Tour Inclusions:
- Two Night accommodation at the 4* Grand Pyramids Hotel, within walking distance of the Giza Plateau, breakfast included.
- Visit to the Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids of Giza, including all entrance fees (Mummy room extra).
- All entrance fees during your Cairo sightseeing Tour (except Mummy Room at Cairo Museum).
- 2 Nights on the Sleeper Train with Dinner included to connect you with your River Cruise Cairo-Aswan, Luxor-Cairo, assisted and transferred to the station by English speaking guide and air conditioned car.
- 3 nights aboard the 5* Mirage Nile River Cruise. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included daily during your stay aboard the Nile River Cruise.
- Daily full day guided tours during your stay aboard the Nile River Cruise, provided by English speaking Licensed Egyptologist.
- All entrance fees during sightseeing while aboard your Nile River Cruise.
- All transfers by and air conditioned car and English speaking guide for your sightseeing while aboard your Nile River Cruise
- Assistance and Transferred to the airport on your last day by our English speaking guide and air conditioned Car.
- All Hotel taxes
- International airfare from most major cities in the USA and Canada.
- Extra Bonus: Camel Ride around the Giza Plateau, a great photo opportunity.
ITINERARY
DAY 1 - Tuesday
Board your international flight to Cairo from any major city in Canada or the USA to begin your journey through the mysterious ancient land of the Pharaohs.
DAY 2 - Wednesday: Cairo
Upon landing in Egypt, purchase your visa by filling out an application form provided there and submit it with approximately $15 USD per person.
After clearing customs and immigration, our representative will meet you and escort you to your air conditioned car that will transfer you to your 4* Grand Pyramids Hotel, a moderate resort with great location to the Pyramids of Giza. Hotel upgrades are available upon request. Our guides are all English speaking.
Overnight in Cairo.
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Grand Pyramids Sound and Light Show: Be dazzled by this dramatic display of Music and Lights. The one hour show is English narrated, hear the history of the Pharaohs with the Pyramids and the Sphinx all lit up in the background.
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DAY 3 - Thursday: Cairo
After breakfast, our guide will accompany you on a visit to the Cairo Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, which houses the world's largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities. Enjoy a stroll through 2 floors of treasures from ancient Egypt. Most of the artifacts found in the tombs and sites you will visit later on the tour are on display here. Entrance fees are included to avoid long, confusing line ups. Entrance fee to the Mummies room is optional but worthwhile.
Next is a visit to one of Egypt's most recognized sites, The Giza Plateau, located south of Cairo just at the edge of the last houses. One of the last still standing wonders of the ancient world, with its three Great Pyramids Khufu, Khephren (Khafre) and Menkaure, and of course the mysterious Sphinx carved almost entirely from one piece of limestone. Without a doubt your visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza will be one of the most memorable of your trip.
Lunch included during your tour. In the evening your Guide will transfer you to the Train Station for your connection with the Sleeper Train to Aswan. Dinner is included on board. Overnight while travelling on the train. Upgrade to a flight Cairo - Aswan available.
DAY 4 - Friday: Aswan
Upon arrival, our guide will help you transfer to board your 5* Nile River Cruise including all meals, coffee and tea. Other beverages are available at an exra cost. Please have cash available for incidentals not included as credit cards are not always accepted on boards. An upgrade to Luxury Ships is available. All our shore excursions guided by a licensed English speaking Egyptologist are included. Today you will visit:
The High Dam: Bordering Egypt and Sudan, the world's longest dam, completed in 1970, provides flood protection, irrigation, and electricity to Egypt. Many monuments along the banks of the Nile required advanced engineering to relocate them to higher ground as the dam formed a large reservoir called Lake Nasser flooding all the original historic sites.
Granite Quarries with Unfinished Obelisk: Many of the monuments of the temples and tombs in the area were made out of red granite from these quarries. In this quarry lies the Unfinished Obelisk still attached to the bedrock. It is said that it was abandoned when a crack appeared. It's weight is calculated at 110 tons and would have been the world's largest piece of solid stone ever carved.
