Luxor with Sharm El Shaikh

Day 1

Arrival to Cairo

Meet and assist at the International Airport of Cairo by our representative. Transfer to the hotel in private  airconditioned car and accommodation.

Day 2

Visit to the Pyramids / Train to Aswan
Breakfast. Transfer to visit one of the seven wonders of the world (the pyramid of Cheops, the first and great pyramid of King khufu), the visit includes the other Pyramids of Giza: Khafre (the second Pyramid attributed to King khafraa son of King khufu) and Micerinos (the third and the smaller Pyramid of King Micerinos, son of King khafre and grandson of King khufu); The Sphinx (with its half lion body and half human head), and the Valley Temple (built next to the Pyramid of Khafre). Visit to Coptic neighborhood.

Transfer to the train station to travel to Aswan. Accommodation in a sleeping  car train with dinner and breakfast incluided.

Day 3

Cruise Check in / Visits in Aswan
Meet and assist at the train station in Aswan. Transfer to the 5 ***** cruise in private  airconditioned car. Check in before lunch. Visit to the High Dam of Aswan, built in 1960 to protect Egypt from the annual flood of the Nile. Transfer to visit the Unfinished Obelisk, famous for its red granite. The most famous of this obelisk is the one of  Queen Hatshepsut, one of the kings who ruled Egypt in the 18th Dynasty, the wife of King Tuthmosis II. Others think that this obelisk is for Queen Nefertiti. Visit to the temple of philae of goddess Isis located in the island of Agilika, the faluca ride (a typical sailing boat of the Nile), to see the island of elefantina the botanic garden. Dinner and accommodation on board.

Day 4

Kom Ombo / Edfu (Cruise)
Breakfast on board. Navigation to Kom Ombo. Visit to Sobek Temple, an unusual and completely symmetrical building with two entrances, two hypostyle halls and two sanctuaries.  because the temple is dedicated to two gods: the left side to the god  Haroeris (Horus the old or the great) and the right to Sobek (local divinity with crocodile head). Navigation to Edfú. Lunch on board. Transfer in a horse carriage to visit the Temple of Horus, dedicated to God Horus,  one of the best preserved temples in Egypt and was called Mesen, “The place of the harpoon”, “The House of Ra.” Sailing to Luxor. Dinner and accommodation on board.

Day 5

Excursions in Luxor (Cruise)
Breakfast on board. Visit to the Valley of the Kings , the place where the pharaohs were buried  during the New Kingdom . Here the kings of the XVIII, XIX and XX dynasties were buried, as well as some queens, princes, nobles and even animals. Visit to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (XVIII Dynasty), the most monumental of the temples in the valley and unique of its kind throughout Egypt. Visit to the Colossi of Memnon. Lunch on board. Visit to the Temple of Luxor, was constructed during the New Kingdom. It was linked to the temple of Karnak by  an avenue of sphinxes. It was built by two fundamentally Pharaohs, Amenhotep III (built the inner area) and Ramses II (completed the temple).

Visit to the Temple of Karnak, located in Karnak area.  in ancient Egypt especially during the New Kingdom, was the most influential religious center. The main temple was dedicated to the cult of the god Amon, but as in other Egyptian temples also other divinities were venerated in the temple . Dinner and accommodation on board.

Day 6

Sharm El Sheikh
Breakfast. Disembark at 8:00. Transfer by private air-conditioned vehicle to Luxor Airport for a flight to Sharm el Sheikh.Meet and assist in Sharm el sheikh airport. Transfer to hotel and accommodation.

Day 7

Optional tour to Ras Mohamed Park
Breakfast. Free day in Sharm or optional tour to visit Ras Mohamed, National Park which is an aquatic nature reserve. The 480 kilometers square  of the protected area is located in the area where the Gulf of Suez meets the Gulf of Aqaba at the southern end of Sinai. It is an area of ​​sand dunes, gravel plains, fossilized corals and granite mountains which is home to several rare mammal species: Dorcas gazelle, Nubia goat and red fox. Thousands of white storks pass through Ras Mohammed every year, southwards during September / October and return north during April and May. About 85 species of flora live in the park. Return  and overnight in hotel.

Day 8

Optional Colorado Canyon Tour
Breakfast. Free day in Sharm or optional tour to visit one of the natural wonders of the Sinai peninsula, the Colorado Canyon where you can see the wonderful natural colors of the rocks. A stroll between sandstone walls of canyon striped with yellow, purple, red, magenta and gold fusion. In some places the walls of the canyon reach up to 40 meters. You feel like you’re locked in a spectacular coloring book. Return  and overnight in the hotel.

Day 9

Optional tour to the Monastery of Sant Catharine
Breakfast. Free day in Sharm or optional tour to visit the Sant Catharine Monastery: 220 km northwest from Sharm el Sheikh , located between the Santa Catalina Mountains.  Considered as the oldest monastery in Christianity, is a Greek Orthodox monastery within its walls Impressive remains of a citadel that is very rich of religious and historical structures. In the monastery there is a library which is considered as the second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts in the world after that of the Vatican. You can see the fiery bramble and a large number of ancient works of art: Invaluable icons, carved doors, paintings of Wall and other religious ornaments. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 10

Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Sharm Airport to take the flight back to Cairo.  Transfer to the hotel and accommodation with the possibility of an optional tour (walk around the city) the best opportunity to discover the life of  Cairo.

Day 11

Excursion to the City of Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Egyptian Museum, which contains the largest collection of monuments from the Pharaonic era of Ancient Egypt, as well as a rooms and hals that includes the treasures of Tutankhamun.
Optional tour the Citadel of Saladin, built by Salah El Din on the heights of the Mountain of  Mokattam in 1138 AD to defend Cairo from  the Crusades. Visit to the Alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali, designed by the architect Yousif Boushnaq, a Turkish who came from Istanbul to build this mosque for King Muhammad Ali, who reigned Egypt for over 45 years (1805-1849). Visit to the Old Cairo area which includes the Hanging Church, Santa Barbara Church, Abu Serga Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue. Visit to  khan el khalili Bazaar, one of the famous and ancient bazaars in the Middle East. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Day 12

Final Departure
Breakfast. Departure from the hotel. Transfer to Cairo International Airport to take the return flight back home.

End of services

 

     Accommodation :

• Cairo: Stay in bed and breakfast in hotels 4 **** Horizon hotel & Barcelo hotel or similar
• Cruise: Stay in full board accommdation in 5 ***** motorship
• Sharm El Shaikh: Half board accommodation in  5 ***** hotel
• To stay in hotels 5 ***** is $ 20 more per person per night.
• Cruise : in full board accomodation . 5***** Piramyza hotel & Sonesta hotel or similar
• For 5 ***** hotels in Cairo it is 20 $ more per person and night
• For half board in Cairo, it is 15 $ more per person per night

     Includes : 

• Meet and assist at Cairo International Airport.
• 3 nights on board  5***** cruise with full board accommodation.
• Accommodation 3 nights in hotel in Cairo.
• Accommodation 4 nights in Sharm el Sheikh.
• Transfer from Cairo to Aswan by train, sleeping car  including breakfast and dinner.
• Entrance fees for all mentioned sites in the itinerary.
• Domestic flights (Luxor / Sharm el Sheikh / Cairo).
• English speaking guide.

     Excludes :

• Optional tours.
• Tips (cash payment  40 $)
• Egyptian Visa (Cash payment  40 $)
• Drinks, personal expenses or extras not mentioned