Egypt Nile Cruise Adventure

Featured Excursions: Your local expert will show you the 12th-century Citadel of Salah al-Din, the beautiful Alabaster Mosque and an unsurpassed collection of priceless artifacts, including mind-boggling treasures once buried with the boy king Tutankhamen at the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities.

Your tour of this historic city includes a visit to the Citadel of Salah al-Din, a massive compound containing mosques and museums and offering breathtaking views of Cairo. Founded in the seventh century by Arab conquerors, the Fatimid dynasty rulers made Cairo their capital and named it al-Qahira ("the Victorious"). The great sultan Salah al-Din built his citadel in the 12th century as a government center and bulwark against invading armies of Crusaders. Located high above the eastern end of Cairo on El-Moqattam Hill, the citadel was the home of Egypt's rulers for more than 700 years and is one of the oldest attractions in the city.

After the Ottoman ruler Muhammad Ali seized power in the 1800s, he restored the walls of the citadel and built numerous palaces, schools and government buildings inside. His masterpiece was the great Alabaster Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, which you'll have an opportunity to visit. Its two slender minarets were Muhammad Ali’s declaration of independence from Istanbul, as Ottoman law decreed that only a sultan could build a mosque with two minarets. The mosque's expansive Turkish-style interior is lit by a beautiful array of lamps suspended from the intricately decorated ceiling.

You'll also visit the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, established in 1900 and by far the most impressive collection of Egyptian antiquities and pharaonic treasures in the world. Located in the heart of Cairo, the museum displays an astonishing number of objects. Ancient Egyptian history began with the founding of the Old Kingdom around 3100 BC and lasted 3,000 years, until Alexander the Great conquered the country in 332 BC and ended the rule of the pharaohs. The museum's galleries are laid out in roughly chronological order as you move clockwise along the ground floor.

Featured Excursion: Temple of Karnak

Prepare to be amazed at the legendary Temple of Karnak, a massive and absolutely astounding site, with gigantic columns, broad avenues lined with stone sphinxes and halls of truly epic proportions. This evening, you’ll revel in a Welcome Reception and Dinner onboard.

Flights to Luxor depart early in the morning to optimize tour scheduling. After a short flight to Luxor on the east bank of the Nile, you can stroll through the grand avenues of sphinxes and halls of gigantic columns of the magnificent Temple of Karnak. This vast complex was originally established during the Middle Kingdom (1991-1633 BC), and various dynasties over the next 1,300 years continued to expand it. Karnak is a massive and simply astounding site, reflecting the combined achievements of many generations of ancient builders—as many as 80,000 laborers took part in its creation during the 19th Dynasty alone.

Later, you'll board the elegant River Tosca and set sail for beautiful Dendera. Before dinner onboard this evening, guests will be treated to a folkloric dance performance. A local band of dancers, in traditional costumes representing different Egyptian districts, will perform a Whirling Dervish show.

Like its twin shrine, the Temple of Karnak, the Temple of Luxor stands on the site of ancient Thebes, the once flourishing capital of Egypt’s New Kingdom. It was built over hundreds of years and even in ruins it is still an extraordinary place. You'll also visit the Temple of Hathor, dedicated to the goddess of love and beauty.

Featured Excursions: Colossi of Memnon, Hatshepsut Temple and Valley of the Kings

The word "colossal" will take on a whole new meaning after today's excursion to the gigantic twin statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. And that's just the beginning—you'll also visit the temple of one of Egypt's rare female pharaohs, Hatshepsut, as well as the Valley of the Kings, used as a royal burial place for nearly 500 years and where the mummified remains of Tutankhamen are on display.

After dinner onboard tonight, guests will enjoy a Galabeya Party with music, dancing and singing by crew members. Guests are encouraged to bring their own Galabeya clothing.

Optional Excursion: Hot Air Balloon Ride

In the morning, visit Kom Ombo Temple dedicated to a crocodile god (don't miss the display of some of the 300 mummified crocs found in the local area). Later in the afternoon, enjoy high tea at the historic Old Cataract Hotel Aswan, a colonial-era gem that counts Winston Churchill and Princess Diana among its former guests. This famous hotel was depicted in Agatha Christie's acclaimed mystery novel Death on the Nile.

Featured Excursion: Philae Temple

The highlight today is the beautiful Philae Temple complex, originally situated on the island of Philae. It was painstakingly transferred to the island of Agilika after the construction of the Aswan High Dam to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, a daunting UNESCO-funded endeavor that took 10 years to complete. The three principal monuments on the island all date from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods—the Kiosk of Trajan, the Temple of Hathor and the Temple of Isis.

In the afternoon, you'll also take a boat ride in traditional Nile River felucca sailboat.

After dinner onboard this evening, you'll be treated to an enchanting Nubian show featuring traditionally attired performers, live music and dancing.

Spend the day at leisure or join us for an optional excursion to see the magnificent temples of Abu Simbel.

Optional Excursion: Abu Simbel

Fly to Abu Simbel and discover the commanding twin temples of Ramses II and his favorite wife, Queen Nefertari. The former's facade is dominated by four 70-foot tall statues of the pharaoh. Perhaps even more impressive, this entire site was disassembled and moved here to save it from the floodwaters caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

On today's excursion, you'll learn how the Temple of Esna was buried under debris for many centuries and is one of the last great Egyptian temples ever built. Your Egyptologist guide will share all sorts of fascinating insights about this significant cultural site and show you the façade bearing the last known hieroglyphic inscriptions ever recorded in Egypt. Later, savor the Nile's majestic scenery as the ship cruises to Luxor.

