Classic Egypt - 10 Days Round Trip

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Arrive in the Land of the Pharaohs at Cairo International airport. After luggage pick up and customs clearance, an Atlantis Tours representative will welcome and escort you to your hotel by the great pyramids.

Overnight: Hotel Conrad El Nil, Cairo

We start our holiday in Egypt with a tour of the Giza Pyramids and the Sfinx. The pyramids of Cheops, Chefren, and Mykerinos are commonly called the Giza Pyramids. They are built approx. 2700-2400 BC. We will enter one of the pyramids before we stop at the view plateau for photos. The tour of the Pyramids ends with the mysterious “Sphinx”, which gives a beautiful view of the three pyramids in the background.

After lunch, we head to the Great Egyptian Museum, to explore the ancient artifacts. The oldest dates back to 3000 BC. 

​Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Hotel Conrad El Nil, Cairo

We drive to Cairo Airport for the early morning flight to Luxor.

Upon arrival to Luxor, we will be escorted to our Cruise ship for check-in, and then we start our sight-seeing program. “City of the dead” is situated on the west side of the Nile and contains numerous tombs. We will visit The Valley of the Kings, the burial ground of the pharaohs, which sure is one of the highlights of the tour.

The guide will lecture us about the history of each tomb from outside before we enter the impressive splendor of ancient architecture you can imagine. The long corridors have impressive reliefs and natural beautiful colors that have remained for over 3,500 years.

There will be a brief stop at a local stonemason making souvenirs such as small statues, vases, and several other items that may be of interest to you. Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is another impressive architectural carved structure. In this temple the world’s first documentary is depicted on the walls, picturing the expedition to the other side of the Red Sea. This is also considered the world’s first foreign relation between two countries.

On our way back to the cruise ship, we will stop by the Colossi of Memnon, and learn about the mythology and history of these two iconic statues.

Back on the cruise boat, we will enjoy dinner and the night on the Nile.

​Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Overnight: Nile Cruise

Morning visit to the temple of Horus in Edfu. The Edfu temple is not only the best preserved of Egypt’s temples but also the second largest, right after Karnak. We have a great deal of information about its construction since Edfu is very young – “only” 2200 years! It was believed that the temple was built on the site of the great battle between Horus and Seth. Here we can see the battle between Horus and Seth on temple walls, as well as fantastic festivals. The world’s first library was found here.

Today we enjoy the breeze on the sundeck while cruising down the Nile, watching the locals, farmers, and fishermen, cows, camels, small children waiving to you.

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In the afternoon we arrive at the town of Kom Ombo, known for sugar production. Within a few meters walking from the docking, we find the only remaining double temple dedicated to the two gods Sobek & Haroeries. The temple is small but lovely and has a story to tell. This temple served as a hospital in ancient Egypt and is famous for the usage of medical instruments and calendars. The actual temple was started by Ptolemy VI, Philometor, in the early second century BC and the outer enclosure walls were built by Augustus sometime after 30 BC. Our cruise boat will continue its journey sailing 28 miles to Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Overnight: Mövenpick Nile Cruise

Excursion to maybe the most incredible temples. Situated by Lake Nasser, the sight of the temples of Pharaoh Ramses 2nd and his wife Queen Nefertari is an unimaginable experience. The temples are carved right out of the mountains and were moved by UNESCO to save them from flooding. Inside we find colors in unimaginably good condition of Ramses showing all his achievements. Giant statues of the Pharaoh are guarding the entrance.

We will enjoy a lovely afternoon in Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Overnight: Mövenpick Nile Cruise

Before we leave Aswan, we visit the Aswan High Dam, which produces electricity for all of Egypt as well as for export. Opened in 1972, and holds back the artificial Lake Nasser, which used to flood hundreds of temples and forced over 100,000 Nubians to move from their homes. The unfinished obelisk shows us how the ancient Egyptians were cutting massive pillars out of the mountain.

