DAY 1: Cairo
Arrive at Cairo International Airport. If your cruise/tour package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, a Uniworld representative will be on hand to greet you and escort you to the opulent Four Seasons at Nile Plaza.
DAY 2: Cairo
The ancient quarter of Cairo is intense—the colors, the sounds, the density of people—and it’s likely been this way for thousands of years. Your local expert will show you a 12th-century citadel, the beautiful Alabaster Mosque and an unsurpassed collection of priceless artifacts, including mind-boggling treasures once buried with the boy king Tutankhamen.
Featured Excursion:
Citadel of Salah al-Din, Alabaster Mosque and Egyptian Museum
Note: Dressing modestly is recommended as a show of respect for the culture and customs of the Egyptian people. In particular, women should ensure that shoulders are covered and legs are concealed at least to the knee on all shore excursions throughout this itinerary.
DAY 3: Cairo, Fly to Luxor (Embark) Cruising the Nile River, Dendera
Prepare to be amazed at the legendary Temple of Karnak, a massive and absolutely astounding site, with gigantic columns, broad avenues lined with stone sphinxes and halls of truly epic proportions. Your local guide is a trained Egyptologist with fascinating insights to share, many not found in any guidebook.
Featured Excursion:
Temple of Karnak
DAY 4: Dendera, Cruising the Nile River, Luxor
Like its twin shrine, the Temple of Karnak, the Temple of Luxor stands on the site of ancient Thebes, the once flourishing capital of Egypt’s New Kingdom. It was built over hundreds of years and even in ruins it is still an extraordinary place. You’ll also visit the Temple of Hathor, dedicated to the goddess of love and beauty.
Featured Excursions:
Temple of Hathor
Temple of Luxor
DAY 5: Luxor, Cruising the Nile River, Kom Ombo
The word “colossal” will take on a whole new meaning after today’s excursion to the gigantic twin statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. And that’s just the beginning—you’ll also visit the temple of one of Egypt’s rare female pharaohs as well as the Valley of the Kings, used as a royal burial place for nearly 500 years and where the mummified remains of Tutankhamen are on display.
Featured Excursion:
Colossi of Memnon, Hatshepsut Temple and Valley of the Kings
DAY 6: Kom Ombo, Cruising the Nile River, Aswan
After visiting a temple dedicated to a crocodile god today (don’t miss the display of some of the 300 mummified crocs found in the local area), hop aboard a small boat for a bird-watching excursion along the Nile.
Featured Excursions:
Kom Ombo Temple
Bird watching boat ride and tea with a Nubian family
DAY 7: Aswan
Today is an epic day, filled with wonders from start to finish. You’ll visit a marvel of modern engineering—the Aswan High Dam—as well as the Unfinished Obelisk and the beautiful Philae Temple complex, which was moved from one island to another back in the 1970s. But wait, there’s more. You’ll also take a ride in a felucca—a traditional Egyptian sailboat—and enjoy afternoon tea at a famous hotel depicted in Agatha Christie’s novel Death on the Nile.
Featured Excursions:
Aswan High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple
Boat ride in traditional Nile River felucca and afternoon tea at the Old Cataract Hotel Aswan
After dinner onboard this evening, you’ll be treated to an enchanting Nubian show featuring traditionally attired performers, live music and dancing.
DAY 8: Aswan, Cruising the Nile River, Kom Ombo, Edfu
Spend the day at leisure.
DAY 9: Esna, Cruising the Nile River, Luxor
On today’s excursion, you’ll learn how the Temple of Esna was buried under debris for many centuries and is one of the last great Egyptian temples ever built. Your Egyptologist guide will share all sorts of fascinating insights about this significant cultural site and show you the façade bearing the last known hieroglyphic inscriptions ever recorded in Egypt.
Featured Excursion:
Temple of Esna
Later, savor the Nile’s majestic scenery as the ship cruises to Luxor.
DAY 10: Luxor (Disembark), Fly to Cairo
After disembarking and flying back to Cairo, you’ll have time to relax before tonight’s featured excursion—a Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza. Disembark in Luxor and transfer to the airport for your return flight to Cairo. Check in to the Four Seasons Hotel at Nile Plaza and enjoy free time in the city before attending a sensational Sound and Light Show at the pyramids of Giza.
Featured Excursion:
Sound and Light Show at the Pyramids of Giza
DAY 11: Cairo
It’s a day of Bucket List Moments today as we venture to Ancient Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a number of amazing monuments to see—including the enigmatic Great Sphinx. After seeing the pyramids from afar last evening, you’ll have a thrilling opportunity to view them from an up-close perspective, the only way to fully appreciate their remarkable size and grandeur.
Featured Excursion:
Ancient Memphis sites, including the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx
DAY 12: Depart Cairo
Check out of your hotel. If your cruise/tour package includes a group departure transfer or if you have purchased a private departure transfer, you will be escorted to Cairo International Airport for your flight home.
Note: Ship schedule and order of sightseeing my change throughout the itinerary. Tour to port of destination by motorcoach and substitute visits to other sites may occur during your trip due to the impact of water levels, closures because of public holidays or other uncontrollable factors.