Day 01: Cairo
Arrival at Cairo International Airport, Meet and greeted by our representative who will assist groups through immigration and customs formalities. Transfer to Hotel & check-in.
Overnight in Cairo.
Day 02: Cairo /Aswan
Breakfast. Excursion tour to visit, one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the Pyramids of Giza (Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus), Cheops is the most colossal ever built. Next is a close-up look at the sphinx - a huge funeral complex guarded by the legendary lion body with the face of king Chephren. Then visit Egyptian Museum of antiquities. On display is a rare collection of 5000 years of art the largest most precious collection of Egyptian art in the world. Over 250,000 genuine artefacts are presented, including an exhibit dedicated to the Tutankhamen collection of treasures, gold, and jewellery, as it was enclosed in his tomb for over 3,500 years before it was discovered in the 1920s when his tomb was excavated. Visit Khan El Khalili Bazaars (One of the earliest and greatest markets in the Middle East). After finish on proceed to Cairo Train Station to board the sleeper train to Aswan.
Dinner & Overnight on board.
Day 03: Aswan / Kom Ombo
Continental Breakfast. Arrival, meet & assist by our representative and Excursion tour to visit, Philae Temple (The Temple of Isis is one of the greatest Temples in Egypt and it occupies about a quarter of the island. It is the main Temple on the island, with its huge, complete, pylons and beautiful scenes), High Dam (One of the most outstanding architectural achievements of the twentieth century. It was constructed to replace the old Aswan dam built in 1902. The High dam was constructed to protect Egypt from the floods as well as providing irrigation and electricity all over Egypt. It is 3600 meters long. Visitors can easily locate lake Nasser which is a huge water reservoir) and Unfinished Obelisque (The beautiful red granites that were used in building the temples and monuments in the ancient days were brought from the quarries of Aswan. Now while you are on a trip to the Unfinished Obelisk you can see innumerable inscriptions in the area around the quarries. These are probably the descriptions of the various quarrying projects that were undertaken in the past days). Transfer to Nile Cruise. Lunch on board Sail to Kom Ombo. Afternoon Tea.
Dinner & Overnight on board.
Day 04: Kom Ombo / Edfu / Luxor
Breakfast. Visit the Kom-Ombo Temple (Located in Kom Ombo town, 45 km north of Aswan. It is built on a hillside overlooking the Nile. This temple was constructed in the Ptolemaic Roman era for the worship of god Haroeris and Sobek, the crocodile god. It is noted for relief engravings on its walls which show ancient surgical tools, bone saws and dentistry tools. Nearby there are three mummified crocodiles. They are now in Hathor's chapel). Sail to Edfu. Visit The Edfu Temple (Lies in Edfu town, 123 km north of Aswan on the west bank of the Nile. It dates to the Ptolemaic period. It was dedicated to the worship of god Hours represented as a falcon. It is one of the most beautiful Egyptian temples, distinguished by its huge splendid structure that blends Pharaonic and Greek architecture. Its grandeur competes with Luxor temples. It is the second largest temple after Karnak. It also houses the Nilometer and a huge pylon at the entrance). Cross the lock. Sail to Luxor. Afternoon Tea. Dinner on board & Galabya party.
Dinner & Overnight in Luxor.
Day 05: Luxor
Breakfast. Visit the West Bank including: Valley of the Kings (Is a valley in Egypt where for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth through Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, across from Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis.), Colossi of Memnon (The two colossi are made of sandstone, which during ancient times was brought from Gabal El Silselah. Each colossus, including the pedestal and the crown, is about 21m tall and represents King Amenhotep III seating on his throne, wearing the Memes, or royal headdress, with the divine cobra protecting his forehead. On the sides of the colossi there is a representation of the Nile god Hapi, bending together the lotus and the papyrus plants, symbolizing the union of Upper and Lower Egypt) and Temple of Queen Hatshepsute (Hatshepsut was the fifth Pharaoh of the18th-dynasty who was one of the handful of female rulers in Ancient Egypt. Her reign was the longest of all the female pharaohs. Her funerary temple still stands as a tribute to her incredible rise to power).
Dinner & Overnight in Luxor.
Day 06: Luxor / Cairo
Breakfast. Disembarkation. Excursion tour to visit the Karnak Temple, which is a serious of temples, built in different reigns. Starting by the Avenue of Sphinxes visit the Unfinished Propylon, the Hypostyle Hall with it's 134 gigantic columns, the Obelisks of Queen Hatshepsute and Tutomosis III, the temple of Amon adorned with lotus and papyrus designs, the Granite Scarbeus of Amenophis III and the Sacred Lake. After finish on proceed to Luxor Train Station to board the sleeper train to Cairo.
Dinner & Overnight on board.
Day 07: Cairo
Continental Breakfast. Arrival, meet & assist by our representative and transfer to your hotel, after check in, start your Trip Visiting The Old part of Cairo, as Egypt was one of the first countries to embrace Christianity. We visit The Church of Abu-Sergah and St. Barbara, The Hanging Church, and we will also visit The Old Jewish Synagogue Ben Ezra Synagogue.
Overnight in Cairo.
