With things calming down in Egypt we thought we would take a chance to let you get a glimpse of one of our flashest new products. The Ankh I. Halfway between a Nile cruise boat and a felucca this marvelous vessel ply’s the Nile giving up to twenty passengers at a time the experience of a laid back cruise compared to the bustle of most cruise vessels.

So to help encourage you to return to Egypt we have a limited time special combining the highlights of Egypt with the luxuries of the ANKH I.

A Journey Through Egypt

Day 1 – CAIRO 
Upon arrival in Cairo, you will be met by a or local representative and transferred to your hotel (4 stars superior) for overnight.

Day 2 – SLEEPER TRAIN                                        (B,L, D)
Breakfast, Drive to Giza and visit a Pyramid, the Valley Temple, and the Sphinx.Visit to the Papyrus Institute. Lunch en route. Drive to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities for a detailed, guided tour.Among other fascinating exhibits, see the treasures of the Tomb of Tutankhamen. You will be transferred to the train station for your sleeper train. Overnight on board of the sleeper train.

Day 3 – LUXOR                                 (B)
Upon arrival, you will be met by a Ya’lla Tours representative and transferred to your hotel. Visit to Karnak Temple, called by some “the Temple of Temples.”  It is the largest place of worship ever built.  Its ancient name Ipet-isut means “the most sacred of places.”  The temple, or, more correctly, the complex of temples, was built over more than two thousand years by generation after generation of pharaohs. Within the complex, the great “Hypostyle Hall” is an incredible forest of giant pillars covering an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame Cathedral.Overnight at your hotel.

Day 4 – DAHABIYA (Esna)                 (B,L,D)
After breakfast, cross to the West Bank of the Nile and visit the wondrous Valley of the Kings, a vast city of the dead where the magnificent tombs of 62 pharaohs have been discovered.  The tombs were carved deep into the desert rock, richly decorated and filled with treasures for the afterlife of the pharaohs. Visit several of the tombs.  Next, visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.  This beautiful monument to the reign of the only female pharaoh rises out of the desert plain in a series of terraces and merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it. On the way back to your Nile cruise, stop at the famed Colossi of Memnon, two 66ft, 1 thousand ton statues of Amenhotep III.  These colossal statures were known by the ancient Greeks to emit haunting voices at dawn.  Though damaged by nature and ancient tourists, the statues are still impressive. You will be transferred to your Dahabiya in Esna.

Day 5 – DAHABIYA (Edfu)                  (B,L,D)
Sail for Edfu. After breakfast on board, set out by horse-drawn carriage to visit the Temple of Horus, the most perfectly preserved of all the Nile Temples.  Horus, also known as Haroeris, was the falcon-headed solar war god.  Return to your cruise vessel by carriage.  Overnight at Edfu.

Day 6 – DAHABIYA (Aswan)        (B,L,D)
sail to Kom Ombo. Visit the Temple of Sobek, the crocodile-headed god of fertility and creator of the world.  The temple stands at a bend in the Nile where, in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank. Sail to Aswan for overnight.

Day 7 – DAHABIYA (Aswan)                       (B,D)
Free morning on board of the Dahabiya. (Optional tour: Drive along Lake Nasser to Abu Simbel. Visit the twin temples of Ramses II and Nefertari. The entire complex of temples was moved to its present location 90 feet above its old site to protect it from the rising water of the Nile when the Aswan Dam was built in the early sixties. Drive back to Aswan and board your Dahabiya for lunch). After lunch on your cruise, sail around Elephantine Island on a felucca, the traditional Egyptian sail boat.  Elephantine Island is the largest of the Aswan area islands, and is the site of some of the most ancient remains in Egypt, with artifacts dating to pre-dynastic periods.  Elephantine is Greek for Elephant.  In ancient times, the island was called Abu or Yabu, which also means elephant.  The name may indicate that the island was once a center for the trade of ivory.  Continue sailing around Kitchner Island (also known as Lord Kitchner’s Botanical Garden, Plant Island, Gezirat al-Nabatat, Plantation Island, or Gizirat al-Bustan).  Lord Kitchner moved there after being given the island for his campaigns in the Sudan. He imported plants from around the world to create his famous garden.  From the river you have a nice view of the Aga Khan Mausoleum, an elegant pink granite structure built in the late 1950’s. Overnight on board.

Day 8 – SLEEPER TRAIN                                               (B,D)
After breakfast, disembark your Dahabiya.  A short motor-boat ride to the Temple of Philae on the island of Agilka.  The temple was dedicated to Isis, sister/wife of Osiris and patroness of the Ptolemaic rule.  After your touring day, you will be transferred to the train station for your sleeper train back to Cairo. Overnight on board of the sleeper train.

Day 9 – CAIRO                                        (B)
Upon arrival to Cairo, you will be met by a Ya’lla Tours representative and transferred to your hotel (4 stars superior) for overnight.
Free day to enjoy the city of Cairo.

Day 10 –     Departure
You will be transferred to Cairo Airport for your departure flight.

General Inclusions:
*2 nights accommodation at 4 stars superior hotel in Cairo based on bed and buffet breakfast.
*1 night accommodation at Sonesta St. George hotel (5 stars hotel) in Luxor based on bed and buffet breakfast.
*2 nights accommodation on sleeper train including dinner and breakfast.
*4 nights accommodation on board of Ankh Dahabiya based on full board. (www.ankhonthenile.com)
*All transfers in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan from/to airport/station by air-conditioned van.
*Full day tour in Cairo with air-conditioned van accompanied by English speaking guide.
*Lunch during full day tour in Cairo.
*All tours during the Nile Cruise will be provided by air-conditioned van accompanied by English speaking guide.

General Exclusions:
*Entry visa to Egypt: Can be provided upon arrival in Cairo airport, price per person will cost: USD 20).
*Any meals not mentioned above.
*Any kind of drinks (water, Soft, alcoholic, etc.)
*Tips or personal expenses.