Welcome to the second installment of our four-part series on exploring Egypt with AmaWaterways (part 2 of 4). In this post, we’ll dive into the details of the 11-night Secrets of Egypt & The Nile river cruise itinerary, offering a comprehensive look at what’s included in this extraordinary journey.
Part One: AmaWaterways Secrets of Egypt & Nile River Cruise: An Unforgettable Journey Overview
Part Two: What’s Included: AmaWaterways 11-Night Secrets of Egypt & Nile Cruise Package Breakdown
Part Three: AmaWaterways AmaLilia Ship Review: Luxury Accommodations on Your Nile River Cruise
We were on the 11-night Secrets of Egypt & The Nile itinerary, which included a 3 night Cairo pre cruise tour, a 7-night roundtrip Nile river valley cruise from Luxor, and a 1-night Cairo post cruise stay before heading home.
From your arrival in Cairo to your final day in Egypt, we’ll guide you through every aspect of this carefully curated itinerary.
Ready to discover what makes this AmaWaterways cruise truly special? Let’s explore the treasures of ancient Egypt together.
Do you need a visa to visit Egypt?
Yes. A Visa is required to visit Egypt. For most nationalities, you can get a Visa on arrival at Cairo International Airport or online through the Egyptian government’s official e-visa portal. https://visa2egypt.gov.eg/
Another option is to have AmaWaterways take care of your visa with their VIP Visa Service. This service, which must be added seven days before departure and streamlined our entry into Egypt. When we got off the plane, our representative had our visas ready and affixed them to our passports, allowing us to bypass the regular visa lines and proceed directly to immigration and baggage claim.
Anyone considering an Egypt trip with AmaWaterways should opt for the VIP Visa service if it is available based on their nationality. The small service charge will significantly improve your arrival experience, allowing you to start your journey with ease and peace of mind that you have everything you need taken care of.
The St. Regis Cairo
Upon arrival at the St. Regis Cairo, our representative Omar gave us a tour of the stunning hotel, assisted with check-in, and showed us where to meet our Cruise Manager, Mohamed, the following day. The Cruise Manager’s desk was conveniently located in the hotel lobby, making it easy for AmaWaterways guests to get assistance or ask questions.
Mohamed’s role as our Cruise Manager was to ensure that every aspect of our trip ran smoothly and to provide valuable insights into the local culture and attractions. He did just that and would always be with us to take care of everything and anything we needed from this point forward on the trip.
The St. Regis Cairo offered a bunch of exceptional amenities, including many world-class restaurants, elegant bars, a gym, and a picturesque pool with breathtaking views of the Nile River and also an indoor pool. The hotel’s restaurants have something for everyone, from authentic Egyptian cuisine to international favorites, like pizza (which is very good). Breakfast was included in our stay, and the breakfast buffet was impressive. We made sure to try the traditional Egyptian breakfast spread. Their fresh mint tea is a treat as well.
One of the highlights of our stay was the hotel’s spa. After the long journey to Cairo, a relaxing massage was just what we needed to unwind and recharge. The spa offered a variety of treatments, from traditional massages to facials, as well as a sauna, steam room, showers, and a hot tub. I recommend booking beforehand to ensure availability if you want a spa treatment.
Our room at the St. Regis Cairo was spacious, beautifully decorated, and offered stunning views of the Nile River. The hotel’s attention to detail and impeccable service made our stay memorable.
Future passengers, I recommend taking advantage of the hotel’s amenities, particularly the spa, restaurants, and even room service. If you wanted to dine or shop outside the hotel, it is best to ask your Cruise Manager for recommendations or assistance—they were there to ensure your trip was as enjoyable and seamless as possible.
THE EXCURSIONS AND TOURS
One of the unique aspects of an AmaWaterways river cruise experience is that all tours are included in the trip’s price. However, on the Secrets of Egypt & the Nile cruise, we did not choose from a selection of shore excursions. On this journey, we got to fully immerse ourselves in most renowned sites of Egypt without any stress of what to do and see. We either participated in the scheduled tours that day or stayed on the ship and relaxed. AmaWaterways meticulously designed the itinerary to ensure a balanced and immersive experience. It is so well planned.
The tours are typically conducted in small groups, allowing for a more intimate and personalized experience. Our Egyptologist and cruise manager worked together seamlessly to ensure that every aspect of the tour ran smoothly, from transportation to ticket management and beyond.
The terrain at Egypt’s historic sites varied greatly, from significant walking, stairs, and soft sand to uneven stone and brick surfaces over 3,000 years old, which could pose challenges for those with mobility issues or balance concerns. Closed-toe shoes with good support and traction are a must to navigate these challenges safely and comfortably. Sneakers or hiking shoes are ideal, providing stability and protection for feet and ankles.
The guides are experienced in accommodating various mobility levels and can provide alternative options or assistance when needed. AmaWaterways had thoughtfully provided shade umbrellas and some walking sticks on the AmaLilia to ensure guests were well-equipped for their shore excursions. Still, if certain aids are required for your comfort and enjoyment, I suggest bringing your own to ensure you have what you need for a successful and enjoyable trip. And communicate any specific requirements or concerns to the cruise manager so they can best assist.
