T R AV E L E R F AV O R I T E
E G Y P T: A N C I E N T W O N D E R S O F T H E L E G E N DA RY N I L E
• Learn about ongoing National Geographic–supported excavations at an ancient stone quarry. • Enjoy an exclusive after-hours visit to the Egyptian Museum. • Cruise the Nile River from Luxor to Aswān, passing magnificent temples and villages.
burial chamber from the Old Kingdom. Veer off the beaten path with a trip to Dahshūr, home to the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid—both architectural precursors to the Pyramids at Giza. The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo | Meals: 1B, 1L, 1D
DAYS 1–2 I CAIRO, EGYPT/ŞAQQĀRAH/ DAHSHŪR Arrive in Cairo and transfer to your elegant city center hotel. Begin your journey through ancient Egyptian history at the complex of Şaqqārah, home to Djoser’s step pyramid—the oldest standing pyramid in Egypt. Puzzle out hieroglyphics in the Mastaba of Kagemni, and step inside the Pyramid of Teti to see an ancient
DAY 3 I GIZA/CAIRO Discover the fabled Pyramids at Giza, built some 4,500 years ago. Stand in the shadows of the 481-foot Great Pyramid of Khufu—the largest structure in the complex—and if you wish, venture into the structure’s interior burial chamber. Explore the Solar Boat Museum, which houses a restored cedarwood vessel built to transport Pharaoh Khufu to the afterlife; then gaze up at the Great Sphinx of Giza. After a lunch overlooking the pyramids, return to your hotel and enjoy time at leisure. The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo | Meals: 1B, 1L, 1D DAYS 4–6 I LUXOR/NILE RIVER Catch a flight to Luxor, known in antiquity as Thebes. Explore the open-air temple complex of Karnak and its Great Hypostyle Hall. Peruse ancient relics at the Luxor Museum, and visit Luxor Temple after nightfall when the structure is magnificently illuminated. In the famed
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Valley of the Kings, descend into the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter. Then enjoy a special opportunity to enter the less visited tomb of Seti I, and explore the Ramesseum, Ramses II’s mortuary temple. Venture into the Valley of the Queens, which holds the burial chambers for the pharaohs’ wives, including Nefertari—Ramses II’s favorite wife. Visit the mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut—the longest reigning female pharaoh—and set sail on the Nile aboard our luxury riverboat. Steigenberger Resort Achti; M.S. Mayflower Meals: 3B, 3L, 3D DAY 7 I JABAL AS SILSILAH/KAWM UMBŪ Follow in the wake of the pharaohs as we cruise south along the Nile, passing magnificent temples and ancient villages. Dock at Idfū and travel inland to Jabal as Silsilah, where laborers once cut stone that was used in the construction of area temples, including those of Luxor and Karnak. Learn about ongoing National Geographic–sponsored efforts to excavate an ancient quarry. This afternoon, sail to the Temple of Kawm Umbū, dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god. M.S. Mayflower | Meals: 1B, 1L, 1D
Clockwise from above: The iconic Pyramids at Giza tower above Saharan sands; Cairo’s stunning mosque of Muhammad Ali, also known as the Alabaster Mosque; local men gather within the ancient Idfū temple; the colossal temples of Abu Simbel were created during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II.
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