15 day egypt grand circle tour

Day 1: Wed - Depart USA

Board your international flight to Cairo and begin your journey back in time to this charming, ancient land

Day 2: Thu - Arrival to Cairo, Optional Sound & Light Show

Arrive this afternoon in Cairo airport, Right Travel Representative will be waiting for you after you get your luggage and clear customs and will be holding the Right Travel Green sign. Before dinner on your own, get together with your new travel companions and toast the adventures that await you with a Welcome Reception, accompanied by snacks.

Evening free or choose our optional (Sound & Light Show in Cairo C32 - $40 P.P). Inaugurated in April of 1961, with the narrative voice of the late Richard Burton, magnificent sound and lighting effects, the show begins with the narrative of the Sphinx, who has been the guardian of the city of the dead for five thousand years. Overseeing the building of the three pyramids, the Sphinx reflects on the historical contributions of Thutmosis IV, Akhnaten, Nefertiti and Tutankhamon. The show is presented in English.

Day 3: Fri - Cairo, Egyptian Museum, Khan El Khalili, Egyptian Family Dinner

After breakfast, gather for a briefing on your upcoming trip. Your Program Director will go over the details of the trip and answer any questions you may have. You`ll also attend a Discovery Series discussion on "Ancient Egypt," as a prelude to the discoveries ahead. Start your day by visiting the world-renowned Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Accompanied by your certified Egyptologist Program Director, you`ll stroll through the halls highlighting each historical period of this ancient land. Marvel at the glittering treasures of King Tutankhamen, unparalleled in their variety, exquisite beauty, and sheer weight in gold. Seeing this treasure of more than 1,700 fabulous items buried with a young and relatively unimportant king, who can even imagine what the tombs of great and long-lived pharaohs must have contained? You may want to enter the Royal Mummies room for an additional fee and view the "sleeping" Kings of ancient Egypt. After lunch at local restaurant, proceed to the largest traditional shopping bazaar in the world, the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar. In the tiny alleyways, there are hundreds of shops where you can watch gold and coppersmiths, brass makers, and fortunetellers at work. Look also for leather goods and woodwork inlaid with camel bone and mother-of-pearl. Bargaining, Arab-style, is the norm here, and practiced as a national pastime. This evening, you`ll get acquainted with Egyptian life as you enjoy a visit with a local family in their home, as they share their evening meal with you. This is wonderful opportunity to experience the everyday life and hospitality of typical Egyptians. ( B, L, D )

Day 4: Sat - Cairo, Pyramids Tour

This morning we drive to the Giza Plateau, home of Egypt`s signature attractions: the Great Pyramids, proclaimed by the Greeks to be among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The largest among these is the Great Pyramid of Cheops, probably built more than 2,600 years before the time of Christ. Standing 480 feet tall, this is the last of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world still standing. Little is known of Cheops, you`ll also see the inscrutable and mysterious Sphinx, known in Arabic as Abu al-Hol ("the Father of Terror") and carved almost entirely from one piece of limestone. Stop for lunch, proceed to the ancient city of Memphis, the first capital of United Upper and Lower Egypt, and then visit Sakkara. ( B, L )

Day 5: Sun - Cairo, Optional Old Cairo, Citadel

Join our optional Spiritual Cairo tour $70 P.P and explore some of the early religious monuments of the city. You`ll visit the El Muallaqa, dating to the late fourth and early fifth century. This basilica was named for its location on top of the south gate of the Fortress of Babylon. Muallaqa means "suspended or hanging." Destroyed in a ninth-century earthquake, the church became the center of the Coptic (or Christian) Church of Egypt from the time it was rebuilt in the eleventh century until the 14th century. Make a stop at the Ben Ezra Synagogue, built sometime between the sixth and ninth centuries AD. The temple contains a Jewish Heritage Library, containing documents found here in 1896 that describe the economic and social conditions of Jews under Arab rule as well as descriptions of relations between various Jewish sects.

