Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Cairo, Egypt
Today when you arrive at Cairo International Airport you will be met and transferred by air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel for check-in and overnight.

You will be confirmed for two nights at the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel in a Standard Room.

Standing on the site of the historic Semiramis Hotel, Semiramis InterContinental Cairo is a symbol of modern style. Located in the heart of the city centre, facing the River Nile, the hotel is close to the Egyptian Museum, the Cairo Opera House and the Cairo Tower. The Citadel, Old Cairo, downtown shops and commercial centre are nearby. The Giza Pyramids and Cairo International Airport are just 25 km (16 miles) away.

Cairo, one of the world’s largest urban areas, is constantly full of life and movement with honking horns, children playing and merchants selling their wares. You will find everything in this modern and ancient city from the world’s greatest archeological sites to the grandest accommodations and restaurants.
Semiramis InterContinental Hotel- Standard Room

Day 2: Cairo
After breakfast depart for a full day excursion to Giza, Sakkara and Memphis.

Your Egyptologist will escort you on an unforgettable tour of the Great Pyramids of Giza. The only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, they are among the world’s greatest tourist attractions and never lose their ability to inspire and overwhelm visitors. Your tour today includes an opportunity to enter inside one of these fabulous monuments and explore the mysteries of its ancient past for yourself.

No trip to Egypt would be complete without a ride on a “ship of the desert” and so you will have an opportunity to mount your individual camel for a short ride across the sands of Giza to the Sphinx.

Enter the temple of the mysterious Sphinx, an ancient figure shrouded in legend and mystery. Your Egyptologist will enthrall you with the tales told of this fascinating figure.

Experience Egypt’s long and rich history in the exciting double tour to the city of Memphis and the necropolis of Sakkara. At vast Sakkara, you will see the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the first freestanding stone structure in the world. Your Egyptologist will guide you to some tombs belonging to the nobles of the past. They show the beauty and excellence of Ancient Egyptian art on their walls and give an insight in the daily life of Ancient Egypt.

At the site of Memphis, you will see the ancient capital that once stood as a flourishing metropolis during the time of the Pharaohs. Lush palm groves and bushes that isolate the site of the old city from modern civilization thickly surround the place.
Breakfast
Semiramis InterContinental Hotel- Standard Room

Day 3: Cairo- Luxor
After breakfast at your hotel in Cairo check out and you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Luxor.

Upon arrival in Luxor, transfer to your cruise boat, moored in private dock. The staff will assist you with check-in.

After lunch onboard, start your tour to the East Bank by visiting the Temple of Karnak, built more than a thousand years ago by generations of Pharaohs. The Great “Hypostyle Hall” is an incredible forest of giant pillars, covering an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame cathedral.

After that your Egyptologist will guide you on a tour of the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor, dedicated to the god Amun.

Return to your cruise boat for afternoon tea in the lounge.

Tonight, your Boat Manager, who will introduce you to the crew and review onboard facilities and your cruise program for the next few days, will greet you. Complimentary Egyptian wine and local beer will be served, along with freshly prepared canapés.

Then, enjoy a gourmet dinner followed by belly dancers and a whirling dervish show.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight on the Nile Adventurer in Luxor

Day 4: Luxor- Esna
Following breakfast onboard, visit the West Bank of Luxor and explore the Valley of the Kings, a vast City of the Dead where magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rocks, decorated richly, and filled with treasures for the afterlife by generations of Pharaohs.

You will also have the chance to visit at least one tomb in the Valley of the Queens. Rising out of the desert plain in a series of terraces, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Ancient Egypt’s only female Pharaoh) merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it, as if nature herself had built this extraordinary monument.

On the way back to the river Nile, your road passes by the famed Colossi of Memnon, known in Ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn. Lunch and afternoon tea will be served on board while you cruise to Esna.

Tonight’s dinner onboard will be an “Egyptian Night” costume party, with a chance to dress up in traditional Egyptian “galabeyya”. Dinner will be a lavish buffet of Egyptian specialties, followed by live music and dancing
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight on the Nile Adventurer in Esna

Day 5: Esna- Edfu- Kom Ombo
Enjoy the breakfast buffet on board this morning and then visit the Temple of Esna.

The Temple of Esna is located in the center of town and very close to the Nile River. This morning your Egyptologist will guide you round the Greco-Roman Temple that is dedicated to the ram headed God Khnum, the God of creation. The beautifully preserved Great Hypostyle Hall was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius; it was excavated from the silt that had accumulated through centuries of annual Nile floods and is about nine meters below present-day street level.

Have lunch on board, while you cruise to Edfu.

