- Cairo’s intriguing ancient sites, including the Great Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis, Sakkara
- Old Cairo touring
- Renowned Egyptian Museum
- Abu Simbel’s dramatic temples
- Sound & Light show at Abu Simbel
- Lake Nasser cruise through ancient Nubian homeland
- Aswan’s temples at Kalabsha
- Nile felucca sail
- Nile River cruise
- Aswan Dam visit
- Ancient temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor
- Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens
- Egypt’s inestimable historic atmosphere
Accompanied by an expert Egyptian guide, this singular small group journey through antiquity travels from vibrant Cairo and the Great Pyramids to Abu Simbel and the Upper Nile for a fascinating cruise on Lake Nasser. Then: a classic voyage along the lower Nile from Aswan to Luxor before returning to Cairo.
- Cairo
- Luxor Temple
- Memphis
- Pyramid of Giza
- Temple of Karnak
- Valley of the Kings
- Valley of the Queens
- Airfare included
- Nile River
- M/S Royal Lily
9 Odysseys Unlimited Travel Reviews & Ratings
100% Recommend
No reviews yet for this trip. Browse other reviews below for Odysseys Unlimited.
H
Halina
Very pleased with Odyssey's trips. January 2017
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
Operator Odysseys Unlimited
R
Robin
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! January 2017
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
Every detail was handled with grace and proficiency. (Any aspect of travel that is potentially anxiety-provoking was handled by Anna, allowing the travelers to relax and fully immerse themselves in the experience.)
Fantastic guided tours, amazing informal walks and additional guidance for maximizing free time. The accommodations were wonderful and the company, A+
Operator Odysseys Unlimited
AG
Ashley G
Enjoying a great tour in Italy! January 2017
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
Operator Odysseys Unlimited
BA
Beth Adams
Odysseys Unlimited is wonderful. January 2017
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
Operator Odysseys Unlimited
AG
Alice G
Fantastic vacation! August 2015
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
Operator Odysseys Unlimited
Day 1
Depart U.S. for Cairo, Egypt
Day 2
Arrive Cairo We arrive in the Egyptian capital and transfer to our hotel. As guests’ arrival times may vary greatly, we have no group activities or meals planned.
Day 3
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Cairo After a morning briefing, our full-day tour begins at the acclaimed Egyptian Museum, the world’s greatest repository of ancient relics. Then we tour the Citadel of Saladin housing the alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali; later this afternoon we navigate bustling Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Tonight we enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 4
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Cairo Today’s tour starts at the open-air museum at Memphis, Egypt’s first capital (early 4th century BCE). Here, too, we encounter the enigmatic Sphinx, whose leonine body and human face were carved from a single piece of limestone. We continue on to the necropolis at Sakkara then to the astounding Pyramids of Giza, the wonders of antiquity that have drawn visitors for millennia.
Day 5
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Cairo/Aswan/Embark Lake Nasser Cruise Early this morning we fly to Aswan. Upon arrival we tour the Aswan High Dam, considered a marvel of engineering when completed in 1965. Then we visit the Nubia Museum, an acclaimed showcase of Nubian art and architecture with more than 3,000 ancient relics and 90 monumental pieces. From here we board our Lake Nasser ship in time for lunch then explore the ruins of the acclaimed Temple of Philae. Tonight we dine on board as we overnight in Aswan.
Day 6
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Lake Nasser Cruising – Kalabsha Temples/ Wadi el-Seboua Today we see some sights of ancient Nubia, Egypt’s neighbor in antiquity but with a distinct culture and traditions. We stop first at “new” Kalabsha, the largest freestanding temple of them all that was moved and reconstructed on higher ground after the construction of the Aswan High Dam (and the subsequent flooding that created Lake Nasser). Then we sail on to Wadi el-Seboua, where we dock for the night.
