Sonesta St. George I Cruise is a luxury cruise that sails the vast, ancient waters of the Nile, in Egypt. 47 cabins and 10 suites offer panoramic views of this region's wonders, with french windows that frame the marvelous river. Plasma screen TVs, electronic door locks, Jacuzzis and the latest technology are some of the features that add to the ultimate comfort in the St. George I cabins. Enjoy stylish meals in the main dining room, with an array of Egyptian and Middle Eastern specialties alongside western classics. Buffet and à la carte service are both available. For relaxation, lounge on the sun deck and take in some rays. Otherwise, make an appointment at the Spa and Wellness Center and let a skilled massage therapist treat you with care.

Enjoy a private airport transfer accompanied by an English-speaking representative. Board a flight in Cairo with direct service to Luxor. Approximate flight duration is one hour. Please note, luggage restrictions apply to this regional flight. 1) Maximum of one checked bag, weighing up to 50 lbs (23 kg) – Economy, 70 lbs (32 kgs) - Business; Checked baggage cannot be larger than 62 linear inches (158cm). 2) Guests can also bring a piece of carry-on luggage with a maximum weight of 17 lbs (8 kg). Passengers flying in Business Class may bring two pieces of carry-on luggage. A private transfer between the airport and your hotel is provided. Welcome aboard! Take some time to get settled in to your stateroom and to explore the length of your ship. This evening you'll overnight at port in Luxor. Luxor is home to one of the world’s greatest open-air museums, with the ruins of Karnak and the Temples of Luxor in easy reach along the East Bank of the city. With your private Egyptologist guide, visit the impressive UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the monuments of Karnak and Luxor, learning more about ancient Egypt’s fascinating and lengthy history. Begin with a visit to the Temples of Karnak, strolling along the Avenue of Sphinx to enter the complex. The Temples of Karnak make up the history of Thebes and consists of colossal sandstone columns transported 100 miles along the Nile river, panoramic friezes. Discover with your guide how the massive façade was constructed. Continue to Luxor Temple which was once joined to the Temples of Karnak by a 1.25-mile-long Avenue of Sphinx, a portion of which marks the entrance to the temple. The temple dates to approximately 1400 BC and is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship rather than the Pharaohs, cult gods or deified versions of the king in death. During the Roman era, the temple and its surroundings served as a legionary fortress and acted as the home of the Roman government in the area. Relax this evening on board the comfort of your Nile cruise and enjoy the evening of entertainment, including local Egyptian music.

Some of the most spectacular sites in all of Egypt can be found on the West Bank of the Nile, near Luxor. Meet with your private guide and driver to spend a half day exploring the West Bank of the Nile, home to the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. Start with a visit to the Valley of the Kings to explore the famous Tomb of Tutankhamun along with two other interesting tombs. King Tut became Pharaoh at the tender age of nine or ten, and the discovery of his nearly intact tomb in 1922 fascinated the world. For a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt). Explore the recently renovated mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the second historically confirmed female Pharaoh. She is generally regarded by Egyptologists as one of the most successful Pharaohs, reigning longer than any other woman of an indigenous Egyptian dynasty, and remembered as the first great woman in history of whom we are informed. Next head to the nearby Valley of the Queens, where the wives of Pharaohs were buried during the 18th through 20th Dynasties. End the visit to the West Bank with a visit to the Colossi of Memnon, the only remaining monuments of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. The tomb of Nefertari is arguably the most beautiful and well-preserved tomb in all of Luxor and has even been called the Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt. Following its discovery, the tomb was closed to the public in 1950 due to threats to the paintings and required restoration work. Nefertari was Ramessess II’s favorite wife, and the tomb is primarily focused on the Queen’s life and her death. The well-preserved paintings in her tomb are the most detailed source discovered of the ancient Egyptian’s journey towards the afterlife. Today you'll sail to Edfu, via Esna. Overnight at port in Edfu.

Disembark from your Nile cruise and meet your private guide to explore the Temple of Horus in Edfu. Dedicated to Horus, the falcon god, the temple was built from 230 to 57 BC by Ptolemy III and his successors and is considered the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt because of its later construction date. Despite its late era origins, it reflects traditional pharaonic architecture, and the Temple’s inscribed building texts provides an excellent idea of how all the temples once looked, with details about its construction. It fell into disuse as a religious monument when the Roman Empire banned all non-Christian worship within the Empire in 391. Edfu is an impressive temple, and is the second largest in Egypt after Karnak Temple. Meet with your private guide and disembark from your Nile cruise to explore on foot the Kom Ombo Temple, a unique Greco-Roman temple dedicated to two gods: Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, the sun god. The Temple in Kom Ombo dates from about 180 BC, during a period known as the Ptolemaic era, and had some additions built on to it during Roman times. It stands right on the bank of the Nile between Edfu and Aswan. The temple is unusual in that it is a double temple, with one side dedicated to the god Haroesis and the other side to Sobek. The design is almost perfectly symmetrical, with two side-by-side sanctuaries and two parallel passageways leading through the outer parts of the temple. The right side is dedicated to Sobek-Re (the crocodile god combined with the sun god Re), along with his wife (a form of Hathor) and their son Khonsu-Hor. Sobek is associated with Seth, the enemy of Horus. In the myth of Horus and Osiris, Seth and his followers changed themselves into crocodiles to escape. The ancient Egyptians believed that by honoring the fearsome crocodile as a god, they would be safe from attacks. The left side is dedicated to Haroeris, the "Good Doctor" (a form of the falcon-headed god Horus the Elder) along with his consort Ta-Sent-Nefer, the "Good Sister" (another form of Hathor). Continue cruising onward to Aswan, where you'll overnight at port this evening.

