Cairo • Hotel check in

Arrive in Cairo, where you will be met by an AmaWaterways representative who will assist you with your luggage and the customs and immigration process. Once everything is taken care of and you have that new stamp in your passport, you will be driven to your hotel to check in and relax.

Cairo • Grand Egyptian Museum • Local lunch • Alabaster Mosque • Evening Welcome Reception

A full day of captivating sites awaits. You begin at the exquisite new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the world’s largest archaeological museum with around 100,000 artifacts on display, many of them never seen by the public before the official opening in 2025.

With 12 main galleries, the museum is home to some of the greatest masterpieces ever crafted, including a unique collection of Pharaonic art, ancient mummies and the complete, priceless treasures of Tutankhamen, the Boy King.

After your visit, enjoy a delicious lunch featuring local and international cuisine. Then continue to the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, also known as the Alabaster Mosque, which sits majestically on the summit of the Citadel of Saladin’s courtyard. From the arcaded courtyard, you will enjoy breathtaking views across the city and out toward the Pyramids of Giza. Inside, admire the ornate interior and beautiful lamps suspended from the intricately decorated ceiling.

In the evening, join an AmaWaterways Welcome Reception hosted by your Cruise Manager with tapas and drinks.

Cairo • Sakkara • Ancient Memphis • Pyramids of Giza • Great Sphinx • Local lunch

Today you discover the monuments at the UNESCO designated ancient capital of Memphis. You will visit the huge statue of Ramses II, the Alabaster Sphinx, and the necropolis of Sakkara, home to the famous step pyramid of King Zoser, the oldest pyramid on earth.

Next, enjoy a lovely lunch at the famous Mena House, a historic palatial hotel in the shadow of the great Pyramids of Giza.

After lunch, you will explore the Great Sphinx and the iconic Giza Pyramid complex, which consists of three large pyramids built between 2,589 BC and 2,504 BC.

Evening at leisure back in Cairo.

Cairo • Coptic Cairo • Flight to Luxor • Luxor embarkation • Captain’s Welcome Cocktail

This morning, visit Coptic Cairo, a neighborhood known for its historic churches and monasteries and its deep Christian heritage.

In the early afternoon, fly south to Luxor, formerly known as Thebes, the capital city of the New Kingdom of Upper Egypt. Luxor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to two astonishing temples, Karnak and Luxor.

You then board your luxurious AmaWaterways river cruise ship to begin your Nile River Valley cruise. Take time to relax and settle into your stateroom. Before dinner, meet your crew and celebrate with a Captain’s Welcome Cocktail.

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Luxor • Valley of the Queens • Valley of the Kings including Seti I • Temple of Hatshepsut • Colossi of Memnon

Begin the day with a visit to the Valley of the Queens, the burial place of more than 30 royal women of ancient Egypt.

Continue to the Valley of the Kings, one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The spectacular rock cut tombs on the west bank of Luxor include that of the enigmatic King Tutankhamun, whose mummified remains are still on display here. Your visit also includes Seti I’s tomb, where you will enjoy rare access.

Next, visit Deir el Bahri to see the stunning Temple of Hatshepsut, dedicated to one of Egypt’s most successful pharaohs and its first female ruler. Your day concludes with an up close view of the Colossi of Memnon, two gigantic statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

Back on board, relax on the Sun Deck and take in the scenery or join the chef for an informal Egyptian cooking class.

Edfu • Temple of Horus • Scenic cruising to Aswan

Today you visit Edfu, best known for one of Egypt’s most remarkably preserved temples, the Temple of Horus, dedicated to the falcon headed god. Built in 230 BC, it is the second largest temple in Egypt and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its walls preserve detailed information about religion and language from Egypt’s Greco Roman period.

After visiting Edfu, relax on board and enjoy the timeless landscapes of the Nile as your ship continues toward Aswan.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Aswan • Free morning or optional Abu Simbel excursion • Felucca ride around Elephantine Island • Optional high tea at Old Cataract Hotel • Folkloric entertainment

Enjoy free time in Aswan this morning or take an optional excursion to Abu Simbel (must be prebooked).

