Secrets of Egypt & the Nile: An 11-Night Journey with AmaWaterways
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Egypt is on the bucket list for many travelers, yet getting there can feel daunting. Cairo alone has more than 22 million people, and the country's famous ancient sites are spread across hundreds of miles. The question isn't whether to go, but rather, how to do it well.
AmaWaterways and AAA have an excellent solution: a curated 11-night journey called Secrets of Egypt & the Nile that includes four nights in Cairo and a seven-night Nile river cruise aboard the AmaDahlia.
An experienced AAA Trip Leader travels with you throughout, handling logistics, providing context at every site, and offering support throughout the journey.
Cairo: Where ancient and modern collide
The journey begins in Cairo, where you'll spend four nights at the lovely Nile Ritz-Carlton, a welcoming respite after days packed with activities. Day two takes you through the new Grand Egyptian Museum, a 5.2-million-square-foot building that houses more than 100,000 artifacts, including a 36-foot statue of Ramesses II in the atrium. From there, you’ll visit the Mosque of Muhammad Ali and take in views across Giza.
Day three moves to Memphis and Saqqara, home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest stone pyramid in the world, followed by lunch at the Mena House and an afternoon at the Great Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza. No matter how many photos you've seen, nothing quite prepares you for the massive scale of it.
Before flying south to Luxor, you'll visit Coptic Cairo, where ancient churches and the ruins of the Babylon Fortress tell a story that predates Islam. Then you’ll visit the stunning Karnak and Luxor Temples.
Life aboard the AmaDahlia
Once you board the AmaDahlia, the pace shifts. AmaWaterways designed this ship specifically for Nile cruising, and the staterooms with French balconies and outside balconies are made for watching the river go by. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served onboard daily, with menus that draw on local ingredients and regional cuisine.
There is plenty to do in the evenings as well. Enjoy a raqs sharqi belly dance performance one night and a galabeya party, where you don traditional Egyptian robes and join the crew, on another. An optional cooking class rounds out the onboard experience.
Along the Nile
From Luxor, the itinerary moves through the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. Then south to Aswan, where Abu Simbel is the undisputed highlight.
Ramesses II built this temple complex in the 13th century BC, four colossal figures of the king were carved directly into the sandstone cliff. The scale is huge. The engineering is a marvel. When rising waters from Lake Nasser threatened the site in the 1960s, the entire complex was carefully cut apart and moved 200 feet higher, block by block.
Back in Aswan, you’ll enjoy a felucca sail around Elephantine Island, which gives you a different look at Egypt, quiet and unhurried, as you slowly drift past from the water.
The cruise also stops at the Temple of Philae, a Nubian village on Hisa Island, and Kom Ombo's unusual double temple. Near Luxor, you’ll visit a papyrus museum and a local bazaar, which offer a taste of modern-day Egypt.
What's included
The trip is designed to be seamless from start to finish. The round-trip Cairo itinerary, running April 7–18, 2027, includes four nights at the Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo seven nights aboard the AmaDahlia, all intra-Egypt flights, 23 meals, and the services of a dedicated AAA Trip Leader throughout.
The journey ends back in Cairo with a private lunch inside Abdeen Palace, described as the most luxurious place in Egypt.
Secrets of Egypt & the Nile departs April 7, 2027. Cabin prices begin at $7,450 per person based on double occupancy, not including airfare. Contact your AAA Travel Advisor or visit AAA.com/Explorations.