Join Blue Planet for this bucket-list trip following our Red Sea liveaboard! Cruise down the Nile River on a floating hotel and learn more about the ancient sites and temples we stop at along the way. See the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. We're cramming as much history and sight-seeing as we can into 1 spectacular week!
Luxor
As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open-air museum." Here you will see the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor, and immediately opposite, across the Nile, lie the monuments, temples and tombs of the West Bank Necropolis, including the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.
Nile River Cruise
The Princess Sarah II is a 5 star deluxe Nile cruise ship, the perfect way to explore the historic sites along the Nile. With 70 cabins, a spacious restaurant, a lounge and bar, a sun deck with swimming pool and more, this floating hotel is our home base for 4 nights. We'll have our own Egyptologist guiding us through Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan.
Cairo
After we leave Aswan, we'll spend 3 nights in Cairo at the Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel, right by Giza and the Pyramids and Sphinx. We'll also visit the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin and Coptic Cairo before ending our journey.
Other Activities
One of our favorite activities that we added on last time was a sunrise hot-air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. Spectacular!! We also had mint tea and tattoos in a Nubian village after swimming in the Nile near Aswan. There will be plenty of opportunities to pick up souvenirs and gifts too -- papyrus, alabaster, perfumed oils, spices, etc. It's a great place to get your holiday shopping done.
Travel
We'll transfer from the liveaboard boat in Hurghada via private bus to Luxor on October 12th. From Luxor, we'll spend several nights on the Nile River cruise until we fly from Aswan to Cairo (flight not included, but we'll book it for you). The tour ends on October 20th in Cairo, from where you can fly home.
Upon cancellation of a reservation for any reason, the refund of the deposit and payments made or due will be contingent upon Blue Planet reselling the participant's reservation. Any refund may also be subject to a cancellation fee and payment of any non-refundable fees imposed by the tour company, dive operator or any other contractor associated with the trip.
Dive accident insurance is required for all divers on this trip. We strongly recommend travel insurance to protect your vacation investment. Contact us if you need more information.
Breakfast on the dive liveaboard boat. Transfer to Luxor. Overnight at Sonesta St. George hotel in Luxor. (B)