Day 01: Depart Home / Cairo, Egypt
Your flight in Cairo. A ZigZag representative will assist you with your transfer to your hotel, you will Enjoy a Welcome Cocktail for your arrival (Karkadee, Orange Juice etc..).

Day 02: Cairo 
The most famous monuments of the ancient world await! After breakfast, we’ll tour the Giza Plateau and the pyramids dedicated to Cheops, Chephren, and Mykerinos, concluding with a visit to the Sphinx. aftewards, . Cultural Connection: Visit a carpet school and shop, then continue to Sakkara to view the Step Pyramid, oldest pyramid of all. This evening, see an optional sound and light show at the pyramids.

Day 03: Cairo / Luxor / Embark Ship
Following a morning flight to Luxor, Transfer on board ship and settle into your cabin with a view of the Nile. We'll go ashore this evening to visit Luxor Temple, illuminated for nighttime viewing.

Day 04: Luxor / Edfu
For an unforgettable experience, arise early this morning for an optional balloon ride above the Nile’s West Bank. Afterward, relax and enjoy vistas of palm groves, desert dune, and the bustling river life as the you cruise southwards to Edfu.

Day 05: Edfu / Aswan
One of Egypt’s “newer” temples, the temple at Edfu was finished in 57 B.C. Desert sand gradually covered the complex after it was abandoned in 391 A.D., and so it remained until excavated in the 1860s. The temple’s relatively young age and centuries under the dunes kept it remarkably well preserved, as you’ll discover on your included tour. Then, enjoy sunset on the Nile as we cruise to Aswan. Cultural Connection: Lecture aboard ship: “Egypt today.”

Day 06: Aswan
For the next two nights we’ll tie up in Aswan, the city where the rapids known as the Sixth Cataract separated the Upper and Lower Nile. Two dams, the first completed by the British in 1902, and the second, the massive High Dam, built with Russian aid in the 1960s, tamed the rapids and ultimately formed vast Lake Nasser. This morning we’ll take a boat to an island to visit Philae Temple, one of the loveliest in the Nile Valley. Cultural Connection: Afterwards, visit a village of Nubian people from the Upper Nile region, including a visit to the local primary school. You’ll also visit the lush Botanical Garden on Kitchener’s Island, and a local market in Aswan. Cultural Connections: Visit a shop for a demonstration on the ancient process of making paper from papyrus reeds. Aboard ship this evening, enjoy a whirling dervish performance and a belly dancer.

Day 07: Aswan (Abu Simbel)
The great temples dedicated to Ramses are today’s destination, as we fly round trip to Abu Simbel. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was dramatically relocated in the 1960s when waters rising behind the new Aswan High Dam, which we’ll also see, threatened to submerge it.

Day 08: Aswan / Kom Ombo / Luxor
Cruising north, or downstream, we’ll soon arrive at the village of Kom Ombo, where a great temple arises from the river bank. It’s actually two parallel temples, one dedicated to the Falcon god, Horus, and the other to Sobek, the crocodile god. Afterward, enjoy an afternoon of cruising as you take in the panorama of life along the Nile.


Day 09: Luxor
This morning we’ll cross the Nile to the West Bank to explore the Valley of the Kings, the desert ravine that conceals the tombs of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs. We’ll also visit the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut, most powerful of Egypt’s female pharaohs, and the impressive Medinet Habu Temple. Later, in Luxor, we’ll explore the vast Karnak Temple complex, including the great hypostyle hall, with its 134 massive columns.

Day 10: Luxor / Disembark Ship / Cairo
Disembarking ship on Day 10, we’ll fly back to Cairo and check into our hotel on the banks of the Nile. Later, enjoy a walking tour within the walls of Old Cairo Town, then explore the vast Khan el Khalili bazaar. Dinner is included in a local restaurant in the bazaar.

Day 11: Egyptian Museum
Tour the Egyptian Museum, including the golden treasures of King Tut. The afternoon is at leisure, then enjoy Nile breezes on a sunset cruise on the river. The towering minarets of the Mohammad Ali Mosque greet you on


Day 12: Islamic Cairo
Tour the mosque and the surrounding Citadel, which overlooks Cairo. Visit lovely Al Azhar Park next, named one of the world’s great public spaces, with lunch at a local restaurant, followed by a visit to the Islamic Museum. Cultural Connections: Learn about Islam today in a lecture. This evening, a local family welcomes you into their home for dinner.

Day 13: Coptic Cairo
Explore Coptic Cairo on a walking tour that takes us to the old synagogue, said to mark the place where the baby Moses was found on the Nile, and the Hanging Church, one of Egypt’s oldest. You’ll also visit the excellent Coptic Museum. Cultural Connection: Lecture on the Coptic religion in Egypt. This evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner overlooking the Nile.

Day 14: Cairo / Return

Personal Data

Booking Data