The Temple of Goddess Isis is perhaps the most beautiful temple in all of Egypt because of its incredible location in between two dams. The island of Agilika is reached by motorboat, a nice experience. The temple represents three great civilizations; Egyptian, Greek, and Roman. When Aswan High Dam was constructed in the 1960s, the temple was dismantled and reassembled on a neighbor island.

It is time to leave Aswan, and we head to the airport for a flight to Cairo. Upon arrival, our representatives will welcome you back, and escort you to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast 

Overnight: Hotel

Visit the churches of Old Cairo, where we will see al-Moallaqa Church called “The Hanging Church” as it was built upon the remains of the Fortress of Babylon from the late 4th century, as well as Ben Ezra Synagogue, better known as the church of St. Mary. This is the site where the Holy Family stayed during their time in Egypt.

Then we will continue to the Citadel of Salah el-Din from 1198, and visit the mosque of Mohamed Ali from 1856. From the top, we have a great view over Cairo.

We end our day visiting the famous bazaars of Khan el Khalili. This is the largest old market in the Middle East, dating back to the 1600th century. In the tiny alleyways, there are hundreds of shops and booths where you can watch blacksmiths work precious metals.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch    

Overnight: Hotel

Choose between two full-day excursions today. 

1.    Saqqara & Dashur:

Saqqara is located around 20 miles south of Cairo. It is the richest archaeological site in Egypt. Recently archeologist has discovered tombs and numerous coffins with mummies. In the desert of Saqqara, we find the 4,700-year-old limestone pyramid of Pharaoh Zozer. 

It was constructed in the 3rd dynasty – approx. 2,670 BCE and is Egypt's oldest pyramid. 

In the same area, we will visit The Serapeum. This is the mausoleum of the god Apis. The Serapeum is a labyrinth underground with more than 20 sarcophagi for bulls. 

The Mastaba of Ti is a finely and detailed decorated tomb made for Ti. He was overseer of Abu Sir Pyramids and sun temples in the 5th dynasty. The mastaba of Ti was discovered by Auguste Mariette in 1865. The decorations include daily life, harvesting, and fishing.

The largest tomb complex in Saqqara is the tomb of Mereruka who was the vizier of King Teti 1 dating back to the 6th Dynasty (2323-2150 BCE) The tomb has magnificent wall paintings, a statue of Mereruka walking through a false door, and even a place of sacrifice. 

Dashur is located close to Saqqara. It is mostly known for the two pyramids of Pharaoh Snefru, 4th Dynasty, built from 2613 to 2589 BCE. Snefru was the father of Pharaoh Keops, who build the great pyramid of Giza.

The Bent Pyramid is a unique example of early pyramid development in Egypt, from the mastaba. The Red Pyramid was the first “true” smooth-sided pyramid ever built, and one of the best-preserved pyramids in all of Egypt. We will stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

2. Alexandria:

This is a day trip from Cairo by bus. We will be heading north towards the Mediterranean Sea. Approx. 2- 2,5 h driving from Cairo. On this tour, we will visit the Roman Amphitheater, The Roman Catacombs, the Pillar of Pompeii, and the new Library of Alexandrina. We will stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

The Roman Amphitheater Alexandria was used for several purposes. It is used as an odium where musical shows performed during the Roman period. The theater, at the time, had all the elements to host a perfect performance. It was like the dome that once stood over the stage and the section of the orchestra. In the Byzantine era, it was used as a conference hall. It was where important meetings like public assemblies and governmental summits take place.

Pompey’s Pillar Alexandria was erected in honor of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, as a sign of gratitude. 

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is built on a magnificent site alongside Alexandria's ancient harbor in the historic center of the city. The 11-story library can contain up to 4 million volumes of books and can be expanded up to 8 million by the use of compact storage. The library is designed by the Norwegian company “Snøhetta”. It opened in 2003.

Transfer to airport for flight from Cairo. We say goodbye to Egypt for now and go home with a suitcase full of souvenirs and a heart full of good memories.