Day 08: Cairo / Alexandria
Breakfast. Transfer from Cairo to Alexandria by A/C car, arrival Alexandria, transfer to your hotel, after check in, start your Trip Visiting the Roman Theatre (A theatre with marble seats up to 800 spectators, Galleries, Section of mosaic flooring & a pleasure garden surrounded by Roman Villas & baths). Then visit Pompay's Pillar, Followed by visit to the Catacomb of Kom El-Shoqafa (Tombs on three levels, also contains The Triclinium where relatives used to sit on stone benches to feast the dead, a center with relieves of bearded serpents. Inside, there are 2nd Century AD statues of Sobek & Anubis wearing Roman Armor).Followed by Visiting Montazah Garden, Alexandria Library & Also from out side you will Visit Qaytbay Citadel & El Mursi Abu El Abbas.
Overnight in Alexandria.
Day 09: El Alamein / Marsa Matrouh
Breakfast. Transfer from Alexandria by A/C car to El Alamein, the site of one of the most famous battles in World War II. In October 1942, Allied troops under the command of General Bernard Montgomery defeated the Axis forces led by one of most brilliant German commanders, General Erwin Rommel (The Desert Fox), in a battle that changed the course of the war in North Africa. It is incredible to imagine that war was conducted in such harsh and hostile desert conditions. We visit the Commonwealth War Cemetery and the German and Italian War Memorial. In our free time you can also make an optional visit to the War Museum, which has a collection of tanks and other artefacts from the battles. Then continue to the coastal town of Marsa Matrouh, which is renowned for its white, sandy beaches and clear, blue waters.
Overnight in Marsa Matrouh.
Day 10: Tobruk
Breakfast. Drive to the border at Amsaad or Al-Burdi. Arrival, meet & assist by our Libyan Representative and transfer to Tobruk. This is another famous site from World War II and a place where many Australian soldiers became heroes. Known as the Rats of Tobruk, 14,270 Australian soldiers (out of a total of approximately 24,000 troops) participated in a siege that lasted 240 days from May to December 1941 and ultimately inflicted the first major German defeat in the war. We visit the war cemetery and pay our respects to those who lost their lives.
Overnight in Tobruk.
Day 11: Cyrene / Al-Bayda
After breakfast we continue to Cyrene, one of the most significant ancient Greek archaeological sites in the world and a most notable highlight of any visit to Libya. As legend has it, Cyrene was founded in 631 BC by settlers who originally came from the Greek island of Thera (known today as Santorini). It soon expanded with more settlers coming from other parts of Greece, enticed by the promise of prime farming land. By the 4th Century BC, it had become a major cultural centre and a place of great wealth. Ensuing rulers ranging from Alexander the Great to the Ptolemies and the Romans held sway over the city, but it suffered from devastating earthquakes in 262 AD and 365 AD. By 643 AD it had lost all power and significance and was taken over by Islamic armies. We enjoy a guided tour of these fabulous ruins and imagine what life must have been like in its glory days. From the ancient gymnasium we make our way past the agora, which was the main public square. The highlight is a climb up to the Temple of Zeus, which is located on the top of a steep hill.
Overnight in the nearby town of Al-Bayda.
Day 12: Apollonia / Benghazi
We visit another nearby set of ancient ruins - the city of Apollonia, which was the port for Cyrene. Whilst it is not as extensive as Cyrene, it is still well worth a visit with an impressive Greek theatre located in the far eastern part of the site. Our next stop is the small town of Qasr Libya, which has a small, but fascinating, museum in the Eastern Church that houses an impressive collection of Byzantine mosaics dating back to the 6th Century. We continue to Libya's second largest city, Benghazi, where we have a chance to wander the narrow streets and explore the souk in evocative old part of town.
Overnight in Benghazi.
Day 13: Sirt / Zliten
We continue to make our way across the North African coast from one end of the Gulf of Sirt to the other. On the way we stop at the quaint modern city of Sirt, which is the birthplace of Colonel Gaddafi. There is virtually nothing left of the old city and the main sights of interests are the revolutionary murals, which include many portraits of the Libyan leader. We finish our day at the town of Zliten, which is our base for exploring Leptis Magna tomorrow.
Dinner & Overnight in Zliten.
Day 14: Leptis Magna / Tripoli
Today we visit outstanding Leptis Magna, one of the greatest ancient sites in the world. Dating back to the 7th Century BC, it was originally a Phoenician trading port and prospered for nearly 1000 years, before Vandal invasions and sand storms brought its downfall. In its heyday during the reign of Libyan Emperor Septimus Severus, it was second only to Rome and was home to over 100,000 people. This vast city remained buried for some 1300 years, and it wasn’t until the 1920s that a major excavation by Italian and Libyan archaeologists revealed the limestone and marble wonders that we explore today. We spend most of the day wandering around this amazing place and visit the excellent Leptis Museum and impressive amphitheatre, before continuing to the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
Overnight in Tripoli.
Day 15: Tripoli
We visit the Jamahiriya Museum, which was built with the help of UNESCO and is one of the best museums in North Africa. It contains an impressive collection of Roman and Islamic artefacts, including fine mosaics mostly lifted from nearby Sabratha and Leptis Magna. We also explore the old whitewashed medina (old city), which is full of mosques and is the historic heart of Tripoli. Compared to the bazaars in Istanbul, Marrakech and Cairo, the old souk here is quiet and peaceful. No one seems to be in a hurry and we have time to explore at our leisure. We make a stop at the Gurgi Mosque and the Arch of Marcus Aurelius, which is the last structure remaining from 163 AD, when Tripoli was an ancient Roman city known as Oea.
Overnight in Tripoli.
Day 16: Tripoli
Breakfast. Transfer to Tripoli International Airport for departure.