8-day Faiyum Oasis & Nile Cruise Tour

Day 1: Cairo – Faiyum Oasis

Early in the morning, our representative will meet you at your hotel in Cairo to embark on an exciting journey through  the Faiyum 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. The Faiyum Oasis is the largest oasis in Egypt in terms of area. 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 wheels powered by water from a canal. Have lunch at one of the local restaurants.

Dinner is included. Overnight at the hotel in the Faiyum Oasis.

2nd day: Faiyum Oasis – Wadi El Hitan – Wadi El Rayyan – Cairo – Night Train to Luxor

After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the Wadi el-Hitan (Valley of the Whales). This vast area of caramel-colored rocks was once the ocean floor, where giant fossils, skeletons, corals and shells of all kinds and sizes are now on display, including more than 250 skeletons of prehistoric whales. After lunch, 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 El Mudawara Mountain to see the beauty of the contrast of rough rocks and golden desert with a blue lake in a secluded bay. In the evening you will return to Cairo, where you will take an overnight train to Luxor. Dinner on the train.

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

3rd 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.

4th 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.

5th day: 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.

6th day: 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.

7th day: 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.

8th day: 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.