Abu Simbel (Sun Festival)

Welcome to Egypt! Arrive Cairo, included transfer to hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure or those arriving early, opt to join our optional Backstreets of Cairo tour which departs the hotel at 10am.

Tonight, your Welcome Meeting will be held at 7pm.

Today we visit the stunning pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet's oldest tourist attraction. Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct.

Continuing to Saqqara, we explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser's step pyramid - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh's chief architect in 2700 BC. This evening is at your leisure. (B)

This morning we join our guided tour of the incredible new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. This vast 490,000 sq.m complex showcases an astonishing collection of artefacts from nearly every period of ancient Egyptian history. Among the highlights are treasures of King Tutankhamun, with plans for his famous solid gold funerary mask to eventually be showcased here, alongside many items being exhibited for the first time.

Later, we make our way to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which remains home to a vast collection of statues, jewellery, and sarcophagi. Here, we'll see the well-preserved mummies of Yuya and Thuyu, high-ranking nobles and the great-grandparents of King Tutankhamun. Some mummies are so well preserved they still have thick locks of hair and visible fingernails.

Later today we fly south to Aswan and transfer to our hotel for the night. (B)

This morning we enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island for Philae Temple - dedicated to the goddess Isis. Upon returning to Aswan we visit a perfume oil emporium. Then check-in on board your Nile Cruiser, home for the next three nights. Later, there is free time to perhaps enjoy some shopping in the colourful souks and markets or simply relax in this attractive town which straddles the River Nile.

On board the cruiser there is free time to relax before departing in the early hours of the morning on our coach journey toward the Temples of Abu Simbel. Here we await the first rays of sunlight to touch the temple gate signifying the start of the Sun Festival of the mighty King Ramses II. (B/L/D)

Possibly the most awe-inspiring temple of all ancient Egypt, with its gargantuan rock-cut façade, the great Sun Temple of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel was created to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler King Ramses II. Ramses the Bold, Ramses the Great, Ramses the Narcissist are perhaps all apt titles for one of ancient Egypt's most powerful rulers. Celebrating a life that spanned nearly a centenary, Ramses had plenty of time for his more than 200 wives and concubines who produced him some 96 sons and 60 daughters.

Built by Ramses II to demonstrate his political clout and divine backing to the ancient Nubians, Abu Simbel is an awesome self-tribute. Guarding the entrance to the temple (built between 1290 and 1224 BC) hewn into the side of a mountain are four famous colossal statues of the pharaoh himself, which sit majestically staring out across the desert.

Over the centuries, the desert sands imperceptibly shifted until the temple was all but lost to humanity. It was rediscovered by chance in 1813 by a Swiss explorer called John Lewis Burkhardt. Only one of the heads of the pharaohs was showing and only a small part of the rest of the colossal temple peeked above the desert sands. It wasn't until the British happened upon Abu Simbel and starting excavating, that the full glory of the temple of Abu Simbel was revealed to the modern world.

The temple was dedicated to the deified Pharaoh, King Ramses II, known also as the great builder and the gods Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ptah. In a fit of precision and architectural egotism, Ramses II had the entire temple precisely positioned in order for the sun's rays to align just twice a year, on the date of his ascension to the throne (21 February) and on his birthday (21 October) to illuminate the inner sanctum of the temple.

This incredible natural phenomenon provides for a most spectacular sight, which has come to be referred to as the Sun Festival of King Ramses II. Crowds pack into the temple before sunrise and watch the shafts of light slowly creeping through the rock hewn inner Hypostyle Hall (replete with further statues of the King) and through to the Sanctuary.

As we are lead through the temple there will be time to pause for a moment to watch the sun illuminating the statues of Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ramses the god, whilst the statute of Ptah - the god of darkness - remains in the shadows.

Famously, the temple was re-located in a multi-million dollar operation in 1972, further up from the shoreline of Lake Nasser, which had threatened to erode the foundations of this monolithic temple complex. For this reason, the sun now strikes a day later than Ramses had originally planned, though the event this morning itself is no less stunning. After the event, there is plenty of time to explore the Sun Temple of King Ramses II, the Temple of Hathor and take pictures.

After watching this incredible event unfold we return to Aswan. Our Nile Cruiser departs Aswan this afternoon and we cruise the River Nile to Kom Ombo where we disembark to visit the temple which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek before returning to the cruiser. (B/L/D)

Relax, enjoy a swim in the pool and chill out in the sun on deck this morning. Let your troubles melt away as we cruise the River Nile to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Arriving into Luxor this afternoon, the rest of the day is free to explore the city before we spend our final night aboard the cruiser. (B/L/D)

This morning we disembark and check into our 5 star Luxor hotel. The day is free to relax and explore. Tonight, there is an optional visit available to the beautifully illuminated Temple of Luxor. (B)

Today we visit the famous Valley of the Kings to explore some of the lavishly decorated tombs of important pharaohs. Our tour will also take us to the temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the giant Colossi of Memnon. Admire these two towering statues of King Amenhotep III before we continue to Karnak Temple this afternoon. Stroll down the Avenue of Sphinxes and marvel at the towering pillars of Hypostyle Hall as we explore this gigantic complex. The site took more than 1,500 years to complete and around 30 different pharaohs contributed to it in some way.

This evening, we board the overnight train and return to Cairo. (B)

Arrive in Cairo this morning for a free day to explore Egypt's bustling capital. Visit the famous Khan el Khalili bazaar or admire the imposing Citadel of Saladin.

Our Egyptian adventure comes to an end today. Included departure transfer to the airport later today in time for your international flight. (B)