Ahlan wa sahlan! The grandeur and glory of Egypt await as you arrive at Cairo International Airport (CAI). On touchdown, you’ll be met by a representative who will assist you through visa and immigration control and luggage pickup, before guiding you to your driver for your included transfer to your five-star hotel.
Steeped in ancient mystery and buzzing with modern vibrancy, cosmopolitan Cairo is a city alive with culture. Fed by the lifeline of the glittering Nile, Egypt’s capital is known as the ‘City of a Thousand Minarets’ thanks to its spectacular collection of preserved Islamic Caliphate architecture.
Your Signature Accommodation: Fairmont Nile City Cairo
Take your transfer to the spectacular Fairmont Cairo Nile City, an Art Deco-inspired haven on the banks of the Nile. This is Cairo at its most sophisticated: each room is richly furnished and features a commanding position over the Nile or the cityscape, and on a clear day the hotel’s glamorous rooftop pool deck offers sweeping panoramic views stretching from Cairo to the pyramids. A city in itself, this Fairmont jewel features seven dining venues – including the Italian-inspired L’Uliveto restaurant and shisha-meets-shish-kebab modern house of Egyptian Bab el Ni – plus an onsite spa, cinema, food court and ATM facilities.
Enjoy the day at your leisure in your timelessly elegant surroundings before coming together for a welcome dinner with your fellow travellers, Anthony Burke and your expert guide at L’Uliveto. This relaxed evening offers the perfect opportunity to meet your host, connect with the group and set the tone for the journey ahead, sharing conversation, insights and anticipation. Your meal includes a bottle of water plus one glass of wine or beer.
Please note: Check-in on Day 1 is at 3pm. To ensure you make the welcome dinner, please book your flights to arrive before this time.
Welcome dinner with Anthony Burke
After a delicious breakfast, your ancient explorations begin.
Signature Highlight: Explore ancient Memphis & Saqqara with Anthony Burke
Journey to the legendary city of Memphis, founded almost 5,000 years ago by the Pharaoh Menes who united Upper and Lower Egypt. Memphis became the capital of the Old Kingdom and the heart of Egypt’s busy import-export activity, with traders from around the ancient world giving it a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Located approximately 20 kilometres south of modern Cairo, today it’s a palm-dotted spot that’s home to a massive statue of Ramesses II.
Continue to the necropolis of Saqqara, where the very first pyramids were built as tombs for kings. Instead of the smooth sides featured on other pyramids, these stepped pyramids represent the pharaoh’s stepladder to heaven. Discover the famous Step Pyramid of King Djoser, the oldest known pyramid in Egypt and the world’s first freestanding stone structure. With both Anthony Burke and your expert Egyptologist guide at hand, you’ll be perfectly placed to experience what makes Memphis and Saqqara so extraordinary.
After lunch at the nearby Pharana Restaurant, continue on to Cairo’s National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. This landmark institution covers great swathes of the nation’s history from prehistoric times to the present day. The museum’s crown jewel is the fascinating Royal Mummies’ Hall, which displays embalmed pharaohs from Egypt’s distant past. Designed to give visitors the feeling of strolling through the Valley of the Kings, it’s an incredible introduction to many of ancient Egypt’s biggest names.
Return to the luxurious Fairmont for an evening spent at your leisure.
Explore ancient Memphis & Saqqara with Anthony Burke
After breakfast, it’s time to explore one of the world’s most exciting new museums: the magnificent Grand Egyptian Museum.
Signature Highlight: The Grand Egyptian Museum with Anthony Burke
The largest museum dedicated to a single civilisation, the Grand Egyptian Museum is twice the size of the Louvre and home to a truly breathtaking number of artifacts, including the contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb (the first time they’ve returned under one roof in more than a century) and the second solar ship of Khufu, builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Ascend the museum’s Grand Staircase and you’ll pass by millennia of history immortalised in granite, sandstone and alabaster; reach the top and you’ll be met with triumphant views over the Pyramids of Giza, located only two kilometres away. This newly opened space acts as an open-air gallery with more than 60 towering, historically significant artifacts from the museum’s collection.
