Egypt: Cairo, Luxor, 5-night Nile River-Yacht cruise, Abu Simbel, Aswan 
Small groups of no more than 16 travelers, guaranteed
Discover the legacy of ancient Egypt—from the treasures of Tutankhamen to the tranquil enchantment of Aswan. Along with nine nights in historic hotels such as the iconic Winter Palace in Luxor that let you experience some of the romance and glamour of an earlier era, you’ll spend 5 nights aboard a privately chartered, 16-passenger dahabeya—the Asiya, Aida, Amunet, or Aton—and slowly drift along the Nile on a journey back in time to the days of the Pharaohs on this adventure of a lifetime.
16 days starting from $6,895
including international airfare from New York
Single Supplement: FREE
Departure Dates: Mar-May; Sep-Dec
Activity Level: Moderately Easy
2025 & 2026 DEPARTURES AVAILABLE
See all departure dates at www.oattravel.com/ego2025pricing
IT'S INCLUDED
- 14 nights accommodation, including 5 nights aboard a privately chartered, 16-passenger dahabeya
- International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements
- 39 meals: 14 breakfasts, 13 lunches, and 12 dinners (including 1 Home-Hosted Dinner)
- 21 small group activities
- Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader who is also an accredited Egyptologist
- Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
- All port charges
- Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage per person, including tips
- 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next O.A.T. trip
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U.S.
Fly overnight from the U.S. to Cairo, Egypt.
DAY 2 • Cairo
Arrive at your hotel, where you’ll meet your fellow travelers, including those who took the Jordan: The King’s Highway from Amman to Petra pre-trip extension.
Meals: D | Cairo Marriott Hotel or similar
DAY 3 • Egyptian Museum
Visit the Egyptian Museum, home to the greatest Pharaonic treasures in the world. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner this evening.
Meals: B,L,D | Cairo Marriott Hotel or similar
DAY 4 • Pyramids of Giza • Controversial Topic: Egyptian women’s rights
Drive out to Giza and enjoy a camel ride to behold the Great Pyramids, including the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Khufu. Ponder another mystery for the ages at the Sphinx, enigmatic guardian of the Giza Plateau. Later, discuss the Controversial Topic of women’s rights in Egypt.
Meals: B,L | Cairo Marriott Hotel or similar
DAY 5 • Luxor • Karnak Temple • Home-Hosted Dinner
Fly to Luxor. Explore the Temple of Karnak, one of the most important ancient sites in all of Egypt. This evening, enjoy a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local Egyptian family.
Meals: B,L,D | Winter Palace Hotel or similar
DAY 6 • Valley of the Kings • Luxor Temple
Visit the Valley of the Kings. Explore the tomb of Tutankhamen, followed by a visit to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, built for Egypt’s first known female monarch. Then, visit Luxor Temple, a center of power for Egypt’s mighty pharaohs over a nearly 1,500- year period.
Meals: B,L,D | Winter Palace Hotel or similar
DAY 7 • Optional hot air balloon • Esna & Temple of Khnum • Begin Nile cruise
Elect to rise early for an optional balloon ride over the Nile’s west bank. Then, drive to Esna to visit the Temple of Khnum before embarking our Nile river-yacht and begin the romantic journey along the Nile. Arrive in Higz, a small village along the Nile’s east bank, and take a village walk while the sun sets over the Nile.
Meals: B,L,D | Asiya, Aida, Amunet or Aton river-yacht
DAY 8 • Edfu • Edfu Temple
Cruise to Edfu, home to the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt. Then, visit the Temple of Horus, dedicated to the falcon-headed god. Later, moor for the night at a quiet little village further down the Nile.
Meals: B,L,D | Asiya, Aida, Amunet or Aton river-yacht
DAY 9 • A day in life of Besaw Island • Gebel Silsila Temple & Quarries
Cruise to Besaw Island for our NEW A Day in the Life experience with a local farmer and learn about life in this isolated agricultural community. After a conversation about education for girls living on the island, stroll through his fields and enjoy lunch with the farmer and his family. Then, cruise to Gebel Silsila, home to ancient quarries whose stones were used for Egypt’s great temples. We’ll moor in Fares village and go ashore for an Egyptian barbecue dinner.
