete with a massive stone roof, dark chambers, underground passages and towering columns inscribed with hieroglyphs. The main Temple of Hathor is almost intact. Hathor was the goddess or pleasure and of love, usually represented as a cow, or a woman with a cow’s head. She was the beneficent deity of maternal and family love, of beauty and light; the Greeks associated her with Aphrodite. Return to our boat for lunch while sailing back to Luxor.

Afternoon tea will be served while you cruise to Luxor. In the afternoon our Egyptologist will guide us on a tour of the East Bank of Luxor, to the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor dedicated to the God Amun. Gourmet menu on board.Overnight on board in Luxor.