January 8-22, 2027
Accompanied by an expert Egyptian guide, this singular small group journey through antiquity travels from vibrant Cairo and the Great Pyramids to Abu Simbel and the Upper Nile for a fascinating cruise on Lake Nasser. Discover thousands of years of history, art and culture as you explore storied lands and cruise the legendary Nile River. Join faculty host Manar Darwish, Senior Lecturer and Director of Arabic and Director of Arabic Language Study in Sijal. Begin in Egypt’s capital and largest city, Cairo, with a visit to the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum, showcasing over 100,000 artifacts spanning 700,000 years of Egyptian history. Relax during a four-night cruise on Lake Nasser, visiting Abu Simbel along the way, then enjoy a classic Nile voyage that includes visits to Edfu’s Temple of Horus and Luxor’s acclaimed temples and tombs.
Conclude your tour back in Cairo with a visit to the lively Khan el-Khalili bazaar. See Memphis’s open air museum, the renowned ancient sites of the
Sphinx, Sakkara and the Pyramids of Giza. Explore Old Cairo, the city’s oldest section, also known as Coptic Cairo due to its concentration of historic Coptic churches. A special opportunity to discover the treasures of Jordan is available with an optional 5-day/4-night “Jordan: Petra & Amman” post-tour extension.
Physical Activity: Moderate; Walk 2-4 miles a day, often uphill and on uneven terrain, especially at archaeological sites. Occasional long walks from motorcoach drop-off to sights; embarkation/disembarkation from multiple boats.
To reserve your spot, please call Odysseys Unlimited at 888-370-6765.
Costs and Inclusions
Pricing includes:
- Round-trip air transportation from listed cities.
- 13 nights' accommodations: 6 nights in Deluxe and Superior First Class hotels; 7 nights aboard Deluxe and Superior First Class ships.
- 32 meals: 13 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 9 dinners.
- Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Guide.
- Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip. Luggage handling of one bag per person.
- Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers.
Prices are per person. Single travelers, please add $1,595.
| Boston, New York | $6,797 |
| Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington, DC | $7,097 |
| Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia | $7,197 |
| Denver, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa | $7,297 |
| Land Only (transfers not included) | $5,595 |
Optional Post-Tour Extension: Jordan: Petra & Amman
Discover the fabled "rose-red city, half as old as time" on this exciting exploration. Plus ancient Jerash and the capital of Amman.
Pricing includes:
- Air transportation Cairo/Amman
- 4 nights' accommodations: 2 nights in Petra and 2 nights in Amman
- 9 meals: 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners
- Extensive included sightseeing: Madaba (City of Mosaics), Mt. Nebo pilgrimage, full day at Petra, Amman's Roman theatre and Citadel, Roman ruins of Jerash
- Services of an Odysseys Unlimited Tour Guide.
- Private motorcoach transportation throughout your trip. Luggage handling of one bag per person.
- Gratuities for local guides, dining room servers, airport and hotel porters, and all drivers.
Price per person is $1,895. Single travelers, please add $435.
Daily Itinerary
Please note, the itinerary is subject to change.
Depart your home city for Egypt.
Arrive in Cairo and enjoy a day of relaxation after travel.
Tour the recently opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), which showcases over 700,000 years of Egyptian history. Enjoy lunch and free time for exploration on your own before enjoying a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
Early this morning we fly to Aswan. Upon arrival, we visit the Aswan High Dam, considered a marvel of engineering when completed in 1965. Then we board our Lake Nasser ship in time for lunch then disembark to explore the ruins of the acclaimed Temples of Philae. Tonight we dine on board as we overnight in Aswan.
Today we see some sights of ancient Nubia, Egypt’s neighbor in antiquity but with a distinct culture and traditions. We stop first at “new” Kalabsha,
the largest freestanding temple of them all that was moved and reconstructed on higher ground after the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Then
we sail on to Wadi el-Seboua, where we dock for the night.
This morning we see two important New Kingdom temples that, like Kalabsha, were dismantled and relocated to make way for Lake Nasser. We explore Wadi el-Seboua, the next largest of all the pharaonic temples after Abu Simbel, and see the Temple of Dakka, with its huge, well-preserved pylon. Upon returning to our boat, we sail on to Amada, where we encounter the oldest of Nubia’s Egyptian temples, the 18th-dynasty Temple of Amada.
We sail this morning to Kasr Ibrim, the last remaining Nubian settlement in its original location. As it is forbidden to go ashore here, we
learn about this ancient site while overlooking it from the ship’s sun deck. Then we continue on to Abu Simbel’s massive complex of temples guarded by statues of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari, with well-preserved murals inside.
We disembark then travel by coach to Aswan, where we board our Nile ship. This afternoon we tour the Nubia Museum, an acclaimed showcase of Nubian art and architecture, then dine and overnight aboard our Nile ship in Aswan.
This morning we board small feluccas, replicas of ancient Nile sailboats, for a relaxing sail. Back on board our cruise ship, we sail on to Edfu, where tonight we attend a shipboard party.
This morning we visit Edfu’s Temple of Horus, Egypt’s best preserved ancient temple. Then we cruise to Luxor, the world’s “greatest open-air museum,” whose vast temple complexes, tombs, and statues dating from 2755 bce represent the pinnacle of Egyptian architecture. Today we explore the East Bank, home of Karnak, the greatest temple complex of them all, whose ruins stretch for more than a mile. We also visit Luxor Temple, whose builders included both Tutankhamun and Alexander the Great.
We have the choice to rise very early to see the West Bank from above on an optional hot air balloon ride (at additional cost). After we disembark our ship later this morning, we tour the haunting Valley of the Kings, where 34 royal tombs feature magnificent paintings; the Valley of the Queens; and the dramatic Temple of Hatshepsut honoring one of the few female pharaohs.
We fly to Cairo today, where this morning we visit Khan el-khalili bazaar, the sprawling, 700-year-old souk.
This morning we encounter the Giza Plateau and its three famed pyramids, including the Great Pyramid, which ranks among the Seven Wonders
of the Ancient World. After lunch at a local restaurant, explore Old Cairo, including 5thcentury St. Sergius Church, the Coptic church of el-Muallaqa, and the active 10th-century St. George’s church.
Today’s touring begins at the openair museum at Memphis, Egypt’s first capital (3100 bce), followed by the necropolis at Sakkara. Then we tour the Citadel of Saladin, housing the alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Tonight we enjoy a farewell dinner.
Transfer to the airport for your journey home.