Egypt 13 Days: Cairo, Nile Cruise (Luxor & Aswan), Sharm, St. Catherine, Fayoum, Extra tours in Luxor

Egypt 13 Days: Cairo, Nile Cruise (Luxor & Aswan), Sharm, St. Catherine, Fayoum, Extra tours in Luxor

Day 1: Cairo Airport – Cairo Hotel

Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport you will be met after the passport control by your tour manager who will help you through your customs formalities then escort you to your hotel for check in and overnight.

Day 2: Memphis - Sakkara - Giza Pyramids - Sphinx - Cairo Hotel - Sound & Light Show (B) 

Breakfast, meet your Egyptologist guide (8:30 AM) drive to Memphis at the edge of the western desert (35 min. drive) the capital of Egypt until the end of the first Kingdom about 2270 BC, one of the most important cities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. You will be visiting Memphis open air Museum the most important piece is Ramses the second statue about 20 meters long. Close to Memphis you will drive to Sakkara the City of the dead with the famous step Pyramid of Zoser the greatest Pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty 2650 BC, the step pyramids is known to be the first stone building ever build in the world. Then you will be visiting a Mastaba (Tomb) for the Nobel Mereruka from the old kingdom the tomb have beautiful colored paintings about life in Egypt during the old Kingdom. Drive to the Pyramids of Giza, in front of Kefren Pyramid stands the alabaster Sphinx, which was discovered in 1912 carved from a single piece of stone, it is a lion with a portrait of a Pharaoh's head, it is also believed by many to be a likeness of Pharaoh Kefren. Drive back to your hotel (16:00). Evening drive to Giza Pyramids to attend the Sound and light show at Giza pyramids; the show narrates part of the Pharaonic history in an artistic musical show, the show lasts for 45 minutes.

Day 3: Meidum – Hawara - Fayoum – Karanis - Cairo Hotel (B, L)

Breakfast, 08:30 meet your Egyptologist guide, drive to Meidum to visit the eight-stepped pyramid. It is a huge structure and is surrounded by the debris from the casing that collapsed. Drive to visit the pyramid of Hawara and the remains of the temple built by Amenemhet III. Drive to Fayoum Egypt's largest oasis, overlooking Lake Qarun, a popular spot for hunting and fishing. You will have the chance to see the old way of irrigation by water wheels. Lunch overlooking the lake, on the way back visit the Roman site of Karanis that poses an ancient market and ancient oven for backing which gives a good idea about normal life in the Roman period the city once housed two limestone temples and a large agora. Return transfer to your Cairo hotel, you reach about 17:00.  

Day 4: Egyptian Museum - Old Cairo - Khan El Kalili Bazaar - Cairo Hotel (B)

Breakfast, 09:00 meet your Egyptologist guide and drive to Down Town visit the Egyptian Museum (2 hours tour), which contains a vast collection of Pharaonic antiquities including the fabulous treasures of King Tut-Ankh-Amon. Continue your tour to Old Cairo visiting the old Coptic Churches the Hanging Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary built in the 3rd century and the Church of St. Sergius built in the 4th century and visit the oldest Jewish Synagogue of Ben Ezra. Drive to visit the medieval Citadel of Salah El-Din, built in the 12th century and contains many structures, the most impressive of which is the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali. It was designed in the early 19th Century by a Greek Architect from Turkey the style is based on the Ottoman mosques of Istanbul. In the afternoon visit Khan El Kalili bazaar (the old market), drive back to your hotel. 

Day 5: Cairo Hotel - Flight to Aswan - Nile Cruise - Philae Temple - Kom Ombo (B, L, D)

Breakfast, meet your tour manger, transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight to Aswan. Upon arrival to Aswan meet your representative who will transfer you to embark your Nile Cruise ship. Embark your Nile Cruise ship, start your tour visiting the Philae Temple, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk at the Granite Quarries, lunch on board. Sail to Kom Ombo. Visit the Ptolemaic Temple shared by the two Gods Sobek and Horus in Kom Ombo. Sail to Edfu, afternoon tea, dinner on board & Nubian folkloric show. 

Please note that entertainment schedules & sailing times are subject to change but all sights in the itinerary will be visited. Check in time is early morning.

Day 6: Nile Cruise: Temple of Horus - Luxor (B, L, D)

Breakfasts on board visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu, the best preserved Egyptian Temple, sail to Luxor. Lunch on board, afternoon tea, dinner on board & Galabeya party, overnight in Luxor. 

Day 7: Nile Cruise: Valley of Kings & Queens - Luxor & Karnak Temple (B, L, D)

Breakfast on board, cross to the West Bank to visit the Valley of the Kings and Queenswhere tombs of 64 Pharaohs and 57 Queens have been discovered, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at El Deir el El Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon facing the Nile, lunch on board, visit the Karnak Temple, which is considered the World’s largest religious complex, and then visit Luxor Temple which was started by Amenhotep III and completed by Ramses II. Return to the cruise, afternoon tea, dinner on board & belly Dance show, overnight in Luxor. 

Day 8: Valley of the Nobles - Habu Temple - Valley of the Artisans - Luxor Hotel (B)

Disembark your Nile cruise after breakfast. 07:00 meet your Egyptologist guide and visit in the west bank the valley of the Nobles, the tombs of the great dignitaries from the middle and the new kingdom dynasties. You will enter Menna’s tomb and Nakht’s tomb. Continue to the Habu temple the mortuary of Ramses the 3rd one of the world’s largest monuments, is the second in importance and size to Karnak temple. Proceed to the valley of the artisans that used to be village and necropolis of all the workmen who built and decorated the royal tombs in Thebes, it is the only place in Egypt where you can see normal Egyptian ancient houses from the Pharaoh’s period. The tombs of the Artisans is among the best tombs  not in its size but for the quality of the painting material and the accuracy it was painted with. Transfer to your Luxor hotel about 15:00. 

Day 9: Luxor - Flight to Sharm El Sheikh - Sharm Hotel (B, D)

Breakfast at hotel, dependent on departure time transfer to Luxor Airport for your flight to Sharm El Sheikh. Meet your representative and drive to your hotel for check in. 

Day 10: Sharm El Sheikh Leisure (B, L, D)

Free Day in Sharm (Breakfast Lunch, Dinner+Soft Drinks).

Day 11: Sharm El Sheikh Leisure (B, L, D)

Free Day in Sharm (Breakfast Lunch, Dinner+Soft Drinks).

Day 12: Sharm El Sheikh Hotel - St Catherine Hotel (B, D)

Check out from hotel, drive 2.5 hours to St. Catherine. Check in your hotel, free time, dinner and early rest.  

Day 13: Mount Sinai - St Catherine Monastery - Nuweibah Port - Aqaba Port (B)

2:00 AM wake up call, drive 10 minutes to Mount Sinai, climb about 2 hours the mountain where it is believed that God delivered his 10 commandments to Moses. Watch the sunrise from the summit, return to the hotel for breakfast. Then visit St. Catherine Monastery. The monastic order was founded in the 4th century AD by the Roman Empress Helena who had a small chapel built beside what was believed to be the Burning Bush from witch God spoke to Moses. The chapel is dedicated to St. Katherine the legendary martyr of Alexandria. The monastery houses many  Icons from 6th century to the 18th century, and an important library that poses many historical hand written bibles and many important historical messages and agreement. Transfer to Nuweibah Port for taking the fast boat to Aqaba in Jordan.