Treasures of Egypt
Escorted Tours
11 DAYS FROM ONLY £999 PER PERSON
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
Walking round the temples and the pyramids and being amazed and blown away by the sheer scale of it all Quietly sailing down the Nile aboard the Radamis 1, a well deserved tipple after a fantastic days sightseeing... let the world float by!
ITINERARY
Day 1 Depart UK from London Heathrow
Sit back and enjoy your morning British Midland flight over to Cairo. On arrival you will be transferred to your hotel, situated near to the Pyramids at Giza. Before you start to explore the treasures that lie ahead the rest of the day can be spent relaxing in the comfort of your hotel, perhaps reading up on a few of the famous sights and cities that you will visit on this once of a lifetime tour.
Day 2 Cairo
The first of our tour excursions begins after a hearty breakfast when you will be visiting Cairo’s famous Egyptian Museum with its 136,000 artefacts. Feasting your eyes upon the finest collections of Egyptian antiquities is truly an impressive display. As your first morning closes you may choose the afternoon to leisurely rowse around Cairo in all its wonder, or if you have a taste for more, we have lots of extra value excursions at an additional cost. We can take you to visit the amazing Citadel or the Khan El Kalili bazaar to linger over its exotic spices! In the evening, and not to be missed, there’s the optional chance to brush up on your knowledge of ancient Egypt with the impressive Light and Sound show at the Pyramids.
Day 3 Cairo
It’s an inspiring morning as we visit the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world still standing! Your guided tour to the Giza Pyramids and the mighty Sphinx. The 4,500 year old pyramids are an impressive sight as their presence commands the surrounding landscape. So don’t forget your camera! In the afternoon there will be an optional tour to Memphis, the capital of old Egypt. Historically it’s well worth the visit. It was considered to be the centre of Egyptian culture for over 3,000 years, then to Sakkara, home of Egypt’s oldest pyramid. It was constructed by Imohotep for Pharaoh Zoser in 2650BC, the famous Step Pyramid is hardly tarnished and is remarkably well preserved.
Day 4 Luxor
Time to leave the sights of Cairo as we venture towards the Nile. The Radamis 1 awaits your company for the next 7 exciting nights. It’s a morning transfer for our flight down to Luxor and then we climb on board the well equipped Nile cruiser. Settle yourselves in and take a spot of lunch onboard before we head towards the east bank of the Nile to visit the Temple at Karnak – one of Egypt’s many impressive temples. Karnak is a huge complex of sanctuaries and obelisks, dedicated to the pharaohs.
We will then move on to admire our second temple, which is situated in the centre of the city, Luxor Temple, built by two of the most famous pharaohs – Amenhotep III, a great patron of the arts, whose 40-year reign was one of the peaks of Egyptian power, and Ramses II sometimes known as the ‘great builder’.
Day 5 Esna and Edfu
Good morning! Today we are off to see the Valley of the Kings; the famous burial place of the Kings of Thebes. We then visit the Temple of Hatshepsut and learn about Queen Hatshepsut, known as the only woman who actually reigned as a Pharaoh; a fascinating story as she posed as a male in order to gain the throne! We are now back onboard sailing to Esna where we cross the lock. It’s time to kick off your footwear, relax and watch the Nile float by. The Radamis 1 sails towards Edfu where we can enjoy an overnight stay.
Day 6 Kom Ombo and Aswan
Time to cruise on to Kom Ombo, home to the unusual double temple built during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods and dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus. Our last port of call today is Aswan where the Radamis 1 berths for the night.
Day 7 Optional tour of Abu Simbel
There is an exciting opportunity today for an optional excursion to the magnificent temples at Abu Simbel. Built by the Pharaoh Ramses II in 1257 BC. The temples would have been lost forever under the waters of Lake Nasser had it not been for a great rescue operation by UNESCO. This really is a must and for those of you wishing to join the trip you may choose to travel over land or alternatively take a short flight. After the tour you will re-join the Radamis 1 early afternoon. Later in the afternoon there’s also an opportunity to sail by Felucca to visit the beautiful Botanical Gardens
Day 8 Aswan and Edfu
After yesterday’s eventful day, you are over half way through your journey and we have much more to see! We are visiting Aswan’s High Dam which took 11 years to build, followed by a tour of the unfinished Obelisk, some 42 metres long it was abandoned when cracks appeared on its construction. If it had been completed it would have been the heaviest in Ancient Egypt – weighing nearly 1,100 tons! Our final stop of the morning is the island temple of Philae, dedicated to the Goddess Isis. Once again we sail on at midday to Kom Ombo, then later in the afternoon we continue on to Edfu where the Radamis 1 anchor’s down for the night.
Day 9 Esna and Luxor
Our first port of call today is the Temple of Horus at Edfu, regarded as one of the best preserved ancient Temples in Egypt. We learn more as the morning goes on... the Temple is dedicated to the falcon headed god Horus and began its construction in 237 BC. Once again our journey continues across the lock at Esna just before arriving in Luxor for our 2 night stay.
Day 10 Luxor
Here is your day to relax at your leisure. Whatever takes your fancy? You may still have intrigue for even more historical culture and sights, or maybe a day of strolling around the city’s cafe’s and shops. Wherever you go in this small town beside the Valley of Kings the buzz of everyday life surrounds you and of course it is here that you find some of the most formidable monuments in Egypt. Don’t forget though in the evening you may want to take our optional excursion to the Sound and Light show at Karnak... it’s amazing. And by the way, the sunsets here are the most inspiring of sights!
Day 11 Luxor
Our last breakfast together before disembarking the Radamis 1. What an experience, a treasure chest of ancient wonders discovered! Your transfer awaits to the airport in Luxor, a flight on to Cairo, and then onwards to London with British Midland.
DEPARTURE DATES & PRICES
24 Sep 2010 - £1,035
12 Nov 2010 - £1,085
28 Jan 2011 - £1,069
18 Feb 2011 - £1,079
11 Mar 2011 - £1,079
08 Apr 2011 - £1,079
06 May 2011 - £1,075
Prices per person, based on Double/Twin Share. Single supplement £185. Supplements for Business Class where applicable are available on request. Please note any reference to optional excursions in our itinerary are not included in the price, but are available to purchase at an additional cost. Prices for these excursions are available on request.