Temple of Philae: On the island of Agilkia, the beautiful temple of Philae, dating from 380 BC. erected to the goddess Isis, along with many other structures built to the gods were relocated from the holy island of Philae in the middle of Lake Nasser. In 1960 a rescue operation, which took the cooperation of an international group of engineers and archaeologists years, began in which many of the buildings and monuments were painstakingly moved from Philea which was continually flooded and eventually submerged in Lake Nasser, to Agilkia. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight in Aswan.
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Sound and Light Show at Philae Temple: The legend of the goddess Isis and god Osiris is presented in an impressive multimedia display. The narration of it's history as you walk through this fascinating complex of temples makes it come alive.
Abu Simbel: The colossal façade of this Temple is one of the most well known images of Egypt only second to the Pyramids of Giza, made famous in recent times by the rescue operation, Abul Simbel consists of 2 temples carved out of the mountain side by Ramses II as a tribute to his queen, Nefertari. Located 280 km south of Aswan, four 60 foot statues welcome you as you approach the temple buildings, one of the most beautiful ancient monuments in Egypt.
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DAY 5 - Saturday: Kom Ombo - Edfu
Early in the morning set sail for Kom Ombo, a town 45 km north of Aswan where the Greco-Roman Temple of Kom Ombo built to honour Sobek and Horus, the crocodile and falcon gods overlooks the Nile. Brilliant colours and beautiful carved colomns highlight this temple dating from 180 BC.
Another short sail and you arrive at Edfu, after crossing the picturesque Esna Lock, from your deck you can see the wares of local vendors offered from this region, one of the highlights of the crossing.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on board. Overnight in Edfu.
DAY 6 - Sunday: Edfu - Luxor
After breakfast visit the Temple of Edfu, the most well preserved Egyptian temple, built to honour Horus the falcon headed god. The walls are lined with inscriptions and hieroglyphics depicting the age old struggle between Horus and Seth, god of wind and storm. This impressive example of the Ptolemaic architecture is said to have taken 180 years to complete.
Set sail for Luxor and proceed to the West Bank to see the Necropolis for pharaohs and nobles, the Valley of the Kings where the tomb of Tutankhamun and it's solid gold coffin (now in Cairo's Egyptian Museum) was found. Declared a World Heritage site, many of the tombs are closed to the public and your guide will direct you to the ones that are open. Use of video equipment is forbidden. You cannot help but get a sense of the opulence and power of the pharaohs from their tombs.
Queen of Hatshepsut Temple: Dedicated to the first female Pharaoh, set at the head of the valley, the temple is the best example of Egyptian classical style architecture. Built to express the grandeur of the Pharaoh as well as honouring the gods that she would need in the afterlife, her statues were all defaced by her son Tuthmosis III, after her death.
Colossi of Memnon: Two massive stone statues 75 feet in height in the image of Pharaoh Amenhotep III are all that remains of the largest and most opulent mortuary Temple of Amenhotep. Although badly damaged the colossi have stood guard for more than 3400 years on the West Bank. Overnight in Luxor. Breakfast, Lunch and dinner included.
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Sound and Light show at Karnak: Wonderful lighting allows you to walk around the monuments while you listen to dramatizations recalling the glorious age of the city of Thebes.
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DAY 7 - Monday: Luxor
After breakfast visit the Karnak Temple on the East bank, the largest temple complex in Egypt built over a period of 1300 years to honour the god Amun of Thebes his wife Mut and Sons Khons. This is an very large complex of over 25 Temples full of Sanctuaries, big columns, and Obelisks, all representing at least thirty Pharaos over a period of time. One of the highlights is the Hypostyle Hall very impressive with 134 enormous pillars.
Stroll or ride in a horse drawn carriage down the Avenue of Sphinxes, two miles once lined with hundreds of sphinxes, much as the ancient Egyptians did to complete their pilgrimage to the Luxor Temple, during the Festival of Opet, This Festival was to reunite God Amun with his wife Mut, since their Statues were kept separate.