This afternoon, explore the largest and most completely preserved Pharaonic, albeit Greek-built, temple in Egypt, the extraordinary Temple of Horus at Edfu.

Later, an Egyptian cooking lesson will be presented onboard.

Afternoon tea will be served during the cruise to Kom Ombo, and a gourmet dinner onboard.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight on the Nile Adventurer in Kom Ombo

Day 6: Kom Ombo- Aswan
After breakfast buffet on board, visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile-god Sobek. The temple stands at a bend in the Nile where in ancient times sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank.

Lunch on board while you cruise to Aswan.

Take a short motorboat ride to visit the romantic and majestic Philae Temple on the Island of Agilka.

Next, we proceed to the granite quarries, which supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in pyramids and temples, and still hold a huge unfinished obelisk.

This afternoon (weather permitting) take a ride on a felucca, a typical Egyptian sailboat, around Elephantine Island, Lord Kitchener’s Botanical Gardens, and Agha Khan Mausoleum.

Enjoy afternoon tea in the lounge, accompanied by a trio of authentic Egyptian musicians.

Tonight’s farewell dinner will be a formal gala dinner (jacket required), with white-gloved waiters serving gourmet cuisine.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight on the Nile Adventurer in Aswan

Day 7: Aswan- Cairo
After breakfast onboard, check out at 8:00 AM and then you’ll be transferred to Aswan Airport to board your flight back to Cairo. When you arrive, you will be met and taken back to the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel for overnight.
Breakfast
Semiramis InterContinental Hotel- Standard Room

Day 8: Cairo
Your Egyptologist will escort you today on a fascinating tour of 7,000 years of Egyptian history with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. The museum houses the world’s greatest collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts, including 12 rooms filled with golden treasures from the world-famous tomb of the boy-king Tutankhamen.

Your Egyptologist will then guide you today round the highlights of Coptic Cairo. There you will find the remains of the old Fortress of Babylon, built at the time of the Romans in Egypt to protect the country from invading enemies.

The walls of the fortress enclose the Church of St. Sergius, which is built on a crypt considered to be one of the resting places of the Holy Family during their flight to Egypt 2,000 years ago. You will also see the “Hanging Church”, supported by only one column, boasting incredible paintings inside.

Visit the Synagogue of Ben Ezra, from the time of the once thriving Jewish community in Egypt under the leadership of Rabbi Ben Ezra. Inside were discovered the so-called “Geniza Documents”, which showed an unparalleled source of information about life of the Jews in Egypt’s past.

You will also enter the Coptic Museum, which displays a wonderful collection of medieval statues, bells, bone carvings, frescoes, icons and colorful textiles.

Take a fascinating tour of Islamic Cairo, including the beautiful and graceful Mohamed Ali Mosque and the ancient Citadel; a spectacular medieval fortress perched on a hill above the city. Originally built by Salah El-Din in 1176 to fortify the city against the Crusaders, the Citadel was modified and enlarged over the centuries by subsequent rulers and today is a complex of three mosques and four museums.

Proceed to the fascinating Khan El-Khalili Bazaar – reputed to be the largest bazaar in the Middle East. Originally founded as a watering stop for caravanserai in the 14th century, the bazaar has now grown to vast proportions.

As you wander through the labyrinth of narrow streets you will find workshops and stalls selling all manner of things from woodwork, glassware and leather goods to perfumes, fabrics and Pharaonic curiosities.
Breakfast
Semiramis InterContinental Hotel- Standard Room

Day 9: Depart Cairo
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your departing flight.
Breakfast

Departure Dates

Depart any day! Contact an iExplore Adventure Consultant for details.

Prices

2011 Prices:
January 3 to March 31; April 11 to 30; October 1 to December 23:
$3,150 per person double occupancy.
$2,975 per person double occupancy, based on four people traveling together.
$4,825 Solo traveler.
$1,325 Single room supplement.

May 1 to June 30 and August 11 to 30:
$2,725 per person double occupancy.
$2,575 per person double occupancy, based on four people traveling together.
$4,150 Solo traveler.
$1,075 Single room supplement.

April 1-10 and July 1 to August 10:
$3,725 per person double occupancy.
$3,575 per person double occupancy, based on four people traveling together.
$5,725 Solo traveler.
$1,625 Single room supplement.

Prices for your dates of travel may vary- please contact iExplore for an exact quote. Quoted prices are based on current rates of exchange, tariffs and taxes as of August, 2010. iExplore reserves the right to increase tour prices to cover increased costs, tariffs and taxes received after prices are published, and to reflect fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. iExplore is under no obligation to give breakdown costs involved in any package.

