Cairo, Pyramids, Aswan, Nile Cruise, Luxor ( 8 Nights / 9 Days )

Day1 Arrival in Cairo, Egypt.A welcome drink awaits you at your hotel; settle in and start soaking up the atmosphere of this exciting city.

Day2 Cairo. The Pyramids.Meet your Egyptologist and traveling companions at 8 a.m. Sightseeing in and around Africa's largest metropolis starts at the EGYPTIAN MUSEUM with Tutankhamon's fabulous treasures, an exciting first encounter with the splendor of three millennia of Egyptian civilization. Then leave for ancient MEMPHIS to admire the 40-foot statue of Ramses II and the Alabaster Sphinx. On to SAKKARA'S "stairway to the sky," the oldest of all pyramids. Finally, at GIZA, a close-up look at the enigmatic SPHINX and the daunting Great Pyramids. Cheops, with an original height of 496 feet, is the most colossal ever built. A suggestion for tonight: enjoy an optional dinner cruise on the Nile River. (BB)

Day3 Cairo-Aswan.Time this morning for independent activities or to join an optional excursion to walled Old Cairo. Saladin's 12th-century Citadel, the Alabaster Mosque and the labyrinthine bazaar are well worth a visit. In the afternoon fly 500 miles up the Nile Valley to the lovely resort town of Aswan. (BB,D)

Day4 In Aswan. Board Hotel Boat.Morning at leisure in Aswan. You may want to join an optional flight (weather permitting; approximately US$165) to the huge sandstone temples of Abu Simbel. Then check into your elegant hotel boat in time for lunch. In the afternoon, a special treat: board a felucca and sail right across the blue waters of the river. En route see the ancient "nilometer" on Elephantine Island, Kitchener Island's lush BOTANICAL GARDENS, and the splendid Aga Khan Mausoleum on the left bank. (BB,L,D)

Day5 Nile Cruise: Aswan, Kom Ombo.Morning excursion to the turn-of-the-century Old Dam, to this day the widest dam in the world, and the gigantic Aswan High Dam completed in 1970. Board a motor launch to the island of Agilka between the two dams and visit the TEMPLE OF ISIS transplanted from the submerged island of Philae. Also stop at the ancient GRANITE QUARRIES to see the famous, unfinished obelisk. Before lunch start your leisurely cruise down Egypt's river of destiny. Dock at KOM OMBO for a short walk to its bluff-top temple dedicated to the crocodile and falcon gods. Time to haggle for bargains in the local market before returning to the boat. (FB,L,D)

Day6 Nile Cruise: Edfu, Esna.Board a horse-drawn carriage for the drive through Edfu to the TEMPLE OF HORUS with its menacing black stone statue of the falcon god. Built in the time of Cleopatra about 2,000 years ago, it is recent by Egyptian standards and beautifully preserved. During the hottest part of the day sip a drink on the sun deck of your cruise boat and savor the panorama. See white-clad farmers with their donkeys, camels, and water buffaloes work lush green fields; and ever present on the horizon beyond the palm trees, the desert. In the afternoon visit Esna's colorful market and the SUNKEN TEMPLE devoted to the ram-headed deity Khnum. Tonight you dock at Luxor with a chance to take in the optional sound and light show at Karnak. (FB,L,D)

Day7 Nile Cruise: Luxor. Focus on the VALLEY OF KINGS and VALLEY OF QUEENS on the west bank of the Nile, where generations of pharaohs and nobles were buried in great splendor in crypts cut into the cliffs. Sixty-two royal tombs have been uncovered so far, of which one, the tomb of Tutankhamon, was nearly inviolate when discovered in 1922. Visit DEIR EL-BAHARI, Queen Hatshepsut's monumental rock temple. Also stop for pictures at the two COLOSSI OF MEMNON guarding the valleys. The afternoon is dedicated to LUXOR TEMPLE. (FB,L,D)

Day8 Luxor-Cairo. A grand finale to your sightseeing in the Nile Valley. See the stunning monuments of KARNAK, the greatest city of ancient Egypt. To walk among the pillars of the colossal TEMPLE OF AMON RA and along the AVENUE OF THE SPHINXES is an experience which you will treasure for the rest of your life. Late morning flight from Luxor back to Cairo. Afternoon at leisure to catch up on your postcard writing and souvenir shopping. Tonight's optional sound and light show at Giza might be just the way to top off an exciting touring adventure. (FB)