Shore Excursions
Onshore Experiences
We start in Cairo - the largest city on the African continent, Cairo remains a fascinating fusion of western, Islamic and Christian culture, all mixed up with something a lot more ancient. You will visit the magnificent Grand Egyptian Museum, housing a plethora of priceless treasures. We’ll also visit the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara, just south of Cairo and built over 4,600 years ago, this is Egypt’s first proper pyramid, and is now considered to be the oldest stone building in the world. After two days of relaxing sailing on the world’s longest river our tour continues with visits to the tombs of Beni Hassan, followed by one of the most imposing temples in all of Egypt, at Abydos. Our exploration continues with the temple of Hathor at Dendera, built during the time of the Ptolemies, heirs to Alexander the Great’s empire. From here, we continue to the well-known sights of Luxor and beyond.
Luxor, known as Thebes in ancient times, was centred around the two great temple complexes of ancient Egypt – Karnak and Luxor. These are both on the East bank of the Nile and dedicated to the sun god, Amun Ra, the giver of life. The West bank, where the sun sets, was reserved for the tombs and funerary temples of the Pharaohs, their families and high officials. We also see the temple of Kom Ombo, plus one of Egypt's greatest modern achievements - the Aswan High Dam.
