Ancient Egypt & Mövenpick Nile Cruise

This was an excellent trip in April 2022 - great itinerary, so much culture, fantastic guide (Tarek) and such delicious food on the Nile boat. I loved every minute of it, and so glad I went. Particular highlights for me were the temples at Karnack, Valley of the Kings, the food on the Nile boat and the yellowness of the sandstorm that engulfed us on our way back from Abu Simbel! It is however, not a trip for the faint-hearted. There are LOTS of early starts. Almost every day was a start before 7am and on a couple of days, it was up at 3am. There is LOTS of walking, I think I did about 27 miles in the 9 days - to/from temples, round museums, in/out of airports, to/from local markets etc. Personally, I am not sure I would label this as 'leisurely' - yes, there were no hills to climb, but it was often uneven, sandy ground we walking on and when I went, Egypt was also going through a heatwave, so it was 43 or 44 degrees every day. I ignored some of the optional extras so I could have some down time on the boat. I would also add that in additional to the 'essentials' listed on the what to take, you also need: sunhat, scarf to cover your shoulders and women need to wear a long skirt for the day they are going into the mosque in Cairo. Refillable water bottle and light/comfortable walking shoes - very essential! Also, take US dollars as your main currency (small denominations and not ripped notes). You will need some Egyptian pounds for some of the attractions, but everywhere they just want hard currency - even at the local markets. Final word of advice - don't bother with the extra walk INSIDE the pyramid in Cairo. It is near vertical, baking hot and nothing to see at the end of it. My legs were wobbly for hours afterwards. Overall, this was a totally amazing trip though and hope you enjoy it.