Breakfast: A breakfast box will be available for travelers at the hotel early this morning.

Morning: Early this morning, we’ll head to the airport for our flight to Luxor—which will be like a journey back in time from Egypt’s current capital, Cairo, to its ancient capital of Thebes. While flying high above the Nile, one gains an appreciation of how the mighty river enabled such a magnificent civilization to develop along its fertile banks—something noted by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who called Egypt the “Gift of the Nile.”

Modern-day Luxor grew out of the ruins of ancient Thebes. And we’ll begin to grasp the scope and grandeur of the monuments and temples along both banks of the Nile at this special locale—Luxor Temple and the Temple of Karnak on the East bank, and the remote Valley of the Kings on the West bank. Upon our arrival in Luxor this morning, we’ll explore the Temple of Karnak. With its massive gate, Karnak is one of the most important ancient sites in all of Egypt. Ancient Egyptians, who believed that their chief deity Amun-Ra first created himself and then everything else, called Karnak Ipet-Isut, “the most perfect of places.” And perfection was eventually attained at Karnak, which was built over the course of 1,300 years by successive kings and queens, who each added their own tributes to Amun-Ra, replacing or expanding existing monuments in ever more grand styles.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We’ll check in to our hotel, and you'll have some free time to relax and get settled in.

Then, we'll regroup in the lobby of our hotel for one of the highlights of our Egypt adventure: a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local family. We'll break up into smaller groups and depart for the home or apartment of our host family, which will be located in the suburb of Awamiya. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about life in the region—so come hungry for your home-cooked meal, and bring plenty of questions for your welcoming hosts.

Dinner: Dine in the home of a local family, and learn about life in the legendary city of Luxor from these residents while we watch as they prepare an authentic dinner. Each family has a different background—some of them may be teachers, bank tellers, or shop owners, for example. Our meal this evening will consist of typical regional dishes—like mahshi (eggplant and zucchini), moussaka (an eggplant, meat, and potato-based dish), and tahini salad (made from toasted, ground sesame)—and the family will sit down with us to savor it. We'll finish off our meal with a traditional dessert like basbousa, cake sweetened with a simple syrup, or knafah, filo pastry filled with cheese.

Evening: The rest of your evening is free to relax at the hotel, or perhaps to head over to the Luxor market, which is about half a mile from our hotel.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll depart the hotel in the morning, crossing over to the west bank of the Nile by motorcoach to the Valley of the Kings. The Valley of the Kings, situated in a secluded locale in the Theban Hills, is where the great pharaohs were buried in rock-cut tombs and surrounded by all the treasures they would need in the afterlife. Almost all of the sacred burial chambers were plundered over the millennia—with the exception of an obscure young ruler whose reign lasted a mere decade. On the afternoon of November 26, 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter made a small hole in a sealed doorway, inserted a candle, and peered inside. Completely untouched, Tutankhamen’s burial chambers contained thousands of priceless objects inside, along with a gold coffin containing the mummy of the teenage king.

Upon arrival in the Valley of the Kings, we’ll set off on a walking tour, which includes a visit to the tomb of this young pharaoh, followed by a visit to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, built for Egypt’s first known female monarch. Ruling for 20 years in the 15th century B.C., Hatshepsut is also considered one of Egypt's most successful pharaohs.

Then, we’ll drive south to Esna, a town on the Nile’s western bank, where we’ll board our private river-yacht.

Lunch: Aboard our yacht.

Afternoon: To set your expectation for the days ahead, a word about our private 16-passenger dahabeya—your accommodations for the next five nights: This is not your typical large river ship. Instead, you’ll experience a gentler, more gracious era in travel. In fact, the history of the dahabeya goes back to the Pharaonic times, and inscriptions of these vessels have been found in the tombs of ancient Egyptian Kings. They take their name from the Arabic word for gold (dahab), since the earliest form of this boat was golden colored. As we glide quietly across the Nile’s timeless waters, guided by the gentle winds and whims of the currents, our small motorized tender is there to nudge us along when we require assistance. The intimate size of our vessel also allows us to visit ancient temples at quiet times, and gives us access to the smaller islands and riverside villages unavailable to travelers on the big river ships. Quietly moored in secluded locales, we can spend peaceful evenings relaxing on deck, gazing out at the Nile to imagine a time when Cleopatra and Julius Caesar drifted past these very same waters aboard the Egyptian queen’s gilded barge.

With a crew of 15 along to provide attentive, personal service to our small group of just 16 travelers, we’ll begin our romantic journey along the Nile this afternoon. Our first cruise will last approximately four hours, plenty of time to appreciate just how relaxing this form of Nile travel can be while taking in the vistas to either side of the river where life plays out along its banks unchanged for centuries. We'll arrive in Higz, a small village along the Nile’s east bank.

Dinner: Aboard our yacht.

Evening: You are free to relax on deck to admire the night sky or settle into your cabin for the night.

Breakfast: Aboard our yacht.

Morning: After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a village walk in Higz before returning to our yacht and setting our course for Edfu. During our scenic 5-hour cruise, perhaps you'll join our Trip Experience Leader for a discussion on pharaonic life, or maybe try your hand at senet, an ancient Egyptian board game that was a favorite pastime of Tutankhamen.

Lunch: Aboard our yacht.

Afternoon: Arrive at Edfu, a town on the west bank of the Nile that is home to the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt. Here, we’ll visit the Temple of Horus, dedicated to the falcon-headed god. After exploring the remarkable hieroglyphs and bas-reliefs of Egypt’s second largest temple, we’ll cruise well beyond the lights and noise of Edfu to moor for the night at Fawaza, a quiet little village further down the Nile.

Dinner: Aboard our yacht.

Evening: Free to mingle with your fellow travelers over a drink at the bar, or retire to your cabin for the night.