• Dahabiya Nile Sailing •

Highlights of Egypt and Dahabiya Nile Sailing in 8 Days

8 Days - 7 nights: Cairo - Aswan - Dahabiya Cruise - Luxor

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Day by Day

Itinerary

Short Description: This tour not only covers the highlights of Egypt, but also covers sites rarely visited by tourists. The highlight of this tour is sailing the Nile in comfort on board a traditional sailing boat called Dahabiya, as the Ancient Egyptians did thousands of years ago.

*The preferred day to start this tour is Saturday, but we can organize other departure dates for 3+ cabins. If you would like to book cabins aboard the Dahabiya cruise only, without the tours in Luxor and Aswan, this can be arranged.

*All our guides have a background in Egyptology, history, archeology and guiding. They are all official licensed guides.

If you wish to add other destinations/attractions to the below itinerary, such as Alexandria, Fayoum Oasis, Dendera, Abydos, etc we can adjust your tours to fit in the Dahabiya cruise.

ITINERARY

Day 1

Visit Saqqara. Include the Step pyramid, Titi pyramid, the Nobles tombs.

Visit Dahshur. Include the Bent pyramid and the Red pyramid.

Lunch at Saqqara– a good place to try Egyptian food. Normally they serve mix grill, kofta, and lots of small dishes filled with appetizers.

Visit Giza. view the Great Pyramid, The Sphinx, Khara pyramid, Menkawra pyramid and, the nobles tombs

Night stay in Cairo. The tour duration 8-9 hours.

Optional extras

Going Inside the Great Pyramid
Camel rides
Attend the Giza sound and light show in the evening.

30 km (19 miles) from Cairo, Saqqara is an archaeological site which continues to
reveal its treasures through new discoveries. The site covers 7km (4.4 miles) on the West bank
of the Nile. Best known for its step pyramids, Saqqara was the necropolis of the capital,
Memphis. Buried here were people and also many sacred animals. Construction here continued from 3,050 BC with 1st Dynasty funerary structures to 6th century AD Coptic monasteries. The highlights of the site are the step pyramid (pyramid of Djoser), pyramid of Unas, and the Nobles tombs. Other sites may be visited depending on time and availability, such as the Serapeum and Imhotep Museum.

10 km (6 miles) south of Saqqara we visit Dahshur, which shows the change from the step pyramid method of construction to the true pyramid shape. Two of the pyramids here are
among the oldest, largest and best preserved in Egypt. These were commissioned by 4th Dynasty king Snefru (2649-2609 BC). Highlights of the site include the Bent pyramid, Red pyramid
which is second in size only to the great Giza Pyramid, and other pyramids. Lunch at Saqqara, a good place to try Egyptian food.

The Giza pyramids are the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world, more than 4,000 years after their construction they still leave visitors in fascinated awe. The Great pyramid
of Khufu (2609-2584 BC) is the largest pyramid in Egypt and the world and the oldest of the Giza pyramids, 138 metres (453 feet) high. We also see the pyramids of Khafre, Menkaure, and pyramids of the Queens. Entering the Great pyramid is an option and a memorable experience, however this is not recommended if you experience claustrophobia or are not in good health.
The interiors of the pyramids are not decorated but are noteworthy for the advanced engineering involved in their construction. Other attractions include the tombs of the Nobles, the Sphinx and its Temple. The Sphinx was carved from one piece of limestone and is 60 meters (197 feet) long and 20 meters (66 feet) wide.
Overnight in Cairo.

Day 2

Transfer to Cairo airport and fly to Aswan. About 1 hour flight.
Pick up at Aswan airport.
Visit Philae temple.
Visit the unfinished obelisk.
Visit the High Dam.
Lunch
Visit Elephantine Island archeological site.
Felucca ride in the Nile River to view the following: The Nobles tombs – Agha Khan
Mausoleum – the Plantation Island and the Old Cataract hotel.
Night Stay in Aswan
The tour duration 7 – 8 hours

Optional activities: ( please notify us before hand of optional tours you would like )
● The Nubian Museum.
● Animalia house museum.
● Lunch or dinner in a local Nubian Family house.
● Camel ride to Saint Simon Monastery.

● Visit the Plantation Island.
● Motor boat ride through the Nile Cataract.
● Philae temple sound and light show.
● Abu Simbel temples. This tour might need an extra day in Aswan.

Day 3

Check out from the hotel after breakfast.

Noon: check into the Dahabiya. Lunch and sailing. Dinner and overnight on board in Daraw.

Optional activities: ( please notify us before hand of optional tours you would like )
● Early morning travel to visit Abu Simbel temple (3-4 hours drive each way)

Day 4

Breakfast on board. In the town of Daraw you learn how to shop like a local at the market, visit a
barn to meet camels and learn about the camel trade, and visit a Nubian Town. Visit Kom
Ombo temple. Lunch on board. Sailing to El Selsela ancient sandstone quarry and shrines.
Dinner and overnight on board near Bisaw.

