Egypt Nile Cruise

After an indulgent breakfast, your exclusive, guided private excursion to the unique pyramids of Giza awaits you. Look forward to experiencing the last wonders of the ancient world up close. These impressive structures have stood on a rocky plateau on the edge of the desert, not far from the outskirts of the Arabian metropolis, for 6,000 years. Even today, the gigantic architectural masterpieces still harbour countless exciting secrets. The Great Sphinx of Giza, a huge stone figure with the body of a lion and a human head, watches over everything. This monumental statue impassively overlooks the hustle and bustle.
After lunch at Restaurant 139, you will travel to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the largest of its kind in the world. Here you will see numerous sarcophagi, mummies and precious treasures from the pharaonic era as well as the impressive finds from the burial chamber of Tutankhamun with the famous death mask made of pure gold. Go on an exciting journey back in time and feel the indescribable excitement that Egyptologist Howard Carter must have felt when he discovered the burial chamber in 1922.
Another special experience awaits you today: discover the essence of ancient Egypt in one place: In the Grand Egyptian Museum (Grand Egyptian Museum or GEM for short, opening planned for autumn 2020, otherwise visit the Egyptian Museum). Guided tour of the museum. Under the guidance of a museum expert, you will also be able to take a look behind the scenes of the museum and gain insights behind doors that remain closed to most people.
You will be amazed at the rich cultural treasure this museum has to offer. The Grand Egyptian Museum condenses for Egypt and the world a chronological statement of Egypt's ancient history over the last 7,000 years. The new museum is a tribute to eternal ancient Egyptian monuments, treasures and history, housing over 100,000 artefacts, some 3,500 of which belong to the era of the famous King Tutankhamun. The entire museum complex covers an incredible 480,000 square metres.
The location itself is ideal: The GEM is just 2 kilometres from the Giza Pyramid Plateau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nestled between the ancient pyramids and the modern city of Cairo, at the interface between arid desert and fertile floodplain landscape, the Grand Museum is above all a portal to the past. With its fascinating opportunities to offer you an interactive experience of that time, it builds a bridge between the past and the future.

Enjoy your sumptuous gourmet breakfast. Transfer to the airport. Afterwards, a one-hour flight will take you from Cairo to Luxor, where the small luxury ship in chic boutique style is already waiting for you.
The temple district on the eastern bank of the Nile is a must for every visitor to Egypt. First explore the exciting Luxor Temple in the company of your tour guide and then make your way along the avenue flanked by mighty ram sphinxes to the huge complex of the Karnak Temple. The religious heart of the pharaonic empire beat here for centuries. The area is full of superlatives: among the ten pylons of the Temple of Amun-Re, the largest is an incredible 113 metres wide, 15 metres thick and has a planned height of around 45 metres. Be sure to take a look at the gigantic columned hall and the huge obelisk.
Deeply impressed by the enormous dimensions of the pharaonic architecture and with many unforgettable impressions, you now board the Sanctuary Nile Adventurer or Sanctuary Sun Boat IV. One of the small and luxurious 5-star de luxe riverboats with its familiar atmosphere will be your comfortable home for the next few days - during your unforgettable cruise on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.
After a first delicious lunch on board and a short crossing to the west bank of the Nile, you will reach Thebes West. There you will visit the famous Valley of the Kings with its numerous tombs, including that of Tutankhamun. On the way back to the ship, you will pass the impressive twin statue of the Colossi of Memnon and one of the most important and unique creations of Egyptian temple architecture: the huge terraced complex of the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Hatshepsut from the 18th dynasty.
In the evening, you will be welcomed by your captain and tour guide at a cocktail reception, which will introduce your cruise programme for the coming days. Savour Egyptian wines and a cold beer with a selection of freshly prepared canapés, followed by a gourmet dinner. This will be followed by a variety of traditional performances and a dervish whirling show.

4 nights on board the Sanctury Nile Adventurer, Promenade Deck Cabin incl. full board – Details about the hotel

After breakfast on board, start the day with a visit to the temple of Karnak. Karnak is not just a temple. Karnak was the religious centre of Egypt in the 2nd and 1st millennium BC. Connected to the temple in Luxor and the mortuary temples in West Thebes via processional routes, Karnak was part of a huge, oversized cult network.
Lunch will be served in the lounge while you sail to Esna. After lunch, your Egyptologist will guide you through the Greco-Roman Khnum Temple in Esna. The beautifully preserved Great Hypostyle Hall was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius; it was excavated from the mud accumulated by centuries of annual Nile floods and lies about nine metres lower than today's street level.
Afternoon tea is served on the journey to Edfu. During the journey, you will have time to relax on the deck of the Nile Adventurer or Sun Boat IV and watch the hustle and bustle in the settlements on the banks of the Nile. Marvel at the green, fertile landscape of the Nile Valley with its subtropical vegetation, which is in stark contrast to the immediately adjacent desert.
In the evening, enjoy a gourmet dinner on board as your luxurious ship glides along the Nile.

