Highlights

• Enter the Royal Mummies Museum after dark for a private, after-hours visit led by a National Geographic Expedition Expert, with a dedicated presentation on the science of ancient Egyptian mummification in the stillness of the closed museum
• Board an internal flight to Abu Simbel to stand before the four colossal statues of Ramses II carved directly into the mountain face, one of Egypt's most extraordinary surviving monuments
• Sail three nights on the Nile between Aswan and Luxor, waking to the river each morning and docking at Kom Ombo, Edfu and Luxor with guided visits to each site along the way
• Step into the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank of Luxor and descend into the rock-hewn tombs of the pharaohs, including the tomb of Tutankhamun, with their original painted walls still intact
• Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum on the outskirts of Cairo, home to the world's largest collection of ancient artefacts, with guided time among the treasures of Tutankhamun before exploring independently

Cairo

Cairo is where the trip begins and ends. Egypt's capital sits on the east bank of the Nile and moves at a relentless pace, with centuries of history layered beneath a modern city of over twenty million people. The itinerary gives Cairo serious time on both ends of the trip. On arrival, you settle into the Nile Ritz Carlton or a similar property positioned directly on the river, and the programme begins that evening with a welcome dinner and your first meeting with the National Geographic Expedition Leader and Expert. On the return from Luxor, the city opens up properly: Old Cairo, the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Royal Mummies Museum after hours, all within two full days.

Aswan

Aswan sits in Egypt's deep south where the Nile runs narrow and clear. It is quieter and more manageable than Cairo, and the setting along the river is one of the most striking in the country. The group boards the Nile cruise ship here after arriving by internal flight from Cairo, and the time in Aswan includes a felucca ride to a Nubian island village for tea with a local family and a visit to the Philae Temple, reached by motorboat on a small island in the Nile. The cruise ship, the Jaz River Cruise Boat or similar, serves as accommodation for three nights as the route moves northward through the ancient southern sites.

The Nile Cruise: Aswan to Luxor

The three-night cruise follows the Nile from Aswan to Luxor, docking at Kom Ombo, Edfu and the outskirts of Luxor along the way. Life on board is unhurried between visits, with deck time as the landscape passes and evening presentations from the Expedition Expert to prepare for the following day's sites. The Edfu stop begins before the temple opens to the public, with private pre-opening access to the Temple of Horus giving the group the run of one of Egypt's best-preserved Ptolemaic temples in near silence before the day crowds arrive.

Luxor

Luxor is where ancient Thebes once stood, and it remains one of the most concentrated sites of ancient monuments anywhere in the world. The group spends a full day on the West Bank, visiting Habu Temple, the Temple of Hatshepsut cut into the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari, and the Karnak Temple Complex on the East Bank, one of the largest religious structures ever built. The Valley of the Kings follows the next morning before the group flies back to Cairo. Accommodation in Luxor is at the Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor or a similar property on the Nile.

What's Included

• Return flights from Dublin to Cairo with Lufthansa via Frankfurt
• Arrival and departure transfers in Cairo
• All internal flights: Cairo to Aswan, Aswan to Abu Simbel and return, Luxor to Cairo
• 10 nights accommodation: 4 nights at the Nile Ritz Carlton Cairo or similar, 3 nights aboard the Jaz River Cruise Boat or similar, 1 night at the Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor or similar
• All meals as specified in the itinerary
• All guided tours and site entry fees listed in the itinerary
• National Geographic Expedition Leader and Expedition Expert throughout
• Private after-hours access to the Royal Mummies Museum
• Private pre-opening access to Edfu Temple
• Felucca ride and Nubian village visit in Aswan
• Nubian village tea with a local family
• Porterage at hotels and on transport
• Tips for all activities, meals and porterage (excluding the Expedition Leader)
• G for Good community visits: Nawaya Project, Cairo and Funtasia Project, Luxor

Terms and Conditions

This offer is based on 2 adults sharing throughout. Return flights depart Dublin Airport on 2027-04-14 with Lufthansa via Frankfurt. Price is correct at the time of posting (3 June 2025). Offers are subject to change. Price from €8,350 per person

10 Nights from €8,350 per person