Travel by road to Alexandria, Egypt's great Mediterranean city, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC. Check in and spend the evening at leisure along the famous Corniche waterfront.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Explore the highlights of this historic port city. Visit Pompey's Pillar, a towering Roman triumphal column still standing after nearly 1,700 years, before descending into the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, one of the largest Roman burial sites in Egypt. The afternoon takes you to the medieval Qaitbay Citadel, built on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the striking modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a tribute to the legendary ancient library that once held the knowledge of the ancient world.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Head east along the coast to El Alamein, site of one of the most decisive battles of the Second World War. Visit the Commonwealth War Cemetery, where thousands of Allied soldiers are buried, and the El Alamein War Museum, which documents the North African campaign in detail. Continue by road to Cairo for the next chapter of your journey.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Stand before the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World. Today you'll visit the iconic Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, before heading to Saqqara to see the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, one of the oldest stone structures on earth.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Explore the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to the extraordinary treasures of Tutankhamun and thousands of artefacts spanning 5,000 years of history. The afternoon takes you to the Citadel of Saladin and the striking Alabaster Mosque of Mohammad Ali, before finishing the day at Khan El Khalili, Cairo's famous bazaar.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Fly to Luxor and check in before an evening visit to Luxor Temple. After dark, the ancient columns, statues of Ramses II and detailed hieroglyphs are lit dramatically against the night sky — a completely different experience to seeing it by day.

Meals: Breakfast

Board your Nile cruise ship for four nights of sailing through Upper Egypt, with all meals, sightseeing and entry fees included. Your first stop is Karnak Temple, an enormous complex of sanctuaries, obelisks and towering columns built over more than 2,000 years.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, descend into the Valley of the Kings to explore the elaborately decorated tombs of the pharaohs. You'll also visit the impressive Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two massive seated statues that have guarded the Theban plain for over 3,000 years. In the afternoon, relax on the sun deck as the ship sails south to Edfu, watching village life pass slowly along the riverbanks.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Visit the Temple of Edfu, one of Egypt's best-preserved temples and dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god. Continue sailing to Kom Ombo to explore the unusual twin temple, dedicated to both the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris. The ship then continues south to Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend the morning at the Aswan High Dam, an engineering achievement that transformed Egypt's agricultural landscape. Then visit the Temple of Philae, beautifully situated on an island and dedicated to Isis, the goddess of love and healing. The setting on the water makes it one of the most atmospheric sites of the entire journey.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Disembark your Nile Cruise and transfer to Aswan Airport for a short flight to Abu Simbel. Here you'll find the twin temples of Ramses II and his beloved wife Nefertari, carved directly into the rock face and relocated piece by piece in the 1960s to save them from rising floodwaters. Fly back to Aswan for your final night on the tour. Meals: Breakfast

Fly back to Cairo for your final night. A good opportunity to pick up any last souvenirs or simply reflect on an extraordinary journey through one of the world's great civilisations.

Meals: Breakfast

Transfer to Cairo Airport for your onward flight home.

Meals: Breakfast