If you choose Abu Simbel, you will take an early morning flight over Lake Nasser to the more than 3,000 year old temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dedicated to Ramses II and his chief wife Queen Nefertari. The front of the main temple features four colossal seated statues of Ramses II, each nearly 70 feet high, which were discovered half buried in sand in 1813.

Later in the afternoon, enjoy a peaceful felucca ride, sailing around beautiful Elephantine Island in a traditional Egyptian sailboat. Locals say this island is the home of the legendary god Khnum.

You may also opt for a late afternoon high tea at the historic Old Cataract Hotel, a 19th century Victorian palace crafted in rose granite with stunning views over the Nile and Elephantine Island.

After dinner on board, continue your Egyptian experience with traditional folkloric style belly dance entertainment.

Guests can reserve the optional tour to Abu Simbel at the time of booking their Nile adventure.

Aswan • Philae Temple • Nubian village visit • Kom Ombo • Galabeya evening

This morning, board a motorboat and cruise to the UNESCO designated Philae Temple complex, which boasts some of the most beautifully restored and preserved hieroglyphs in Egypt. Constructed between 380 and 362 BC, it is dedicated to the goddess Isis, wife of Osiris and mother of Horus.

Next, continue to a colorful Nubian village on Hisa Island, where you will meet warm and welcoming Nubian locals and learn about their culture.

In the afternoon, cruise to the Great Temple of Kom Ombo, whose soaring columns rise dramatically above the Nile. Unique in Egypt, this temple is dedicated to two gods, the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon headed Haroeris, also known as Horus the Elder.

After your visit, return to the ship and cruise onward toward Luxor. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Galabeya party on board. You will have the chance to don a Galabeya, traditional Egyptian attire, and join your crew in an outdoor celebration of local customs and culture.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Luxor • Scenic cruising Esna to Luxor • Karnak Temple • Papyrus demonstration • Luxor Temple • Optional Luxor Market

Spend a relaxing morning of scenic cruising along the Nile as you sail from Esna back to Luxor. Watch daily life on the riverbanks glide by from the Sun Deck.

Your first visit this afternoon is the Temple of Karnak, the largest religious complex in Egypt and one of the largest in the world, covering about 200 acres. Here you will see columns, hieroglyphics, obelisks, sphinxes, colossi and even a sacred lake. The famous Hypostyle Hall is a marvel, filled with 134 massive columns, most around 70 feet high, with 12 even taller columns lining the central aisle.

After Karnak, visit a papyrus workshop to learn about the art of papyrus making and how this special plant from the Nile Delta was used in ancient times for everything from sails and cloth to writing material for important texts and documents.

You will then visit the beautiful Temple of Luxor, constructed over hundreds of years by Amenhotep III, Ramses II, Tutankhamun and other pharaohs.

Afterward, you may return to the ship to relax or choose to visit the colorful Luxor Market, where you will find piles of spices, jewelry, clothing and the heady scents of incense and perfumes.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Qena • Temple of Hathor at Dendara • Cruise back to Luxor

Today you sail to Qena to explore its rich ancient heritage. From here, you travel to Dendara to visit the Temple of Hathor, one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and motherhood, was worshipped here by Ptolemaic and Roman rulers.

Do not miss the relief at the back of the temple depicting Cleopatra with Caesarion, her son by Julius Caesar, the Roman emperor who gave his name to the months of July and August.

After your visit, you will sail back to Luxor.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Luxor • Disembarkation • Flight to Cairo • Exclusive Abdeen Palace private tour and lunch

Disembark your ship in Luxor and fly back to Cairo, where you will be taken to the Abdeen Presidential Palace, considered one of the most luxurious palaces in the world.

The palace contains several museums, including the Silver Museum, Arms Museum, Royal Family Museum, Presidential Gifts Museum and a Historical Documents Museum. It is also one of the official residences and places of work for the President of Egypt.

After your private tour, enjoy a special lunch at the palace.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch.

Cairo • Departure

Bid farewell to Cairo and prepare for your flight home.

Meal included: Breakfast.