Stop for lunch, then visit The Citadel (the Fortress of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi), built in 1183 and overlooking the city from the Muqattam Hills. The structure, with its domes and minarets, looks over a number of important buildings, including the Alabaster Mosque. Its domed interior, used by Moslems for daily prayers, is a spectacular sight of twinkling lights and beautiful mosaics. ( B )

Day 6: Mon - Cairo, Luxor East Bank

Early morning flight from Cairo to Luxor, arrival and transfer to your luxury Nile Cruise where you will spend the next 7 nights / 8 days, Visit the Temple of Luxor, built by the two pharaohs, Amenhotep III and Ramses II. Ancient Thebes was a center of festivals, and the Temple of Luxor was the setting for the most important-the festival of Opet, designed to merge the ruler`s human and divine aspects. The temple was dedicated to Amun-Ra, whose marriage to Mut was celebrated annually, when the sacred procession moved by boat from Karnak to Luxor Temple.

Proceed to visit Karnak Temple, in ancient Egypt, the power of the god Amun of Thebes gradually increased during the early New Kingdom, and after the short persecution led by Akhenaten, it rose to its apex. In the reign of Ramesses III, more than two thirds of the property owned by the temples belonged to Amun, evidenced by the stupendous buildings at Karnak. Although badly ruined, no site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest temple complex ever built by man, and represents the combined achievement of many generations of ancient builders. The Temple of Karnak is actually three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about three kilometers north of Luxor, Egypt situated on 100 ha (247 acres) of land. Karnak is actually the sites modern name. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning "The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places". This vast complex was built and enlarged over a thirteen hundred year period. The three main temples of Mut, Montu and Amun are enclosed by enormous brick walls.

Back to the Cruise for lunch, evening you may choose our optional (Sound & Light Show L14 - $40 P.P), overnight in Luxor. ( B, L, D )

Day 7: Tue - Luxor, West Bank, Esna

Visit The West Bank, including the Valley of the Kings, with its many tombs chiseled deep into the cliffsides. From the 18th to the 20th Dynasty, the Memphis area and pyramid-style tombs were abandoned in favor of the West Bank of the Nile in Thebes. Several great leaders as well as many less important rulers are buried here, and more tombs are being discovered even today. This is where Howard Carter discovered the treasures of Tutankhamen and was struck "dumb with amazement" when he beheld its "wonderful things" in 1922. Proceed to the Valley of the Queens, the funerary temple of Queen Hatshipsut at Deir El Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon, back to the cruise for lunch, sail to Esna and overnight. ( B, L, D )

Day 8: Wed - Edfu, Kom Ombo

Sail to Edfu and Visit Edfu Temple, also known as the Temple of Horus, the falcon-god, (237 B.C.) considered the best-preserved temple in Ancient Egypt and the second largest after the Temple of Karnak. Sail to Kom Ombo and Overnight in Kom Ombo. ( B, L, D )

Day 9: Thu - Kom Ombo, Aswan, Papyrus Institute, Optional Sound & Light Show

Sail to Aswan. P.M. Visit the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple, dedicated to Isis and perched majestically on an island. The temple complex dates from the 26th Dynasty, with additions through the Roman period when the Emperor Hadrian built a pavilion at the water`s edge. Pilgrims would come from all over the Mediterranean to worship Isis here. Sail around The Botanical Garden by Felucca. Finally, visit the Papyrus Institute and learn about the centuries-old technique of creating paper from papyrus-the material we can thank for recording so much of Egypt`s ancient history.

Evening you may choose our optional tour (Sound & Light Show at Philae Temple -A14 - $45 P.P), overnight in Aswan. ( B, L, D )

Day 10: Fri - Aswan, Optional Abu Simbel

Morning free at your leisure or you may choose our optional tour (Abu Simbel tour by air-conditioned minivan/bus $150 P.P) Situated 280km south of Aswan, exploring the magnificent monuments carved into solid rock 3,000 years ago. In a monumental feat of modern engineering, these massive temples were moved to their present location when construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1960 created Lake Nasser and flooded their original location. This extraordinary operation to save one of the world`s greatest treasures took years and the efforts of an international team of engineers and archaeologists. The two temples at Abu Simbel were built by Egypt`s great Pharaoh Ramses II (Egypt`s longest-ruling king) as a tribute to the deities and his favorite wife Nefertari. Four colossal statues, 60 feet high and directly facing the rising sun, are of the pharaoh himself, with his queen and daughters at his feet. More tremendous statues surround you as you enter the temple. And in the very depths of the temple, Ramses sits in state flanked by the gods to whom the construction is dedicated. Lunch box will be provided from the Nile Cruise. ( B, L, D )

