Egypt & the Nile Tour

Take an unforgettable 12-day tour through the stunning pyramids of Egypt. Cruise along the Nile and visit the numerous temples that make Egypt so famous. You’ll discover firsthand the rich, ancient culture of this magnificent country.

Day 1 – Giza & the Pyramids

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Cairo aboard an internationally recognized airline.

Day 2 – Giza & the Pyramids Welcome to Egypt!

A Go Ahead representative greets you at the airport after you clear customs and then escorts you to your hotel in Giza. The rest of the day is free. At an included dinner this evening, meet your fellow travelers. Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 – Giza & the Pyramids

Your Tour Director, also a professional Egyptologist, is an expert in the history and anthropology of the regions on tour. Today, your Tour Director leads a fascinating tour of ancient Egypt. The Pyramids of Giza are the only “Wonder of the Ancient World” to have survived the modern era, and your guided sightseeing tour introduces you to the three pyramids here, including the stunning Great Pyramid of Cheops. Then visit the enigmatic Sphinx. Continue to Saqqara, the pharaohs’ royal graveyard for more than 3,000 years. Included meals: breakfast, dinner Included entrances: Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara

Day 4 – Giza & the Pyramids

Today is yours to explore Giza on your own, or join an optional excursion to Alexandria (weather permitting), where you’ll see the new Library of Alexandria, the Catacombs, Montassa and the Amphi Theater. Included meals: breakfast Alexandria $105 USD Travel to Egypt’s second-largest city. Visit Alexandria Library, where you’ll have a brief tour with the currator followed by free time to explore. Next, visit the Catacombs of Kom el-Shogafa, Egypt’s largest known Roman funerary complex. Lunch is included. Please note: This optional only runs as long as weather permits.

Day 5 – Luxor

Fly to Luxor to begin the cruise portion of your Egyptian tour. This morning, explore the painstakingly excavated Temples of Karnak and Luxor, once connected by an avenue of sphinxes. Your tour director/Egyptologist takes you inside the temples for guided tours. This afternoon, board your cruise ship. Tonight, opt to attend an optional sound and light show. Included meals: breakfast, dinner Sound and Light Show $45 USD After sunset, the area around the Philae is cleared for the Sound and Light Show. Watch a performance of synchronized light and music amid the ancient monuments of Egypt. Seeing these ancient temples lit up at night will create memories to last a lifetime. Please note: Travelers are advised to bring a flashlight and comfortable shoes. Also, this excursion involves walking on uneven terrain.

Day 6 – Nile River Cruise

Spend the day touring the Nile’s West Bank. Your tour director/Egyptologist leads you to the secluded Valley of the Kings, a series of tombs hidden in the Theban Hills. This “Place of Truth,”as the ancient Egyptians called it, is the location of the tombs of Pharaohs Tutankhamun and Ramses. You’ll enter the tombs for a tour. Then visit and tour the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, devoted to one of the few female pharaohs. Also view the 64-foot-high Colossi of Memnon and tour the Valley of Nobles, whose temples depict amazing scenes of daily Egyptian life. This afternoon, sail towards Edfu. Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7 – Nile River Cruise

This morning, visit the Temple of Horus. Built nearly 2,000 years ago, this amazingly well-preserved temple is a perfect example of the architecture of its era. Next, sail to Kom Ombo. Visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, built during the Greco-Roman period. The temple is noted for its twin deities, Sobek and Horus. Arrive later today in Aswan. Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8 – Nile River Cruise

This morning, join an optional excursion to the archaeological marvels at Abu Simbel. This afternoon, take a felucca (boat) ride past Elephantine Island, on which lies the frontier fortress of Egypt. The island takes its name from the dark granite rocks at its southern end, which resemble a herd of elephants bathing in the river. Also view the mausoleum of Agha Khan, which is perched on a hill affording panoramic views. The rest of the day is yours to spend as your please in Aswan Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner Abu Simbel $295 USD In Abu Simbel, visit the Temples of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari, relocated block by block on the shore of Lake Nasser after the Aswan High Dam’s construction. Please note: This excursion involves extensive walking on rugged terrain, so sturdy footwear is advised. Headwear and extra sunscreen are also recommended. This excursion requires advanced reservation and must be booked by 35 days prior to departure.

Day 9 – Nile River Cruise

Your cruise ends with disembarkation this morning in Aswan. You’ll visit the Aswan High Dam, one of the crowning achievements of modern Egypt. Then your Tour Director/Egyptologist will introduce you to the temples at Philae. Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 10 – Cairo

Fly back to Cairo this morning. Tonight, attend an optional Egyptian Folklore Evening. Included meals: breakfast Egyptian Folklore Dinner $75 USD Board a Nile riverboat for this evening’s dinner and live performance. Savor local specialties and Egyptian delicacies while a troupe of performers show you age-old music and dance traditions. Please note: this optional is weather dependent.

Day 11 – Cairo

Your Tour Director/Egyptologist leads a sightseeing tour of Cairo. The city’s mosques, of which there are more than 500, display some of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in the world. Visit the Citadel and Mohammed Ali Mosque, also known as the Alabaster Mosque. Built in the 12th century by mighty Salah el-Din, the Citadel was originally used as a fortress and was the residence of the Sultans until 1850. Also visit the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, which houses the famous masks of Tutankhamen. Later, you may wish to spend your free time roaming through the winding streets and alleyways of the Khan-el Khalili Bazaar. Dinner is included tonight. Included meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner Included entrances: Alabaster Mosque, Citadel of Salah El Din, Egyptian Antiquities Museum

Day 12 – Cairo

Transfer to the airport for your departure home or journey to Sinai for our beach resort extension. Included meals: breakfast (boxed by the Cairo hotel)

Extend Your Stay Jordan & Petra

Add 3 nights in Jordan & Petra for only $999 USD (Single room: add $280 USD) Since July 1994, when Jordan’s King Hussein and the Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin signed a declaration ending the animosity between their two countries, Jordan has opened its doors to the west. Encompassing sweeping verdant and arid landscapes and relics of some of the world’s oldest civilizations, Jordan is one of the most warm and welcoming countries on earth.