Nile in Style: Gay Egypt Cultural Tour

Days 1-2: Giza and the Pyramids!

We arrive at Cairo Airport and a transfer is provided for the drive across the Nile. The first two nights will be at the lovely Mena House Hotel. Here we will enjoy its attractive gardens, terraces, and fine restaurants, overlooking the grand pyramids at Giza. Tonight we will gather for a reception and our Welcome Dinner at our hotel as we begin our journey into Egyptian history and culture.

The next morning after breakfast, we will take the short drive to see the plateau dominated by the pyramids of Cheops, Chephren, and Mycerius, and by the Sphinx. For those who are not claustrophobic, exploring inside one of the pyramids is an awesome experience. We also inspect the beautifully restored solar boat of King Chephren. Here we will enter the Valley Temple in which the mummified body of the king rested before being interred in his pyramid.

In the evening, we will attend the spectacular Sound and Light performance at Giza. Set against the backdrop of the three great pyramids and the Sphinx.

For those with a little more time, we are also offering a one-day pre-tour extension, including an extra night at the Mena House. We will take a half-day tour of the well-preserved Sakkara Pyramid. If accessible, we will also visit the Red and Bent Pyramids. Until recently these were on a military reservation and closed to the public.

Days 3-4: Karnak, Esna, and Edfu Temples

After checking out from our Cairo hotel, we will take a morning flight to Luxor. Our first stop will be the magnificent Temple of Karnak, the largest religious building in the world. Ancient Egyptians came to present petitions at more than twenty sites within the temple complex. The most impressive is the vast Hypostyle Hall of Seti I.

It has been said that the pyramids are more stupendous, the Colosseum in Rome covers more ground, and the Parthenon of Athens is more serene. But for sheer majesty, this hall with its gigantic columns exceeds them all. It is truly one of the wonders of the world.

After exploring Karnak, we drive to the harbor and embark on the ss Karim for our 7-night cruise, with full breakfast, luncheon, afternoon tea, and dinner daily.

During our week’s cruise, we enjoy our ship’s amenities and the ever-changing river scenery of palm trees, rolling hills, golden sand dunes, and cultivated land. We’ll pass several villages where, from the ship’s sundecks, we can view the activities on the riverbank. Hence there are also splendid opportunities for bird watching.

The captain will decide on the exact order and timing of our shore visits. But during the week we will go ashore to visit the temples of Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Luxor. We will also explore the ancient city of Aswan and its Nubian heritage. The following gives an example of what we will see on a typical cruise.

Once aboard our ship, we will have dinner while sailing upstream to Esna. This is where our ship is raised through a lock some forty feet to the upper level of the river. We spend the night in Esna harbor, then in the morning visit the temple of Khnum, the creator god. Later in the day, we will visit Edfu, where we drive in horse-drawn carriages to the enormous and best-preserved temple in upper Egypt, dedicated to Horus, the sacred falcon god. Upon our return to the ship, we’ll continue our southbound, upstream voyage toward Aswan, and tie off for the night at Kom Ombo.

Day 5: Kom Ombo

In the morning we will inspect the Roman double temple dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and to Haroeris, a form of the sun god. This temple is most picturesquely sited on the riverbank, a short walk from our dock. We will reach Aswan in the afternoon and dock for a couple of days. This is an enchanting town with its near-perfect dry climate and amazing texture of light. You may wish to stroll through the bazaar where Nubian spices, handicrafts, and charms are for sale and where gallabiya outfits are custom-made overnight.

Day 6: Aswan

Today we will board a traditional boat called a felucca, then tack across the river under a billowing white sail. Upon reaching the West Bank, we will climb aboard camels (or walk) to see the abandoned 6th Century Coptic monastery of Saint Simeon. It is set on a hillside overlooking the golden desert. We will also stroll through the fine Aswan Botanic Garden on Kitchener Island, then next visit the new Nubian Museum. Around sunset, we will take a small boat across the reservoir created by the Old Aswan Dam to the temple island of Philae. Here we will watch the ancient history of the region come alive in a Sound & Light Show. After the show, we will return to the ss Karim for another night docked at Aswan.

Day 7: Abu Simbel Optional Excursion

This morning is free to join our optional excursion to visit Abu Simbel, or to explore Aswan’s bazaar on your own. The excursion includes a 30-minute flight, then a guided tour to view the rock tombs. These tombs were raised from the riverbank so they would not be inundated as Lake Nasser filled up behind the High Dam. They certainly rank among the most stupendous monuments of ancient Egypt and mark the southern extent of the kingdom of Pharaoh Rameses II.

