Egypt Nile Cruise Packages: 10-Day Luxury Journey

Start at Saqqara, where Imhotep built the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first great stone building in history. Then enter the Tomb of Wahtye, a royal priest of the Fifth Dynasty, closed to the public and opened privately for you, its walls still bright with painted scenes and carved statues. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Dahshur for the Bent and Red Pyramids of King Sneferu, two steps in the story of how the true pyramid was perfected.

Spend the morning at the Grand Egyptian Museum with your guide, from the Grand Staircase of royal statues to the complete Tutankhamun collection and the restored Khufu Solar Boat. After lunch, cross the city to the Citadel of Saladin, the medieval fortress whose Alabaster Mosque crowns the Cairo skyline. End the day in Khan el-Khalili, the old bazaar of lanterns, spices and silver, with coffee at one of Cairo's oldest coffee houses before dinner back at the hotel.

Take an early flight to Luxor and cross directly to the West Bank. Explore royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, then the Temple of Hatshepsut rising from the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, and stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Board MS Le Fayan for a late lunch and time to settle into your cabin. As evening falls, visit Luxor Temple when its columns and statues are lit against the night sky, then return to the ship for dinner.

Spend the morning at Karnak, the largest temple complex ever built, home to the Great Hypostyle Hall and its forest of 134 columns, the obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut and the Sacred Lake. Return to the ship for lunch as MS Le Fayan sets sail south. In the afternoon, pass through the Esna Lock and watch river life unfold from the sun deck, with tea time on board before dinner and an overnight mooring at Edfu.

After breakfast, ride by horse-drawn carriage to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best preserved temple in Egypt, its roof, walls and towering pylon still standing. Sail on to Kom Ombo for its double temple dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris, and the small Crocodile Museum with its mummified crocodiles. Continue along the Nile towards Aswan. In the evening, dress in a traditional galabeya for a festive dinner with Egyptian music on board.

Set off early for Abu Simbel, where Ramses II carved his great temple and a smaller one for Queen Nefertari into the mountainside. Both were moved block by block in the 1960s to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. Return to Aswan for lunch on board. In the afternoon, take a motorboat through the granite islands of the First Cataract to a Nubian village, where a local family welcomes you into their home for tea.

Leave the ship after breakfast. Visit the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in the granite quarry where it cracked, which would have been the largest ever raised. Then take a short boat ride to the island Temple of Philae, dedicated to Isis and rebuilt stone by stone on Agilkia Island. In the afternoon, fly to Cairo and check in to the Four Seasons at The First Residence, with an evening at leisure overlooking the Nile.

This is Giza as few ever see it. Arrive before the plateau opens to the public and enter the Great Pyramid with your Egyptologist, visiting the Queen's Chamber and the Subterranean Chamber, both closed to regular visitors. Continue into the Sphinx enclosure to stand between its paws, then take in all nine pyramids from the panoramic viewpoint. The afternoon is free to rest before a farewell dinner celebrating your journey along the Nile.

A last breakfast overlooking the Nile closes one of our most loved Egypt Nile cruise packages. Depending on your flight time, enjoy a final stroll along the Corniche or simply pack at leisure in your room. A private transfer then takes you to Cairo International Airport, where our team assists you through check-in and security. Your trip concierge remains available until you are on board, should anything change with your flight.