Itinerary

Day 1

Depart London and fly to Cairo. You will arrive Cairo late in the evening, on arrival you will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo. (Hotel) Meals: no meals are included on day 1

Day 2

Today you will visit one of the most famous sites on earth, a site which contains the last remaining wonder of the ancient world. The morning will be spent at the Pyramids in Giza, learning about how and why these amazing tombs came into existence. From Giza you will return to downtown Cairo and visit the incredible Egyptian Museum, which is literally crammed full of antiquities, it would take you three months to look around this building if you were to spend three minutes looking at each item. Here you will find the exquisite treasures taken from the tomb of King Tutankhamen, the tomb itself will be visited later in your tour. In the evening you will board the comfortable overnight train to Aswan. We use the first class train which has private cabins and bunk beds and includes an evening meal and waiter service. Overnight on sleeper train. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3

You will probably awake early as the train pulls up in Luxor however you can relax and enjoy the views from your cabin window as the train continues down the Nile to the beautiful city of Aswan. Arriving in Aswan you feel as though you are leaving the middle east and entering Africa, the Nile is beautiful and dotted with islands, huge golden dunes rise up on the west bank, the weather is hot and dry and the people are mostly from the land of Nubia : the region that was lost beneath the waters of Lake Nasser. On arrival you will transfer to the hotel. We have planned a leisurely morning so that you may unpack and take a shower after your long journey. After lunch we have included a trip to the fantastic Nubian museum, often missed on some tour itineraries this museum is a treasure and is a great introduction to Nubian culture an the history of Aswan. In the evening we have included a trip out to Agilkia Island to see the dramatic Sound and Light Show at Philae Temple. Overnight in Aswan. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

Day 4

Very early in the morning, before first light, you will drive out through the desert south toward the border with Sudan. The early start is well worth it when you arrive at the awesome monument of Abu Simbel. Four enormous seated statues of Ramses are set into the hill side, looking out over the blue waters of Lake Nasser. You will return to Aswan via the famous Aswan High Dam. Later when the temperature has dropped you will take a boat trip to Kitchener's Island : now a delightful botanical garden, from the island the boat will then cross to the West Bank where you will begin a camel safari through the magnificent dunes to a traditional Nubian House owned by our friends who will treat you to an authentic Nubian dinner. Overnight in Aswan. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast, dinner


(The Feluccas - Feluccas are traditional sailing boats, we have modified them slightly so that they are comfortable to travel and sleep on. Luggage is stored below deck and the deck itself fitted with mattresses, the deck space is large enough to sleep up to seven and a sun shade protects passenger from the sun. Two crew members will travel on each felucca to sail, cook and serve meals. Late afternoon the feluccas will tie up on one of the many beaches along the Nile. There are no toilet facilities on the feluccas. Toilet stops will be in the bush along the banks and a spade is provided (you get the picture I'm sure!) and at night the crew will erect a toilet tent. Anti-bacterial hand washing water is povided and cold drinks can be bought from the crew. Sailing times will very much depend on the wind, whilst the crew will make every effort to reach Edfu very occasionally it is not possible, in which case a coach will drive the last leg.)

Day 5

This morning you will have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before checking out and boarding the feluccas. It wont take long to feel totally at ease as the crew set sail out of Aswan. Now is the time for total relaxation, watch life along the banks or try your hand at sailing, lunch will be served onboard at the banks of the river, and the boats will tie up for the night as it gets dark. Overnight on-board. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6

Today the full day will be spent on the water. At some point during the day you will arrive at the delightful little temple of Kom Ombo. This temple is positioned on a bend of the Nile and so you will have a fantastic view of it on approach. You will have time to walk to the temple and explore inside, although damaged by the floods the temple retains some original painting and two mummified crocodiles. Overnight on-board. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7

Today will be your last full day sailing, no fixed stops are planned but if the winds are good you may request for your crew to stop along the way and spend time on the lovely white sand beaches. Overnight on-board. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8

This morning you will sail just a short distance to the town of Edfu. Here you will say goodbye to the crew and visit Edfu Temple. The Temple of Edfu was built on the site where the Falcon-headed god Horus triumphed over evil by defeating Seth. The temple was completely buried beneath a sand dune until its discovery in 1860 making it the best preserved cult temple in Egypt. After your visit our coach will take you on to Luxor. You will arrive in Luxor in time for lunch and have some time to relax and take a much needed shower. In the late afternoon you will be taken by calesh (horse carriage) to the famous Karnak Temple. This temple complex took around 1300 years to build and the arid conditions of Upper Egypt have preserved it beautifully Overnight in Luxor. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

Day 9

Today you will cross onto Luxor's West Bank, where you will enter the Valley of the Kings. The Egyptian pharaohs had learnt from previous experience that the grander your tomb looked from the outside, the more quickly it was looted. The new kingdom pharaohs therefore hid their tombs deep inside a secret valley. The tombs are beautifully painted and your guide will advise you as to which tombs are the best to enter. We have also included the entrance for Tutankhamun's tomb. From the Valley of the Kings you will drive the short distance to the stunning temple of Queen Hatshepsut : the only female Pharaoh that ruled as a King. We have also included a trip to the nearby Worker's Tombs, this site is not so famous and is not visited by many but we believe it is one of the highlights of Luxor. After a relaxing lunch over-looking the Nile the rest of the day is free. Overnight in Luxor. (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

Day 10

We have left your last day in Luxor completely free, there is so much on offer that we thought it best you decide what to do. Your Tour Leader will advise you of the various trips available and will help arrange them for you. It may be that you want to relax after a busy tour, shop til you drop in the Souk, glide peacefully over Luxor by hot air balloon, visit the museums or some of the less well known archaeological sites, or even take another boat journey out to the ancient site at Dendera - the possibilities are endless. Overnight in Luxor (Hotel) Meals: breakfast

Day 11

Today the tour ends in Luxor, passengers flying home will be taken to the airport for their onward flight and those travelling on to the Red Sea will depart for Safaga. Meals: breakfast

Extra Information

Inclusions -

all hotel accommodation and ground transport

Extras -

At Diverse Earth we want our guests to really experience their chosen destination. We want them to come home having sampled the local cuisine, learnt a little of the dialect, seen the famous sights as well as the not so famous sights and most importantly made friends. We have an excellent relationship with all our local suppliers, this is through long standing friendships and our commitment to sustainable tourism which ensures that our guests get the most out of every tour and the local people also benefit and thus welcome us back time and time again.

Our tour leaders and guides are all local to the area and are therefore able to provide an inside view of their home country. Our team at HQ are all extensively travelled and therefore well equipped to answer any questions and provide all the necessary support from initial enquiry to home-bound flight.

As an ABTA and ATOL bonded operator, we ensure that our standards of service are high and that payment for your holiday is well protected.