Meals: B,L,D | Asiya, Aida, Amunet or Aton river-yacht
DAY 10 • Island village visit • Kom Ombo
Explore Fares’ traditional Egyptian village and stop to see a local craftsman. Then, cruise to Kom Ombo, home to Egypt’s only double temple.
Meals: B,L,D | Asiya, Aida, Amunet or Aton river-yacht
DAY 11 • Daraw livestock market • Aswan
At the Daraw livestock market, board pick-up trucks and head to the market. With herders urging their camels along and Nubian men hawking their wares, the scene can be dusty, colorful, and chaotic—and fun.
Meals: B,L,D | Asiya, Aida, Amunet or Aton river-yacht
DAY 12 • Aswan • Disembark yacht • Abu Simbel
Disembark our river-yacht this morning and transfer to Abu Simbel for an overnight stay, and the opportunity to witness the iconic temples seemingly carved into living rock both by day and at night. Upon arrival, we’ll see this ancient wonder fully intact, with its huge guardian statues and elaborate depictions of famous battles on the inner walls of Ramses’ Temple. Then, later in the afternoon, we’ll gain an entirely new perspective of the site during an enchanting sound and light show.
Meals: B,L,D | Seti Abu Simbel Hotel or similar
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
On Days 7-12, cruise aboard a privately chartered, 16-passenger dahabeya, and visit smaller islands and riverside villages inaccessible to larger ships.
On Day 12, visit Abu Simbel with an overnight stay that allows you to explore the massive temples, seemingly carved into living rock both by day and at night.
DAY 13 • Aswan • High Dam • Aswan's spice market
On our return to Aswan for a two-night stay at the Old Cataract Hotel, we’ll stop to visit the Aswan High Dam, whose 1971 construction created Lake Nasser. After checking in to our historic hotel, we’ll set off on a discovery walk through Aswan’s bustling spice market followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
Meals: B,L,D | Old Cataract Hotel or similar
DAY 14 • Temples of Philae
Explore Philae, center of the cult of the goddess Isis, and see the Temple of Isis and Trajan’s Kiosk, with its 14 majestic stone pillars. This evening, celebrate our Egypt discoveries during a festive Farewell Dinner at the Old Cataract Hotel.
Meals: B,L,D | Old Cataract Hotel or similar
DAY 15 • Cairo • Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan and Al Rifa'i Mosque
Fly to Cairo, and explore two of Egypt’s most famous mosques, the 14th-century Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan and 19th-century Al Rifa’i Mosque.
Meals: B,L,D | Cairo Marriott Hotel or similar
DAY 16 • Return to U.S.
Fly back home, or begin your Alexandria ’ s Glorious Past post-trip extension.
Meals: B
See the full deck plan for the dahabeya on page 350.
For departure dates & prices, visit www.oattravel.com/ego2025pricing
OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS
Choose to maximize your discoveries and value when you add a pre- or post-trip extension—or both—to your adventure.
Jordan: The King’s Highway from Amman to Petra
PRE-TRIP: 5 nights from $2,195
Experience another facet of the Middle East’s centuries-old culture in Jordan. You’ll explore Roman ruins in Amman, stroll ancient city streets in Jerash, and diiscover the Nabataen “Lost City” of Petra, described in poetry as a “rose-red city half as old as time.”
IT’S INCLUDED
- 5 nights accommodation
- 14 meals—5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 5 dinners (including 1 Home-Hosted Dinner)
- 9 small group activities
- Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader
- All transfers
- Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
Learn more at www.oattravel.com/ego-jordan-2025
Alexandria’s Glorious Past
POST-TRIP: 5 nights from $1,395
IT’S INCLUDED
- 5 nights accommodation
- 14 meals—5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 4 dinners
- 5 small group activities
- Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader
- All transfers
- Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
Learn more at www.oattravel.com/ego-alexandria-2025
ARRIVE EARLY
We recommend that you relax after a long flight or explore more in depth before your trip. Prices shown include accommodations and private airport transfer.
• Arrive early in Amman before your Jordan pre-trip extension from $200 per room, per night
• Arrive early in Cairo before your main adventure from $280 per room, per night