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Secrets of Egypt & the Nile Itinerary
Day 1 - Luxor
After checking out of the hotel, take a morning flight south to Luxor—formerly known as Thebes, the capital city of the New Kingdom of Upper Egypt Luxor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to two astonishing temples—Karnak and Luxor First, explore the Temple of Karnak, the largest religious complex in Egypt and one of the largest in the world, covering about 200 acres in a vast network of columns, hieroglyphics, obelisks, sphinxes and colossi—even a lake The Hypostyle Hall is a great architectural marvel and filled with its roof blocks, supported by colossal 134 columns standing at 70 feet high, with 12 larger columns standing at 80 feet high lining the central aisle It is still the largest room of any religious building in the world Then be welcomed aboard the AmaDahlia to begin your Nile River Valley cruise Later this afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Luxor, constructed over hundreds of years by Amenhotep III, Ramses II, Tutankhamun and other pharaohs After your visit, continue to experience Egyptian magic with a traditional folkloric-style belly dance on board the AmaDahlia
Day 2 - Luxor
Begin the day with a visit to the Valley of Queens, home to the mummified remains of more than 30 queens and princesses, including Nefertari’s Tomb, where you’ll enjoy exclusive access Next, visit the tombs of ancient Egypt in the Valley of the Kings — one of the most famous archeological sites in the world The spectacular rock-cut tombs located on the west bank of Luxor include that of the enigmatic King Tutankhamun, whose mummified remains are still here on display Afterwards, go to Deir el-Bahri to see the Temple of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s most successful pharaohs and the country’s first female ruler Your day’s adventure concludes with an up-close view of the Colossi of Memnon — two gigantic statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III Once back on board the AmaDahlia, relax on the Upper Deck and take in the amazing scenery or join the AmaDahlia chef to an informal cooking class
Day 3 - Edfu
The city of Edfu is best known for one of Egypt’s most remarkably preserved temples, dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god Built in 230 BC, it is the second-largest temple in Egypt and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with walls that display compelling details about the religion and language of the country’s Greco-Roman period After visiting Edfu, relax on board and take in the Nile River’s timeless landscapes as the ship continues onward to Aswan
Day 4 - Aswan
Enjoy free time in Aswan or go on an optional excursion to Abu Simbel
Day 5 - Aswan
Board a motorboat and cruise to the UNESCO-designated Philae Temple complex, boasting some of the most stunningly restored and preserved hieroglyphs in Egypt It was constructed between 380 BC and 362 BC and dedicated to the goddess Isis, the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus Next head to a colorful Nubian village on Hisa Island Meet the warm and friendly Nubian people who will welcome you to their village During the afternoon, cruise to the Great Temple of Kom Ombo, where its soaring columns dramatically rise above the Nile River Unique in Egypt, this temple is dedicated to two gods — the crocodile god, Sobek, sitting on the right; and the falcon-headed Haroeris, “The Good Doctor” After visiting Kom Ombo, relax on board and take in the Nile River’s timeless landscapes as the ship continues onward to Luxor In the evening, join your crew outside in a celebration of local customs with the chance to don a Galabeya, traditional Egyptian attire, and toast to the rich culture and history of the Nile River Valley
Day 5 - Kom Ombo
Board a motorboat and cruise to the UNESCO-designated Philae Temple complex, boasting some of the most stunningly restored and preserved hieroglyphs in Egypt It was constructed between 380 BC and 362 BC and dedicated to the goddess Isis, the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus Next head to a colorful Nubian village on Hisa Island Meet the warm and friendly Nubian people who will welcome you to their village During the afternoon, cruise to the Great Temple of Kom Ombo, where its soaring columns dramatically rise above the Nile River Unique in Egypt, this temple is dedicated to two gods — the crocodile god, Sobek, sitting on the right; and the falcon-headed Haroeris, “The Good Doctor” After visiting Kom Ombo, relax on board and take in the Nile River’s timeless landscapes as the ship continues onward to Luxor In the evening, join your crew outside in a celebration of local customs with the chance to don a Galabeya, traditional Egyptian attire, and toast to the rich culture and history of the Nile River Valley
Day 6 - Luxor
Spend a morning of scenic cruising along the glistening Nile River Relax on the Sun Deck as you cruise from Esna back to Luxor First, explore the Temple of Karnak, the largest religious complex in Egypt and one of the largest in the world, covering about 200 acres in a vast network of columns, hieroglyphics, obelisks, sphinxes and colossi — even a lake is on the grounds The Hypostyle Hall is a great architectural marvel and filled with its roof blocks, supported by colossal 134 columns standing at 70 feet high, with 12 larger columns standing at 80 feet high lining the central aisle This hall is still the largest room of any religious building in the world After visiting the temple, journey to a museum and discover the art of papyrus making Learn how the ancient Egyptians used this special plant that flourished in the Egyptian Delta and Nile River Valley Made from the aquatic papyrus plant, also known as paper plant, this unique writing material served many purposes in ancient times from sails, cloth, food and especially paper for important documents and texts Afterwards, you will visit the Temple of Luxor, constructed over hundreds of years by Amenhotep III, Ramses II, Tutankhamun and other pharaohs You then have the option of heading back to the ship to relax or visiting the colorful Luxor Market, where you can find eye-catching piles of spices, jewelry and clothing as well as irresistible smells of incense and perfumes
Day 7 - Qena
Set sail to Qena to explore its ancient Egyptian heritage You’ll go to Dendara to visit the best-preserved temple in Egypt, the Temple of Hathor the Goddess of Love, to whom the powers of joy, feminine love and motherhood were attributed The temple was built by Ptolemy and a group of Romans who worshipped her; so don’t miss the back of the temple where there is a relief depicting Cleopatra with Caesarion, her son by Julius Caesar, the Roman Emperor who brought us the months of July and August Following your visit here, sail back to Luxor
Day 8 - Luxor
Disembark the ship in Luxor and fly back to Cairo where you will be taken to the Abdeen Presidential Palace, considered one of the most luxurious palaces in the world The palace consists of multiple museums, including the Silver Museum; the Arms Museum; the Royal Family Museum; a Presidential Gifts Museum and a Historical Documents Museum, which is a relatively new addition It is also one of the official residences and places of work for the President of Egypt Afterwards, be treated to a very special lunch at the palace Finally, you’ll explore the old part of the city, which includes Coptic Cairo, where the Hanging Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue are located