Journey to Ancient Egypt

Disembark the Oberoi Zahra and fly south from Aswan to Abu Simbel, where colossal statues of Ramses II proclaim power across eternity. Explore the Great Temple, aligned with the rising sun, and the smaller temple of Hathor and Nefertari, one of the few built for a queen. Hear the story of the UNESCO rescue that saved both temples from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. Return to Aswan for a night at the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile. On Sunday, a quiet pause at the Le Méridien Cairo Airport Hotel marks the end of your journey through ancient Egypt.

Arrive in Aswan, where the desert meets the Nile. Visit the High Dam, symbol of modern Egypt and the vast Lake Nasser it created. Step into the granite quarry to see the Unfinished Obelisk, a monument frozen in stone. Take a boat to the island temple of Philae, saved from floodwaters and dedicated to Isis, and sail by felucca around Elephantine, the ancient frontier town that measured the Nile’s flood. As evening falls, return to the Oberoi Zahra for your fourth and final night on board, dining and reflecting as the river flows quietly past.

Sail south aboard the Oberoi Zahra to Edfu, home of the best preserved temple in Egypt. Ride by horse-drawn carriage to towering pylons, walk through roofed halls still intact, and step into the sanctuary where Horus’s sacred barque once stood. In the afternoon, continue to Kom Ombo, a rare double temple dedicated to Horus the falcon and Sobek the crocodile. See surgical instruments carved in stone, priests’ ritual “handbags,” and crocodile mummies offered in devotion. From myths of order and chaos to sunsets over the Nile, this day reveals the variety of Egypt’s faith.

Cross the Nile to the West Bank, the land of the dead. Step into the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs carved their journeys to eternity into painted walls, and enter Tutankhamun’s own tomb, with the boy king still lying inside. Walk the terraces of Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahari, a statement of power rising against the cliffs, then descend into the radiant tomb of Nefertari, often called the Sistine Chapel of ancient Egypt. From painted banquets to royal artisans’ villages, this is Egypt at its most vivid.

Fly south to Luxor, ancient Waset and later known as Thebes, once the beating heart of Egypt. Walk among the towering columns of Karnak, the largest religious complex ever built, and stand before Hatshepsut’s obelisk and the Sacred Lake where priests purified themselves. In the evening, visit Luxor Temple, a place of kingship where pharaohs were crowned and Alexander the Great sought legitimacy. From the luxury of the Oberoi Zahra, this is a day of vast temples, golden light, and the echoes of power.

Your first full day in Egypt takes you to the Giza Plateau, where the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure rise above the desert — already ancient when Tutankhamun lived. Stand before the Great Sphinx, guardian of the sands, and step inside the Great Pyramid itself. In the afternoon, explore the brand-new Grand Egyptian Museum, home to the treasures of Tutankhamun, the Narmer Palette, and even the mummies of Ramses II and Hatshepsut. From the St. Regis in Cairo to the wonders of Giza, this is a day that begins your journey into eternity.

In this opening episode, James Carter and Egyptologist Dr Eleanor Hughes set the scene for the Egyptian Angels’ week-long journey along the Nile. From the luxury of the St. Regis in Cairo to the Oberoi Zahra on the river and the legendary Old Cataract in Aswan, every step of the trip is part of the story. We map out the days ahead — the pyramids, temples, tombs, and Abu Simbel — while capturing the romance of Egypt and the chance to follow in the footsteps of pharaohs, explorers, and travellers through the centuries.