MONDAY, AUGUST 9 — ARRIVE CAIRO
FRIDAY, AUGUST 13 — DISEMBARK AND FLY HOME

• Sail to Cairo
• Breakfast onboard
• Briefing by Egyptologist
• Lunch onboard
• Arrive at Cairo pier mid-day
• National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (one of three galleries, at right) (slide show)
• Dinner onboard
• Overnight in Cairo

As our cruise up the Nile adventure segues to urban experiences, we’ll use our cruise ship as our Cairo hotel, for four nights.

In store are three full days of touring: Giza (the great Pyramid complex and Grand Egyptian Museum); Saqqara, home of Egypt’s oldest pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser; and the Egyptian Museum.

We kick off our Cairo sojourn with an afternoon visit to the National Museum of Eyptian Civilization (NMEC) (slide show). The institution takes on the imposing task of introducing guests to ~8,000 years of Egyptian life and times.

You’ll get the big picture of the world’s oldest civilization at the NMEC. You can use its artifacts to chart the evolution of Egypt’s culture through prehistoric, pharaonic, Greco-Roman, Coptic, and Islamic eras. You’ll have the opportunity to see the Royal Mummies Hall (slide show), resting place of 22 kings and queens of ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom.