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Itinerary

TUESDAY 28 DECEMBER 2010
Depart Cape Town, Durban or other centres to connect at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport with the EgyptAir flight to Cairo (8 hours). Dinner is served on the flight.



WEDNESDAY 29 DECEMBER
On arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met by our agent and transferred to the 5 star Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel, situated close to the pyramids, or similar, on a bed & breakfast basis. In the early afternoon when you are refreshed there will be a tour to Old Cairo where you will visit the Citadel and the Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Aly, the Coptic Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue and the famous medieval Khan el Khalili Bazaar. Overnight Cairo.



THURSDAY 30 DECEMBER
After breakfast you have a full day tour visiting the Giza Pyramids, Sphinx and the Valley Temple where you will see the Great Pyramid. There will be an opportunity to enter one or other of the pyramids at your own expense. Lunch is included at a local restaurant. In the afternoon you will have an interesting drive out of Cairo to visit the site of the ancient capital Memphis where you can see the fallen colossus of Ramesses the Great and other ancient sculptures. Following this visit you will be driven to the desert site of Saqqara and the vast funerary arena of 3rd Dynasty Pharaoh Djoser (c. 3700 BCE) and see the Step Pyramid, the first ever pyramid. Overnight Cairo





FRIDAY 31 DECEMBER
After breakfast there will be a fascinating half day guided tour of Islamic Cairo visiting the Sultan Hassan Mosque, El Refaay Mosque & Ibn Tulun Mosque. The remainder of the day is at leisure. This evening there will be a New Year's Eve Gala Dinner and Show at your hotel, which is included. Overnight Cairo.



SATURDAY 01 JANUARY 2011
The morning is at leisure. In the early afternoon there will be a guided tour of the famous Egyptian Museum where you will see the fabulous gold treasures of the boy-king Tutankhamun and the antiquities collection spanning 5000 years. Overnight Cairo.





SUNDAY 02 JANUARY
You check-out from your hotel and will be transferred to Cairo Domestic Airport for the flight to Luxor. On arrival at Luxor Airport, you will be met by our agent and transferred to the riverside 5 star Sonesta St. George Hotel, on a bed & breakfast basis. The remainder of the day is at leisure. You might like to take an optional visit to see the fine collection at the Luxor Museum and the new wing which displays New Kingdom exhibits and the mummy of Pharaoh Ramesses I. Other optional activities can include a relaxing sail on a traditional felucca sailing boat to Banana Island or to the Maritim Jolieville Resort south of the town. There is also the bazaar and bookshops that can be explored. In the evening there is the chance of an optional visit to the Sound & Light show at Karnak Temple complex. Overnight Luxor.



MONDAY 03 JANUARY
This morning you will check out of the hotel and be transferred to your 5 star de luxe Nile cruiser M/S Tiyi or M/S TuYa for the magnificent 4 night cruise to Aswan on a full board basis starting with lunch. Every cabin has picture windows and private bathroom. There will be a guided tour of the incredible Karnak Temple complex, the largest religious complex in the world, with its forest of pillars, obelisks, sacred lake and massive wall reliefs. Later you visit the majestic river-side Luxor Temple where sacred rituals took place marking the New Year in ancient times.





TUESDAY 04 JANUARY
After breakfast, you visit the West Bank of Luxor to visit the tombs of the pharaohs in the unique Valley of the Kings which is now a World Heritage Site. You also visit the great terraced temple of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri and the Colossi of Memnon - giant statues of Amenhotep III. On your return to the boat you sail south, passing through the Esna lock, to the dusty town of Edfu.



WEDNESDAY 05 JANUARY
After breakfast you visit the huge Temple of Horus at Edfu by horse carriage from the ship - this is the most complete temple of the ancient world. Your cruise continues sailing to Kom Ombo, where it will moor enabling you to visit the Ptolemaic temple with its dual dedication to the crocodile god Sobek and a falcon-headed god Re-Haroeris. The cruise continues southwards until you reach the picturesque town of Aswan. During the cruise there is likely to be a traditional gallabiya party when everyone dresses Egyptian-style. Items can be obtained inexpensively in the markets or sometimes hired on the boat.



THURSDAY 06 JANUARY
After breakfast, you visit the famous Aswan High Dam which forms the 500km. long Lake Nasser and visit to the ancient granite quarry with its 1,000 ton Unfinished Obelisk. Afterwards you cross the water by motor-boat to visit the elegant island Temple of Philae, dedicated to the supreme maternal goddess Isis. In the afternoon, sailing on a traditional felucca on the Nile, you will view Elephantine and Kitchener's Islands and the Aga Khan's Mausoleum from the river. Overnight Aswan.
(Please note the order of the cruise programme may vary due to local conditions)



FRIDAY 07 JANUARY
After breakfast you will be required to check out of your cabin. Luggage can be stored on the boat until your transfer to Aswan Airport for your flight to Cairo which connects with the flight to Johannesburg.

SATURDAY 08 JANUARY
Arrive Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport. After collecting luggage and passing through customs, you transfer to the Domestic Departures for connecting flights to other centres.