Day 11: Sat - Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor

Early sail to Kom Ombo and Visit Kom Ombo Temple (the Ptolemaic Temple of Sobek & Haroeries), set dramatically on a hill overlooking a bend in the river. This Greco-Roman style temple (actually two temples) is unique, as it is Egypt`s only double temple-dedicated to both Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, the great, winged solar disk. Everything here is doubled and perfectly symmetrical along a central axis-twin entrances, twin courts, and twin colonnades. Sail to Luxor via Edfu & overnight. ( B, L, D )

Day 12: Sun - Luxor, Optional Dendarah Tour

Free day at leisure, or you may enjoy our optional tour for a half-day visit to the Temple of Dendarah $70 P.P (Lunch box will be provided from the cruise) built by Romans and Greeks and dedicated to Hathor-goddess of maternal and family love. The temple complex contains birth houses, a Coptic church, the Hathor Temple, and a Hypostyle Hall. One of the celebrated features of the temple is an astronomical ceiling beautifully decorated with vultures, winged disks, and the union between Hathor and Horus. Paintings on the ceiling also represent the two halves of the sky with its northern and southern constellations, the hours of day and night, the sun and moon, and the symbols of the zodiac. You`ll return to the ship late afternoon, rest of the day is free, dinner, entertainment and overnight in Luxor. ( B, L, D )

Day 13: Mon - Luxor, Cairo, Optional Hot-Air Balloon Ride

As the sun rises over Luxor, so can you, aboard an optional hot-air balloon ride ($90 P.P). The sights, sounds, and sheer spectacle of seeing these antiquities from the sky will surely make for a morning you`ll remember forever. Back to the cruise, check out and transfer to Luxor airport for your flight to Cairo, arrival and transfer to your hotel, this evening, join your fellow travelers for a Farewell Cocktail and Farewell Dinner in Cairo. ( B, D )

Day 14: Tue - Cairo, Optional Alexandria Tour

Free day at your leisure, or choose our optional tour (Full Day Alexandria with Library - C43 - $130 P.P). Start your over day excursion to Alexandria by private car & accompanied by an English speaking Egyptologist: Visit National Museum, Catacomb. Stop for lunch, and then explore the well-preserved ruins of the Roman amphitheater, which in Ptolemaic times was part of a vast pleasure garden known as the Park of Pan. Built between the second and fourth centuries A.D., it is the only known Roman theater remaining in Egypt. Continue on to the Alexandria Library. Alexandria’s ancient library was the most famous in all antiquity, attracting scholars from all over the ancient world it was here that Euclid discovered geometry, and Eratosthenes measured the earth’s circumference. After lunch at a local restaurant, see Fort of Qaitbey from the outside. In 1480, the sultan Qaitbey built the fort on the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, transfer back to Cairo. ( B )

Day 15: Wed - Departure

After Early breakfast, transfer to Cairo International Airport for your departure flight. ( B )

Notes:

Guaranteed Departure Every Wednesday.
Right Travel reserves the right to provide a similar hotel or Nile cruise in case any of the selected hotels or Cruises is not available.
This program may be changed in sequence but not in visits without prior notice due to domestic air schedule or navigational circumstances. Right Travel is not liable for these changes.
Land only price does not include domestic air within Egypt Cairo/Luxor/Cairo

Red Sea & Safari Extensions:

International Extensions:

4 Day Jordan Extension
4 Day Dubai Extension
4 Day Istanbul Extension
5 Day Jerusalem Extension
5 Day Jordan with Dead Sea