You will first reach Edfu on your comfortable luxury boat. On the western outskirts of the city, you will visit the Temple of Horus. This ancient Egyptian temple complex, which was dedicated to the local god Hor-Behdeti, is one of the best preserved in the country. Let yourself be overwhelmed by the mysterious atmosphere of this building.
On the onward journey, you can learn how to prepare typical local culinary delicacies in a cookery course on board. Dishes such as falafel, the tasty tomato, egg and onion mixture shakshuka and the aubergine and potato casserole musaqqaʿa reflect the diverse Mediterranean and Arabic influences on Egyptian cuisine.
In the afternoon you reach Kom Ombo, about 150 kilometres south of Luxor. The double temple, which was buried under sand for a long time, rises impressively directly on the banks of the Nile. It was only uncovered and restored by archaeologists at the end of the 19th century. The double temple of Kom Ombo dates back to the time of Ptolemaic rule. What makes it special: It was simultaneously dedicated to the crocodile-headed god of water, fertility and creation, Sobek, and the god of light, heaven and war, Haroeris.

After your arrival in Aswan, you will visit the Philae Temple. It was relocated to the island of Agilkia when the Nile was flooded due to the construction of the Nasser Dam. Admire the "unfinished obelisk" made of rose granite in an ancient Egyptian quarry. With a planned height of almost 42 metres, it would have been the largest obelisk of antiquity once completed. A typical local boating experience with a special charm awaits you when you sail around the Nile island of Elephantine in the afternoon on a felucca, a small two-masted sailing boat. On this occasion, you will have a wonderful view of the monumental staircase, an ancient Egyptian water level measuring station: like many others of its kind, the Nilometer of Elephantine was used to predict the flooding of the Nile; in Greco-Roman times, the site was also an important meeting point for the annual processions.
Afternoon tea is served on board and your farewell dinner is a gala dinner. You spend the evening savouring culinary delights on your elegant cruise ship and can relax and reflect on the day and all its impressions. If you wish, you can also enjoy the company of the other Nile cruisers on or below deck.
Egyptian entertainment with folklore follows at the end.

After a last restful night on the Sanctuary Nile Adventurer or Sanctuary Sunboat IV and a hearty breakfast on board, you leave the ship. After a short 40-minute flight to Abu Simbel, you board an aeroplane to marvel at the colossal rock temples from the reign of Ramses II. With incredible logistical effort, they were relocated to higher ground in the 1960s thanks to a brilliant feat of engineering and thus saved from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. The two temples of Ramses II in Abu Simbel are each lined with colossal statues up to 20 metres high and are known as the most impressive monuments of ancient Egypt.
After your flight back to Aswan, you will be transferred to the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel. On your return to Aswan, you can spend the afternoon relaxing on the banks of the Nile in your luxury hotel. To this day, the legendary hotel sits majestically on the rose-coloured granite rock high above the Nile with a dream view of the Nile and the island of Elephantine opposite.
With its gentle hospitality, Aswan is a place where you can simply relax and enjoy an atmosphere that is as African as it is Middle Eastern. The Nile is at its best here, flowing around huge granite boulders and palm-covered islands. Take a walk along the riverbank and watch sailing boats gliding across the Nile. Go to the souq in town to buy spices, scarves and basketry or watch the marvellous sunset over tea on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel. The name Aswan comes from the Nubian expression assy wangibu ("too much water"), and this is the place to learn about Nubian culture, as many Nubians were resettled here after their land was flooded during the construction of the High Dam.

1 overnight stay at the 5★ Hotel Sofitel Legend Old Cataract
Luxury Nile Wing Room, breakfast incl. breakfast – Details about the hotel

Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel. Check-out in the late morning and further sightseeing in Aswan. In the late afternoon, domestic flight to Cairo, where your Lufthansa return flight to Germany departs around midnight. Arrival in the morning of the 9th day of your journey.

Arrival in Frankfurt in the morning.