Overseas Adventure Travel Announcing 2026 Adventures by Land & Small Ship | Ancient Egypt & the Nile River

AFRICA & NORTHERN AFRICA

Temple of Dendera, Qena

Egypt: Cairo, 7-night Nile cruise, Luxor, Qena, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan, Abu Simbel 
Small groups of no more than 25 travelers, guaranteed

From Giza and the necropolis of Sakkara to Karnak Temple and grand monuments immortalizing Queen Hatshepsut, journey to Egypt and experience a land of superlatives. At the heart of this adventure is a seven-night cruise along the mighty Nile. Aboard the privately chartered 75-passenger Nefertiti, you'll witness Egypt's wonders, millennia of history, and vibrant culture.

16 days starting from $5,595
including international airfare from New York
Single Supplement: $895
Departure Dates: Jan-May; Aug-Dec
Activity Level: 1 2 3 4 5 Moderately Easy

IT'S INCLUDED

• 14 nights accommodation, including 7 nights aboard the privately chartered, 75-passenger Nefertiti small ship

• International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges, unless you choose to make your own air arrangements

• 35 meals: 14 daily breakfasts, 11 lunches, and 10 dinners-includes 1 Home-Hosted Meal

• 23 guided tours and cultural experiences

• Gratuities for local motorcoach drivers

• All port charges

• Baggage handling for 1 piece of luggage per person, including tips

• Visa fees for entrance to Egypt (if you have an airport transfer with us in Cairo)

• 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next trip

The privately-chartered Nefertiti

Abu Simbel

ITINERARY

DAY 1 • Depart U.S.

Depart today on your flight to Cairo, Egypt.

DAY 2 • Cairo

Arrive in Cairo, transfer to your hotel, and meet travelers who took the optional Israel & Jordan: Jerusalem, Masada & the Dead Sea, Petra & Amman pre-trip extension.
_{InterContinental Cairo Semiramis or similar}

DAY 3 • Cairo • Ancient Egypt conversation • Grand Egyptian Museum

Gather for an introduction to ancient Egypt. Then, drive to Giza to visit the Grand Egyptian Museum. Stroll through the halls highlighting each historical period of this ancient land.
_{Meals: B,D | InterContinental Cairo Semiramis or similar}

DAY 4 • Cairo • Memphis & Sakkara • Home-Hosted Dinner

Journey to Memphis and Sakkara, home to some of Egypt's most famed pyramids, tombs, and ancient relics. Later, enjoy a Home-Hosted Dinner with local families.
_{Meals: B,L,D | InterContinental Cairo Semiramis or similar}

DAY 5 • Cairo • Moez Street • Controversial Topic: The dilemma of hijab for Egyptian women

Discover Fatimid Cairo, or Medieval Cairo. Visit the Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifa'i Mosques. Then, depart to Moez Street-one of the oldest streets in Egypt. Later, gather for a conversation on the Controversial Topic of the dilemma of wearing the hijab for Egyptian women.
_{Meals: B,L | InterContinental Cairo Semiramis or similar}

DAY 6 • Cairo • Luxor • Karnak Temple • Embark ship 

Depart for your flight to Luxor. Then, explore Karnak Temple's complex of shrines, built and enlarged over a period of 1,300 years. Later, embark the Nefertiti, your home for the next seven nights.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Nefertiti Small Ship}

DAY 7 • Luxor • Optional Hot-Air Balloon Ride • A Day in the Life experience 

Enjoy an optional balloon ride over Luxor. Then, experience A Day in the Life at an Egyptian farm house. Visit a nearby farm, get to know the family, and assist with farm tasks. Then, enjoy a farm fresh lunch before returning to our ship aboard a traditional felucca boat.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Nefertiti Small Ship}

DAY 8 • Qena • Dendera Temple • Luxor • Luxor Temple 

Visit the Temple of Dendera, a Roman and Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Later, take part in a cooking lesson. After arriving in Luxor, explore Luxor Temple, a sprawling ancient complex which was a center of power for Egypt's mighty pharaohs.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Nefertiti Small Ship}

DAY 9 • Nile's West Bank • Valley of the Kings • King Tut's tomb • Esna 

Explore the Valley of the Kings. Several pharaohs are buried here, including Tutankhamun. Visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and stop at the pair of massive statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. Later, set sail for Esna, and explore Esna's outdoor market.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Nefertiti Small Ship}

ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT

On Day 7, we'll sail across the Nile on a felucca, one of the traditional wooden-hulled boats with triangular sails that have been plying these waters for millennia

