Visions Of Egypt Aboard The Oberoi Philae + Zahra

Day Stop

• Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

Hotel(s)

Fairmont Nile City Hotel

Meal(s)

Breakfast

After breakfast, our guests have this day to enjoy as they wish.

Day Stop

• Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

Experience

You'll also be among the first to admire the vibrant drawings and inscriptions in the 4,000-year-old Tomb of Mehu — recently opened to visitors for the first time in 80 years.

Hotel(s)

Fairmont Nile City Hotel

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Lunch

You'll be back at your luxury hotel around 5 p.m., giving you time to refresh before deciding on where to dine this evening. Right here at the Kempinski, you can enjoy Mediterranean and Italian fare at the Blue Restaurant & Grill or the authentic Ottoman cuisine of Osmanly. Or head up to the 11th floor where The Roof offers casual international dining with marvelous views of the Nile.

Day Stop

• Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

Experience

With the insights of our expert Egyptologist, your guided tour through the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is the perfect introduction to the sites you'll explore in the days to come along the Nile.

Hotel(s)

Fairmont Nile City Hotel

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Lunch

To avoid crowds of visitors, we'll enter the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities with our fine Egyptologist in mid-afternoon for a guided tour through the largest repository of ancient artifacts in the world, including those from the tomb of King Tut. (When the Grand Egyptian Museum opens, we'll see an even greater collection of artifacts.) We'll return to the hotel around 6 p.m. where the balance of the evening is yours to dine as you wish. Your Egyptologist will be on-hand to offer suggestions and assistance.

Day Stops

• Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
• Luxor, Luxor City, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt
• Karnak, Luxor, Luxor Governorate, Egypt

Experience

Behold the remarkable, Avenue of the Sphinxes. Recently restored, this ancient nearly 2-mile-long road connects the temples of Karnak and Luxor.

Hotel(s)

Cruise: Oberoi Philae

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In mid-afternoon, you'll go ashore to visit two of Egypt's celebrated sites of antiquity, beginning with the great Karnak Temple. With our skilled Egyptologist leading the way, you'll stand before its massive pillars and admire the grand Hypostyle Hall; encompassing more than 50,000 square feet, this is the largest hall of any temple in the world. Your sightseeing continues at the nearby Luxor Temple, built in the 14th century BC and connected to the Karnak complex by the awe-inspiring, newly restored Avenue of Sphinxes. The temple walls of Luxor are embellished with skillful carvings of the Gods of Karnak accompanied by a festival procession of priests, musicians, dancers and sacred cows. With keen insight from our Egyptologist, today's sightseeing offers a fascinating look into the culture and beliefs of ancient Egypt. Return to the ship for Tea in the Lounge, with time to refresh before this evening's welcome cocktail reception and dinner.

Day Stops

• Luxor, Luxor Governorate 1340420, Egypt
• Edfu, Adfo, Edfo, Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Experience

Equally as fascinating as the pharaohs' tombs is the ancient Egyptian village of Deir el-Medina. More than 3,000 years ago during the New Kingdom period, this community was home to the thousands of artisans and laborers who constructed the tombs and temples in the Valley of Kings.

Hotel(s)

Cruise: Oberoi Philae

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Return to the ship at midday and enjoy lunch onboard as our luxury vessel continues its journey toward Esna. This afternoon, you might wish to be on deck as the Oberoi Philae traverses through the Esna Lock. Afternoon tea and passing vistas of the Nile Valley landscapes with their small village hamlets and timeless scenes of life highlight the afternoon. Dinner will be served this evening at 7:30 as we continue navigating up the Nile toward Edfu.

Day Stop

• Kom Ombo, Markaz Kom Ombo, Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Experience

Rich in design, intricate in detail and ingenious in its massive construction, the extraordinary quality of every element at the Temple in Edfu attests to the paramount importance of the falcon-headed Horus.

Hotel(s)

Cruise: Oberoi Philae

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Return to the ship and enjoy lunch onboard as we chart a course for Kom Ombo. Throughout this pleasant afternoon of cruising the Nile, you can retreat to your stateroom with its floor-to-ceiling views, or delight in the passing scenery as you enjoy the convivial company of your fellow passengers, either in the air-conditioned lounge or on deck. Following Afternoon Tea, you'll step off at our ship's private pier to explore the Temple of Kom Ombo. Built on a picturesque bend in the Nile, where crocodiles used to sun themselves, this unusual dual-deity temple of the Ptolemaic Period is dedicated to both Haroeris (one of the oldest forms of the falcon-headed God Horus) and, appropriately enough, the fearsome Crocodile God Sobek. Return to ship with time to refresh before dinner is served at 7:30.

Day Stop

• Aswan, Aswan Governorate, Egypt

Hotel(s)

Cruise: Oberoi Philae

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Following our exploration, we'll return to our Oberoi cruiser for a delightful dinner.

Hear the story of how the temple and its immense statues were moved 200 feet above their original site to protect them from the rising waters of the Aswan Dam — a feat so successful and precise that twice a year, on February 22 and October 22, the rays of the rising sun pierce the temple entrance.

Day Stops

• Abu Simbel, قسم الواحات الخارجة، Aswan Governorate, Egypt
• Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

Experience

Designed by the award-winning Egyptian architect Mahmoud al-Hakim, the Nubian Museum reflects traditional elements of Nubian architecture; inside, its carefully curated exhibits include temple, tomb and dwelling artifacts from the ancient Nubian civilization that thrived here along Nile River as far back as 2000 BCE.

Hotel(s)

Waldorf Astoria Heliopolis

Meal(s)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Later, we fly back to Cairo for a last overnight at the airport's stylish Le Meridien Hotel in Club Rooms. You'll gather for a farewell dinner in the conveniently located hotel.

Day Stop

• Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt

Meal(s)

Breakfast

You'll be escorted to the airport today for your onward flight.