Egypt Family Holiday (2009)

After a morning at leisure, explore Cairo's famed Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and its fascinating Mummy Room. The neo-classical museum was built in 1900 and has amassed a collection of more than 120,000 items from the prehistoric age to the Greco-Roman era of Egypt, including the golden treasures extracted from the tomb of King Tutankhamun. This evening, attend a welcome dinner with your fellow travellers. Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza B D

Journey just outside Cairo to see the 4,500-year-old Giza Pyramids, including the great Pyramid of Cheops, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This massive structure consists of 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing 2.5 to 15 tons. Designed as the final resting place of the Pharaoh Cheops, the 481-foot high pyramid contains three burial chambers and items the ancient Egyptians thought the pharaoh would have needed in the afterlife. Just east lies the legendary Sphinx, whose human face is thought to represent that of King Chefren, the guardian of the pharaoh's funerary monument. Continue to the Solar Boat Museum to view the 141-foot long reassembled funerary boat of King Cheops, perhaps the most significant find in Egypt since Tutankhamun's tomb. Then go for a memorable camel ride in the surrounding desert. After lunch, visit a crafts workshop to participate in pottery, engraving or wood working projects. Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza B L

Fly to Abu Simbel and explore the two temples built by Egypt's longest-ruling pharaoh, King Ramses II. Fly to Aswan, where you board 'Sun Boat IV.' After lunch, visit the Aswan High Dam, the world's largest rock-filled dam, and then take a short boat ride to the exquisite Temple of Philae on the island of Agilika. Proceed to the granite quarries, which supplied most of the hard stone used in the temples. See the 1,500-ton Unfinished Obelisk, an example of the outstanding stonemasonry of the ancient Egyptians. MS 'Sun Boat IV' B L D

Disembark at Kom Ombo to visit the third-century BC Greco-Roman temple dedicated to the sun god Haroeris and the crocodile god Sobek. Return to your Nile cruiser and continue to Edfu and the Temple of Horus (the falcon god). Begun in 230 BC by Ptolemy III, this extraordinary structure is the best-preserved temple in Egypt. Tonight, attend an "Egyptian Night" costume party on board, with a chance to dress in traditional Egyptian galabeyyas, and enjoy a lavish buffet of Egyptian specialties followed by traditional music and dancing. MS 'Sun Boat IV' B L D

Cross the Nile to the West Bank's Valley of the Kings, a vast city of the dead where magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rocks. Explore the Valley of the Queens and the famed Colossi of Memnon, known in ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn. Visit the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, the first female pharaoh. The ancient Egyptians objected to the idea of women as pharaohs, and Hatshepsut always wanted to be a king. She had her statuary changed to show her as a man - a king - and she chose to be entombed in Luxor's Valley of the Kings rather than the Valley of the Queens. Travel around the ancient temple ruins from a different vantage point: on the back of a donkey. After lunch on the boat, visit the temples of Karnak and Luxor. Gaze at the avenue of sphinxes that once connected the two temples. Explore the graceful Temple of Luxor, completed by Egypt's most renowned pharaoh, Ramses II. The spectacular Temple of Karnak was built by generations of pharaohs over a thousand-year period, and the complex actually consists of three main temples, several smaller temples and others two miles away. Karnak's Great Hypostyle Hall is certain to be a highlight of your visit. Considered to be one of the world's greatest architectural achievements, the hall was supported by magnificent sandstone columns with reliefs symbolizing the creation of the world; the columns still stand, occupying an area larger than Notre Dame cathedral. Join your fellow travellers this evening for a farewell dinner. MS 'Sun Boat IV' B L D

Fly back to Cairo and explore the Citadel of Salah El-Din, a spectacular medieval fortress dating from the 12th century. Stroll to the Khan El Khalili Bazaar for a lunch of traditional Egyptian dishes. There is also time for a scavenger hunt through the winding streets of the bazaar. Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza B L

Board your international flight. B