13-day Northwest Desert & Nile Cruise Tour

Day 1: Cairo – Siwa Oasis

Early in the morning, our representative will meet you at your hotel in Cairo to embark on an exciting journey through the Siwa Oasis. If you are staying in a hotel in another city in Egypt, such as Luxor or on the Red Sea coast, we can arrange a transfer to Cairo or directly to the oasis.

You will begin to discover the extraordinary beauty of a vast green area with lakes and springs in the middle of the desert. A breathtaking walk through Shali, the old labyrinth of Siwa, awaits you.

Lunch and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Siwa Oasis.

2nd day: Siwa Oasis – Great Sand Sea

After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the mausoleums on the Mountain of the Dead, where you will find beautiful paintings, as well as well-preserved mummies. Then swim in the Baths of Cleopatra, a hot spring that originates in the mountains, see the ruins of the Temple of Amun and its famous oracle, from whom Alexander the Great himself once received an answer. After lunch at one of the local restaurants, you will enjoy traveling by jeep through the Great Sand Sea that surrounds Siwa, with its large sand dunes formed by the wind. There are also numerous fossils, including petrified trees.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Siwa Oasis.

Day 3: Siwa Oasis – Bahariya Oasis

After breakfast at the hotel, you will take a jeep on an exciting journey to  the Bahariya Oasis,  the largest and most important oasis of the Western Desert. When you visit the town  of Bawiti, you will see how the main crops (guava, mango, dates, olives) are grown, as well as some of the historical sights of the city.

Breakfast, lunch (picnic) and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Bahariya.

Day 4: Bahariya Oasis

After breakfast, you will continue your journey through the Bahariya Oasis. The Greco-Roman necropolis, also known as the Valley of the Golden Mummies, contains a huge number of mummies. In the museum, surprise some mummies, as well as sarcophagi painted with gold paint. Next, you will visit the remains of Ain Tibnya, the temple, clock of the reign of Alexander the Great, who is said to have passed through this oasis; the tomb of Banentiou, with its well-preserved coloured hieroglyphs and paintings; a temple in the Ain Muftella area  with four chapels, the walls of which are about two meters high and built about 2600 years ago. Lunch awaits you in one of the local restaurants. The rest of the day is completely at your disposal and you can relax at the hotel or go for a walk. Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Bahariya.

Day 5: Black and White Deserts

Early in the morning, you will take a jeep to the Black Desert, where you will see numerous rocks and hills covered with black basalt. Then you will go to the White Desert National Park. This desert was once the bottom of the ocean, but after the water receded, there were cross formations that formed bizarre landscapes of amazing beauty. Enjoy this unique landscape, the famous Crystal Mountain and the picturesque Agabat Valley, because you won’t find anything like it anywhere else. Lunch will be served as a small picnic. In the evening you will return to Bawiti, where you will have dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast, lunch (picnic) and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Bahariya.

Day 6: Faiyum Oasis – Wadi El Hitan

After breakfast at the hotel, you will drive to  the Faiyum Oasis,  the largest oasis in Egypt. The city of Faiyum is considered to be the oldest city in the country. Not far from the city, you will see the remains of the pyramid of Amenemhet III in Hawara and Senwosret II in Lahun. Another symbol of the Faiyum, invented by the Romans, is  the water-lifting wheelspowered by water from the canal. Have lunch at one of the local restaurants. Later you will visit the valley of Wadi el-Hitan (“Valley of the Whales”). This vast area of caramel-colored rocks was once the bottom of the ocean, where giant fossils, skeletons, corals and shells of all kinds and sizes are now on display, including more than 250 skeletons of prehistoric whales. Dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Fayoum.

Day 7: Faiyum Oasis – Wadi El Rayyan – Cairo

After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit  the Wadi El Rayyan Nature Reserve, where you will see two lakes in the middle of the desert in a beautiful green oasis with wonderful wildlife. Between the upper and lower lakes there are waterfalls. You’ll make a short stop at the foot  of Mount El Mudawara to see the beauty of the contrast of rough rocks and golden desert with a blue lake in a secluded bay. Lunch at one of the local restaurants. In the evening you will arrive back in Cairo,  from there you will take the overnight train to Luxor. Dinner on the train.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight in a comfortable sleeping compartment of the train.