Day 7
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Lake Nasser Cruising – Wadi el-Seboua This morning we see two important New Kingdom temples that, like Kalabsha, were dismantled and relocated to make way for Lake Nasser. We explore Wadi el-Seboua, the next largest of all the pharaonic temples after Abu Simbel, and see the Temple of Dakka, with its huge, well-preserved pylon. Returning to M/S Prince Abbas, we sail on to Amada, where we encounter the oldest of Nubia’s Egyptian temples, the 18th-dynasty Temple of Amada.
Day 8
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Lake Nasser Cruising – Amada/Kasr Ibrim/ Abu Simbel We sail this morning to Kasr Ibrim, the last remaining Nubian settlement in its original location. As it is forbidden to go ashore here, we learn about this ancient site while overlooking it from the ship’s sun deck. Then we continue on to Abu Simbel’s massive complex of temples guarded by statues of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari, with well-preserved murals inside. Like the other temples, Abu Simbel also was dismantled and moved to higher ground, stone by ancient stone.
Day 9
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Disembark/Abu Simbel/Aswan/Embark Nile Cruise Ship We disembark then travel by coach to Aswan, where we board our Nile ship. This afternoon we take an afternoon sail aboard small feluccas, replicas of ancient Nile sailboats.
Day 10
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Nile Cruising – Aswan/Kom Ombo/Edfu We cruise today to the site of the ancient trading town at Kom Ombo, with its unusual double temple and outstanding Nile views. We sail on to Edfu, where tonight we attend a shipboard party wearing the traditional Egytian galabeya.
Day 11
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Nile Cruising – Edfu/Luxor/East Bank This morning we visit Edfu’s Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best-preserved ancient temple. Then we cruise to Luxor, the world’s “greatest open-air museum,” whose vast temple complexes, tombs, and statues dating from 2755 BCE represent the pinnacle of Egyptian architecture. Today we explore the East Bank, home of Karnak, the greatest temple complex of them all, whose ruins stretch for more than a mile. We also visit Luxor Temple, whose builders included both Tutankhamun and Alexander the Great. Back on board, tonight we enjoy a show of Middle Eastern belly dancing.
Day 12
Meals: Breakfast
Disembark/Luxor/West Bank We have the option to rise very early to see the West Bank from above on an optional hot air balloon ride. After we disembark our ship later this morning, we tour the haunting Valley of the Kings, where 34 royal tombs feature magnificent paintings; and the Valley of the Queens, whose dramatic Temple of Hatshepsut honors one of the few female pharaohs. We also see the massive Colossi of Memnon, two 64-foot high statues of Amenhotep III that once guarded the gates of his own tomb. Then we check in at our hotel where this afternoon is at leisure.
Day 13
Meals: Breakfast
Luxor/Cairo We fly to Cairo. After checking in at our hotel, we visit the lively Kahn el-Khalili bazaar.
Day 14
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Cairo This morning we encounter Old Cairo, the district where early capital cities once stood and now only remnants remain. We visit 5th-century St. Sergius Church, the Coptic church of el-Mauallaqa, and Ben Ezra Synagogue, built in 882. Mid-day we return to our hotel where tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner.
Day 15
Depart for U.S. Early this morning we transfer to the airport for our return flight to the U.S.
- Deposit Price: $ 375
- Single Supplement (Single Occupancy): $ 995
- $3,395 air, land & cruise inclusive plus $602 airline taxes and fees
- Prices are per person based on double occupancy in an outside cabin on both cruises and include airline taxes, surcharges, and fees of $602, which are subject to change until final payment is made.
- Single travelers please add $995. Your $375 deposit is fully refundable up to 95 days before departure.
- Airline upgrades on round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight: Business Class – $3,195 per person; Premium Economy – $1,195 per person
M/S Royal Lily
Length: 244 feet
Width: 46 feet
Launched in 2007, this 56-cabin river ship offers such amenities as a dining room, bar, lounge, Sun Deck with outdoor pool, heated whirlpool, sauna, massage treatments, fitness center, Wi-Fi internet access (for a fee), and gift shop. Air-conditioned cabins have private bath with hair dryer, safe deposit box, mini-bar, TV, and phone.