After returning from Abu Simbel, those on the excursion will visit the Aswan High Dam, which was so controversial when it was built. The dam supplies a large part of Egypt’s power. We will also see the unfinished obelisk, whose workers carved out a huge slab of rock, but stopped suddenly, leaving it jutting out from the quarry.

In the afternoon we set sail back toward Luxor, riding fast on the downstream current while we enjoy the amenities of the ship, including another afternoon tea on the deck as we watch the ever-changing life along the river. We will spend tonight docked at Kom Ombo.

Day 8: Life along the Riverbank

Today is mostly a sailing day as we pass sugarcane fields and palm groves that provide a livelihood for the residents of the small villages that dot the riverbank. Sugarcane thrives in the rich soil along the river. During their harvesting seasons, it may be possible to see tiny narrow-gauge steam engines. They pull up to 40 cars of tightly packed sugar cane from the fields to the harbors.

At least once during the trip, we will try to leave the other tourists and walk through a local Egyptian market. During one recent trip, we observed a mother selling freshly baked bread from a blanket in front of her home. Young boys on donkeys followed us on the path and practiced their very limited English. Eventually, the mayor came along in his distinguished robes shooing away the youngest children to make sure no one begged from their honorable visitors. Contrary to stereotypes, it was also fascinating to see the variety of clothing for both adults and children in this conservative town. Some girls and women wore modest headscarves (usually in very stylish colors!), but others wore western clothes and did not cover their heads. Likewise, while many of the boys and men wore the traditional gallabiya robes, others wore button-down shirts and blue jeans.

Late in the day we pass back through the Esna lock and arrive in Luxor. We will be anchored here for two nights. Luxor is the modern name for ancient Thebes, once the capital of Egypt. It consists of two cities lying on the west and east banks of the Nile.

Day 9: Western Thebes; the Queen’s Temple

Today we will cross to Western Thebes early in the morning for a busy day of sightseeing. We will first stop at the Tombs of the Nobles. There is no electricity in the tombs. However, their custodians hold up mirrors to throw light onto walls painted with amazingly bright, lively scenes of everyday life in Egypt 3000 years ago. We drive on to the grand Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and then to the Valley of the Kings. Here we will inspect several of the tombs, including that of Tut-ankh-amon (if it is open to visitors).

For lunch, we will dine at a typically Egyptian luncheon on the terrace of an inn near Medinet Habu. In the afternoon we will stop to see the Ramesseum, with a massive fallen statue of Ramses. We will certainly make a brief photo stop at the two weather-beaten Colossi of Memnon, before returning to the ss Karim for our last afternoon tea.

In the late afternoon, we will drive back into Luxor to visit the Luxor Temple, a magical location as twilight turns to darkness. Soon well-placed lights come on, showing the walls and statues of this well-preserved temple in full relief.

Day 10: Luxor to Cairo

This morning we disembark our ship and transfer to Luxor Airport for our return flight to Cairo. From Cairo Airport we will transfer to our centrally located hotel near the Nile and Tahrir Square, where we will stay for two nights. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.

Day 11: Cairo: City of Past & Future

Today we tour Cairo, the greatest metropolis of the Middle East, to explore the highlights of Islamic Cairo. In the morning we visit the alabaster Mohammed Ali Mosque on the Citadel overlooking the modern downtown. Then we will head to the rarely-visited Gayer-Anderson House, the former home of Great Britain’s last pasha. This unique house served as a location in the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. In the afternoon we will tour the classical Egyptian Museum at Tahrir Square, including the fabulous jewels of King Tutankhamon. We will also allow some independent time in the Museum for those who want to explore other corners of this vast museum.

Tonight we will enjoy our farewell dinner, and share stories about the week we’ve just experienced together in this unique land.

Day 12: Departure Day or Start Extension

Transfers will be provided from our hotel to Cairo Airport for travelers departing today. If you have an evening flight, join the optional Cairo City Tour. It includes some or all of the old Coptic churches, the Hanging Church of St Mary, Abu Serga Church, Ben Ezra Jewish synagogue, and the new National Museum of Ancient Civilization which hosts the Royal Mummies. The cost includes entrance fees, transportation, and a private guide for our group. Tour typically starts at 9 am and concludes at our group hotel by 3 pm.