Joined by your Egyptologist guide and Anthony Burke, enjoy a guided tour through the museum’s collection of artifacts, including the fascinating collection of King Tutankhamun’s treasures.
After your tour, you’ll be transferred to the massive Giza Archaeological Park for a very special lunch of traditional Egyptian cuisine at Khufu’s restaurant, with views overlooking the spectacular Pyramids of Giza.
Signature Highlight: Explore the Pyramids of Giza with Anthony Burke
With Anthony Burke and your expert Egyptologist guide, spend the afternoon exploring Giza, one of the most spectacular ancient sites in the world.
The Pyramids of Giza are the only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built more than 4,500 years ago as giant tombs for pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. Truly monumental in scale, the largest of these ancient structures is estimated to have taken more than two million blocks to complete.
Nearby rests the enigmatic Sphinx, the watchful guardian of the colossal funerary monuments. Covered by the desert sands, about a thousand years after its construction, a young prince had a dream in which the Sphinx promised him the title of Pharaoh if he cleared the sand away.
As the sun falls across the Sahara, return to the Fairmont for an evening at your leisure.
Please note: Entry to the Pyramids of Giza is not included.
Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum with Anthony Burke
Explore the Pyramids of Giza with Anthony Burke
Fuel up with breakfast at your hotel before stepping into the layers of Cairo’s storied past. Begin with a visit to the imposing Citadel of Saladin, a medieval-era hilltop fortress originally built by Saladin to repel invaders during the time of the Crusades. Over the proceeding centuries it’s had sultans, kings, caliphs and presidents make their mark on the massive fortress – most notably the iconic Mosque of Muhammad Ali, famed for its dazzling Ottoman and European-influenced style. The massive amounts of alabaster used in its construction – a symbol of Egypt’s prosperity since pharaonic times – have given it the title the Alabaster Mosque. On the removal of your footwear, you’ll be able to explore this incredible sight. Don’t forget to look up – this mosque has some of the most spectacular ceilings in the entire city.
Signature Highlight: Explore Islamic Cairo with Anthony Burke
Continue to Islamic Cairo, where centuries-old minarets pierce the skyline, Roman aqueducts frame the horizon and every laneway is steeped in history. Wander through the Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan, a masterpiece of Mamluk-era architecture, then visit the neighbouring Al-Rifa’i Mosque – the final resting place of Egyptian royals and Iran’s last Shah. Islamic Cairo is rich with architectural wonders, and Anthony Burke and your expert Egyptologist guide make perfect companions on this fascinating stretch of the city.
Pause the history walk for a well-earned lunch at SKY RIM Restaurant, perched on the edge of Mokattam Hills. With floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views over Cairo’s sprawl, it’s the ideal spot to relax and reflect over a flavour-packed Egyptian feast.
This afternoon, you’ll also make your way to Coptic Cairo for a visit to the famed Hanging Church of al-Muallaqa, originally built in the 3rd century and built directly above a gatehouse of the Roman-era Babylon Fortress, built at the historic boundary of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Later, transfer back to the Fairmont Nile City and enjoy dinner at your leisure.
Explore Islamic Cairo with Anthony Burke
Early in the morning, transfer to Cairo International Airport (CAI) for your included flight to Luxor International Airport (LXR) and be transferred to your luxury vessel for your four-night River Nile cruise onboard the newly renovated Mövenpick MS Hamees.
Signature Highlight: Explore the Karnak Temple with Anthony Burke
En route, visit the majestic Karnak Temple on the East Bank, a vast complex of towering pylons, colossal columns and sacred sanctuaries that reveal over 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian religious devotion. Sprawling over two square kilometres on the east bank of the Nile, Karnak Temple was ancient Egypt’s spiritual heart, dedicated to the solar god Amun-Ra. Walk through the extraordinary Great Hypostyle Hall, a forest of 134 massive columns – carved to resemble lotus stems – many which retain their original colouring. Marvel at the towering obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, explore shadowed courts and wander around the site’s original sacred lake. Anthony Burke and your Egyptologist guide will be on hand to answer questions and provide insight into this extraordinary place.
