Egypt Singles Vacation and Nile Cruise

After breakfast, begin a full day exploring some of Egypt's most remarkable ancient sites. Travel first to Memphis, the ancient capital on the west bank of the Nile. Today the site is an open-air museum containing ruins, statues, monuments and a sphinx.

See the enormous limestone Colossus of Ramses II and the Alabaster Sphinx before continuing to Sakkara, the vast ancient burial ground that served as the necropolis of Memphis.

Visit the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, one of Egypt's earliest monumental stone pyramids.

Then continue to Giza for one of the highlights of the vacation — the Great Pyramids of Giza and the legendary Sphinx. These extraordinary monuments remain among the most recognizable achievements of ancient Egyptian civilization.

After breakfast at the hotel, spend the day discovering more of Cairo's historic treasures.

Visit the Egyptian Museum and explore its extensive collection of pharaonic antiquities. Its remarkable collections include treasures associated with Tutankhamun, including his famous gold funerary mask and sarcophagus, along with the royal mummy collection.

Continue to the Saladin Citadel, Cairo's historic medieval fortress complex. The site contains museums, historic mosques and the impressive Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali.

After breakfast, fly to Luxor on the east bank of the Nile, located on the site of ancient Thebes, once the capital of Egypt during the height of pharaonic power.

Upon arrival, check in for your Nile Cruise and begin exploring Luxor's West Bank. Visit the Necropolis of Thebes and the Valley of the Kings, the famous burial ground used for the royal tombs of Egypt's New Kingdom.

For centuries, kings, queens and nobles were buried in this extraordinary valley. Its elaborately decorated tombs form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, the impressive mortuary complex dedicated to one of ancient Egypt's most famous female rulers.

On the return journey, stop at the Colossi of Memnon, the two enormous statues of Amenhotep III that once guarded his mortuary temple.

Tonight, enjoy dinner and your first night aboard the Nile cruise.

After breakfast aboard the ship, discover Luxor's East Bank and two of Egypt's most celebrated ancient temple complexes: Karnak and Luxor Temple.

Explore the Temples of Karnak, where generations of pharaohs expanded the vast complex over many centuries. Moving deeper into the site reveals increasingly ancient structures, with some ruins dating back more than 3,000 years.

Continue to Luxor Temple, which was historically connected to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes. The temple is dominated by monumental statues of Ramses II and has survived thousands of years of floods, invasions and exposure.

Continue your Nile journey with a visit to the Temple of Kom Ombo, dramatically positioned above the river. This unusual double temple was dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon-headed god.

Continue to Edfu, an important city in ancient Egypt, and visit the Temple of Horus. The remarkably preserved temple is considered one of Egypt's most beautiful ancient monuments.

Its detailed inscriptions and reliefs include fascinating depictions associated with ancient medicine, while the construction and decoration of the temple complex developed over approximately 180 years.

After breakfast, visit the Aswan High Dam, one of Egypt's major modern engineering projects, followed by the Unfinished Obelisk, the largest known ancient obelisk.

The massive obelisk was being carved directly from the bedrock when cracks developed in the granite, causing the ancient builders to abandon the project.

Later, experience the Nile aboard a traditional felucca. These sailboats have traveled the river since antiquity. Sail past the Botanical Gardens and enjoy views along the Nile, including the area around the Aga Khan Mausoleum.

In the evening, experience the Sound and Light Show at Philae Temple. Through narration and dramatic illumination, the legends of Isis and Osiris and the history of this remarkable temple complex are brought to life.

This morning, disembark the Nile cruise and travel to Abu Simbel to visit the magnificent temples of Ramses II and his wife, Queen Nefertari.

Built during the reign of Ramses II, the temples rank among Egypt's most impressive ancient monuments. Their preservation also represents one of the world's great archaeological engineering achievements.

When construction of the Aswan High Dam threatened to submerge the temples beneath Lake Nasser, an international UNESCO-supported operation dismantled and relocated the monuments approximately 200 feet higher.

The temples were carefully reconstructed while preserving their relationship to one another and to the sun, then enclosed within an artificial mountain.

Return to Aswan and overnight at the Tolip Hotel.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before checking out and flying back to Cairo.

This afternoon, visit the historic Khan El Khalili Bazaar for last-minute shopping and souvenirs. Dating back to the 14th century, this colorful marketplace is filled with clothing, fabrics, spices, perfumes, jewelry, carpets, antiques and traditional Egyptian souvenirs.

The bustling bazaar provides a memorable final taste of Cairo's atmosphere and culture.

Tonight, gather with the group for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

It's time to say goodbye to Egypt and your new travel friends. Transfer to Cairo Airport according to your scheduled departure time for your flight home.