Honey Mooners
This inspiring cruise holiday encompasses the best of Egypt's cultural and historic treasures. Beginning in Cairo with a 3-night stay, explore the city's ancient sites before setting sail on a 7-night cruise down the River Nile visiting Egypt's most breathtaking and historic sites, before sitting back and relaxing on a well-earned 5-night break in Sharm El Sheikh.
Day 1
Arrival at Cairo airport. Meet and assist by our representative. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo.
Day 2 Cairo
A morning visit to the magnificent Museum of Antiquities in the centre of Cairo affords the opportunity to gaze upon the unique treasures of Tutankhamun himself, before a free afternoon to enjoy some of the city?s myriad treasures. You may like to visit the mosques and churches of Old Cairo, including a trip up to the 19th century Mohammed Ali Mosque in the iconic and dominating confines of the Citadel. Meals: B
Day 3 Giza
Morning excursion to the Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, including the Solar Boat Museum. In the afternoon you may wish to take an optional excursion to Memphis (3200 BC), the ancient capital of Egypt, continuing over the desert to Saqqara to the Step Pyramid of King Zoser (3rd Dynasty). Meals: B
Day 4 Luxor - Western Thebes (B,L,D)
Check out after breakfast . Transfer to Cairo airport to fly to Luxor.Luxor, home to the ancient monuments, tombs and temples is the starting point for your nile cruise. On arrival, transfer from the airport to your ship., travel to the West Bank of Thebes. Visit the final resting place of a succession of mighty Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings, littered with intricate tombs - beautifully coloured and decorated with hieroglyphics. The tombs are now empty, with surviving artefacts and the treasures of Tutankhamun removed to the Cairo Museum. Whilst on the West Bank discover the Temple of Hatshepsut, the famous female Pharaoh, and see the gigantic statues of the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, which have stood in the Theban necropolis for the last 3400 years
Day 5 Luxor - East Bank (B,L,D)
After breakfast visit the East bank of Thebes and the staggering Temples of Luxor and Karnak. The Luxor Temple was erected by Amenophis III for Mut, the vulture-headed wife of the God Amun and was added to throughout the centuries by Tutenkhamun, Ramses II and a host of Christians, Romans and Muslims. Karnak is a vast open air museum, the word translated as 'The Most Selected of Palaces', and was the main place of worship of the eighteenth dynasty of the Theban Triad which had Amun as its head. You can marvel at the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns. In the afternoon, sail to Edfu via Esna lock.
Day 6 Edfu and Kom Ombo
During this day's sailing you'll have the opportunity to visit Edfu, home to the wonderfully preserved 2000-year old Temple of Horus, the falcon-headed god of the Sun and Plants. Lunch on board as we continue towards Aswan and its mighty dam, via the impressive sight of Kom Ombo standing sentinel on a headland at a bend in the river. Here you can visit the Sobek Temple, built in 250BC to honour the crocodile-headed Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus.
Day 7 Aswan Tour
This morning is spent visiting the island of Aglika and Philae Temple, dedicated to Isis. The temple, comprising 40,000 blocks and weighing about 20,000 tonnes was moved to the island between 1972 and 1980 to save it from being flooded by the lake that was formed between the High Dam and the Old Dam when the new one was built. After taking lunch, enjoy a trip aboard a felucca (a traditional Egyptian sailing boat) along the Nile before returning for dinner.
Day 8 Abu Simbel
Make the most of the on-board facilities as you sail to the Aswan area. Alternatively, you can join one of the optional excursions, which include an early morning trip to Abu Simbel (by air or bus) to see the great sun temple with its four gigantic statues of Ramses II hewn into the desert mountainside. Another option is a day trip to an Aswan Nubian village and National Park. During the evening you can take an optional excursion to experience the atmospheric Sound and Light show in the Philae Temple
Day 9 Esna/ Luxor
A leisurely morning of sailing to Luxor via Esna (please note the cruise ship does not stop here). Make the most of your last full day on the ship as you relax and enjoy all the amenities on offer and soak up the scenery. With evening comes the option of visiting the Sound and Light show at Karnak, where the pharaohs rise to tell the birth of Karnak and the heroic achievements of the pharaohs and the god Amun.
Day 10 Sharm El Sheikh
After breakfast, relax on board before being transferred to the airport for your Sharm flight for a 5 nights' relaxing in a lovely resort.
Day 15 Final departure (B)
Relax and enjoy the facilities at your Resort before transferring to the airport for your return flight back home via Cairo.
