NILE VALLEY READ SEA 11 Days – 10 Nights DAY 1: Arrival Cairo Meet at Cairo Airport upon arrival by local representative who will assist you through airport customs & formalities. You will be escorted immediately to your hotel by Excel A/C modern fleet. Check in the hotel upon arrival & overnight in Cairo. DAY 02: Pyramids, Sphinx, Museum, Khan El Khalili Early breakfast at the hotel in Cairo then start a guided tour to visit one of the Seven Wonders the great Pyramids of Giza; (Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus) were reckoned by the Greeks to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A single pyramid is built with 2.300.000 blocks, each weighing an average of two and a half tones. In the face of such immensity, one cannot help but feel the wonder and awe that so many writers and artists have sought to convey over the centuries. The Cheops Pyramid is more interesting, because its interior burial chambers are open for inspection by the public. Not far from the Pyramids is the Great Sphinx of Giza, which dates from the time of Chephren (2620 BC). Hewn from natural yellowish limestone and standing 65 feet-high and 187 feet-long, this unforgettable statue combines the head of a Pharaoh with a lion's body. take a horse or camel ride through the pyramid complex. A quick visit to papyrus institute or a perfume shop can be arranged after the visit. Afternoon visit to the Egyptian Museum for another tour. Egyptian Museum; was established by the Egyptian government in 1835. The present museum building was built in 1900, in the new classical style by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon. The museum exhibited collections now exceed 120,000 objects ranges from pre-historic era to the Greco Roman period. It has 107 halls, and the ground floor houses huge statues. The upper floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamen treasures and the mummies. The museum also comprises of a photography section and large library. A hall for the Royal Mummies was opened at the museum, housing eleven kings and queens. After the visit of the museum a short drive through the downtown will take you to Khan El Khalili bazaars; which is one of the most famous worldwide with its amazing narrow alleyways. Dinner cruise with belly dancing and tanoura show. Drive back to the hotel & overnight at the hotel in Cairo DAY 03: Cairo: Lunch and cooking class with the locals After breakfast, enjoy a free morning before our lunchtime feast which will be prepared by local Egyptian and refugee ladies. As part of the Dawar social initiative the Dawar Kitchen provides employment and training to local ladies who cook and sell their delicious mix of Egyptian, Syrian and Sudanese cuisines. We will also get their cooking secrets while they show us how to prepare some of the dishes. After lunch there will be time to sit and talk with the ladies and to find out more information on the project. Back to the Hotel, Dinner & Overnight. DAY 04: Cairo - Fayoum Oasis - Cairo After breakfast, drive south of Cairo to Fayoum which is Egypt's largest oasis, we visit Wadi El Hitan, or better known as the Valley of the Whales, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the fossils and skeletons of now extinct whales. We also visit the beautiful Tunis Village where you can find handicrafts such as pottery and carpets made by locals. Drive back to Cairo & overnight at the hotel in Cairo DAY 05: Cairo - Aswan- Cruise (Friday, Wednesday) Breakfast in the hotel, check out and transfer to the airport for your flight to Aswan Meet & assist upon arrival at Aswan Airport & start a guiding to visit the Philae temple and the High Dam. Then transfer to the Nile Cruise & Check-In 13:00 Lunch on board 14:00 Visit one of the local Nubian villages to enjoy the fascinating history & culture of the local Nubian people of Aswan by sailing on The Nile to one of their villages to feel their hospitality trying their local mint tea. 19:30 Dinner on board. Nubian Show Overnight in Aswan DAY 06: Aswan – Kom Embo – Edfu (B, L, D) 07:00 Breakfast on board (Optional tour to Abu simble) 12:30 Lunch on board 13:00 Sailing to Kom Ombo 17:00 Visit the Temple shared by two gods Sobek & Haeroris in Kom Ombo 18:30 Sailing to Edfu. 19:30 Dinner on board. Galabeya Party show Overnight in Edfu. DAY 07: Edfu – Luxor (B, L, D) 06:00 Tea and Coffee Before the visit of Edfu temple 06:30 Visit of Horus Temple in Edfu. 08:00 Breakfast on board. 