About your tour
Map
Hotels
The two hotels on this tour are the
Deluxe Cairo Marriott and the First
Class New Cataract Hotel in Aswan,
located by the Nile and overlooking
Elephantine Island. Meanwhile, the
overnight train from Cairo to Aswan has
modern air-conditioned sleeping cars, as
well as a club/lounge carriage.
Fellow Passengers
For thousands of years, travellers have
been mesmerised by the unforgettable
historic treasures of Egypt. This is
still the case today, and those
attracted to the Best of Egypt tour
share a love of adventure, history and
romance. The overnight train from Cairo
to Aswan also helps make this tour great
value for money.
Highlights
High tea on the terraces in Aswan, the
Great Pyramids of Giza and the awesome
temple complex of Karnak are just three
of many highlights. The story of King
Tutankhamun - at the Egyptian Museum in
Cairo and later visiting the Valley of
the Kings - is history at its best.
Enjoy our Premium Highlights
plus these extra tour features
Insight's
Cruising
- 3 Night Nile cruise on MS Miriam
or MS Sapphire (or similar) with all
cruise boat gratuities included
- First Class and Deluxe hotels with
service charges, taxes & porterage
- Scheduled air travel between Luxor
to Cairo
- Overnight sleeper train, Cairo to
Aswan with twin berth cabins
- Sightseeing by air-conditioned
coach
- Professional multi-lingual
Egyptologist/ Tour Director to escort
you
- Services of Insight's Resident
Manager in Cairo
- Travel bag, document wallet, map
book journal and information pack
Excursions &
Sights
- See the Rameses II statue &
Alabaster Sphinx in Memphis
- See the Step Pyramid of Zozer in
Sakkara, oldest in the world
- See the Great Pyramids of Giza
& the Sphinx
- See Tutankhamun's treasure in the
Egyptian Museum
- Views over Cairo from the Citadel
& visit to Mohamed Ali's alabaster
Mosque
- Visit the Aswan High Dam & see
the unfinished obelisk in the granite
quarries
- Sail on a traditional 'felucca'
around Aswan's Botanic Gardens
- Visit the Temples of Horus at Edfu
& Sobek at Kom Ombo
- Tour the magnificent temple
complexes of Luxor & Karnak
- See the Colossi of Memnon and
visit Hatshepsut temple and the Valley
of the Kings
Guided City
Tours
- Indepth sightseeing tour in Cairo.
- Orientation tours in Luxor and
Aswan
Complimentary
Transfers
- Complimentary arrival and
departure transfers between Cairo
airport and the tour hotel
Quality
Dining
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Your itinerary
Map
9 Days ~ Egypt
Tour Pace
Different modes of transport help break
up a journey which covers a lot of
ground over nine days. The luxury Nile
cruise, with its ever changing scenic
beauty and frequent stops at ancient
monuments, provides a wonderful
opportunity to settle back and indulge
yourself.
DAY 1 - SAT - UK -
CAIRO
Welcome to Egypt, a country rich in
wonders and mysteries - many are
revealed on this tour. You are met at
Cairo airport and transferred
to your tour hotel. Relax
and settle in. Hotel:
Marriott.
DAY 2 - SUN - CAIRO
SIGHTSEEING
Have your cameras at the ready as you
embark on a fascinating sightseeing tour
of Cairo. Drive to Memphis,
the famous capital of the
Old Kingdom, see the colossal
statue of Rameses II
and the great
Alabaster Sphinx.
Continue on to
Sakkara to view
the Step Pyramid of Zoser I,
which dates from 2686BC and
is the oldest in the world. Marvel at
one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
world when you visit the
Great Pyramids at Giza, and
their guardian, the Sphinx.
(BB)
DAY 3 - MON - CAIRO -
OVERNIGHT TRAIN
Visit the incredible
Egyptian Museum
and its exhibits from all
periods of Egyptian history. Don't miss
King Tutankhamun's mask
and his other priceless
treasures, which were recovered from the
Pharaoh's tomb in the Valley of the
Kings. Visit the citadel of
Salah El Din to enjoy
breathtaking views
over the whole city before
visiting the alabaster Mosque
of Mohamed Ali, with its
highly ornate interior. Spend a
leisurely afternoon in Cairo before
boarding your overnight sleeper train to
exotic Aswan.
(BB,D)
DAY 4 - TUE - ASWAN
SIGHTSEEING
Begin a sightseeing tour of the city
of Aswan with a visit to the modern
Aswan High Dam. Continue by
motorboat to the beautifully preserved
temples of Philae, which rise from the
waters of the River Nile.
See the
unfinished obelisk
in the granite quarries
before continuing to your hotel. As the
evening descends, enjoy
afternoon tea on the terraces so loved
by Agatha Christie. Hotel: New Cataract.
(BB)
DAY 5 - WED - CRUISING
ASWAN
Take an optional excursion to the
magnificent Temples of Rameses II at Abu
Simbel, cut from their hillside origin
in the 1960s and repositioned in their
new home above the waterline of the
newly created Lake Nasser (see page 22).
Later, board your luxury Nile cruiser.
(BB,L,D)
DAY 6 - THU - CRUISING
EDFU
Enjoy a relaxing ride
around the Aswan Botanical Gardens
on a traditional
Nile felucca
before setting sail for
Kom Ombo. Here,
visit the Temple of Sobek,
the crocodile-headed god
appropriately situated on the banks of
the Nile. Sit back and enjoy the ever
changing scenery as you cruise towards
Edfu. (BB,L,D)
DAY 7 - FRI - CRUISING LUXOR
Visit the the
beautifully preserved Temple of Horus,
the Falcon God. After
exploring this fascinating site,
continue the cruise through Esna Lock to
Luxor where you visit Luxor
Temple. Spend the evening enjoying a
fun-filled Egyptian dinner and Galabea
party. (BB,L,HD)
DAY 8 - SAT - LUXOR -
CAIRO
Cross to the West Bank
of the Nile to see the huge
Colossi of Memnon,
the only remains of the
Funerary Temple of Amenphis III. Visit
the wonderful Temple of
Hatshepsut which blends
dramatically into the cliff face above.
Continue to the Valley of the
Kings and explore the final
resting place of many of Egypt's
important ancient rulers. After
visiting several of the
Pharoahs' extraordinary
tombs, return to Luxor and
the enormous Temple complex
of Karnak. Among its many
splendours is the Hypostle
Hall, the largest of any
temple in the world, with its roof
blocks supported by colossal columns 70
feet high. Transfer to the airport for
your flight back to Cairo.
Hotel: Marriott.
(BB)
DAY 9 - SUN - CAIRO - UK
The tour comes to an end after
breakfast when you will be transferred
to the airport for your onward flights.
(BB)
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