After your tour of Karnak Temple, continue to your vessel and check-in to your comfortably furnished room onboard the Mövenpick MS Hamees.
Signature Accommodation: Mövenpick MS Hamees
Follow in the footsteps of the pharaohs aboard the five-star Mövenpick MS Hamees, featuring a compelling traditional riverboat-inspired design and modern Swiss hospitality. Elegant interiors, spacious (and air conditioned) cabins, serene surroundings and lavish buffet meals make this luxury cruise along the Nile an incredible experience.
Signature Highlight: Explore Luxor Temple with Anthony Burke
After lunch onboard, set out to explore the majestic Temple of Luxor, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed ancient sanctuary. Linked to Karnak Temple by the recently restored Avenue of the Sphinxes – once the site of the lavish Opet festival, designed to renew the vigour of the pharaoh – it’s an incredible sight in its own right, flanked by massive statues of Rameses II and often called the world’s greatest open-air museum. Anthony Burke and your Egyptologist guide will be on hand to explain the finer points of difference between the two temples.
Return to the MS Hamees and enjoy the evening at your leisure. Be sure to check the ship’s events program – lectures and entertainment begin on the day of arrival.
Travel time: Flight – approx. one hour
Explore Luxor Temple with Anthony Burke
Enjoy an early breakfast onboard your Nile cruise before crossing to Luxor’s fabled West Bank. Begin your morning exploring the Valley of the Kings, the royal burial ground of Egypt’s New Kingdom pharaohs. Step inside King Tutankhamun’s tomb, whose modest resting place held treasures that captivated the world – treasures that you’ve already had the chance to marvel at during your visit to Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum.
Signature Highlight: Queen Hatshepsut Temple & Colossi of Memnon with Anthony Burke
Continue to the grand mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut – an architectural marvel nestled beneath limestone cliffs, rescued and reassembled during the 1960s by Polish archaeologists – then pause for photos at the towering Colossi of Memnon, the silent guardians of the Theban Necropolis. Learn about the difficulties – and triumphs – of each with Anthony Burke and your Egyptologist guide by your side.
Return to the cruise by early afternoon for lunch as you begin sailing onward. The rest of the day is yours to relax and take in life on the Nile. The Nile cruise is a tradition that’s been revered in Egypt ever since the first pharaohs drifted towards eternity. Unwind on the MS Hamees’s spacious sundeck, drink in hand, as you glide towards Aswan – moving past palm-lined riverbanks, traditional feluccas and the odd riverside temple.
Please note: This cruise is not all inclusive, so all meals will be provided but any drinks much be purchased at own expense.
Queen Hatshepsut Temple & Colossi of Memnon with Anthony Burke
Begin your day with breakfast as the sun rises over the river. Then, travel to the Temple of Horus in Edfu – one of Egypt’s best-preserved temples and the place where the ancients claimed Horus defeated the wicked Seth in combat. It was this sacred drama that was displayed to pharaohs before their initiation and coronation. Marvel at its towering columns and intricate reliefs before returning to the cruise for a leisurely lunch as you sail down the River Nile.
Signature Highlight: Explore Kom Ombo with Anthony Burke
By late afternoon, dock at Kom Ombo, home to a unique double temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and falcon-headed Horus. Walk alongside your guide through its twin sanctuaries and learn about the ancient medical tools carved into its stone before visiting the fascinating Crocodile Museum, home to dozens of remarkable crocodile mummies once considered sacred to Sobek and a harbinger of a healthy river flood. The temple’s mirrored architecture makes it a unique case of ancient Egyptian architecture, and you’ll be joined by Anthony Burke and your expert Egyptologist guide in your explorations.
Back onboard, set sail towards Aswan, watching the riverbank scenes drift by as you settle in for the night.
Explore Kom Ombo with Anthony Burke
Today, set off to visit the monumental High Dam – an epic feat of modern engineering, built in collaboration with the Soviet Union, that gave Egypt control over its own flood cycles, created an abundance of electricity and formed the massive Lake Nasser.
