Grand Tour of Egypt & Five-Star Nile Cruise

Your journey begins as you arrive in Cairo and make your way independently to our five-star hotel on the riverfront, where you meet the Tour Manager and your fellow travelers. As Egypt's capital and largest city, Cairo is a sprawling metropolis boasting a treasure trove of ancient artifacts, the country's oldest university and a thriving financial hub.

After checking in to our rooms, we enjoy dinner together in the hotel restaurant and meet our specialist tour guide, an expert Egyptologist, who guides us throughout this cultural vacation as we visit Egypt's sensational sights. Overnight Cairo.

• Dinner

After an early breakfast, we travel by First Class rail to the port city of Alexandria where we are transferred to our hotel.

Next, we set out on a sightseeing tour with our specialist guide, who shows us the highlights and hidden gems of Alexandria - the city's ancient catacombs, the Alexandria lighthouse, Roman theatre and the impressive monolith, Pompey's Pillar. We stop for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, renowned for its fresh seafood. Our next visit is to the impressive Library of Alexandria, the world's most famous library of Classical antiquity. Regarded as a cultural epicenter of the ancient world, the library is outstanding not only for its priceless collection of Classical literature but also for its architecture.

Returning to our hotel this afternoon, the rest of your day and evening is free to relax, explore and dine independently. Overnight Alexandria.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Departing Alexandria this morning, we first drive to the historical site of the El Alamein battlefield, regarded as one of the significant British victories of World War Two. After time to reflect at El Alamein, our excursion continues towards Cairo, stopping for a guided tour of the beautiful village of Wadi El-Natrun enroute.

Wadi El-Natrun is a desert valley and village with 12 lakes and a fascinating history which our guide describes to us. This was an important site in ancient Egypt as the area was rich in mineral salts which were widely used in the mummification process. Later it became a sanctuary for Christians fleeing Roman persecution and a monastic order was formed. Of the dozens of original monasteries here, only four have survived.

Arriving in Egypt's capital this afternoon, we are transferred to our five-star hotel in West Cairo, within a few miles of the Great Pyramids. This evening, you are free over dinnertime, and besides a choice of local eateries, the hotel has four restaurants which offer Asian, Mediterranean and international cuisine. Overnight Cairo.

• Breakfast

Today brings another cultural highlight of your vacation as we set out on a full day of touring Egypt's phenomenal pyramids, the city of Cairo and the Grand Egyptian Museum.

The most well-known is the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to have survived to the modern day and remain largely intact. Our expert Egyptologist guide shares their knowledge of this spectacular tomb, and about the Great Sphinx - one of the most recognizable statues in the world - which stands beside the iconic pyramids it was created to guard.

Today's tour ends with a visit to the new Grand Egyptian Museum where, with entrance included, you are free to explore the many breathtaking treasures. This long-awaited archaeological museum is the largest in the world and houses important artifacts of ancient Egypt. Among other treasures, it showcases the entire Tutankhamun collection. We transfer back to our hotel in the afternoon and enjoy an evening at leisure. Overnight Cairo.

• Breakfast

Leaving our hotel after an early breakfast this morning, we embark on a train journey through the heart of Egypt from Cairo to Luxor in Upper Egypt, arriving in the evening. With a picnic lunch provided, we gain an insight into daily life along the Nile from the train windows as we pass through bustling towns and view low-lying hills.

Luxor has a rich history, with some of Egypt's most important monuments, and was the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. On arrival, we check into our five-star hotel on the east bank of the Nile, overlooking the longest river in the world.

Featuring excellent facilities including an outdoor pool, our hotel has a restaurant which offers Middle Eastern and international cuisine. If you'd like to explore the city this evening, Luxor's restaurants, shops and cafés are only a short taxi ride away. Overnight Luxor.

• Breakfast, Lunch

Today marks the start of a four-night cruise along the Nile and, after breakfast, we transfer from the hotel to our five-star cruise ship, which combines comfort with a touch of luxury. Our journey from Luxor to Aswan will take us to significant landmarks of the Nile that tell the story of this historic part of the world.

After lunch, we explore the East Bank of the Nile. Constructed nearly 2,000 years ago, the ancient Karnak Temple complex is the largest of its kind in Egypt and was one of Ancient Egypt's most sacred sites during the rule of several Pharaohs. We also visit the striking Luxor Temple, built by the pharaohs Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, which is in the heart of the modern town. One of the temple's most impressive features is the Avenue of Sphinxes, now fully excavated, which once linked the site with the temples at Karnak, nearly two miles to the north.