Disembark in Luxor and transfer to the airport for your return flight to Cairo. Flights to Cairo depart early in the morning to optimize tour scheduling. Then, check in to your luxury hotel where you'll have time to relax before dinner.

Optional Excursion: NMEC Royal Mummies Museum

Featured Excursions: Ancient Memphis sites, including the Pyramids of Giza with small pyramid entry, the Great Sphinx and Sakkara visit

It's a day of Bucket List Moments today as we venture to Ancient Memphis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a number of amazing monuments to see—including the enigmatic Great Sphinx. You'll have a thrilling opportunity to view the pyramids from an up-close perspective, the only way to fully appreciate their remarkable size and grandeur.

Venture forth to Ancient Memphis, the capital of Egypt's Old Kingdom and now a vast UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing a number of extraordinary monuments. You'll see the colossal statue of Ramses II and the Alabaster Sphinx, as well as the Step Pyramid of King Zoser (or Djoser) in nearby Sakkara, the oldest pyramid in the world and the prototype for all subsequent pyramids. The ancient architect and sage Imhotep initially designed the pyramid as a single story, then later added five more levels and covered the structure with a shell of fine limestone. In front of the pyramid, Imhotep built a stone structure containing a wooden box with two peepholes; peer inside and you'll see a life-size painted statue of King Zoser. The peepholes were created to allow the king's ka (life spirit) to communicate with the outside world.

At the Giza Necropolis, the face of ancient Egypt—the Great Sphinx—awaits your visit. With the body of a crouching lion and the head of a man, it is the largest monolith statue in the world. Experts believe that the Sphinx (known to the early Arabs as Abu al-Hol, "Father of Terror") was built in the 26th century BC during Khafre's reign, perhaps as a portrait of the pharaoh himself. Unfortunately, much of this monument has either eroded or been deliberately destroyed over the years. Some of its facial features are no longer intact, such as the beard and the nose—the latter of which was not shot off by Napoleon's soldiers, as widely believed, but chiseled away many centuries earlier. A number of excavations in modern times have removed the sand that built up around the Sphinx over the centuries and kept much of it buried. Despite its timeworn condition, the Sphinx still kneels gracefully as it has for thousands of years, looking toward the east with an enigmatic smile.

Today you'll also visit the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza. Beholding these legendary structures up close lets you appreciate their stone masonry and awe-inspiring architectural precision. Until as recently as the 19th century, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids—Khufu—was the tallest building in the world; when it was completed around the 26th century BC, it stood about 50 stories high.

Check out of your hotel and transfer to the Cairo International Airport (approx. 45 min - 1hr) for your flight home.

Arrive at Queen Alia International Airport. If your cruise/tour package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, a representative will be on hand to greet you and escort you to the stunning Amman Ritz-Carlton.

Amman, the capital city of Jordan, is a relatively young city, but with a history that goes back thousands of years.

About 1 hour's drive north of Amman is Jerash, the best-preserved Roman town outside of Rome. Hidden for centuries in sand before being excavated and restored over the past 70 years. The site is massive, for anyone who has the opportunity to explore Ephesus or other Roman towns, this site blows them all out of the water! From colonnaded streets to theatres to the massive Hadrian's Gate, it can take a couple of hours to have a quick walk through the site.

What to See: Hadrian's Arch, Temple of Artemis, Oval Plaza, Colonnaded Street, Temple of Zeus, South and North Theaters, Hippodrome, The Jerash Archaeological Museum

The ancient city of Petra is one of Jordan's national treasures and by far its best known tourist attraction. Located about three hours south of Amman, Petra is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2,000 years ago. Petra is now a UNESCO World Heritages Site and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

Petra's most famous monument, the towering facade of the Treasury is only one of a myriad of architectural wonders to be explored. Various walks and climbs reveal literally hundreds of tombs and temple facades, funerary halls and reliefs carved into rock. Other must-see structures include a 3000-seat Amphitheatre from the early 1st century AD, a Roman-style Palace Tomb, the gigantic 1st century Monastery as well as the 13th century shrine of Moses's brother Aaron.

Visitors can grasp the history of this specific area by walking to sites like Little Petra and the little monastery to witness the beginnings of the Rose City. Do not miss the Petra Archaeological Museum and Petra Nabataean Museum.

To visit Petra during daylight is awe-inspiring; to experience it at night by the light of 1,800 candles is truly out-of-this-world! Walk through the Siq to the Khazneh following a candle-lit path and enjoy the haunting music of the Bedouins at the Treasury.

The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. It's elevation is 1,312 feet below sea level making it the lowest place on earth. The water's salinity is 34 percent. The Earth's oceans have an average salinity of 3.5 percent. Float in the incredibly bouyant, restorative waters of the Dead Sea. After a quick dip, slather yourself with the thick, clay-like Dead Sea mud, bake the mud into your skin in the warm sunlight, and then soak it off in the mineral-rich salt waters.

A visit to Amman is not complete without exploring the Amman Citadel atop Jebal Al-Qal'a, where you will find the remains of Hercules temple, the Umayyad Palace and Byzantine church. Even if history does not interest you, the Amman citals offers panoramic 360 degree views of the sprawling city where limestone washed white buildings cover almost every square space of land. Climb to the top of the Roman Amphitheatre for another great photo opportunity.

Check out of your hotel and transfer to the Queen Alia International Airport for your flight home.