Egypt & Nile River Cruise with Dubai

Join Rail and Sail Vacations for an unforgettable travel experience to some of the most amazing man-made wonders on earth—old and new! We begin with included flights to Dubai and three full days to explore and enjoy this incredible creation in the desert. Fully rested and amazed, we fly to Egypt to enjoy our Nile River cruise and explore the Temples of Luxor, Karnak, Abu Simbel, and the Valley of the Kings from the luxury of our five-star river ship! When our cruise is complete, we are off to explore the Great Pyramids at Giza, the Sphinx, and the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo - the newest great museum of the world!

Included in your travels:

· Round trip air from Seattle, SFO, LAX

  *Other gateways by request

· All regional and domestic flights

· 3 nights 4-star hotel in Dubai

· Welcome dinner

· Dubai city Tour includes Burj Dubai

· 4 night 5-star Nile River Cruise

· Included cruise excursions: Luxor, Karnak, Edfu, Komombo, Abu Simbel, Valley of the Kings,

  Philae, Aswan Dam.

· Daily breakfast

· All shipboard meals

· 3 nights 5-star hotel Cairo

· Tour Great Pyramids & Sphinx

· Cairo city tour with Cairo Museum

· Farewell Cairo dinner cruise

· Time for personal discoveries

· Experienced Egyptologist & USA Tour Manager

· Caring and professional travel arrangements

Day 1—Tuesday Mar 11 — Depart for Dubai

This afternoon depart Seattle or other gateway cities for our flight to Dubai. Enjoy onboard meals and services. In flight meals

Day 2—Wednesday Mar 12 —Arrive Dubai

Evening arrival in Dubai. Entry requirement is your USA passport with six months validity. Transfer to our hotel—our new oasis in the desert! In flight meals

Day 3—Thursday Mar 13 — Emerati Cultural Tour

After breakfast we enjoy a guided tour of the nearby Emerati Cultural Center to learn the early history and customs of Dubai before it became a modern wonder. Enjoy a traditional meal of local favorite dishes serve Emerati style. Free time in the afternoon for personal discoveries. Sleep like a sultan in your luxurious accommodations. B, Welcome lunch

Day 4– Friday March 14 —Dubai Sightseeing

Well rested and ready? We depart early this morning to enjoy the amazing sights starting with the Burj Khalifa—at 2,722 ft it’s the world’s tallest structure! Continue on to enjoy the rest of the amazing modern wonders. Later afternoon enjoy some free time. Perhaps the amazing Miracle Garden—at 780,000 sq ft. it the world's largest natural flower garden featuring over 50 million flowers and 250 million plants! How about a visit to the gold and spice souks (markets) in the old quarter of the city? Enjoy the balance of the day as you wish. B

Day 5—Saturday March 15 — Dubai to Cairo

This morning we make our way to the Dubai Airport for our direct flight to Cairo. On arrival transfer to our hotel and settle in. Enjoy an afternoon orientation walk with our local host and Egyptologist. In the evening consider joining the optional evening sound and lights show at the Great Pyramids. B, In flight meals.

Day 6—Sunday March 16 —Fly to Luxor, Temples of Karnak & Luxor, Nile Cruise Embarkation

This morning, depart Cairo by flight to Luxor, the astonishing site of the ancient city of Thebes. Take a sightseeing tour of the East Bank and visit the magnificent Temples of Karnak, dating back over 3,000 years. Walk along the avenue of the Sphinxes and marvel at the Hypostyle Hall with its 134 massive sandstone columns. Next, visit a papyrus gallery and view an extensive collection of beautiful artwork on papyrus and enjoy a demonstration on how papyrus is made. Afterward, head to Luxor Temple to admire the colossal statues of the great pharaoh Ramses II before embarking on the M/S Esmerelda (or similar) river ship for an unforgettable cruise experience. B,L,Captain’s Welcome Dinner. 

Day 7—Monday March 17 — Valley of the Kings, Esna
View the magnificence of the Luxor West Bank on this morning’s tour that includes the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens & Temple of Hatshepsut along with Colossi of Memnon. Begin with a visit to the UNESCO listed Valley of the Kings, the necropolis of Thebes and admire the tombs of ancient Egypt’s rulers. Continue to the stunning Valley of the Queens, a burial site for the wives of the Pharaohs. Next, head to the Temple of Hatshepsut, a colonnaded structure surrounded by cliffs and learn about the life of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s first female ruler. Conclude the tour at the Colossi of Memnon: two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III. Next, stop to visit an alabaster factory. View a demonstration of grinding alabaster the old fashion way. Browse the extensive collection of alabaster pieces. This evening, enjoy dinner on board while the ship sails down the Nile towards Edfu via the Esna lock. B,L,D

Day 8—Tuesday Mar 18 —Temples of Edfu & Kom Ombo
This morning, take a tour to the stunning Temple of Horus in Edfu, considered one of the best preserved of all the Egyptian temples. It was built during the Ptolemaic times and was completed over a 180-year period. The temple is dedicated to the falcon god Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris. Its extravagant design and sheer size is an indication of the country's prosperity at the time. After lunch on board, tour the imposing Greco-Roman Temple of Kom Ombo, that is dedicated to Horus, the Sky God, and Sobek, the Crocodile God. B,L,D

Day 9—Wednesday Mar 19 —Abu Simbel
Today, we have a special excursion to visit a true manmade wonder—the amazing stone sculptures carved into rock at Abu Simbel. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the 19th dynasty reign of the Pharaoh Ramesses II. They serve as a lasting monument to the king and his queen Nefertari, and commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968 on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary or they would have been submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the Nile River. B,L,D

DAY 10– Thursday Mar 20 —Aswan High Dam, Disembarkation, Return flight to Cairo
This morning visit the spectacular Aswan High Dam, an engineering miracle when originally constructed in the 1960s. The dam brought an end to the Nile's devastating floods. Continue to Philae Temple dedicated to the goddess Isis and marvel at the temple's beautiful island location. Conclude the tour with a visit to a granite quarry holding the largest known unfinished ancient obelisk. Later, disembark our cruise ship, transfer to the airport for our flight to Cairo. Settle in and enjoy a relaxing evening. B

DAY 11– Friday Mar 21 —The Pyramids of Giza & The Sphinx, Grand Egyptian Egyptian Museum
Awaken in this city of ancient wonders. Begin your discovery of the Pyramids of Giza, built during the 3rd and 4th dynasties of the Old Kingdom. Enjoy an up-close view of the Great Pyramid, built for the Pharaoh Khufu, the oldest surviving structure, named one of the “seven ancient wonders of the world.” After seeing the Pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, head to the magnificent Sphinx that guards the Giza plateau, amazingly carved out of one huge piece of limestone. This afternoon tour the Grand Egyptian Museum, scheduled to open in 2023 it is the next great museum of the world. The museum houses it will be the largest archaeological museum complex in the world and host to more than 100,000 artifacts. For the first time ever, King Tut’s entire treasure collection will be on display alongside artifacts from pre-historic times through Egypt’s many thousands of years of pharaonic civilization through the [comparatively] more modern ancient Greek and Roman periods of Egyptian history. Continue to the famous Khan el Khalili Bazaar where you will find copper, brass-ware, leather, perfumes and antiques. B

DAY 12 - Saturday Mar 22 — Free day in Cairo—Farewell Cairo Dinner Cruise
One last full day to enjoy as you wish. Time for the Cairo Museum, shopping in the old markets? The choice is yours! In the evening we gather together to enjoy a festive sunset dinner cruise in Cairo. After our cruise we transfer to the airport for a late evening flight departure back home, arriving home on Mar 23.