Once our enlightening guided tour concludes, we return to our ship where we are served dinner this evening. Overnight ship.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today begins with a relaxing day of cruising down the Nile, enjoying breakfast while we sail.

After lunch onboard our luxurious ship, we disembark to explore the West Bank of the Nile by coach. First, we embark on a guided tour of the spectacular Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a beautiful mortuary temple dedicated to the longest-ruling female of Ancient Egypt. Later, we continue to see three tombs where pharaohs were buried more than 3,000 years ago. As we wander, we can admire walls covered in of vibrant hieroglyphics and other forms of decorative Ancient Egyptian art.

Returning to the ship, there's a chance to relax and soak up the atmosphere of the Nile before another sumptuous dinner on board, after which we set sail overnight to Edfu via Esna. Overnight ship.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast on our cruise ship, we arrive in the town of Edfu in Upper Egypt. Here, we tour the beautiful Temple of Edfu, also known as the Temple of Horus (the falcon-headed god) whom the Egyptians equated with the Greek God, Apollo.

We hear more about this fascinating site and the creation myth associated with the temple from our specialist guide. The second largest and one of Egypt's best preserved, Edfu was uncovered from the sand by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in the 1860s.

We return to our ship for lunch after which there is an afternoon excursion to the Kom Ombo Temple, an extraordinary double temple which is completely symmetrical. We return to our ship later, with time to relax on the spacious deck before dinner is served on board. Overnight ship.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

During breakfast this morning, we sail to Aswan, enjoying views of the riverbanks from our ship. On arrival after lunch, we tour the impressive High Dam, the fascinating Philae Temple which dates to the cult of Isis, and the Unfinished Obelisk, an example of the incredible stone masonry of the ancient Egyptians.

Later this afternoon we board a traditional wooden sailing boat, known as a felucca, for a relaxing trip to Kitchener Island, which was presented to Lord Kitchener in the 1890s as a reward for leading the Egyptian army's successful campaigns in Sudan. Lord Kitchener made this small island his home and filled it with exotic flowers and rare plants from as far as India and Malaysia.

We return to our ship, the Movenpick MS Sunray, before sitting down to a final dinner on board. Overnight ship.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The penultimate day of this vacation features another very special highlight. Abu Simbel is one of Egypt's most famous landmarks, and today we visit this remarkable temple complex, carved during the reign of Pharoah Ramesses II to immortalize himself and honor the gods. To avoid the crowds, the midday heat and a long journey by road, we leave our cruise ship early this morning for a short flight directly to Abu Simbel.

On arrival, we visit the colossal twin temples, situated on Lake Nasser. These ancient monuments were discovered just over 200 years ago and, in 1963, were rescued from destruction in the largest heritage operation in history thanks to the efforts of UNESCO and many countries across the world.

After touring this unforgettable site, we fly back to Cairo where we are transferred by coach to our first hotel. Overnight Cairo.

• Breakfast

Back in Egypt's capital, Cairo, we are taken on a guided tour of the city this morning. We visit the Coptic Museum, which contains the world's largest collection of Coptic Christian artifacts and traces the history of Egypt.

We also visit the intriguing Coptic Hanging church - also known as the Suspended Church - and the Jewish Synagogue. According to local folklore, the synagogue is located on the site where baby Moses was found.

Returning to our hotel at the end of this morning's excursion, the rest of your day is at leisure until this evening. Then, we are taken by coach to a restaurant overlooking the Nile, which specializes in chargrilled Middle East and Mediterranean cuisine, for a final dinner with our group and Egyptologist guide. Overnight Cairo.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This five-star tour of Egypt has taken us from the historic capital of Cairo, where we saw major landmarks including the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx, to the archaeological treasures of the Mediterranean port of Alexandria and the battle site of El Alamein. Aboard our five-star cruise ship, we witnessed many gems along the Nile - the temple complex of Abu Simbel and the outstanding temples of Edfu, Kom Ombo, Karnak and Luxor.

Your journey ends this morning after breakfast. You could transfer to Cairo's international airport, where you can board a flight home, or continue your journey in this fascinating part of the world.

• Breakfast