Breakfast in a local home or on board. Explore Bisaw Island, walk through farms and meet the
villagers. Join the men in their boats to share the experience of Nile fishing. Sail to Edfu, Ride to
visit the Temple of Horus. Lunch on board. Dinner and night stay on board in El Hegz.

Day 5

Breakfast on board. Visit Bisaw Island and village, join the men in their boats to share the experience of Nile fishing, walk through farms and meet the villagers. Sailing to El Selsela ancient sandstone quarry and shrines. Special barbeque dinner by moonlight.

Breakfast in a local home in Bisaw village, where we take a leisurely walk through a farm, meet some of the women and children and learn how the unique sun bread is baked in homes here. We are welcomed by the local fishermen to their boats, learning of the skills of these men who live in harmony with the Nile. Fish caught can be enjoyed as part of dinner that evening.

Lunch onboard and continue sailing to El Selsela where we take a short walk parallel to the Nile to visit shrines and a massive quarry. Large amounts of sandstone was quarried here for temple building in Thebes (Luxor). Cut into the rock are the speos (chapel) of Horemheb with its sanctuary containing rock shrines and various stelae and inscriptions. The huge quarry gives context to how much building material was sourced from this area. There is also an area of sand here where children (and children at heart) can slide and play.

Resume sailing until we reach a place for a special barbeque dinner by moonlight. Overnight stay on board.

Day 6

Breakfast on board. Sail to Esna. Check out the dahabiya after breakfast. We visit the Temple,
restored caravanserai and market. Esna is part of the Luxor governorate, we drive about an hour
from Esna to Luxor.
Visit Karnak and Luxor temple.
The tour duration about 3-4 hours.
Night stay in Luxor .

Day 7

Check out the hotel
Visit The Valley of the Kings, The Colossus of Memnon and Hatshepsut temple.
The tour duration is 5-6 hours.
Lunch at a farmer’s house. A good chance to meet local people. The lunch includes a
brief cookery lesson. You can replace this with lunch in a regular restaurant.
Transfer to Luxor airport and fly to Cairo.
Arrive in Cairo airport and transfer to the hotel.
Night stay in Cairo.

Optional Tours :-
● Hot air balloon ride over the west bank during the sun rise. The tour duration is about 2 hours,
include 50 minutes flight.

Day 8

Visit the Egyptian museum. Including King Tut Ankh Amon collection.
lunch at Abo Tarek, famous for Koshri as the most common fast food in Egypt, mix of
rice, pasta, lentils , chickpeas, fried onion, and tomato sauce.
Walking tour in Downtown Cairo. The most famous among the area is Tahrir square,
the birth place of Egypt’s great revolution and visit the places where important evens
happened during Egypt revolution.
Visit the citadel. Including the Alabaster mosque of Mohamed Ali.
Walking tour in El Moez St, of Medieval Cairo. The most preserved area with medieval
Islamic architecture such as Mosques, Houses, markets, and other Medieval
architecture. It’s a perfect place to experience the local culture of Egypt today.
Visit Khan El Khalili market.
The tour duration 9-10 hours.

Visit the Egyptian museum, including the King Tutankhamun collection and the Animals Mummies room. OR visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, when it opens. The museum contains a vast collection of artifacts and gives you an understanding of the richness of the art and culture once situated at many of the sites you will visit elsewhere in Egypt.

Lunch at Abo Tarek restaurant which is famous for koshari, the most common fast food in
Egypt, a mix of rice, pasta, lentils , chickpeas, fried onion, and tomato sauce.

The Citadel was built to protect Cairo from the Crusaders, construction under Saladin began
in 1176 AD. The impressive fortress includes museums, palaces, mosques and terraces with expansive views over Cairo. Rulers of Egypt lived here for about 700 years. The highlights are
the Mohamed Ali mosque, also known as the Alabaster mosque, built 1830-1848 AD and including the tomb of Mohamed Ali, and Al-Nasir Mohammed Mosque.

Walking tour in Al-Mu’izz Street, the area with the best preserved medieval Islamic
architecture: mosques including Azhar mosque and university, madrasa (schools), houses with exquisite details, mausoleums, sabils (public fountains for drinking water), wikalas (caravanserai), Sufi monasteries, synagogues, and markets. Our visit to Khan el Khalili market is a unique experience of walking through a bazaar which began its life in 1382 and continues its vibrant life
in modern Egypt. It is an opportunity to see examples of many Egyptian crafts and Fishawy, a historic cafe.
Overnight stay in Cairo.