Egypt and the Nile

Explore Egypt’s ancient sites and wonders

DISTINGUISHED GUEST LECTURER

Marc Van De Mieroop is Miriam Champion Professor of History at Columbia University, New York where he regularly teaches a lecture course on Ancient Egyptian history that draws large undergraduate enrollments. He has published numerous books and articles on various aspects of Egyptian history, ancient Near Eastern history, and World History. The second edition of his A History of Ancient Egypt appeared in 2021. His other books include The Eastern Mediterranean in the Age of Ramesses II (2007) and, most recently, Before and After Babel: Writing as resistance in ancient Near Eastern Empires (2023). He has received various fellowships including from the Guggenheim Foundation, the ACLS, the NEH, and the Internationales Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften in Vienna.

Karnak Temple in Luxor

Botanical garden on Kitchener’s Island

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs carved on the stone wall in the Karnak Temple, Luxor

Temple Kom Ombo

Egyptian paintings

Tutankhamun’s Mask

ITINERARY

Thursday, January 8, 2026
DEPART THE UNITED STATES

Friday, January 9
CAIRO, Egypt
Throughout history, Egyptians have referred to their country as Umm Ad Dunya, “Mother of the World,” because of their homeland’s remarkable achievements in religion, culture and science. We start our discovery of this fabled land in Cairo, Egypt’s most important city. Our representative will meet you at the airport and assist you through immigration and customs formalities. You will also be joined by our experienced Thalassa Journeys Trip Director, who will accompany you throughout your time in Egypt. Transfer by coach to the Giza Palace Hotel (or similar), located near the Pyramids at Giza, home for the next three nights. (D)

Saturday, January 10
GIZA AND MEMPHIS
After breakfast, tour the sole remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Pyramids of Giza. Built as massive tombs on the orders of the pharaohs nearly 4,000 years ago, their extraordinary shape, impeccable geometry, and sheer bulk stand as tributes to the achievements of ancient Egypt. Ponder the Sphinx, a limestone statue of a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human, believed to have been built during the reign of pharaoh Khafre. After lunch at the Marriott Mena House Hotel, travel the short distance to Memphis, capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt during the period when most of the pyramids were built. Also visit the Necropolis of Saqqara, site of the famous Step Pyramid, designed by Imhotep and believed to be the oldest stone-hewn building complex ever constructed. (B,L,D)

Sunday, January 11
GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM AND MANIAL PALACE
Start the day at the acclaimed Grand Egyptian Museum, which has one of the world’s most important collections of ancient artifacts, including those of King Tutankhamen. The museum showcases over 100,000 artifacts and is the world’s largest archaeological museum. Other masterpieces in the museum include the Narmer Palette, a 5,000-year-old ceremonial engraving; the statue of Khafre, builder of the second pyramid at Giza; and the Tanis collection, an extensive selection of glittering objects unearthed from six tombs in 1939. Lunch at the Steigenberger El Tahrir Hotel is followed by a visit to the Manial Palace and Museum, a fascinating blend of architectural styles—Ottoman, Moorish, Persian, and European Rococo. Located on Rhoda Island in a minor branch of the Nile, the compound is surrounded by Persian gardens, themselves ensconced within an extensive English-landscaped park. Dinner this evening is at the hotel. (B,L,D)

Monday, January 12
CAIRO/ASWAN/ELEPHANTINE ISLAND
After breakfast at the hotel, an early morning flight brings you to Aswan. Check in to the Mövenpick Resort Hotel (or similar), your home for the next two nights. Lunch at a local restaurant is followed by an excursion to the Aswan Botanical Gardens on Kitchener’s Island, named after the late-19th-century army commander who transformed it into a vast garden of flora from East Asia, India, and Africa. The island now abounds with birdlife as well as hundreds of species of plants. From Kitchener’s Island, it is a short boat ride to Elephantine Island, whose southern end is the site of ancient Abu. Founded at the beginning of the 1st dynasty as a fort to guard Egypt’s southern frontier, Abu quickly became a busy trading center, and remained strategically important throughout the Pharaonic period as a point of departure for military and commercial expeditions into Nubia and further south. Dinner is at the hotel in Aswan. (B,L,D)

