DAY 1 Arrival in Cairo - Begin one of the best local tours in Egypt for 8 days. Assalamu Aleikum! Our representatives will be waiting for you on arrival at Cairo International Airport and will then take you to the 5-star Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence. The hotel is located in the Giza district of Cairo and will be our home for the next two nights. Check-in time is 2pm. You’ll have the afternoon to rest after your international journey. Dinner in the hotel's restaurant. Accommodation: Four Seasons Cairo Hotel at First Residence. Meals: Dinner

DAY 2 The Grand Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Salah Din With Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque & al-Muizz Street With Khan el-Khalili Bazaar After breakfast the following morning, you’ll have an orientation meeting with your tour guide and the tour leader representing Mateego Explorers. During our first day of sightseeing we will go to the Egyptian Museum, which houses the world’s largest collection of pharaonic antiquities. After lunch at a local restaurant we will drive to the Citadel of Salah Din and the Muhammad Ali Pasha Mosque, also known as the Alabaster Mosque for its decorative tiles. A guided tour of al-Muizz Street, the central artery of Historic Cairo, will follow, ending with a shopping trip at Khan el-Khalili bazaar. There you can barter for everything from fun trinkets to fine traditional crafts. Dinner at the hotel. Accommodation: Four Seasons Cairo Hotel at First Residence. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 3 NILE RIVER: Flight to Abu Simbel, the Abu Simbel Temples & the Temple of Philae Early in the morning we will fly from Cairo to Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel is a village and archaeological site in the Egyptian part of Nubia, close to the border with Sudan. We will visit both of the Abu Simbel Temples. The Great Temple of Ramses II and the smaller Temple of Nefertari were carved directly into the mountainside. They were moved to higher ground when the Aswan High Dam was built in the 1960s. An optional trip inside the mountain constructed to house the relocated temples is available. We will then drive to Aswan where we will embark on a luxury 5-star Nile cruise. After lunch we will take a motorboat ride to the Temple of Philae on an island in the river. The Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will return to the ship for dinner and start sailing north. Enjoy the opportunity to relax while sailing down the River Nile as pharaohs and ancient merchants must have done. Accommodation: 5-star Cruise Ship Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4 NILE RIVER: Visit the Kom Ombo and Edfu Temples during one of the best tours in Egypt for 8 days. In the morning, our ship will dock in front of Kom Ombo Temple. We’ll visit the Ptolemaic-era temple and the Crocodile Museum to see crocodile mummies that were dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god celebrated at Kom Ombo. After lunch on the ship as we sail farther north, we will visit the magnificent Edfu Temple, traveling to and from the temple by horse and carriage. We’ll return to the ship for a traditional Egyptian dinner and “galabeya party,” where everyone wears the regional robe known as a galabeya. We’ll sail north toward Luxor overnight. Accommodation: 5-star Cruise Ship Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5 NILE RIVER: The Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon & the Karnak Temple Complex An optional hot-air balloon ride over Luxor and the Nile River’s West Bank is available early in the morning. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! After breakfast, we will start exploring the West Bank of Luxor. The famous Egyptian city of Thebes, modern-day Luxor, was described by Homer as “the city of a hundred gates” because so many of its temples had monumental entrances favored by contemporary Greek architecture. Thebes was the capital of ancient Egypt twice. Our trip will start with a motorboat ride across the Nile to visit three royal tombs at Luxor's most important site – the Valley of the Kings. You have the option of seeing an additional tomb – the famous tomb of King Tutankhamun – for an additional small fee. Then we’ll see the stunning Temple of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s female pharaohs, followed by the Colossi of Memnon, two enormous statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. After lunch in a local restaurant, we’ll visit the famous Karnak Temple Complex, the largest temple in the world. Another optional trip is available today – a visit to the magnificent Luxor Temple after dark, when a magical light show brings it to life. Accommodation: 5-star Cruise Ship Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6 Flight from Luxor to Cairo, Historic Cairo & the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization After breakfast on the ship, we transfer to Luxor Airport for our flight back to Cairo. In Cairo, we head to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization for a tour through history, from prehistoric Egypt to modern times. Lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon is free for leisure and dinner will be at the hotel. Accommodation: Marriott Mena House Hotel, Giza. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7 EXCLUSIVE! The Giza Plateau with private entry to the Great Pyramid & the Great Sphinx, Saqqara Early breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, when the entire Giza Plateau remains closed to all other tourists, Mateego Explorers’s guests will have exclusive access to this iconic site. Thanks to special permission from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, you will have private access to the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Great Sphinx. Lunch at a local restaurant with an amazing view. Then we will go to Saqqara to see Egypt’s first pyramid, the Step Pyramid, followed by the pyramid of Teti and the Imhotep Museum. Farewell dinner at the hotel to celebrate the memories we made this week. Accommodation: Marriott Mena House Hotel, Giza Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8 Depart Egypt - Ending of the best 8-day Egypt local tours. Today your 8 day Egypt tour comes to an end, but your love of Egypt will endure. After breakfast and checkout, you will be taken to Cairo International Airport for your flight home (or to your next destination), leaving Egypt with new experiences, tastes, souvenirs, and, we hope, a longing to return. Meals: Breakfast