Included:
· Luggage handling and portage at the airports and hotel(s).
· All transfers to and from airport(s) on arrivals & departures for both international and domestic flights.
· Pre-check in for your domestic and international flights.
· All transfers by modern, air-conditioned vehicles, with mineral water provided during all transfers and sightseeing.
· Four nights accommodations at the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel in a standard room on a bed and buffet breakfast basis.
· Four nights accommodations onboard the Nile Adventurer in a Nile Deck Cabin, on a full board basis including stated sightseeing.
· All tours described in the program include transportation, entrance fees, guiding and pre-purchase of tickets where allowed.
· All activities as described in the itinerary.
· Private English-speaking Egyptologist per vehicle for all tours except onboard the Nile cruise.
· Meals as mentioned in the program, excluding beverages. All drinks will be charged per consumption.
· Domestic flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo in economy class.

Not Included:
· International airfare, airport and departure taxes
· Entry visa to Egypt
· Telephone, drinks and items of a personal nature
· Any item not listed as an inclusion
· Travel Insurance
· Visa Fees (if required)
· Holiday surcharges
· Gratuities
· Photography fees at antiquities sites.

These trips are priced assuming two travelers. Surcharges for solo travelers and discounts for groups, if any, will be applied. Prices assume itinerary is purchased "as is". Minor changes to hotels or hotel add-ons to the beginning or the end of the existing itinerary can be made at no extra charge. Any customization requiring us to start with a new base itinerary will require a non-refundable upfront planning fee of $250 that is creditable towards the final trip price.

Group Discounts

The more people you bring on your next iExplore adventure, the more you save. Learn how with iExplore Group Discounts.

Options & Upgrades

Abu Simbel
Board your flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel. You will be met upon arrival and taken to the world renowned site where Ramses II ordered two sun temples carved from the limestone mountains at Abu Simbel, between 1290-1124 BC. At the Great Temple of Ra-Harakhte, the four famous colossal statues of Ramses II sit majestically over 20 meters high, staring out across the desert. Six massive standing statues front the Temple of Hathor, dedicated to the cow-headed goddess of love and built in honor of Ramses favorite wife, Queen Nefertari, each 10 meters high. In modern times the waters that would rise with the completion of the High Dam threatened the two temples of Abu Simbel. A campaign to save them was organized by UNESCO, with the temples being cut into blocks, raised piece-by-piece and reassembled in a new position higher up the hillside. The massive job took two years to complete, 1966-1968.

Board your flight back to Aswan.
Cost: $375 per person

Alexandria
Check out after breakfast drive to Alexandria (approximately 3hrs.) Drive to Alexandria: Depart by air-conditioned coach along the desert highway to the city of Alexandria, “Ancient Queen of the Mediterranean.”

Visit the Roman Amphitheater, the only Roman amphitheater in Egypt, which was discovered quite recently, during the digging of a foundation for a new apartment building. The well-preserved theater once stood with 13 semi-circular tiers of white marble imported from Europe. It contains galleries, sections of mosaic flooring and marble seats for up to 800 spectators. At one point, it may have had a roof over it to serve as an Odeon for musical performances and some inscriptions suggest that it was sometimes also used for wrestling contests.

Then, off to the Alexandria National Museum: the museum comprises more than 1800 archaeological pieces that narrate the Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic and modern history of Egypt.

Enjoy lunch at the Fish Market Restaurant and take in spectacular views of the Mediterranean.

After lunch you’ll visit the Bibliotheca Alexandria. The principal objective of reviving the Bibliotheca Alexandria is to establish a comprehensive research library for a unique collection and intention.

The new library is designed as a modern, state of the art translation of the ancient library, adequate for crossing the frontiers and meeting the challenges of the 21st century. The library is intended to become a research institution, and a haven for scholars worldwide. It will also be an information resource to support decision-making and broaden future horizons for the cultural, social and economic development of Egypt and the region. The Bibliotheca Alexandria has adopted its collection development policy in cooperation with UNDP/UNESCO, and with the input of Egyptian and international experts, in order to avoid repetition and unnecessary overlapping with other research libraries.

Finally, see the Qait Bay Fortress. The Qait bay Fortress in Alexandria is considered one of the most important defensive strongholds not only in Egypt, but of the Mediterranean coast. It formulated an important part of the fortification system of Alexandria in the 15th century.

Price
April 1-10 and July 1 to August 10:
$535 per person for two persons traveling together.
$450 per person for four people traveling together.
$850 Solo traveler

All other dates: (to December 23, 2011)
$475 per person for two persons traveling together.
$395 per person for four people traveling together.
$795 Solo traveler