The group flight usually arrives in Cairo this evening. The welcome briefing will either take place this evening or tomorrow morning.Cairo Pyramids Hotel or similar

After breakfast we enjoy a full day tour of Cairo. We begin with a visit to the Egyptian Museum – home to the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts including the incredible golden riches of Tutankhamun’s tomb. We also explore Al Azhar mosque which dates back to AD970 and is Cairo’s oldest. The mosque is still frequently visited by locals to this day and we will need to cover up (long sleeves and trousers) to enter - as when entering all mosques. Women will also need to cover their hair with a scarf.Cairo Pyramids Hotel or similar

Pyramids and Great Sphinx of Giza.We begin our day with a visit to the Pyramids at Giza. Home to the Great Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus and the enduring and mysterious Great Sphinx, these great monuments to the afterlife defy the imagination. Only the throng of sightseers, Egyptian and foreign, milling around their huge foundations, keep the viewer in the 21st century. The afternoon is free to relax at our hotel, explore Cairo or join an optional excursion to Saqqara, Memphis, and Dahshur.Cairo Pyramids Hotel or similar

Today we embark on a tour of Cairo’s best food spots and discover some of the fantastic local cuisine available across the city – highlights are Mulukhiyah (soup), Ful Medames (beans) and Kushari (rice and macaroni). The tour also includes the bazaars of Khan el-Khalili located in the historic centre of Islamic Cairo. We’ll experience modern Cairo with a visit to Al Azhar park and a walk along the bustling El Moaz Street. We also aim to make a visit to the House of Arts and Culture - a music school (while we aim to visit, opening hours are quite limited). Donations of musical instruments such as violins, saxophones, drums or spare parts such as violin bows are welcomed.Cairo Pyramids Hotel or similar

Today we start by driving to Wadi El Natrun, an hour and a half away. The wadi is a depression that lies below sea level. Salts were extracted here by the ancient Egyptians to use for mummification. The area was important for early Christians, and we will visit Ek Anba Bishoy Monastery. We continue to El Alamein (a two hour drive away), the site of the famed allied victory during World War Two, where we will visit the War Cemetery and Military Museum. More than 80,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in the two battles. It was a decisive win for the Allies with Winston Churchill saying, "Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat". After visting El Alamein, we’ll continue to Alexandria, another two hour drive away.Metropole Paradise Inn or similar

Today we have a tour of Alexandria. Founded by Alexander the Great in 331BC, the city was home to the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and it’s Great Library was the largest of its time. Unfortunately, these parts of Egypt’s glorious history did not survive up to modern times but there is still much to see in this Mediterranean port city. Our tour begins with a visit of the city’s catacombs followed by the impressive Qaitbay Fortress and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina – Alexandria’s revival of the Great Library. In the afternoon, we return to Cairo (3-4 hours) to board our sleeper train to Aswan (which takes approximately 12 hours).Sleeper train

Arriving in Aswan during the morning, we spend the rest of the day exploring the Nubian way of life. We begin with a visit to the Nubian Museum, which chronologically charts the history and culture of the people, before enjoying Nubian lunch onboard a felucca while we explore the Nile. In the afternoon we have a tour of the Monastery of St. Simeon by camel and Animalia Nubian House (please see Responsible Travel section). We finish our day with a barbeque on the shores of an island in the Nile.Basma Hotel or similar

This morning we transfer to our cruise boat and have some time to relax before enjoying lunch on board. For the rest of the day there is the option to explore the Aswan market or attend the Sound and Light Show at Philae Temple.For those who want to do the optional visit to Abu Simbel, the tour starts at approximately 3.30am when we get picked up from the hotel. A breakfast box is provided. Around 8am we will arrive at the destination, where we are given around three hours to visit the temples. Built by Ramses II, the temples of Abu Simbel rank amongst the most impressive in the country and well worth the journey south across the Nubian Desert. We will be back in Aswan around 3pm.For our Sun Festival departures, the visit to Abu Simbel is included. The festival is a bi-annual event that has been taking place for over 3200 years. During the celebrations the sun perfectly aligns with the usually dark interior and lights up the seated statues of Ramses II, the sun god, Ra and the king of the gods, Amun. Only the statue of Ptah, the god of darkness, remains in the shadows. There are traditional Nubian dances being performed, street food everywhere (save stomach space for some fresh koshari) and live music outside the temple.M/S Esmeralda or similar

We begin today with a visit to the Philae Temple and Aswan High Dam. In the 1970s the temple was relocated by UNESCO to Aglika Island after it became evident that the original site of Philae would submerge on completion of the dam. This morning represents a magnificent and enduring testament to both ancient and modern engineering. After lunch we sail to Kom Ombo and visit the temple there before continuing our journey to Edfu which is where we will spend the night.M/S Esmeralda or similar

Waking in Edfu, we start our day exploring the city and its temples before sailing further north along the Nile. After crossing the Esna lock we reach our destination, Luxor, where we will have our final dinner on board and hopefully witness a stunning sunset over the river.M/S Esmeralda or similar

After breakfast on board we disembark in Luxor and explore the Valley of the Kings. For nearly 500 years this was the site of royal burials and it contains the tombs of over 62 pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramses III and IV. One ticket allows us to see three tombs. The ticket usually allows entry into what are regarded as the most impressive tombs, but if you have time a visit to the tomb of Ramses VI is also highly recommended. Visits to tombs are now strictly controlled to halt further deterioration of wall paintings - each tomb is periodically closed for a number of weeks. Afterwards we visit the massive stone statues of the Colossi of Memnon before transferring to our hotel.  The rest of the day is free to relax or wander around the streets of Luxor.Iberotel Luxor or similar

For our penultimate day we have a half day tour of Luxor’s east bank. Luxor is commonly called the world's greatest open-air museum and this morning we visit the extraordinary Karnak and Luxor temples which both stand within the modern city. There should also be an opportunity to visit the A.C.E animal hospital to learn about the efforts taken to improve animal welfare in Egypt. After a leisurely afternoon we enjoy our final dinner together at one of this historic city’s restaurants.Iberotel Luxor or similar

Our trip ends today. Those on the group flights will be taken to airport for the flight to London.