PHARONIC TREASURES

Egypt's Richest Antiquities featuring a 5-day Nile River Cruise
            11-Day, Air-Inclusive Holidays.  Participation Limited to 18 Passengers.

Day 1, Depart U.S.A. or Canada  
Depart on Swissair to Europe and enjoy the excellent service, dining and amenities that make this a favorite airline of travelers.

Day 2, Zurich, Switzerland - Cairo, Egypt  
Arrive in Zurich and connect with an onward flight to Cairo, gateway to the treasures of Egypt.  Here you will be met on arrival and transferred to your deluxe resort accommodations, built on a site that no other hotel can boast - facing the Great Pyramid of Giza.  Enjoy a leisurely afternoon before meeting our Egypt staff this evening at a welcome reception and tour briefing. Mena House Oberoi Hotel

 Day 3, Abu Simbel - Aswan - Nile River Cruise  
Depart on an early flight to one of the world's most magnificent monuments, the 3200-year-old Great Temple of Ramses II, guarded by colossal figures almost 70 feet high.  Learn of the worldwide effort to save this massive temple by moving it to this site in 1964. Then continue by air to Aswan and your luxury cruise ship, where you settle into your stateroom for a four-night Nile River cruise.  Later, enjoy a traditional Nile felucca boat ride around Elephantine and Kitchener's Islands.  Overnight in Aswan on Movenpick or Sonesta Cruise Boat (B,L,D)

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Day 4, Nile Cruise,  Kom Ombo - Edfu - Esna - Luxor
Sail past panoramas frozen in antiquity to Kom Ombo, where you go ashore to view the Ptolemaic kings' stunning twin temple complex and cemetery for sacred crocodiles.  Continue upstream to Edfu and the Temple of Horus, before crossing the lock and docking in Luxor overnight.  Overnight Luxor on Movenpick or Sonesta Cruise Boat (B,L,D)

 Day 5, Nile Cruise, Luxor-Quena
A dramatic day begins at the Valley of the Kings, an ancient "city of the dead" where exciting new discoveries continue to be unearthed.  See the ancient funerary temples and rock-cut tombs of Tutankhamen, Ramses VI and other pharaohs, then continue to the rock-cut Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt's only female pharaoh. Continue sailing to Quena, and enjoy fine dining, recreational activities, and entertainment on board.  Overnight Quena on Movenpick or Sonesta Cruise Boat (B,L,D)

 Day 6, Nile Cruise, Abydos-Luxor  
Go ashore today at Abydos and view the 3200-year-old temple of Seti I, whose exquisite reliefs helped researchers to unlock the mysteries of the ancient kingdom. Nearby is the royal cenotaph, and the site where a dozen royal boats, roughly 5,000 years old, were found in 1991.  Return to ship afterwards and sail back to Luxor.  Overnight Luxor on Movenpick or Sonesta Cruise Boat (B,L,D)

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Day 7, Luxor-Karnak-Cairo
Enjoy breakfast before departing ship to visit the great Temples of Luxor and Karnak. Walk the grand avenues lined with columns and sphinxes; view the superb statuary and painted reliefs, many in perfect condition; learn of the ancient rituals performed on the sacred lake.  After a fascinating visit, fly to Cairo.  Mena House Oberoi Hotel (B)

Day 8, Cairo-Memphis-Pyramids at Sakkara and Giza
Five thousand years of history unfold on your full day tour of Memphis, Sakkara and Giza.  View the 80-ton alabaster sphinx of Memphis, said to have been founded about 3000 B.C.  See the progression of pyramid-building techniques from King Djoser's "step pyramid" at Sakkara, to the remarkably smooth, true pyramids of Giza.  An excellent Sound & Light show at the foot of the Giza pyramids completes your tour, before returning to Cairo.  Mena House Oberoi Hotel (B,L)

 Day 9, Ancient Cairo
Your last day in Egypt will showcase some of the nation's most important architectural and historical gems.  Tour the Antiquities Museum, home of the famed treasures of Tutankhamen.  Explore Old Cairo and the intricate icons at Al Moallaka Church.  View the church built where the Holy Family is said to have visited; and the site at Ben Ezra Synagogue where Moses is said to have prayed before the exodus.  Stop for a leisurely lunch before continuing to the Saladin's 12th century Citadel; and strolling the bustling Khan Khalili Bazaar. Tonight, a gala farewell dinner and authentic belly dancing concludes a sensational day. Mena House Oberoi Hotel (B,L,D)

Day 10, Zurich- USA or Canada  
Depart on Swissair to Zurich, where you transfer to your hotel.  Swissotel (B)

Day 11, U.S.A. or Canada

Return by shuttle to the airport, to complete your homebound journey on Swissair. (B)

 Please note that cruise schedules are subject to change due to fluctuations in water levels and other circumstances, and therefore sightseeing may be adjusted accordingly.