Pyramids of Giza

Khan el-Khalili (Great Bazaar), Old Cairo

DAY 10 • Edfu • Kom Ombo 

Sail to Edfu. Then, head to Edfu's Temple of Horus, Egypt's best-preserved temple. Later, cruise toward the Temple of Kom Ombo, a unique Greco-Roman style temple that is Egypt's only double temple. Enjoy a galabeya party featuring traditional Egyptian dress tonight.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Nefertiti Small Ship}

DAY 11 • Aswan • Philae Temple 

This morning, visit Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Originally located along the Upper Nile, Philae Temple was relocated downstream to Agilika Island in 1970 to protect it from the flooding caused by the construction of the Aswan Low Dam. The temple complex dates from the 26th Dynasty, with additions through the Roman period, and was one of the last temples built in the classical Egyptian style, as well as one of the last tributes to a goddess.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Nefertiti Small Ship}

DAY 12 • Aswan • Abu Simbel 

Visit Abu Simbel and witness monuments carved into rock as a tribute to deities and pharaohs. These temples were actually moved to their present location when construction of the Aswan High Dam created Lake Nasser. After dinner, enjoy a live Nubian show onboard, featuring a tanura dancer.
_{Meals: B,L,D | Nefertiti Small Ship}

ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT

Spend 7 nights aboard the privately chartered, 75-passenger Nefertiti-cruising the timeless waters of the Nile

DAY 13 • Aswan • Disembark ship • Aswan High Dam • Cairo

Disembark the ship and transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairo. En route, tour the Aswan High Dam, which forever changed the agricultural rhythms of Egypt. Once subject to devastating Nile floods, Egyptian farmers looked to the Aswan High Dam as a way of improving their ability to control their crops. However the large reservoir it created displaced nearly 10,000 of the indigenous Nubian people who lived in the region. Upon arrival in Cairo this afternoon, the remainder of the day is yours.
_{Meals: B | InterContinental Cairo Semiramis or similar}

DAY 14 • Cairo • Pyramids & Sphinx

Drive to the Giza Plateau, home of the Pyramids of Giza. The largest of these three structures is the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Thought to be built more than 2,600 years before the time of Christ, the 480-foot-tall pyramid is the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that still stands. See the inscrutable and mysterious Sphinx, which was carved almost entirely from one piece of limestone. Then, enjoy lunch at the Mena House Hotel. Set in the shadow of the Pyramids, the hotel has played host to guests like Winston Churchill, Charlton Heston, and Agatha Christie.
_{Meals: B,L | InterContinental Cairo Semiramis or similar}

DAY 15 • Cairo • Old Cairo • National Museum of Egyptian Civilization

Visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to see ancient treasures. Next, depart for Coptic Old Cairo to see the Hanging Church and the Church of St. Sergius.
_{Meals: B,L,D | InterContinental Cairo Semiramis or similar}

DAY 16 • Return to U.S.

Transfer to the airport for your flight to the U.S. Or begin your optional Alexandria: History & Romance post-trip extension.
_{Meals: B}

See the full deck plan for the Nefertiti Small Ship on page 218. 

Want to know more? Find the full itinerary and dates & pricing at www.oattravel.com/egy

PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE on your Egypt adventure

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS

Choose to maximize your discoveries and value when you add a pre- or post-trip extension-or both-to your adventure.

Israel & Jordan: Jerusalem, Masada & the Dead Sea, Petra & Amman

PRE-TRIP: 8 nights from $3,095

Dead Sea, Jordan

Journey to Israel and explore Jerusalem, the city held sacred by the three major monotheistic religions-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-and the hilltop fortress of Masada. Then, cross into Jordan for discoveries that include the "Lost City" of Petra, described in poetry as a "rose-red city half as old as time."

IT'S INCLUDED

• 8 nights accommodation

• 14 meals: 8 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 2 dinners

• 7 guided tours with personal headsets: Israel Museum. Old City Masada Petra Amman Jerash Ajloun Castle

• Dedicated services of a local Trip Experience Leader

• Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers

• All transfers

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/egy-israel-jordan-2026

Alexandria: History & Romance

POST-TRIP: 4 nights from $1,395

Alexandria port, Egypt

This destination is only available as a trip extension

Witness the spacious boulevards, Pharaonic catacombs, and lavish architecture of Egypt's legendary city of Alexandria.

IT'S INCLUDED

• 4 nights accommodation

• 11 meals: 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners

• 4 guided tours with personal headsets: Kom el Shuqafa catacombs. National Museum Royal Jewelry Museum. Library of Alexandria

• Dedicated services of a local Trip Experience Leader

• Gratuities for local guides and motorcoach drivers

• All transfers

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/egy-alexandria-cairo-2026

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 Jerusalem before your Israel & Jordan pre-trip extension from $300 per room, per night
• Arrive early in Cairo before your main adventure from $500 per room, per night