Luxor Temple: Built to honour Amon Ra, king of gods, Luxor Temple is a magnificent example of Egyptian temple architecture, along with Karnak was one of the most sacred and important Temples of Ancient Thebes (now Luxor City). Built parallel to the River Nile dedicated to Amun and his wife Mut (Goddess of War), at Luxor you find Colossal Statues of Rameses, and big 24 meters carved pylons. One of the two Obelisks that once stood at the entrance of Luxor Temple still remains, the other was removed and transported to France in 1874 and now sits at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Another site is the Mosque of Abu El Hagag preserved after the Temple was uncovered and still a place of worship until today.
In the afternoon prepare for disembarkation, you can remain in the boat and use the facilities except your Cabin, Lunch included exclusively for Travel Discounters passengers. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure perhaps explore Luxor’s Nile side boulevard, The Corniche, great place for a stroll browsing the souvenir stores and the many Victorian buildings, you have the Nile River on the side with the amazing Luxor Temple just steps away. Later in the evening your guide will transfer you to the Train Station for your trip back to Cairo. Overnight aboard the train with Dinner included and breakfast the next morning. Option to upgrade to a flight Luxor – Cairo at an extra cost.
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Dendera or Dandara: Travel 80 kilometers north of Luxor on the West Bank of the Nile to one of the most intact and beautiful Temples in Egypt, Hathor Temple, the Egyptian Goddess of Love and Joy. It is also one of the newest Temples built many extensions made during the reign of Queen Cleopatra.
Hurghada Extension: Spend a day or two at Egypt's famous beaches on the Red Sea. A wonderful way to relax before returning home.
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DAY 8 - Tuesday: Cairo
Our guide will meet you at the train station in Cairo and assist your transfer to your hotel. The rest of day is at your leisure. Overnight in Cairo.
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Old Cairo: Explore of Old Cairo, frequently referred as Islamic Cairo since this part of Cairo houses the most famous Islamic monuments. Totally pedestrian friendly, admire the ancient streets, beautiful architecture that pops everywhere in houses and Mosques. Visit the Citadel of Salahaldin, dating back to the 12th Century, from here you can also get great views of the City, the splendid Mohammed Ali Mosque, also known as the Alabaster Mosque. Continue to Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district one of the oldest Markets in Egypt, find unique shops, explore its alleys, or maybe stop for some tea and some traditional Egyptian snacks. Later visit Memphis and Sakkara two very important archeological sites in Egypt here is where you find Egypt's oldest pyramid also known as the "Step Pyramid".
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DAY 9 - Wednesday: Cairo - Return Home
Our guide will help you with your arrangements for your return home.
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Jordan Extension: Two nights Three days to explore this magnificent Country, the Majestic Ruins in the Pink City Petra, the imposing untouched beauty of the Desert in Wadi Rum, world famous unique sites that will take your breath away. This optional tour can be taken at the beginning or end of your Egypt Tour.
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Price Excludes:
- Visa on arrival at Cairo airport $15 US Per Person.
- Any items of personal nature such as phone calls, laundry, drinks, etc.
- Customary tips to driver, guides, cruise staff, etc.
- Entrance to the Mummy Room at the Cairo Museum
- All optional tours mentioned on the day by day itinerary provided.
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Do you have a question?
Call now to speak with an agent!
1-800-842-6943
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My wife and I returned from our "Discover Egypt" trip last week. We'd like to thank you for arranging such a great tour for us. We're very impressed by their tour guides, especially one named Mohamed El Aswany, who is also an Egyptologist and very knowledgeable and professional. Mohamed had guided us for four days during the cruise from Aswan to Luxor, and made our journey really fruitful. Some friends were worried about the problem of safety, but we found out it seems not really an issue for tourists like us. In fact, since it's much less crowded everywhere than before, this is probably a good time to go. We've highly recommended Travel Discounter to all our friends in North America.... 
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