Take a step back in time to a period when Pharaohs ruled over a magical empire and see the mighty monuments of this ancient civilisation. Your ship, the Movenpick Darakum, has a low draft in order to navigate the full length of the Nile - a truly unique experience.
Explore the priceless treasures at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo then visit the iconic symbols of this ancient world on the edge of the city at Giza. Here, the legendary Great Pyramids and the Sphinx have towered over the city for thousands of years, whilst at Saqqara the Step Pyramid of Djoser is believed to be the oldest stone building in the world.
Enjoy two days sailing on the world’s longest river, relaxing on deck on a Balinese-style day bed or stretched out on a comfortable sun lounger. Visit the tombs of Beni Hassan, the impressive temple at Abydos and the beautiful Temple of Hathor at Dendera.
RT423 Operated by Riviera Travel
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Wonders of the Nile Itinerary
Day 1 - UK - Cairo (Egypt)
Fly from London Heathrow to Cairo and embark your ship Movenpick Darakum.
Day 2 - Cairo
Learn more about Cairo's Christian history and Coptic heritage with a visit to the 9th-century Hanging Church followed by a trip to the Coptic Museum and the Ben Ezra synagogue. After lunch on board the ship explore the priceless treasures from Tutankhamen's tomb in the Egyptian Museum and perhaps see his gold funerary mask, the centrepiece of the collection.
Day 3 - Cairo
Drive to the Giza plateau to see the gigantic Great Pyramids and the legendary Sphinx up close. Continue south to Saqqara, an ancient necropolis that is home to the Step Pyramid, the oldest stone structure in the world, and see the famous Bent Pyramid in the distance.
Days 4 - 5 - Cruising the River Nile
Enjoy the ship's facilities on two relaxing days sailing the River Nile, and perhaps join a fascinating lecture on modern and ancient Egypt.
Day 6 - Tuna El Gebel - Beni Hassan
Visit the necropolis of Hermopolis at Tuna El Gebel and explore the catacombs that once housed thousands of mummified ibis and baboons, animals that were sacred to the god Thoth. After lunch on board visit the less well-known royal tombs at Beni Hassan to see the wall paintings that depict daily life in ancient Egypt.
Day 7 - Amarna
Pharaoh Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti abandoned the old gods to worship the sun god Aten. They built a new capital, now known as Amarna, which was abandoned after his death when his son, Tutankhamen, moved the capital back to Thebes. See the ruined city and visit Akhenaten's tomb before continuing to cruise down the Nile, passing one of Egypt's most important Coptic monasteries on the way.
Day 8 - Cruising the River Nile
Enjoy the ship's facilities on a relaxing day sailing the River Nile.
Day 9 - Abydos
Visit one of Egypt's most imposing temples at Abydos, a sacred place to be buried, and see its Gallery of the Kings which lists the names of 76 kings of ancient Egypt.
Day 10 - Dendera
Dendera was an ancient healing centre where pilgrims came for miraculous cures, to bathe in the sacred waters and to commune with the gods in their dreams. The Temple of Hathor is one of the most complete in all of Egypt and is dedicated to Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love and healing.
Day 11 - Luxor - UK
Disembark Movenpick Darakum and transfer to the airport for the return flight to London Heathrow, via Cairo.
For navigational reasons the Captain of the ship reserves the right to modify the cruise itinerary.