Jewels of the Nile

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Itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 London Heathrow to Cairo, Egypt.

   Fly by scheduled flight to Cairo. Upon arrival transfer to the Nile Ritz Carlton Hotel for a three night stay.

2. 2

   Day 2 Cairo.

   This morning is dedicated to the GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum). This complex is a cultural hub and includes one of the largest museums in the world, displaying the heritage of a single civilisation. The museum contains over 50,000 artefacts, reflecting Egypt's past from prehistory until the Greek and Roman periods, including over 5,000 artefacts from the tomb of the golden pharaoh, Tutankhamun. After lunch we will return to the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure before we meet for dinner at the hotel this evening. (B, L, D)

3. 3

   Day 3 Cairo.

   We start the day by visiting the impressive Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, as well as the tombs of the great pharaohs and their queens. During our visit we will enjoy an exclusive lecture by Dr Ashraf Mohie El-Din on the latest archaeological discoveries on the Giza Plateau. After lunch, we continue with a visit to Saqqara, the largest archaeological site in Egypt. Saqqara was the vast necropolis of the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis, and is home to the nation's oldest pyramid: the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Nobles were laid to rest here over a period of around 3,500 years, and the enormous ancient burial ground is scattered with smaller pyramids, tombs and funerary complexes. We end the day by visiting Memphis, the first capital of Egypt, founded by King Narmer in 3200 BC, in a strategic position on the west bank of the Nile. ( B, L)

4. 4

   Day 4 Cairo to Luxor.

   Check out this morning and transfer to the airport for our scheduled flight to Luxor. Upon arrival we will transfer to the SS Misr and embark. Moor overnight in Luxor. (B, D)

5. 5

   Day 5 Dendera Temple.

   This morning is dedicated to the goddess Hathor as we visit the Dendera Temple, also known as the ‘castle of the Sistrum'. Hathor was the goddess of love, joy and beauty, and the Dendera Temple was associated with healing. Patients who travelled to the temple for cures could stay in special buildings to rest, sleep and commune with the gods in their dreams. Return to the SS Misr for lunch and spend a leisurely afternoon on board sailing along the Nile. (B, L, D)

6. 6

   Day 6 Abydos Temple.

   This morning we arrive in El Balyana and, after breakfast, will transfer to the temple that the Greeks called the Memnonium in Abydos, dedicated to Seti, Osiris, Isis, Ptah, Ptah-Sokar, Nefertem, Re-Horakhty, Amun and Horus. Its structure, built of white limestone, is one of the most impressive religious structures in Egypt. Return to the ship in the late afternoon for lunch and enjoy the rest of the day relaxing on board while we sail to Sohag and moor overnight. (B, L, D)

7. 7

   Day 7 Athribis & Coptic Monasteries.

   After breakfast, we visit the ancient city of Athribis. Founded in the fourth century BC during the Ptolemaic period, the Temple of Ptolemy XII is one of the most important in the area. It was completed by the Roman emperors from Tiberius until Hadrian, dedicated to the cult of Min-Ra, and remains of a Coptic basilica were also excavated here. Afterwards we continue to the White Monastery which was founded in the fourth century AD by Saint Shenouda and was once inhabited by hundreds of monks and is now home to just 23 monks. We then proceed to the Red Monastery, also founded in the fourth century AD by Saint Pishoy with reused materials from Athribis Greco-Roman area. Here we can view the Coptic art, interact with local monks of the very first Christian monastic order and explore the sacred sites. Return to the ship in the late afternoon for lunch and enjoy the rest of the afternoon sailing. (B, L, D)

8. 8

   Day 8 Cruising.

   A relaxing interlude to our journey. Spend time on deck enjoying the passing scenery. (B, L, D)

9. 9

   Day 9 Luxor.

   Enjoy a leisurely morning sailing to Luxor. After lunch on board, we visit the magnificent temples of Karnak and will witness the vast array of monuments dedicated to Amun-Ra, king of the gods, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu. Just two of the highlights we will see are the great hypostyle hall with over 134 columns, some 22 metres high, and the obelisk of the powerful queen pharaoh Hatshepsut. We then continue to the Luxor Museum, an archaeological museum that was inaugurated in 1975. Whilst the range of artefacts on display is more restricted than the country's main collections in the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, this was deliberate, since the museum prides itself on the quality of the pieces it has. (B, L, D)

10. 10

    Day 10 Luxor.

    This morning we visit the West Bank, one of the most famous and important archaeological sites in the world. See the Valley of the Kings, burial ground of the pharaohs for a period of some 500 years. The tombs vividly depict the journey of the sun god and the pharaoh through the dangers of the underworld. In the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, you will discover scenes commemorating the reign of this exceptional monarch, such as the ambitious voyage where she sent her ships across the Red Sea to the mysterious land of Punt. We will also visit Howard Carter House, the original home in which the British archaeologist lived during his search for Tutankhamun's tomb, now a museum featuring original artefacts from his time in Luxor. After lunch on board, we visit the Luxor Temple, situated on the east bank of the River Nile, built by Amenhotep III, and dedicated to the cult of goddess Mut. View the Medieval mosque, the Roman temple, the chapel of Alexander the Great, and the divine birth room of its founder. (B, L, D)

11. 11

    Day 11 Luxor to London Heathrow.

    Disembark this morning and transfer to the airport for our scheduled flight to London. (B)

Meet your Experts

A distinguished team of guest lecturers, expedition leaders and specialist hosts will be travelling with you on selected departures — enriching your voyage with their insight, expertise and company.

Professor Aidan Dodson, FSA

Professor Aidan Dodson has taught Egyptology at the University of Bristol since 1996, and has been honorary Professor of Egyptology since 2018. He studied archaeology and Egyptology at the Universities of Durham, Liverpool and Cambridge, and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 2003. He was the visiting Simpson Professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo in 2013, and Chairman of the Egypt Exploration Society from 2011 to 2016. His particular research interests concern history and funerary monuments of ancient Egypt, and the history of Egyptology itself. As well as Egyptology, he researches and writes on naval history between 1850 and 1950 – like Egyptology, a passion since childhood. He has been accompanying tours to Egypt since the 1990s, and is the author of several hundred articles and book reviews, together with some thirty books. The latter

Professor Aidan Dodson, FSA will be on the following tour dates: 19 to 29 November 2027

Tom Hardwick

Tom Hardwick is an Egyptologist and curator who has worked for museums in the United Kingdom, Egypt, and United States. His research focuses on ancient Egyptian material culture, particularly sculpture, and the history of collecting and dealing in Egyptian art in the 19th and 20th centuries. He writes for academic and popular journals, including Apollo, and recently worked on the renovation of Howard Carter's house in Luxor for the centenary of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Tom Hardwick will be on the following tour dates: 28 January to 7 February 2028

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