Wonders of the Nile: Cairo to Aswan

Egypt, just the name is enough to set your imagination spinning back to the start of recorded human history – to a time when all-powerful Pharaohs controlled a mysterious and fabulously wealthy empire which lasted virtually intact for over 5,000 years! Our Nile cruise explores the mighty monuments, the intriguing history and the extraordinary artistic masterpieces from the greatest and oldest of all the ancient civilizations. We start in Cairo, the heart of modern-day Egypt. The largest city on the African continent and much-maligned for its traffic congestion, Cairo remains a fascinating fusion of western, Islamic and Christian culture, all mixed up with something a lot more ancient. The iconic symbols of these ancient roots are the three Great Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, on the edge of the city. Visited by the greatest names in history, from Alexander the Great, to Caesar and Napoleon, the Pyramids are actually the world’s oldest tourist attraction! Right in the centre of Cairo, the Egyptian Museum houses so many priceless treasures, that it would take months to see it all. Its Tutankhamun exhibition alone contains over 3,500 finds from the small tomb that Howard Carter discovered in 1922. Although the centre of the collection is the mesmerising solid gold funerary mask, equally impressive is the section devoted to the daily life of the ancient, as are the touchingly realistic funerary portraits from Egypt’s Graeco-Roman period. 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. This part of the tour is ideal for anyone who has visited Luxor and Aswan before and wants to delve deeper into some of the rarely-visited sites mentioned above. From here on we continue to the well 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 set, was reserved for the tombs and funerary temples of the Pharaohs, their families and high officials. Today’s Egyptians are immensely proud of their ancient lineage and with typical middle-eastern courtesy and hospitality they are some of the most welcoming and friendly people you are likely to meet.