08:30 sailing to Luxor via Esna 13:00 Lunch on board. Afternoon free at leisure or enjoy an optional tour to visit the East Bank 20:00 Dinner on board. Overnight in Luxor. DAY 08: West bank – Proceed to Red Sea by bus (B, L, D) 07:00 Breakfast on board 08:00 Check- out after breakfast 08:00 Visit West Bank - Valley of the Kings, and Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Hatshepsut Temple: Located beneath massive cliffs near the west bank of the Nile, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, also known as Deir el Bahari, is dedicated to Amon-Ra, the sun god. Designed by an architect named Senemut, the temple is unique because it was designed like classical architecture. Note the lengthy, colonnaded terrace some of which are 97 ft high, pylons, courts, and hypostyle hall. Inside you'll see the sun court, chapel and sanctuary. Temple reliefs depict the tale of the divine birth of Hatshepsut and trade expeditions to the Land of Punt. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I (1520-1492 BCE) by his Great Wife Ahmose. Thutmose I also Fathered Thutmose II (1492-1479 BCE) by his secondary wife Mutnofret. In keeping with Egyptian royal tradition, Thutmose II was married to Hatshepsut at some point before she was 20 years old. During this same time, Hatshepsut was elevated to the position of God's Wife of Amun, the highest honor a woman could attain in Egypt after the position of queen and one which would become increasingly political and important. Hatshepsut and Thutmose II had a daughter, Neferu-Ra, while Thutmose II fathered a son with his lesser wife Isis. This son was Thutmose III (1458-1425 BCE) who was named his father's successor. Thutmose II died while Thutmose III was still a child and so Hatshepsut became regent, controlling the affairs of state until he came of age. In the seventh year of her regency, though, she broke with tradition and had herself crowned pharaoh of Egypt. Her reign was one of the most prosperous and peaceful in Egypt’s history. There is evidence that she commissioned military expeditions early on and she certainly kept the army at peak efficiency but, for the most part, her time as pharaoh is characterized by successful trade, a booming economy, and her many public works projects which employed laborers from across the nation. Her expedition to Punt seems to have been legendary and was certainly the accomplishment she was most proud of, but it also seems that all of her trade initiatives were equally successful and she was able to employ an entire nation in building her monuments. These works were so beautiful and so finely crafted that they would be claimed by later kings as their own. After the visit, disembark from the cruise and drive from Luxor to Red Sea. Check in the hotel upon arrival Red sea. The rest of your day is at leisure. Overnight at the hotel in Red Sea. DAY 09 - 10: Free at leisure – Red Sea Soma Bay The Soma Bay Peninsula is located on the Eastern shores of the Red Sea in Egypt, 45 Kilometers from Hurghada International Airport and four hours flight from Central Europe. An all-year sunshine destination built on ten million square meters. Soma Bay features some Red Sea diving with its house reef and a variety of nearby diving sites. Its resorts also have access to an 18-hole, par 72 championship golf course and golf academy designed by Gary Player. Soma Bay also features one of the largest spas and thalassotherapy centers in the region. Water sports are particularly popular due to the prevailing winds which allow for windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing. Head out towards the pool and beach to enjoy an array of activities and sports Soma Bay has to offer. Snorkeling, water gym in the main pool. Watersports and beach volleyball are also available at the beach, Windsurfing, sailing, Water Pedal Bikes & Kayak widening the choices to keep you fit. You can enjoy special packages in The Cascades Spa & Thalasso Treatments which is recognized as the best spa in Egypt and one of the largest spas in the world, The Cascades Spa & Thalasso features various facilities. Treatment highlights include a large seawater facility, the aqua-tonic pool and a variety of hydrotherapy treatments, including seaweed wraps and underwater massages, as well as beauty and wellness treatments. The Cascades Spa and Thalasso provides a healing experience for the mind, body and soul with a wide array of services from traditional massages to the latest technology for aesthetic treatments and hydrotherapy. Book your rejuvenating experience in advance for an indulgent day at the spa. Containing 830 m3 of sea-water sub-divided into a number of distinct zones with water jets, currents and countercurrents, showers and bubbling baths, each zone of the pool is designed to regenerate and tone a specific part of your body.