5 Day Istanbul Extension

Egypt Camel Ride at the Pyramids

Egypt Gold coffin of Tutankhamun

Egypt Great Pyramids

Egypt Sakkara Pyramids

Egypt Karnak Temple

Egypt Luxor Statue of RamessesII

Egypt Edfu Temple inside

Egypt Kom Ombo Column

Egypt Luxor Statue of the god Amun

Egypt Aswan Philae Temple

Egypt Memphis Colossus of Ramses

Egypt Alexandria Roman Theater

Egypt Alexandria Catacomb



Roundtrip airfare from JFK/Cairo/Luxor/Cairo/JFK (With our Air & Land Option) Other departure gates from USA are available upon request All airport and airline taxes 13 nights accommodation at your choice of hotels and Nile Cruises on the following order: 6 nights accommodation in Cairo & 7 nights aboard the Nile Cruise at your choice of plan as follow: Silver Plan: 6 nights at [The Oasis Hotel], Cairo 7 nights aboard [M/S Stephanie] Lower Deck, 5 Stars Deluxe Nile Cruise Gold Plan: 6 nights at the [Mena House Oberoi Hotel], Cairo 7 nights aboard [M/S Stephanie] Main Deck, 5 Stars Deluxe Nile Cruise Diamond Plan: 6 nights at the [Four Seasons Nile Plaza], Cairo 7 nights aboard [M/S Stephanie] Upper Deck, 5 Stars Deluxe Nile Cruise All transfers with air-conditioned mini van/bus with English Speaking host 30 Meals: 13 breakfast, 9 lunches and 8 dinners All sightseeing will be provided based on maximum 10 passengers per guide, with license English Speaking Egyptologist All hotel taxes and fees Entrance fees per itinerary



	Tips & Personal Items
	Optional Tours as per itinerary



	Guaranteed Departure (even with one passenger)
	Maximum of 10 passengers per tour
	Guaranteed upper Deck Cabin with Diamond Plan
	Egyptian Family Dinner
	Egyptian Museum & Khan El Khalili Bazaar
	Great Pyramids, Sphinx & Memphis
	Luxor & Karnak Temples
	Valley of the Kings & Valley of the Queens
	Temple of Queen Hatshipsut at Deir El Bahari
	Kom Ombo & Edfu Temples
	High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk & Temple of Philae


Day:2	Sound & Light Show In Cairo - C32
Day:5	Old Cairo Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue & Citadel
Day:6	Sound & Light Show in Luxor - L14
Day:6	Domestic Air Cairo/Luxor/Cairo
Day:9	Sound & Light Show Aswan - A14
Day:10	Optional Abu Simbel Tour by Car from Aswan
Day:12	Half Day Dendarah Tour
Day:13	Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor
Day:14	Full Day Alexandria with Library C43



Day 1: Wed - Depart USA

Board your international flight to Cairo and begin your journey back in time to this charming, ancient land


Day 2: Thu - Arrival to Cairo, Optional Sound & Light Show

Arrive this afternoon in Cairo airport, Right Travel Representative will be waiting for you after you get your luggage and clear customs and will be holding the Right Travel Green sign. Before dinner on your own, get together with your new travel companions and toast the adventures that await you with a Welcome Reception, accompanied by snacks. Evening free or choose our optional (Sound & Light Show in Cairo C32 - $40 P.P). Inaugurated in April of 1961, with the narrative voice of the late Richard Burton, magnificent sound and lighting effects, the show begins with the narrative of the Sphinx, who has been the guardian of the city of the dead for five thousand years. Overseeing the building of the three pyramids, the Sphinx reflects on the historical contributions of Thutmosis IV, Akhnaten, Nefertiti and Tutankhamon. The show is presented in English.


Day 3: Fri - Cairo, Egyptian Museum, Khan El Khalili, Egyptian Family Dinner

After breakfast, gather for a briefing on your upcoming trip. Your Program Director will go over the details of the trip and answer any questions you may have. You`ll also attend a Discovery Series discussion on "Ancient Egypt," as a prelude to the discoveries ahead. Start your day by visiting the world-renowned Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Accompanied by your certified Egyptologist Program Director, you`ll stroll through the halls highlighting each historical period of this ancient land. Marvel at the glittering treasures of King Tutankhamen, unparalleled in their variety, exquisite beauty, and sheer weight in gold. Seeing this treasure of more than 1,700 fabulous items buried with a young and relatively unimportant king, who can even imagine what the tombs of great and long-lived pharaohs must have contained? You may want to enter the Royal Mummies room for an additional fee and view the "sleeping" Kings of ancient Egypt. After lunch at local restaurant, proceed to the largest traditional shopping bazaar in the world, the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar. In the tiny alleyways, there are hundreds of shops where you can watch gold and coppersmiths, brass makers, and fortunetellers at work. Look also for leather goods and woodwork inlaid with camel bone and mother-of-pearl. Bargaining, Arab-style, is the norm here, and practiced as a national pastime. This evening, you`ll get acquainted with Egyptian life as you enjoy a visit with a local family in their home, as they share their evening meal with you. This is wonderful opportunity to experience the everyday life and hospitality of typical Egyptians. ( B, L, D )


