Egypt: A Moment in History

Your exciting journey to the “Land of the Pharaohs” begins today when you arrive in Cairo. On arrival, proceed through Customs and Immigration before you are met by an Abercrombie & Kent representative and transferred to your hotel, located on the banks of the Nile River just 30 minutes from the Great Sphinx and the Great Pyramid.

Your morning is at leisure. In the afternoon, visit the Giza Plateau, location of the pyramids of Mycerinus, Chefren and the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The largest of the three, Cheops is the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Resting in front of the Pyramid of Chefren is the Sphinx, the guardian of the royal tombs from the third millennium BC. Measuring 190 feet long and 65 feet high, it was carved out of a single piece of rock in the shape of a lion with a pharaoh's head.

This morning, visit the world-famous Egyptian Museum of Antiquities with your local guide. Housing more than 120,000 relics including some dating back to 4000 BC, the museum gives you an introduction to the different periods of ancient Egypt and their individual artistic and architectural styles. Marvel at the treasures recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun, including his golden funerary mask — one of the most extraordinary works of art ever created. Continue to Sakkara, the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis, whose surviving monuments include the famous Step Pyramid, the world's oldest freestanding stone structure.

This morning you may choose an optional excursion (at additional cost) to Abu Simbel. Fly this morning to the site of the magnificent temple of Ramses II. It is actually two temples: the Great Temple of Ra-Harakhte, fronted by the four colossal statues of Ramses II, and the Temple Queen Nefertari, the pharaoh’s beloved wife, dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Fly south along the Nile to Aswan to begin your three-night Nile cruise on board Sanctuary ‘Sun Boat IV’. Later this afternoon, pay a visit to the granite quarries that supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in the pyramids and temples. Here you find the enormous Unfinished Obelisk. Weighing 1,200 tons, it is a fine example of the extraordinary skills and techniques used by the ancient Egyptian stonemasons. This evening, enjoy complimentary cocktails and a selection of canapés before a delicious gourmet dinner prepared by your on-board chef.

Board a motorized boat to the island of Agilika and the majestic Temple of Philae; it was moved here and reconstructed to protect it from flooding, a by-product of the Aswan High Dam’s construction. Afterward, visit the symmetrical Temple of Kom Ombo, a double temple built at a bend in the Nile where crocodiles once basked in the sun. One of its sides is dedicated to Sobek (the crocodile god); the other is dedicated to Haroeris (the sun god). Cruise to Edfu and the Temple of Horus. Later, attend a festive, costumed “Egyptian Night” party on board, featuring a lavish buffet of local fare, music and dance.

Set out to discover the expansive Temple of Luxor and the Temple of Karnak, built by generations of pharaohs over a thousand-year period. Its Great Hypostyle Hall features a forest of stone columns covering more than 50,000 square feet. After lunch, explore the west bank of Luxor, home to the Valley of the Kings, where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were laid to rest. Magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rocks and filled with treasures for the afterlife by many pharaohs over the years. Explore the Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s first female pharaoh. Tonight, attend a farewell dinner on ‘Sun Boat IV.’

This morning, transfer to the airport for return flight to Cairo, where you absorb the city’s history from the medieval period to the present day, where a new spirit of freedom and optimism fills the air. Explore the mosque and madrasa (Koranic school) of Sultan Hassan. Built in AD 1356, it is one of the largest in the world and among the finest examples of early Mamluk architecture. You also embark on an enjoyable walking tour from Bab el-Fotouh to the ancient thoroughfare of the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, once the heart of the old walled city of Cairo and where stalls now display spices, leather goods and jewelry. This part of the bazaar — where Egyptians themselves go to bargain for everyday items — is certain to thrill your senses as you pass licorice-tea-sellers, spice markets with obscure roots and magical powders, black-swathed women, wicker baskets of birds, and brightly-painted donkey-carts of watermelon and mangos.

Today your journey comes to an end when you are transferred to the airport for your departure flight.