Signature Highlight: Admire the Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple with Anthony Burke
Continue to the ancient Unfinished Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, lying in situ in a granite quarry, offering insight into the techniques of ancient stonemasons. The pink granite here was revered across Egypt – shipped throughout Upper and Lower Egypt, it can be found as far as the King’s Chamber within the Great Pyramid of Giza – and the site contains fascinating remains of the workers who called it home. Joined by Anthony Burke and your expert Egyptologist guide, enjoy a fascinating glimpse into love and labour in ancient Egypt.
Next, board a private motorboat and glide across the water to the enchanting island of Philae. Explore the beautifully restored Temple of Isis, relocated stone by stone to save it from rising waters. With its iconic ‘windows of farewell’ – designed, according to ancient tradition, to allow Isis to say one final farewell to her husband Osiris as he descended to the underworld – it’s easily one of Egypt’s most spectacular sites.
Return to the cruise for lunch and a relaxed afternoon. Later, set sail aboard a traditional felucca, drifting peacefully around Aswan’s islands before returning to your floating hotel for your final overnight on the Nile.
Admire the Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple with Anthony Burke
Rise early and bid farewell to your ship as you transfer to Aswan International Airport (ASW) and board your short flight south to Abu Simbel.
Signature Highlight: Explore Abu Simel with Anthony Burke
On arrival, meet Anthony Burke and your local Egyptologist guide at one of Egypt’s most extraordinarily temples, set dramatically against the waters of mighty Lake Nasser.
Rising dramatically from the sands of southern Egypt, Abu Simbel is one of the ancient world’s most awe-inspiring feats – a monumental testament to the power and ambition of Ramesses II, one of ancient Egypt’s mightiest pharaohs. Carved directly into a mountainside more than 3,000 years ago, the twin temples are guarded by colossal statues that gaze eternally toward the Nile, their scale and precision still astonishing today. Inside, intricately carved reliefs tell stories of gods, battles and divine kingship, while twice a year the sun aligns perfectly to illuminate the inner sanctuary — a masterpiece of ancient engineering, remarkably preserved (to within an hour of accuracy) when the site was moved in the 1960s. Just beside it lies the smaller, but no less striking, Temple of Nefertari – built in honour of the pharaoh’s beloved queen. Remote, majestic and unforgettable, the two temples are the ultimate capstone to your adventures through Egypt’s history.
By mid-morning, return to the airport for your flight back to Aswan International Airport (ASW), then transfer to your hotel for check-in. Your accommodation tonight is the iconic Mövenpick Resort Aswan, built theatrically on the northernmost tip of Elephantine Island and approachable only by ferry. Once the hideout of ivory traders, merchants and stonemasons, Elephantine Island is now home to your idyllic stay, themed after the Nubian Egyptians who call the desert sands home.
The rest of the day is yours: perhaps opt for a relaxed afternoon by the hotel pool.
Travel time: Flight 1 – approx. 45 minutes / Flight 2 – approx. 45 minutes
Explore Abu Simbel with Anthony Burke
Start your day with a relaxed breakfast at the hotel before enjoying a morning at your leisure – perhaps unwind by the pool, sip coffee with Nile views or take a final stroll through Aswan’s colourful streets.
In the early afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight back to Cairo. Upon arrival, you’ll be met and escorted to your hotel in the city, where the evening is yours to settle in and refresh.
Signature Highlight: Farewell Dinner at Four Seasons’ Aura Restaurant
Tonight, join Anthony Burke and your fellow travellers for a farewell dinner at Four Seasons’ Aura Restaurant and toast to your once-in-a-lifetime tour. Set within the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza, Aura offers an elegant, contemporary setting overlooking the Nile. Refined Lebanese and Egyptian cuisine is complemented by impeccable service and a warm, celebratory atmosphere; it’s a fitting finale to an extraordinary journey in Egypt.
Travel time: Flight – approx. 75 minutes
Farewell dinner at Four Seasons’ Aura Restaurant
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before checkout. Wave goodbye to your spectacular Egyptian adventure as you’re transferred to Cairo International Airport (CAI) for your onward journey.