The impressive Aswan High Dam was a marvel of engineering when it was constructed. Originally conceived to Egypt’s irrigation of farmland to mitigate against drought and famine in low-water years, and flooding in high-water years. Visit the dam with your private guide and spend a half day learning about Aswan. The dam displaced over 100,000 Nubians in Sudan and Egypt alike and was part of a major relocation project for archaeological sites under the UNESCO Nubia Campaign, including the Abu Simbel temples and Philae. Other sites were eventually flooded by Lake Nasser, the world’s largest artificial lake that was created by the Aswan High Dam. Then head to Philae and the Temple of Isis on Agilikia Island. Stop at the stone quarries to see the unfinished obelisk, the largest known ancient obelisk and a very good practical demonstration of the methods used by ancient craftsmen to create impressive moments. Marks from workers’ tools are still clearly visible on the bedrock.

This morning you'll disembark from your ship and bid farewell to the crew. A private transfer between the airport and hotel is provided. Board a flight in Aswan with direct service to Cairo. Approximate flight duration is one hour and 30 minutes. Please note, luggage restrictions apply to this regional flight. 1) Maximum of one checked bag, weighing up to 50 lbs (23 kg) – Economy, 70 lbs (32 kgs) - Business; Checked baggage cannot be larger than 62 linear inches (158cm). 2) Guests can also bring a piece of carry-on luggage with a maximum weight of 17 lbs (8 kg). Passengers flying in Business Class may bring two pieces of carry-on luggage. Enjoy a private airport transfer accompanied by an English-speaking representative. Cairo and the surrounding area around the Nile have been inhabited for millennia, and the heart of Coptic Cairo is still home to a host of ancient ruins telling the story the Persians and the early emergence of Christianity. With your private guide and driver, head to the remains of the Babylon Fortress, originally constructed by the Persians around the 6th century BC. These ruins are the city of Cairo’s oldest original structure – while the pyramids are older, they are in nearby Giza. Within the confines of the Fortress of Babylon are a number of important Coptic Christian Churches, including the Church of St. Sergius and Bacchus Church, also known as Abu Serga, constructed on the spot where the Holy Family is reported to have rested at during the end of their journey into Egypt. The neighborhood is also home to a number of historic sites important to both Judaism and Islam. Among others, today you will visit the Hanging Church, one of the oldest churches in Egypt. Its nave is suspended over a passage and the church was the seat of the Coptic Pope for centuries after it was relocated from Alexandria following the Muslim conquest of Egypt. See the Church of Saint Barbara, a long-lasting example of ancient Coptic architecture commemorating a 4th century local saint. End the day with a visit to the Coptic Museum which houses the largest collection of Egyptian Christian artifacts in the world and important examples of Coptic art.

Delve into the historical background of Egypt on a private tour with your Egyptologist guide. You will first visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, also known as the Egyptian Museum, which is a veritable treasure-trove of Ancient Egypt’s artifacts, with an extensive collection of more than 120,000 items split between its exhibits and storerooms. You will also head to the National Museum of Civilization. With a view of Ain El-Seera Lake the NEMC was built on the archaeological site of El-Fustat, the first capital of Egypt. The museum showcases Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to present day, using a multidisciplinary approach that highlights the country's history. With a mix of permanent and temporary exhibits your visit will help add to your knowledge and understanding of Egypt's ancient and modern civilizations. Today you will also explore the Royal Mummy Hall, where some of the world’s most powerful people are now resting, excavated from their tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens. Relax and enjoy a buffet lunch at a local restaurant, including a choice of a small bottle of water, soft drink, tea or coffee. As the day draws to a close, Cairo’s Khan Khalili Bazaar becomes a vibrant scene: a maze of shops lined with souvenirs and antiques, restaurants and coffee shops, workshops, mosques, and food vendors. The sights and sounds intermingle in an enchanting display over wafting aromas of freshly baked bread and roasting meats. Stroll down Al Moaz Street with your private guide, and marvel at the largest concentration of medieval architectural treasures from the Islamic world. End the evening with a memorable dinner at the Egyptian restaurant Naguib Mafouz, located in the heart of the bazaar. The restaurant is one of Cairo’s top-rated dining establishments. After dinner, return to your hotel by private vehicle.

Private Airport Transfer