YALLA EGYPT: NILE CRUISE + CAIRO

After breakfast at the hotel and check-out, our Egyptologist will guide you during a fascinating visit to the temple complex of Karnak, one of the largest and most impressive in ancient Egypt, comparable in size and charm only to Angkor Wat. Crossing its majestic doors, we will find ourselves immersed in a sacred world: monumental facades, soaring obelisks and long avenues lined with sphinxes, including those with the head of a ram, a symbol sacred to the god Amun-Ra. We will then reach the famous "forest of columns" until we reach the sacred lake and the large stone beetle, around which tradition invites you to make seven laps to attract luck and prosperity.

Our journey through time will continue to Luxor Temple, which stands in a scenic position along the banks of the Nile. We'll walk along the Avenue of Sphinxes, once a sacred link between the temples of Karnak and Luxor, and admire Tutankhamun's coronation hall.

At the end of the visit, transfer for boarding the motorboat that will accompany us in the navigation on the most mythical river in history.

Lunch on board and free afternoon to relax on deck or join optional excursions. Dinner and overnight on board.

Your day begins with breakfast on board, followed by departure to Luxor' s west bank. The first stop leads us to the Colossi of Memnon, the two gigantic stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that have been silently watching over the Theban necropolis for centuries.

Afterwards, we'll reach the legendary Valley of the Kings, one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites in the world. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this valley holds 64 royal tombs, carved directly into the mountain to ensure eternity for the rulers of the New Kingdom. We will visit some of the most significant burials, including, on request, the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered intact in 1922 by Howard Carter and today one of the most famous symbols of ancient Egypt.

The itinerary continues to the Temple of Hatshepsut, the great queen who dared to be crowned pharaoh. This unique structure, also known as the "Temple of Millions of Years", is set in the rock face of the Theban mountain and stands out for the elegance of its overlapping terraces and delicate wall paintings that tell the exploits of one of the most charismatic rulers in history.

Return on board for lunch and resume sailing to Esna, where we will cross the lock, and then continue towards Edfu. Free afternoon for relaxation.

Dinner on board and overnight.

After breakfast, we'll go ashore to visit one of the best-preserved temples of ancient Egypt: the Temple of Horus in Edfu, dedicated to the falcon god protector of the kingdom. We will walk along the peristyle and through the offering room, where ancient scents and prayers still seem to permeate the air, following in the footsteps of priests and devotees who lived over two thousand years ago.

Return by ship and sail to Kom Ombo. Lunch on board. In the afternoon, we will visit the Double Temple of Kom Ombo, where we will visit a temple dedicated to two deities: Sobek, the crocodile god, symbol of power and fertility, and Horus the Elder, the falcon of justice and royalty. Among its engraved walls, we will be able to admire depictions of surgical instruments, testimony to the advanced medical knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, a  perfectly preserved Nilometer, used to measure the level of the Nile, and images of Caesars Pharaohs. Return on board, dinner and night sail to Aswan.

For those who want to have a truly extraordinary experience, the day begins at dawn with a packed breakfast and departure to the majestic Abu Simbel Temples, located 280 km south of Aswan.

These temples, carved into the rock to celebrate the glory of Ramses II and the love for Queen Nefertari, represent a monumental masterpiece, miraculously saved from the waters of the Nile thanks to an impressive engineering operation carried out by UNESCO.

After the visit, return to Aswan for lunch.

In the afternoon, free time or the possibility to take part in an optional excursion by motor boat to visit an authentic Nubian village and discover the culture and traditions of this ancient people, among colorful houses and a warm welcome. We'll pass by Elephantine Island and the iconic Old Cataract Hotel, the luxurious hotel where Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Nile. Dinner on board and overnight.

After breakfast and check-out from the motorboat, a jewel suspended between myth and history awaits us, one of the most evocative places in Upper Egypt: the Island of Philae.

To reach it, we'll board a motorboat that will slowly take us between islets and golden reflections, revealing, little by little, the elegant profile of the Temple of Isis, goddess of love, magic and motherhood. Immersed in a picturesque landscape, this sanctuary was for centuries a pilgrimage destination and a sacred place for the last believers of the ancient Egyptian religion.

After the visit, stop for lunch, then transfer to Aswan International Airport for the domestic flight to Cairo (approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes).

Upon arrival, welcome and transfer to the hotel. Check-in, dinner and overnight in the capital.

After breakfast at the hotel, our Egyptologist will accompany you for a day dedicated to the wonders of Giza and Sakkara. The day will begin with a visit to the Giza Plateau, where the iconic pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus stand, masterpieces of the architecture of the Fourth Dynasty. You will be able to explore the Valley Temple and admire the famous Sphinx, the imposing guardian of this extraordinary complex. Afterwards, lunch in a restaurant near Giza and transfer to Sakkara, located 19 km away, to visit the Step Pyramid of Zoser, the oldest in Egypt (2750 BC). The visit will continue with the evocative Serapeum, an underground complex characterized by imposing granite and diorite sarcophagi made for sacred bulls. After an intense day of discoveries, return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast at the hotel, departure for an immersion in the vibrant atmosphere of Cairo, a metropolis of 23 million inhabitants where history and modernity intertwine. Along the way, panoramic stop at the Citadel of Saladin, built during the Crusades and for centuries a royal residence. Continue to Qarafa, the "City of the Dead", a unique place where Islamic necropolises and daily life merge. In the heart of the ancient city you will visit the famous souk of Khan el-Khalili, the most famous market in Cairo.
After lunch in the city, visit the GEM – Great Egyptian Museum, the most modern museum in Egypt, which houses over 100,000 artifacts. At the entrance you will be able to admire the obelisk and the colossus of Ramses II, and during the visit the most exciting moment will be dedicated to  the treasure of Tutankhamun, the most complete ever found in Egypt.
Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast and check-out, transfer to Cairo International Airport and assistance with boarding your return flight, with luggage full of images, colors and emotions that are hard to forget.