Day 4: Sat - Cairo, Pyramids Tour

This morning we drive to the Giza Plateau, home of Egypt`s signature attractions: the Great Pyramids, proclaimed by the Greeks to be among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The largest among these is the Great Pyramid of Cheops, probably built more than 2,600 years before the time of Christ. Standing 480 feet tall, this is the last of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world still standing. Little is known of Cheops, you`ll also see the inscrutable and mysterious Sphinx, known in Arabic as Abu al-Hol ("the Father of Terror") and carved almost entirely from one piece of limestone. Stop for lunch, proceed to the ancient city of Memphis, the first capital of United Upper and Lower Egypt, and then visit Sakkara. ( B, L )


Day 5: Sun - Cairo, Optional Old Cairo, Citadel

Join our optional Spiritual Cairo tour $70 P.P and explore some of the early religious monuments of the city. You`ll visit the El Muallaqa, dating to the late fourth and early fifth century. This basilica was named for its location on top of the south gate of the Fortress of Babylon. Muallaqa means "suspended or hanging." Destroyed in a ninth-century earthquake, the church became the center of the Coptic (or Christian) Church of Egypt from the time it was rebuilt in the eleventh century until the 14th century. Make a stop at the Ben Ezra Synagogue, built sometime between the sixth and ninth centuries AD. The temple contains a Jewish Heritage Library, containing documents found here in 1896 that describe the economic and social conditions of Jews under Arab rule as well as descriptions of relations between various Jewish sects. Stop for lunch, then visit The Citadel (the Fortress of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi), built in 1183 and overlooking the city from the Muqattam Hills. The structure, with its domes and minarets, looks over a number of important buildings, including the Alabaster Mosque. Its domed interior, used by Moslems for daily prayers, is a spectacular sight of twinkling lights and beautiful mosaics. ( B )


Day 6: Mon - Cairo, Luxor East Bank

Early morning flight from Cairo to Luxor, arrival and transfer to your luxury Nile Cruise where you will spend the next 7 nights / 8 days, Visit the Temple of Luxor, built by the two pharaohs, Amenhotep III and Ramses II. Ancient Thebes was a center of festivals, and the Temple of Luxor was the setting for the most important-the festival of Opet, designed to merge the ruler`s human and divine aspects. The temple was dedicated to Amun-Ra, whose marriage to Mut was celebrated annually, when the sacred procession moved by boat from Karnak to Luxor Temple. Proceed to visit Karnak Temple, in ancient Egypt, the power of the god Amun of Thebes gradually increased during the early New Kingdom, and after the short persecution led by Akhenaten, it rose to its apex. In the reign of Ramesses III, more than two thirds of the property owned by the temples belonged to Amun, evidenced by the stupendous buildings at Karnak. Although badly ruined, no site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest temple complex ever built by man, and represents the combined achievement of many generations of ancient builders. The Temple of Karnak is actually three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about three kilometers north of Luxor, Egypt situated on 100 ha (247 acres) of land. Karnak is actually the sites modern name. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning "The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places". This vast complex was built and enlarged over a thirteen hundred year period. The three main temples of Mut, Montu and Amun are enclosed by enormous brick walls. Back to the Cruise for lunch, evening you may choose our optional (Sound & Light Show L14 - $40 P.P), overnight in Luxor. ( B, L, D )


Day 7: Tue - Luxor, West Bank, Esna

Visit The West Bank, including the Valley of the Kings, with its many tombs chiseled deep into the cliffsides. From the 18th to the 20th Dynasty, the Memphis area and pyramid-style tombs were abandoned in favor of the West Bank of the Nile in Thebes. Several great leaders as well as many less important rulers are buried here, and more tombs are being discovered even today. This is where Howard Carter discovered the treasures of Tutankhamen and was struck "dumb with amazement" when he beheld its "wonderful things" in 1922. Proceed to the Valley of the Queens, the funerary temple of Queen Hatshipsut at Deir El Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon, back to the cruise for lunch, sail to Esna and overnight. ( B, L, D )


Day 8: Wed - Edfu, Kom Ombo

Sail to Edfu and Visit Edfu Temple, also known as the Temple of Horus, the falcon-god, (237 B.C.) considered the best-preserved temple in Ancient Egypt and the second largest after the Temple of Karnak. Sail to Kom Ombo and Overnight in Kom Ombo. ( B, L, D )


