Discovery trip to Egypt - BES

We meet you at the airport for your flight to Cairo. On arrival, welcome by our local representatives and assistance with entry formalities. Transfer to your hotel and meet your English-speaking Egyptologist guide. Overnight at your hotel.

After breakfast, departure for Sakkarah and Memphis, the site of the Step Pyramid of Djoser, erected in 2700 BC. After lunch in a typical restaurant, you enter the world of "Absolute Greatness": the Giza plateau, symbol of Ancient Egypt, with its pyramids: Cheops, the largest of the pyramids and last of the 7 Wonders of the World, Chephren and its pink granite temple and Mykerinos, bordered by the pyramids of the queens, all guarded by the famous Sphinx of Giza, the largest monolithic sculpture in the world. Dinner in a typical restaurant, then transfer to Cairo airport and flight to Luxor. Settle aboard your cruise ship and spend the night.

Breakfast on board, followed by visits to the southern part of ancient Thebes, home to the temples of Karnak and Luxor. The two temples are linked by a dromos, a long alley lined with sphinxes, and are dedicated to Amun. The three-enclosure temple at Karnak is itself part of the Karnak religious complex, which includes the ruins of other temples, buildings and pylons. Its construction and subsequent modifications spanned more than 2,000 years. Return on board for lunch. In the afternoon, visit Luxor Temple, built in the 14th century BC during the reign of Amenhotep III and later modified by Ramses II, who added six monumental statues and two obelisks. Dinner and overnight on board. In the evening, optional sound and light show at Karnak temple.

Breakfast, then a visit to the necropolis of Thebes on the west bank of the Nile, followed by the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, home to the tombs of many New Kingdom pharaohs, their families and nobles in favor. The tour continues with the Colossi of Memnon, the last remains of Amenhotep III's temple, and Deir el Bahari, the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Carved out of the rock in the Theban mountain, this three-tiered temple is both harmonious and modern, and although dedicated to the god Amun, it also features chapels to Anubis and Hathor, the patron goddess of women: hardly surprising, since Hatshepsut, one of the four pharaohs to have ruled Egypt, is considered "the first great woman whose name has been preserved in history". After the visits, we return to the boat for lunch and sail to Esna. The lock crossing takes place at the end of the day, and is marked by a "Galabia Party" with dinner and overnight on board.

After breakfast on board, sailing continues to Edfu. On arrival, you'll enjoy a horse-drawn carriage excursion to the temple of Edfu, further inland. This temple to the falcon god Horus is both the largest temple of the Ptolemaic dynasty and the second largest sanctuary in Egypt after Karnak. Inside, intact paintings, inscriptions and reliefs make it the best-preserved temple in Egypt. Return to the boat for lunch, and sail upstream to Kom Ombo. Visit the temple of Kom-Ombo, dedicated to the gods Sobek and Haroeris. Erected on a hill by three Ptolemies, the temple is surrounded by an enclosing wall covered in reliefs. Inside, the space is divided into two parts: the northern one dedicated to Haroeris, the hawk-headed god, and the southern one to Sobek, the crocodile god. Return to the boat and sail to Aswan. Dinner and overnight on board.

Breakfast on board, followed by a visit to the Temple of Isis on the island of Philaë. Begun by Pharaoh Nectanebo I during Dynasty 30 and completed by the Romans, this is the main sanctuary dedicated to Isis. Take a felucca trip around Elephantine Island and discover the local shops, before leaving for the High Dam and the unfinished obelisk. The Aswan region, rich in schist, alabaster and pink granite found only in this part of Egypt, provided the stone blocks for the pyramids, statues and colossi built by the pharaohs. In the granite quarry you'll find the tallest obelisk known to date (41.75m), which was abandoned due to a crack in the rock. Lunch and dinner on board. In the evening, optional sound and light show at the Temple of Philaë. Night on board.

Free morning in town. Optional excursion by coach or plane to visit the temples of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II. Return to Aswan for lunch and free time until transfer to the airport. Assistance with boarding formalities and flight to Cairo. Check-in, dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a visit to the famous National Museum, one of the richest in the world, in the heart of Cairo. Lunch in town and visit to Islamic Cairo, with its thousand minarets, citadel and Mohamed Ali mosque. Return to the hotel for a rest before heading to the souks of Khan el Khalili for dinner in a typical restaurant. After dinner, transfer to Cairo airport.

Assistance with boarding and overnight flight to France.