- Round-trip air transportation from listed cities; all flights within Egypt
- 13 nights’ accommodations: 6 nights in Deluxe and Superior First Class hotels; 7 nights aboard Deluxe and Superior First Class ships
- 32 meals: 13 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 9 dinners
- Extensive sightseeing as described, including all entrance fees
- Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
- Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip, including shore excursions
- Luggage handling for one bag per person
- Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
- $100 frequent traveler credit towards your next Odysseys Unlimited tour ($200 after 3 tours; $300 after 10 tours)
Post-Tour Extension
Jordan: Petra & Amman
5 days/4 nights for $1,695 total price
Single Supplement: $395
Discover the fabled "rose-red city, half as old as time" on this exciting exploration. Plus: ancient Jerash and the capital of Amman.
Your Tour Price Includes
- Air transportation Cairo/Amman
- 4 nights’ accommodations: 2 nights in Petra at Movenpick Resort Petra (Superior First Class); 2 nights in Amman at Kempinski Hotel Amman (Superior First Class)
- 9 meals: 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
- Extensive included sightseeing
- Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Director
- Private motorcoach transportation
- Gratuities for dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers
13 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches and 9 Dinners
Fairmont Nile City , Cairo / Days 2-4, 13-14 / Deluxe
Set near the Nile River, this hotel is 2 miles from both Cairo Ramses train station and the Egyptian Museum. The hotel’s amenities includes eight restaurants and snack bars, a bar, fitness center, spa, and rooftop pool. The 548 air-conditioned guest rooms include a private bath with hair dryer, TV, phone, coffee and tea maker, and complimentary Wi-Fi internet access.
M/S Prince Abbas , Abu Simbel/Lake Nasser cruise / Days 5-7 / Superior First Class
Launched in 1998, the M/S Prince Abbas offers travelers a unique vantage point from which to experience treasures of antiquity in the comfort of contemporary amenities. With just 69 cabins, this 120-passenger ship offers a level of personal service well suited to small group travel. The ship features an observation room/library with panoramic windows, dining room, lounge, and bar, billiard room, and gym. There is no elevator on board. On the canopied sun deck, a plunge pool beckons, as does a relaxing Jacuzzi and informal bar. Your air-conditioned outside cabin has a private bath with hair dryer, TV, music channel, service telephone, and window. Please note that the ship docks at regular docking facilities in Abu Simbel and Aswan; at other stops you will take small launches or motorboats from the ship to shore.
Length: 280 feet
Width: 50 feet
Draft: 7 feet
Please also note that M/S Prince Abbas will not have phone reception on weekends from approximately 11:00 a.m. on Saturday to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Steigenberger Nile Palace , Luxor / Day 12 / Superior First Class
The Steigenberger Nile Palace sits on the banks of the Nile, in the heart of the city’s historic center and a short drive from the Temple of Luxor. The 285-room hotel features four restaurants and three bars; fitness center; spa with sauna, steam bath, and massage treatments; heated outdoor pool; rooftop tennis court; on-site doctor; internet access; bookstore; gift shops; hairdresser; and laundry and dry cleaning services. Air-conditioned guest rooms each have private bath with hair dryer, in-room safe, mini-bar, TV, and phone.
Cancellations and Refunds
You will receive a full refund for any cancellations made up to 95 days before departure (125 days for In the Wake of Lewis and Clark). If you must cancel your tour, the effective date of cancellation will be upon our receipt of your notification. Refunds for cancellations are subject to the following per person charges:
For all tours (except as noted)
Prior to departure |
Charge |
95 days or more |
Full refund |
94–65 days |
25% of tour price |
64–45 days |
50% of tour price |
44–30 days |
75% of tour price |
29–0 days |
No refund |
Please note: This trip involves considerable walking on uneven terrain and at sites of ancient ruins. You should be in good physical condition to enjoy the tour to its fullest.
Trip ID#: EgyEteOdy
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