Day 1: Cairo
Welcome to Egypt and the start of your holiday. Arrive Cairo, included transfer to hotel. Overnight - Cairo.

Day 2: Cairo - Aswan - breakfast
Visit to the famous pyramids and lion-headed Sphinx at Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu), the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. Continuing to Saqqara, we can explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s step pyramid - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 27 BC! We later enjoy a chance to relax, freshen up and have dinner. Overnight train to Aswan. Upgrade to sleeper train available. Overnight - train.

Day 3: Aswan - Abu Simbel - breakfast box
Arrive Aswan. Relax at the hotel, until our afternoon drive south to Abu Simbel, in readiness for tomorrow’s Sun Festival at the Sun Festival of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel. Dinner and overnight – Abu Simbel.

Day 4 SUN FESTIVAL, TEMPLE OF KING RAMSES II, ABU SIMBEL: Abu Simbel – Aswan – breakfast
Possibly the most awe-inspiring temple of all ancient Egypt, with its gargantuan rock-cut façade, the great Sun Temple of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel was created to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler King Ramses II. Ramses the Bold, Ramses the Great, Ramses the Narcissist are perhaps all apt titles for one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful rulers. Celebrating a life that spanned nearly a centenary, Ramses had plenty of time for his more than 200 wives and concubines who produced him some 96 sons and 60 daughters.

Built by Ramses II to demonstrate his political clout and divine backing to the ancient Nubians, Abu Simbel is an awesome self-tribute. Guarding the entrance to the temple (built between 1290 and 1224 BC) hewn into the side of a mountain are four famous colossal statues of the pharaoh himself, which sit majestically staring out across the desert, seemingly since time began. Over the centuries, the desert sands imperceptibly shifted until the temple was all but lost to humanity. It was rediscovered by chance in 1813 by a Swiss explorer called John Lewis Burkhardt. Only one of the heads of the pharaohs was showing and only a small part of the rest of the colossal temple peeked above the desert sands. It wasn’t until the British happened upon Abu Simbel and starting excavating, that the full glory of the temple of Abu Simbel was revealed to the modern world. The other rock cut temple at Abu Simbel is the Temple of Hathor, which is fronted by six massive standing statues. Four of them represent King Ramses II, whilst the other two are of his beloved wife, Queen Nefertari.

The temple was dedicated to the deified Pharaoh, King Ramses II, known also as the great builder and the gods Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ptah. In a fit of precision and architectural egotism, Ramses II had the entire temple carefully angled and oriented in order that the sun’s rays would align twice a year on his date of his ascension to the throne (21 February) and on his birthday (21 October) and illuminate the inner sanctum of the temple. This incredible natural phenomenon provides for a most spectacular sight, which has come to be referred to as the Sun Festival of King Ramses II. Crowds pack in to the temple before sunrise and watch the shafts of light slowly creeping through the rock hewn inner Hypostyle Hall (replete with further statues of the king) and through to the Sanctuary. Significantly, the sun illuminates statues of Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ramses the god, whilst the statute of Ptah - the god of darkness - remains in the shadows.

Famously, the temple was re-located in a multi-million dollar operation in 1972, further up from the shoreline of Lake Nasser, which had threatened to erode the foundations of this monolithic temple complex. For this reason, the sun now strikes a day later than Ramses had originally planned, though the event this morning itself is no less stunning. After the event, there will also be plenty of time to explore the Sun Temple of King Ramses II and also the Temple of Hathor and take plenty of pictures, we drive back to Aswan. Rest of day free to explore and relax in Aswan. Overnight - Awan

Day 5: Aswan - breakfast
Meeting up with other travelers coming in from Cairo on our regular King Tutankhamen and King Ramses tours, we enjoy a visit out of town to the mighty High Dam. A modern feat of engineering, the by–product is Lake Nasser, the world’s largest artificial lake! Continuing, we enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island for Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Later, free time to perhaps do some shopping in the colourful souks and markets or simply relax in this attractive town which straddles the River Nile. Overnight - Awsan.

Day 6: Nile Felucca Cruise – all meals
Free morning. This afternoon we board our Nile felucca for a 2 night voyage on the River Nile upstream. Overnight - felucca.

Day 7
Nile Felucca Cruise – all meals. Relax, go for a swim or just chill out in the sun on deck. Let your troubles melt away, as the felucca plies its route. A stop will be made at the Temple of Kom Ombo. Overnight - felucca.

Day 8: Nile Felucca Cruise - Kom Ombo - Edfu - Luxor – breakfast
Disembarking, we enjoy a visit to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, before driving north to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year old Luxor is ancient Egypt at it’s best. Enjoy some rest and relaxation. Tonight, an optional visit is available to the Temple of Luxor with a restaurant dinner afterwards. Transport is by traditional horse and carriage. The excursion is at nominal cost, payable locally. Rest of evening free. Overnight - Luxor.

Day 9: Luxor - Cairo - breakfast
An early start! There is the option to float over Luxor in a hot air balloon and see area wake up and come alive. The early start allows us to avoid some of the fierce heat, as we venture to the awesome Valley of the Kings (after the optional balloon ride). Highlights of our visit include the Colossi of Memnon, a massive pair of statues that stand silent against a backdrop of history, the legendary Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The Valley of the Kings is studded with often highly decorated tombs, constructed to once house the regal sarcophagi enclosed mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting their passage into the after-life. Later this afternoon after time to relax, we visit the Temple of Karnak, a spectacular temple on a gigantic scale dedicated to the Theban gods. Karnak is ancient Egypt at it’s very best. You’ll feel like an extra in a Hollywood epic, as you stroll around this place. Tonight, we return to Cairo by train. Overnight - Train.

Day 10: Cairo
Arrive Cairo and transfer to hotel. Afternoon guided visit to the Egyptian Museum. See the famous Tutankhamen Gallery and opt to see the Royal Mummies, if you dare. Remainder of the day free to relax, shop and explore Cairo. An optional Cairo city tour is also available locally. Overnight - Cairo.

Day 11: Cairo - breakfast
Hotel check–out and included onward transfer to airport.