Day 1: Cairo

Welcome to Egypt - a land that abounds in ancient wonders and mysteries which has enthralled travellers for centuries! You are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Relax and settle in, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Hotel: Marriott

Day 2: Cairo

Join your Tour Director for a detailed pre-tour briefing. Then commence your exploration of Cairo with a visit to the Citadel, for breathtaking views over the city. Salah El Din started the Citadel in the 12th century, but it owes its present outline to Mohammed Ali, whose great alabaster mosque you visit next. Then take some time to test your bargaining skills in the famous Khan El Khalili bazaars. This afternoon, visit the famous Egyptian Museum, an unrivaled warehouse of Pharaonic treasure. Among the many exhibits on display are the fabulous artefacts recovered by archeologist Howard Carter from the tomb of King Tutankhamun. (B)

Day 3: Cairo – Aswan – Abu Simbel – Join Cruise

Transfer to the airport for your flight via Aswan to the ancient Nubian lands near Egypt's southern border. On arrival, board your comfortable cruise boat on Lake Nasser. Get your camera ready now as you visit the Great Temple of Abu Simbel. Originally built by Rameses II, this temple was designed to impress and it still serves that purpose today. You are confronted by four towering statues of the Pharaoh himself, carved out of a single slab of rock. The smaller Temple of Hathor, built for Rameses' wife, Nefertari, is also guarded by six 10 metre statues. Spend some time exploring inside the 3,200 year old walls, depicting scenes of Rameses and the Gods. Tonight, experience the monuments lit in all their glory at the sound and light show. (B,L,D)

Ship: MS Prince Abbas

Day 4: On board ship

Enjoy the ever changing scenery as you cruise to the ancient ruined citadel of Kasr Ibrim, still occupying its original strategic high ground. Cruise on to Amada, noted for having the oldest surviving structure on Lake Nasser. Also, it has some of the finest carvings of any Nubian temple. Explore the temple dedicated to Amun-Re and Re-Harrakte and also visit the Tomb of Penniut, deputy of Nubia. (B,L,D)

Day 5: On board ship

This morning you visit Wadi El Sebou, - the 'Valley of the Lions', named after the great Avenue of Sphinxes which led to the Temple of Rameses II. Now time to relax and enjoy your superb cruise facilities as you continue on to exotic Aswan - where the Middle East overlaps with Africa! (B,L,D)

Day 6: Aswan – On board ship

Visit the Temple of Kalabsha, built by the Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus and dedicated to the local fertility god Mandulis. Disembark now and cross over the Aswan High Dam. Take a motorboat to the Temples of Philae, rising from the waters of the Nile. Aswan granite was used by many of the Pharaohs to build their temples and tombs and you visit one of the quarries on your way to your second cruise ship which will transport you up the Nile. This afternoon, enjoy high tea in English colonial style before sunset. (B,L,D)

Ship: MS Giselle or MS Saphire or MS La Boheme

Day 7: On board ship

For a change of mood, embark on a traditional Nile sailing boat (felucca,) around Aswan's Botanical Gardens. Cruise on to Kom Ombo to visit the only temple in Egypt dedicated to two gods - Horus the Elder and the crocodile headed Sobek. In fact, crocodiles were kept in the temple and some mummified remains are still on show. Set sail again for Edfu. Tonight celebrate in Egyptian style at an Oriental Dinner and Galabea Party. (B,L,D)

Day 8: On board ship

In Edfu this morning, two black granite falcons guard the entrance to the Temple of Horus, the Falcon God. After exploring the beautifully preserved wall reliefs, continue your Nile cruise to Luxor. On arrival, visit the fabulous Luxor Temple. The obelisk now occupying the centre of the Place de la Concorde in Paris originally came from this temple. (B L D)

Day 9: Disembark Luxor - Cairo

Drive over to the west bank of the Nile for a photo stop at the towering Colossi of Memnon. Next, visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, blending into the cliff face above. Continue to the Valley of the Kings, the burial place of many of the New Kingdom Pharaohs. Return to Luxor to the Temple complex of Karnak. Among its splendours is the Hypostyle Hall, the largest of any temple in the world. Later, transfer to the airport to board your flight back to Cairo. (B)

Hotel: Marriott

Day 10: Cairo

Drive out to Memphis, to view the colossal statue of Rameses II and great alabaster sphinx. Nearby at Sakkara, view the Step Pyramid of Zoser; dating from 2686BC, it's the oldest in the world. Your tour reaches its zenith with a guided tour of Giza where you see the enigmatic Sphinx and venture inside one of the magnificent Pyramids! (B)

Day 11: Cairo

Your tour comes to a close with a transfer to the airport. (B)