Egypt with Nile Cruise

The adventure begins: we take off from Miami bound for fascinating Cairo. Prefer to leave from another city? Ask us for the fare. We recommend getting to the airport at least 4 hours before your flight so the trip starts stress-free.

The adventure begins as you head for fascinating Cairo. This is a land-only package: if you'd like us to handle your airfare too, ask us for the price with flights included. We recommend getting to the airport at least 4 hours before your flight so the trip starts stress-free.

We land in the connecting city and board our onward flight to Cairo. Get some rest: the days ahead are packed with history.

Welcome to Cairo! When you arrive in this mysterious city on the banks of the Nile, a representative meets you and takes you to your hotel. Even with the city asleep, you can already feel the spirit of Egypt: the hush of the desert and the promise of a trip full of mystery and ancient history.

We fly from Cairo to Aswan (flight included) to visit the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis: it was built in the Greek era and moved to Egelikia Island to save it from the Nile's waters after the dam was built. Then we take a felucca ride around the islands of Aswan. We board the cruise ship, with lunch and dinner on board, and spend the night in Aswan.

A full-board day on the ship. We sail to Kom Ombo to visit the temple dedicated to the gods Sobek and Haroeris, known for its relief of medical instruments and the legend of the two brothers who share it. We continue sailing toward Edfu, and in the evening we see out the year with the New Year's Eve dinner included in the ship's restaurant.

Full board on the ship. We visit the Temple of Horus, the best preserved in Egypt, where ever-smaller rooms dim the light until you reach the dark sanctuary. We sail on to Luxor to explore the Temple of Karnak, the largest in the country, with its avenue of rams and its great hall of columns, and the Luxor Temple, dedicated to Amun-Ra, with its Avenue of Sphinxes, an obelisk more than 25 meters (82 ft) tall and the statues of Ramses II. Dinner on board and overnight in Luxor.

We disembark after breakfast to visit the Valley of the Kings, home to the tombs of the New Kingdom pharaohs from the days when Thebes was Egypt's capital, and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Next we stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two seated giants 17 meters (56 ft) tall. In the afternoon we fly from Luxor to Cairo, where we're met and taken to the hotel.

After breakfast, a panoramic tour of the three pyramids of Giza (Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure), the most important of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, along with the Great Sphinx and the Temple of Khafre. In the afternoon we head up to the Citadel of Saladin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, known as the Alabaster Mosque. We finish the day at the GEM, home to Tutankhamun's treasures, with lunch at a traditional restaurant before returning to the hotel.

At the scheduled time, transfer to the airport for your flight home. We return with suitcases full of memories from a New Year like no other.