Day 9: Thu - Kom Ombo, Aswan, Papyrus Institute, Optional Sound & Light Show

Sail to Aswan. P.M. Visit the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple, dedicated to Isis and perched majestically on an island. The temple complex dates from the 26th Dynasty, with additions through the Roman period when the Emperor Hadrian built a pavilion at the water`s edge. Pilgrims would come from all over the Mediterranean to worship Isis here. Sail around The Botanical Garden by Felucca. Finally, visit the Papyrus Institute and learn about the centuries-old technique of creating paper from papyrus-the material we can thank for recording so much of Egypt`s ancient history. Evening you may choose our optional tour (Sound & Light Show at Philae Temple -A14 - $45 P.P), overnight in Aswan. ( B, L, D )


Day 10: Fri - Aswan, Optional Abu Simbel

Morning free at your leisure or you may choose our optional tour (Abu Simbel tour by air-conditioned minivan/bus $150 P.P) Situated 280km south of Aswan, exploring the magnificent monuments carved into solid rock 3,000 years ago. In a monumental feat of modern engineering, these massive temples were moved to their present location when construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1960 created Lake Nasser and flooded their original location. This extraordinary operation to save one of the world`s greatest treasures took years and the efforts of an international team of engineers and archaeologists. The two temples at Abu Simbel were built by Egypt`s great Pharaoh Ramses II (Egypt`s longest-ruling king) as a tribute to the deities and his favorite wife Nefertari. Four colossal statues, 60 feet high and directly facing the rising sun, are of the pharaoh himself, with his queen and daughters at his feet. More tremendous statues surround you as you enter the temple. And in the very depths of the temple, Ramses sits in state flanked by the gods to whom the construction is dedicated. Lunch box will be provided from the Nile Cruise. ( B, L, D )


Day 11: Sat - Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor

Early sail to Kom Ombo and Visit Kom Ombo Temple (the Ptolemaic Temple of Sobek & Haroeries), set dramatically on a hill overlooking a bend in the river. This Greco-Roman style temple (actually two temples) is unique, as it is Egypt`s only double temple-dedicated to both Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, the great, winged solar disk. Everything here is doubled and perfectly symmetrical along a central axis-twin entrances, twin courts, and twin colonnades. Sail to Luxor via Edfu & overnight. ( B, L, D )


Day 12: Sun - Luxor, Optional Dendarah Tour

Free day at leisure, or you may enjoy our optional tour for a half-day visit to the Temple of Dendarah $70 P.P (Lunch box will be provided from the cruise) built by Romans and Greeks and dedicated to Hathor-goddess of maternal and family love. The temple complex contains birth houses, a Coptic church, the Hathor Temple, and a Hypostyle Hall. One of the celebrated features of the temple is an astronomical ceiling beautifully decorated with vultures, winged disks, and the union between Hathor and Horus. Paintings on the ceiling also represent the two halves of the sky with its northern and southern constellations, the hours of day and night, the sun and moon, and the symbols of the zodiac. You`ll return to the ship late afternoon, rest of the day is free, dinner, entertainment and overnight in Luxor. ( B, L, D )


Day 13: Mon - Luxor, Cairo, Optional Hot-Air Balloon Ride

As the sun rises over Luxor, so can you, aboard an optional hot-air balloon ride ($90 P.P). The sights, sounds, and sheer spectacle of seeing these antiquities from the sky will surely make for a morning you`ll remember forever. Back to the cruise, check out and transfer to Luxor airport for your flight to Cairo, arrival and transfer to your hotel, this evening, join your fellow travelers for a Farewell Cocktail and Farewell Dinner in Cairo. ( B, D )


Day 14: Tue - Cairo, Optional Alexandria Tour

Free day at your leisure, or choose our optional tour (Full Day Alexandria with Library - C43 - $130 P.P). Start your over day excursion to Alexandria by private car & accompanied by an English speaking Egyptologist: Visit National Museum, Catacomb. Stop for lunch, and then explore the well-preserved ruins of the Roman amphitheater, which in Ptolemaic times was part of a vast pleasure garden known as the Park of Pan. Built between the second and fourth centuries A.D., it is the only known Roman theater remaining in Egypt. Continue on to the Alexandria Library. Alexandria’s ancient library was the most famous in all antiquity, attracting scholars from all over the ancient world it was here that Euclid discovered geometry, and Eratosthenes measured the earth’s circumference. After lunch at a local restaurant, see Fort of Qaitbey from the outside. In 1480, the sultan Qaitbey built the fort on the site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, transfer back to Cairo. ( B )


Day 15: Wed - Departure

After Early breakfast, transfer to Cairo International Airport for your departure flight. ( B )