8th day: Luxor – Nile Cruise – Day 1

Breakfast on the train. Our guide will meet you at the railway station in Luxor, from where he will take you to the pier, where the ship will already be waiting. You’ll visit the West Bank of Luxor, where you’ll make a short stop to see the 3,400-year-old Colossi of Memnon, the  giant statues guarding the now-defunct temple, and see the pharaohs’ tombs with colorful drawings in the Valley of the Kings. Another visit awaits you – Medinet Abu The façade is decorated with huge statues of Ramses in the guise of the ancient Egyptian god Osiris, well-preserved pylons and walls, as well as more than 7000 square meters of wall reliefs, which are not only pleasantly pleasing to the eye, but also tell us about the history of Egypt. Get ready for another attraction –  the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, who created it for herself of extraordinary architecture, with columns, a hypostyle hall and many statues, paintings and bas-reliefs. Lunch will be served in one of the city’s restaurants. The evening is completely at your disposal. Dinner on board the ship.

Extra charges:

1. Light and Sound Show at Karnak Temple
2. Shopping in Luxor’s Main Market
3. Horse-drawn carriage tour of Luxor

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight on board the ship.

9th day: Luxor & Esna – Nile Cruise – Day 2

After breakfast on board the ship, you will visit the East Coast of Luxor with its Karnak Temple, which is one of the largest and most famous temples, quite well preserved with giant columns and colored reliefs, thanks to the architecture of which, you can feel the religious cult of the ancient Egyptians. Later, you will visit the Luxor Temple, a beautiful ancient building that combines different eras. After lunch, you will have some free time, which you can dispose of at your discretion. Then you will go to Esna, where you will see the remains of the most beautiful temples from the Greco-Roman period.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight on board the ship.

Day 10: Kom Ombo & Edfu – Nile Cruise – Day 3

After breakfast on board the ship, you will visit the unusual double temple of Kom Ombo, one wing of which is dedicated to the god Sobek (in the form of a crocodile) and the other to the god Haroreris (in the form of a falcon). Lunch will be served on the way to Edfu. The Temple of Edfu, the best-preserved temple dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus, took almost 200 years to build, and its beautifully decorated walls give a complete picture of the myths of ancient Egypt.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight on board the ship.

Day 11: Abu Simbel & Aswan – Nile Cruise – Day 4

In Aswan, you will arrive early in the morning and go to  the twin temples of Abu Simbel. The Temple of Ramses II, 30 meters high, the pediment of which is guarded by four giant statues of the pharaoh. The temple was carved directly into the rock, more than 60 meters long and beautifully decorated with columns, colored reliefs and drawings. The Temple of Nefertari, the wife of Ramses, is a simplified version of the Great Temple. Please note: here you will see something unique in ancient Egyptian art – the statues of the king and queen that decorate the façade of the temple are equal in size. Lunch will be waiting for you on board. The rest of the day is completely at your disposal: you can relax on a boat or go to explore Aswan.

Extra charges:

1. Light and sound performance at the temple of Filai
2. Visit to Kalabsha Temple
3. Visit to the Monastery of St. Simeon

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight on board the ship.

Day 12: Aswan – Nile Cruise – Day 5

Your excursion program will continue after breakfast. Aswan… You’ll visit the gigantic Upper Dam, the greatest achievement in architecture and technology of the 20th century, and the Unfinished Obelisk, ancient granite left in a quarry. Lunch will be at one of the local restaurants in the city. Then you will take a walk to Kitchener’s Island in the amazing Botanical Gardens, a green and tranquil oasis in the middle of the bustling city and visit the island of Elephantine With its famous Nilometer (a well connected to the great river and used to warn of floods), ancient ruins and Nubian villages. And finally, you will see  the Temple of Filai, which was saved from extinction by the flooding of Lake Nasser by dismantling it and restoring it to a higher place In the evening, take the overnight train to Cairo. Dinner on the train.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight in a comfortable sleeping compartment of the train.

Day 13: Cairo

Breakfast on the train. Our representative will pick you up from the train station in Cairo and take you to your hotel. This concludes our excursion program.

Note: If you want to expand the excursion program and visit other attractions in Cairo, we will be happy to arrange this for you.

Breakfast is included.