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Egypt: Jewels Along the Nile
2009 Itinerary featuring 12 days from $4,890      River Cruising  Two Week  Value Season  
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Join Tauck's Egyptologists to delve into a fascinating civilization where architectural feats and antiquities still amaze thousands of years after their creation – an intriguing land of pyramids, temples, colossal statues, mummies, golden treasures, and hieroglyphic symbols. Tauck's Egypt tour includes a ride atop a camel and a sound & light show at the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza; a sail aboard a traditional felucca; stays at Egypt's finest hotels – including Pyramid-view rooms in Cairo, a Tauck exclusive – and visits to the temple complexes of Luxor, the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, Old Cairo, the Egyptian Museum and more.  And of course, no Egypt tour is complete without a cruise along the River Nile; Tauck guests spend four nights aboard Nile Adventurer, one of the best ships on the ancient river.
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2009 Itinerary


• Indicates day of cruising

Day 1: Welcome to Cairo
Tauck's Egypt tour begins at the Mena House Oberoi. A transfer is included from Cairo International Airport to your hotel, a sumptuous former royal hunting lodge. Your room looks out on to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramids of Giza. Since most international flights arrive between 3:00 and 11:00 PM local time, you might want to consider traveling to Egypt a day early and arrange a pre-stay in Cairo to ease the effects of jet lag before the first day of sightseeing on your Egypt tour begins.
Meals: A snack in your hotel room upon late arrival
Lodging: Mena House Oberoi, Cairo, Egypt

Day 2: The Sphinx, the Great Pyramid, and a camel rideEnjoy a camel ride on Day 2
A visit to the Pyramids is on every world-traveler's must-see list, and is an iconic image of your Egypt tour. Visit the Solar Boat Museum, whose main attraction is an ancient Egyptian cedarwood boat dating back 4,500 years. At Giza, see the Sphinx guarding the plateau, as it has for the same 4,500 years. Marvel at the Great Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu), a crowning architectural achievement. Cap the day with a camel ride among the Pyramids. Attend a welcome reception and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Mena House Oberoi, Cairo, Egypt

Day 3: Pyramids galore in Memphis, Sakkara and Dahshur
Travel to the site of Ancient Egypt's first capital, Memphis, for a look at some of Egypt's oldest antiquities. In Sakkara, visit the Teti Pyramid, and view the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the world's first monumental structure built of stone. Continue off-the-beaten-path to the less-often visited necropolis at Dahshur for a look at the numerous pyramids and temples there.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: Mena House Oberoi, Cairo, Egypt

Day 4: Luxor and the Temple of Karnak
Take a private charter flight to Luxor, site of ancient Thebes, where your Egypt tour continues at the vast Temple of Karnak, built over a span of 1,300 years, and one of the world’s largest temple complexes. Then enjoy a guided visit to the Luxor Museum, displaying rich archeological finds from the region’s temples and tombs.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Steigenberger Nile Palace Luxor

Day 5: Valley of the Kings and the start of your cruise
After sailing aboard a traditional felucca, board the Nile Adventurer to start your 4-night cruise along the Nile. On a major highlight of your Egypt tour, your Egyptologist guides you through the Valley of the Kings, where at least 62 ornately decorated tombs for the pharaohs were hidden, and the Valley of the Queens, revealing 80 tombs of royal family members; see the 15th-century BC Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Medinet Habu and the Workers' Village. Tonight, ride a horse-drawn carriage to the Temple of Luxor, noted for its avenue of sphinxes, grand colonnades, and colossal statues of Ramesses II.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Nile Adventurer

Day 6: A day on the Nile and a visit to Esna
Spend a day cruising the Nile, glimpsing life along the ancient river's banks. Arrive in Esna for visits to its Greco-Roman antiquities including the Temple of Khnum, constructed during the reign of Emperor Claudius. This evening, enjoy Egyptian wine and local beer at the Captain's welcome reception aboard the Nile Adventurer.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Nile Adventurer

Day 7: Cruising to Edfu and celebrating Egyptian culture
Continue your Egypt tour with another day on the river. After a morning at leisure aboard ship, you'll travel to Edfu for visits to the remarkably well-preserved Temple of Horus and the ancient stone quarries nearby. Join your shipmates tonight for a special evening featuring traditional Egyptian dress, cuisine, dancing and entertainment.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Nile Adventurer

Day 8: Kom Ombo, Aswan and a shipboard farewell
Discoveries abound on the last day of your unforgettable Nile Cruise, as your Egypt tour takes you to see the unusual double temples of Kom Ombo; the remarkable Aswan High Dam, completed in 1971; the Philae Temple dedicated to Isis, moved to its present location to save it from the rising waters caused by the dam; and the Unfinished Obelisk, still in the quarry where its carving was begun thousands of years ago. Tonight, the Captain and crew of Nile Adventurer bid you farewell at a gala dinner served by white-gloved waiters.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Aboard Nile Adventurer

Day 9: Across the desert to Abu Simbel and a flight to Cairo

You'll disembark Nile Adventurer in Aswan and set out across a corner of the Sahara Desert for Abu Simbel, in what was once the ancient kingdom of Nubia. Marvel at the Great Temple honoring Ramesses II – carved out of a cliff, with four 67-foot-high seated statues of the pharaoh at the entrance – and the adjacent Temple of Hathor, dedicated to his wife, Queen Nefertari. Fly to Cairo by private charter for a three-night stay at one of Egypt's finest hotels in a residential section of the city.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence, Cairo, Egypt

Day 10: Egyptian Museum and the "Boy King's" treasures
Explore the Egyptian Museum’s world-renowned collection of antiquities, many 5,000 years old, for yet another memorable experience on Tauck's Egypt tour. Behold treasures found in the tomb of the "Boy King," Tutankhamun, including his golden funeral mask, solid gold coffin, carved throne, and jewelry. "Meet" ancient rulers, including the might Ramesses II, face-to-face in the Royal Mummy Room. This evening's elaborate sound and light show at the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx in Giza is a spectacular way to end an unforgettable day.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch
Lodging: Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence, Cairo, Egypt

Day 11: Discovering Old Cairo
In Old Cairo, take a walking tour that visits the Church of St. Sergius, a 5th-century Coptic Christian Church; Ben Ezra Synagogue, built in 882; and the Amr ibn al-As Mosque, the first mosque on the continent of Africa; and the tomb of 20th-century Egyptian ruler King Farouk. Check out the spices and silks in the medieval bazaar of Khan el-Khalili, one of the biggest bazaars in the Middle East. Be sure to join us for a special farewell reception and dinner tonight, as your extraordinary Egypt tour concludes.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence, Cairo, Egypt

Day 12: Bound for home
Tour ends at Cairo. A transfer is included from the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo to Cairo International Airport; allow a minimum of 2 1/2 hours for flight check-in.
Meals: Breakfast

Experience Tauck's exciting Egypt tour with

a 4-night Nile River cruise – book today!



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