Flight to Cairo.

Pick-up at the airport to meet your Egyptologist guide and transfer to the hotel for check-in. Hyatt Regency Cairo West 5* (D)

Explore the Giza Plateau and the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure: an iconic Egyptian landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site. While you’re there, you can also see the statue of the Sphinx standing watch before the great pyramids. Next is a camel ride through the desert and lunch overlooking the pyramids. In the afternoon, stop at Saqqara, home to the vast necropolis for the ancient Lower Egyptian capital of Memphis. Then move on to the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Teti Pyramid, and a mastaba (an Egyptian funerary building). Welcome cocktail followed by dinner at the hotel. (B-L-D)

Tour Saladin’s Citadel, an imposing 12th-century fortress, and the Great Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha. Visit the Coptic Quarter, with its museum and the famous El Moallaqa Hanging Church. After lunch, visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum, located at the foot of the Giza pyramids. More than 100,000 works are on display, including the treasures of Tutankhamun, eagerly awaited by archeology enthusiasts. Return to the hotel for dinner. (B-L-D)

Departure for Alexandria: visit to the catacombs and Pompey’s Pillar. Tour of the 15th-century Citadel of Qaitbay and its famous library. Lunch on the waterfront, then return to Cairo to have dinner at the hotel. (B-L-D)

Take a morning flight to the ancient city of Luxor, 700km south of Cairo. After touchdown, tour the Karnak Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising a vast collection of ruins, temples, chapels, and pylons. Then visit the heart of the ancient city of Thebes to see the Luxor Temple, built for the god Amon. Board the MS Alexander the Great 5* for a 7-night Nile River cruise. (B-L-D)

Early in the morning, you can take a hot air balloon ride over the necropolis of Thebes. ($) Then explore the Valley of the Kings, a region on the west bank of the Nile containing the tombs of many pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Take a tour of three of these tombs, as well as Tutankhamun’s. Continue on to the funerary temple of Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut, then visit two tombs in the Valley of the Queens. Optional visit to the tomb of Nefertari ($). Return to the ship for lunch and sail for the rest of the day (including passage through a lock). (B-L-D)

Visit to the Temple of Edfu, one of the best preserved in Egypt. Lunch on board then sail to Kom Ombo. In the evening, visit to the temples of crocodile god Sobek and falcon god Haroeris. Return to the ship and sail to Aswan. (B-L-D)

Visit to the Temple of Isis at Philæ, an island submerged in the 1970s by the lake retained by the old Aswan dam, whose temples and monuments have been relocated and restored thanks to the intervention of UNESCO. Tour of a workshop to learn how perfumes and medicinal oils are made, followed by a stop at the spice market. Lunch on board. (B-L-D)

Morning departure and stop at the new hydroelectric dam built between 1960 and 1970. Drive to the UNESCO Heritage Site of Abu Simbel to visit the ancient rock-cut temples built for Ramses II and his wife Nefertari. Late dinner at a local restaurant followed by a sound and light show on this mythical site. Return to the ship in the late evening. (B-L-D)

Soak up the Nile River views aboard a felucca, followed by a visit to the botanical gardens. Enjoy a boat cruise through the Aswan nature reserve, home to numerous bird species, then explore a Nubian village to learn more about the local culture. Return to the ship and sail on to Kom Ombo and Edfu. (B-L-D)

Enjoy free time in the morning as you sail toward Luxor. Disembark in Esna then continue by road to Luxor. Take a tour of the Temple of Ramses III, the last great ruler of the New Empire, then visit a tomb in the Valley of the Nobles. Have lunch at a local restaurant. Make a stop in the Valley of the Artisans to see the stonecutters in action, then stop for photos at the impressive Colossi of Memnon. At the end of the day, take a carriage ride through Luxor to witness the liveliness of the city with its souks, churches, and cafés. Stop at the Papyrus Institute and learn how this plant is transformed into incredible masterpieces. Have dinner on the ship. (B-L-D)

Disembark for a tour of the Temple of Dendera, dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Then head to the seaside resort of El Gouna on the Red Sea. Check in at the hotel for the next three nights. Have dinner in the centre of El Gouna. Mövenpick Resort & Spa El Gouna 5* (B-L-D)

In the morning, take a tuk tuk ride around El Gouna. Spend the rest of the day as you please. (B)

Free day. (B)

Leave early in the morning for your transfer to Cairo by coach, with a to-go breakfast basket. Upon arrival, visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and the Royal Mummies Gallery. Return to the hotel and enjoy a farewell dinner. Hyatt Regency Cairo West 5* (B-L-D)

TTransfer to the airport and return flight to Montréal. (B)