Cairo & Felucca Cruise

Arrived in Cairo. You will be welcomed by our local representative, then transferred to the hotel.

After breakfast, we set off to discover the Giza Plateau, one of the most famous historical sites on the planet. This rocky plateau overlooking the Nile Valley is home to the Giza necropolis, a vast funerary complex used notably under the IVth dynasty. It contains the three main tombs which represent the largest pyramids in Égypte, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Kheops is the tallest and most voluminous of the three. It evokes the quintessence of Egyptian monumental architecture.

We have lunch in a typical restaurant before heading to the famous National Museum. The latter was founded in 1857 by Auguste Mariette Pacha, a French specialist in ancient Égypte studies.

We are transferred to Giza railway station to board the night train (first-class sleeper car), which takes us to Assouan.

Upon arriving in Aswan, we head to the Temple of Philae dedicated to Isis. It is located on an island south of the city. Its bas-reliefs, frescoes and capitals make it one of the finest sanctuaries in the country.

Next, we board our felucca to embark on a beautiful Nile Cruise.

Lunch on the Nile.

Dinners and nights on the banks of the Nile.

Throughout the adventure, navigations and boat rides succeed one another on the banks of the river, sometimes desert-like where sand glides, sometimes rural where we admire little paradises made up of palm groves, mango trees, banana trees or even sugarcane fields.

We walk through small typical and colorful villages that allow us to soak up the local culture and meet with the inhabitants, particularly Nubians. For this, we pass through Baharif, Iqlit, Bachir, El Hoch, Farès and Baklaouis.

We travel through the Wadi el Chott, a sumptuous landscape of sand and sandstone and explore the quarries of Djebel Silsileh which were used to build the greatest temples of Thebes.

We have the opportunity to stroll through the typical village of Daraw and visit its large camel market which takes place every Friday and Saturday.

If we embark on a Monday evening or Tuesday morning, we can attend the largest livestock market in the region in the same village.

We treat ourselves to a short cruise to reach the temple of Kom-Ombo, a temple from the Ptolemaic era. This religious building is dedicated both to the hawk god Haroeris and the crocodile god Sobek.

We take a short boat ride to reach Edfou. There we find the Temple of Horus which impresses us at its entrance with two beautiful black granite statues illustrating this falcon-headed god.

We take a private car to return to Luxor.

Arriving in Luxor around noon, we set off to visit the Karnak complex, a large ensemble of various structures: temple ruins, chapels, pylons and much more. This site was rebuilt and developed over more than 2,000 years by successive pharaohs.

Subsequently, we head to the Luxor temple which is dedicated to the god Amon. This building, located in the heart of ancient Thebes, was built largely during the XVIIIth and XIXth dynasties. We will see a large pylon and a sanctuary representing the residence of Amon Opet. We can cross two large peristyle courts as well as a monumental colonnade connecting these courts.
Return to the boat.

We set off to discover the Valley of the Kings which impresses us with its three tombs and 62 burials. We also discover the Valley of the Queens which features 2 tombs with 75 burials.

Next, we head to the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut. This site is located at the top of a series of terraces. We take long ramps surrounded by gardens to access it. Among the fascinating decorations of the temple, we admire sculptures that tell the story of the divine birth of the pharaoh.

In late afternoon, we are transferred to the station, where we board the night train (first-class sleeper car), heading to Cairo.

Upon arrival in Cairo, our guide welcomes us at the station, before leading us to the Old Cairo, where we will discover sumptuous buildings:

• The Coptic Museum which was founded in 1910 by Marcus Simaïka. Its extensive collection of objects, fabrics, manuscripts, icons, artifacts and texts from the Early Christian period makes it the world's richest museum of Coptic art.

• Church of Saint Mary, built during the patriarchate of Isaac. The mosaics that adorn the courtyard of this famous Christian building in Cairo trace the journey of the Holy Family in Égypte during the time of the slaughter of the innocents in Judea.

• The Mosque of Amr, the first built on the African continent. It has undergone numerous restorations and blends elements from different periods.

After breakfast, we are transferred to Cairo airport to take our international flight.