Tuesday, January 13
ASWAN/ABU SIMBEL/ASWAN
Travel today via round trip air excursion to Abu Simbel, home to the immense statues of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari. Abu Simbel’s Great Temple is 98 feet high and 115 feet long, with four colossal statues depicting Ramesses II on his throne at the entrance. Beneath these giant figures are smaller statues depicting Ramesses’ conquered enemies: the Nubians, Libyans, and Hittites. The structures were created, at least in part, to celebrate Ramesses’ victory over the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC. In the 1960s some remarkable creative engineering saved the temple complex from the rising waters of the Nile caused by the erection of the Aswan High Dam. Return to Aswan for an afternoon at leisure, with lunch and dinner served at the hotel. (B,L,D)

Wednesday, January 14
ASWAN/EMBARK
Breakfast at the hotel and check out before joining an excursion to the Aswan High Dam. After 11 long years of construction, the dam was finally completed in 1970. More than two miles long at its crest, the massive $1 billion project ended the cycle of flood and drought that had plagued the Nile River basin for millennia. Its control of the flow of the river helps keep agricultural land irrigated, improves navigation, and generates electric power. From the dam, continue via motorboat to Philae, an island downstream from the Aswan Dam that is home to a temple dedicated to the goddess Isis. Learn about Philae’s history on a guided tour that includes its courts, colonnades, and halls. In the afternoon, embark the five-star M/S Jaz Viceroy for a three-night cruise on the Nile. Lunch and dinner are aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Thursday, January 15
ASWAN/KOM OMBO/EDFU/LUXOR
This morning, Jaz Viceroy calls at Kom Ombo for a visit to a temple that is unique in Egypt for the fact that it is dedicated to two different deities. Two nearly identical sets of halls, courts and sanctuaries line each side of the complex. The southern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, God of fertility and creator of the world, while the northern part of the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris. Over lunch, sail to Edfu to visit one of the best preserved of all Egyptian temples. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion during the Greco-Roman period. Explore the temples and learn more about ancient Egypt’s most significant deities. Return to the ship and set sail for Luxor. (B,L,D)

Friday, January 16
LUXOR
The modern town of Luxor is the site of ancient Thebes, the capital of Egypt beginning in the twelfth dynasty and reaching its zenith during the New Kingdom. This morning tour the Temples of Karnak and Luxor on the town’s East Bank. Karnak is the name of the ancient Temple of Amun at Thebes, believed to have been an observatory as well as a place of worship. The largest temple complex ever built, this site represents the combined achievement of many generations of architects and craftsmen. It consists of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about 2 miles north of the main complex. Then move on to Luxor Temple, also dedicated to Amun, king of the gods. An avenue of sphinxes connects it to the Temple of Amun at Karnak. The Temple of Luxor has been a sacred site throughout history. After Egypt’s pagan period, a Christian church and monastery were located here, followed by the 13th-century Mosque of Abu el-Haggag, which continues in use today. Overnight aboard Jaz Viceroy docked in Luxor. (B,L,D)

Saturday, January 17
LUXOR/DISEMBARK/CAIRO
Disembark after breakfast and tour Luxor’s West Bank. Your first stop is the Valley of the Kings, the Necropolis of Thebes, where you visit tombs from various dynasties, cut into the mountainside. One of the most famous archaeological sites in the world (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979), this valley is where the remains of King Tutankhamun were excavated. Continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only woman ever to reign over Egypt as pharaoh. Hatshepsut died in 1458 BC, and she is buried, like her male counterparts, in the Valley of the Kings. The last stop on the West Bank is the Colossi of Memnon, two monumental statues representing Amenhotep III (1386-1353 BC) of the 18th Dynasty. Transfer to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Cairo, where you will enjoy dinner and overnight at the Intercontinental City Stars Hotel (or similar). (B,L,D)

Sunday, January 18
CAIRO/USA
Check out after breakfast and transfer to Cairo International Airport for flights homeward. (B)