Egypt’s Timeless Riches – A week on the River Nile

Day 1 London – Luxor
We begin with Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service®, to London Heathrow or Gatwick Airport for our direct EgyptAir or Monarch Airlines flight to Luxor. On arrival we will be transferred to the Presidential Nile Cruise vessel for our seven-night cruise.

Day 2 Luxor
At the ‘open-air museum’ of Luxor the number and preservation of ancient monuments is unparalleled anywhere in the world. This is the site of the famous city of Thebes, capital of Egypt at the height of the empire’s influence, wealth and architectural flair. We head out to explore the iconic archaeological sites of the West Bank, beginning at the awe-inspiring Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs were buried from the 16th to the 11th century BC. Our guide introduces a few of the most impressive tombs, adorned with spectacularly colourful hieroglyphs, and you may also choose to enter the plainer, ‘cursed’ Tomb of Tutankhamun (extra charge). We visit also the Valley of the Queens, the impressive mortuary temple of Hatshepsut and the sentinel-like Colossi of Memnon, before returning to the ship, for an afternoon at leisure.

Day 3 Luxor – Cruising the Nile
This morning we disembark for an included excursion to two astonishing temples on the East Bank of the Nile – Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple – which bear testament to the glory days of Thebes. Karnak in particular is absolutely awe-inspiring; the largest ancient religious site in the world, a complex of immense pylons and obelisks, tranquil lakes and sanctuaries and, perhaps most memorably, the Hypostyle Hall, where 134 soaring columns, each with a diameter of more than 3m, are arranged in perfect geometric rows, all covered in exquisite hieroglyphs, some of which still retain the rich colouration that once adorned the entire temple. There can be few more serene and romantic ways of passing time than gliding down the Nile on a river cruiser. The Ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote that “Egypt is the gift of the Nile” and this majestic waterway defines the country. This afternoon we set sail for Edfu.

Day 4 Aswan
We stop today at the fascinating Greco-Roman double-temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the falcon-headed Horus and Sobek, the crocodile god. We return to the ship, making ready to set sail southwards to Aswan.

Day 5 Aswan
A day of relaxation aboard our vessel, with the opportunity to explore the laid-back Nubian city of Aswan independently or join our optional excursion to the far south of Egypt, and the temples of Abu Simbel. These represent not only two of the most celebrated and glorious monuments of history, but also a uniquely audacious international rescue mission. The Temple of Ramses II, in particular, well exhibits that great pharaoh’s power and ambition, with four 30m-high statues and several vast halls and chapels carved from the solid rock. And yet, it was nearly lost. When this temple, and the smaller Temple of Hathor, were threatened by the fl ooding of Lake Nasser (by the Aswan High Dam), the Egyptian authorities appealed to UNESCO for assistance. During a remarkable four-year salvage operation (1964-68), the temples were dismantled and reconstructed stone-by-stone 60m up the sandstone cliff.

Day 6 Aswan – Cruising the Nile
Today pays tribute to feats of architectural engineering ancient and modern, with visits to the 111m-high Aswan High Dam, and the Temple of Philae, perhaps Egypt’s most beguiling and beautiful, not least for its setting on an island in the river.

Day 7 Cruising the Nile – Luxor
Today we begin the return journey, stopping en route to visit the attractive 2,000-year old Temple of Horus at Edfu, before arriving in Luxor at lunchtime.

Day 8 Luxor – London
Today we bid farewell to our cruise vessel and her crew and transfer to Luxor Airport for our direct EgyptAir or Monarch Airlines flight to London Heathrow or Gatwick, where our staff will greet you and transfer you to Titan transport for your journey home to your own front door.

IMPORTANT TOUR INFORMATION
A visa is included for British citizens, please refer to the visa section in the Holiday Information page.
Please note that due to ongoing protests being carried out by local workers at The Temple of Horus in Edfu, it may not be possible to visit and should this be the case, clients will visit the Nubian Museum in Aswan instead.

Titan Travel have a reputation for innovative and enthralling escorted holiday itineraries, and through the guidance of their founding principles, “quality, service and value” which have remained unchanged since the 1970′s, their expertise and experience are second to none.

Titan Travel strive to ensure that aspect of their holidays whispers quality, before you fly, you get to appreciate a comfortable, chauffeur-driven transfer from your front door to the airport with our peerless VIP Home Departure Service, check-in assistance and complimentary porterage. All international flights are with world-renowned scheduled airlines and cruises with acclaimed operators. Touring holidays are expertly designed by the product team to present a comprehensive, imaginative introduction to the destination of choice yet still offer plenty of time for relaxation. The services of a tour manager or cruise manager are included throughout. When you return to the UK, you are met in the arrivals hall of the airport and shown to your VIP Home Departure Service vehicle, waiting to return you to your front door.

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