Our Very Own Egyptologist
We were incredibly fortunate to have our Egyptologist, Amal Elfar, accompany us the entire trip. as we toured the most famous archeological sites. Amal shared daily her extensive knowledge and passion for Egyptian history, bringing the sites and rich culture of modern and ancient Egypt life. She provided fascinating insights into the landmarks, neighborhoods, and culture we passed as we drove through the city and on the river. It was an incredible experience and we all adored her.
The Quiet Vox System
At the beginning of our trip, we were given a quiet Vox audio system and an earpiece, which we kept with us throughout the entire journey until the last day. The quiet vox is a small, lightweight device that lets us hear our guide clearly, even in crowded places. It ensured we got all the fascinating information our Egyptologist shared.
One notable difference from other AmaWaterways river cruises and the quiet vox on the Egypt trip was that we didn’t charge the quiet vox every night. Our room didn’t even have chargers for the device. This left us wondering, “Is that possible?” But rest assured, the answer was yes! The quiet vox used on the AmaLilia is designed to hold their charge for the entire duration of our trip. In the unlikely event that our device ran out of power, we knew our cruise manager and Egyptologist always had extras.
Here’s a photo of my Quiet Vox on the last day after 11 days of touring. Look at that battery life left!
Transportation
Our transportation throughout Egypt was top-notch. Clean, air-conditioned buses that had free Wi-Fi, a bathroom, and plenty of bottled water. One bus even had USB charging ports, adding an extra convenience. The bus stayed with our group, so we had the same driver and bus in Cairo, and we could leave things we didn’t want to take while seeing the sites.
Two Optional Experiences
As mentioned, AmaWaterways includes tours and activities in each city or stop along the Nile with an Egyptologist, and they are so good. I’ll talk more about what we experienced in a little bit.
For this trip, two optional experiences were made available for an additional fee. One option was afternoon tea at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, and the other was a visit to the Abu Simbel Unesco World Heritage site. We did both, so let me share about them.
Afternoon Tea at the Old Cataract Hotel: A Taste of History and Mystery
We are in Aswan, standing in front of a grand, historic hotel that has been around since 1899. The Old Cataract Hotel was like something straight out of a movie (it was featured in both Death on the Nile films), perched on a hill overlooking the Nile and offered outstanding views.
For Agatha Christie fans, this place held extra significance. In addition to being in both movies, it was where she actually wrote parts of her novel, “Death on the Nile.”
But even for those who weren’t die-hard Christie fans, the historic Old Cataract Hotel is still worth a visit. The high tea experience was terrific. We sat on the terrace, with the most breathtaking view of the Nile. As the sun started to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, we felt we’d been transported back in time. It was so special to experience a sunset here.
The tea itself was a real treat. We were served a selection of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and an assortment of pastries that were almost too pretty to eat, but I managed through that. And, of course, there was tea.
But it wasn’t just the food and drink that made high tea at the Old Cataract Hotel so special. It was the whole atmosphere. The hotel has this air of elegance and sophistication that just made us feel fancy. We could almost imagine Hercule Poirot sitting in the library, sipping his tea and solving mysteries or bumping into Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, or Princess Diana, past hotel guests.
I highly recommend making time for tea at the Old Cataract Hotel when visiting Aswan. It was a chance to step back in time, indulge in luxury, and experience literary history. It is an afternoon, we will remember.
Optional Tour Experience: Abu Simbel: A Monumental Move
Getting there was an adventure for us who signed up for the optional excursion to Abu Simbel Unesco World Heritage Site. We hopped on an early, short flight (35 minutes) from Aswan, flying over the desert landscape below on our way to Lake Nasser. The views from the plane were stunning. We got a bird’s eye view of the Nile winding its way through the sand dunes, and if you were lucky, you might even spot Abu Simbel as you approached, which we did as our Egyptologist advised us on which side of the plane to sit so we could see it from the air.
Our bus and driver met us at the airport and took us to Abu Simbel. After a short walk to the temples, you first notice the massive statues at the entrance to the main temple. These statues depicted Ramesses himself, and they were gigantic –over 65 feet tall. We’d seen them all in photos and movies, but it was hard to wrap our heads around the sheer scale of these things until we stood before them and heard how they were built 3000 years ago and then moved… more on.
But the real treasure was inside the temple, in a hall filled with intricate carvings and preserved hieroglyphs. The level of detail was mind-blowing—we could have spent hours there just trying to take it all in.
And here’s a fun fact: the temple was relocated in the 1960s to protect it from rising water levels caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam. It was a massive undertaking, carefully cutting the entire complex into blocks and moving it to higher ground. They did what? YUP, it happened, and after being there, I have on my reading list the book by Lynne Olson, Empress of the Nile. The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt’s Ancient Templates from Destruction to learn more about this incredible feat.
But Abu Simbel was about more than just the main temple. A smaller temple dedicated to Ramses’ favorite wife, Nefertari is there. It was just as impressive as the main temple, with unique carvings and statues that took our breath away. It was my favorite.
After some free time at the temples, we returned to the bus. Golf carts could take you back for a small fee if you wanted to avoid walking. Lunch boxes from the ship were waiting for us on the bus as we drove back to the airport to catch our flight.
From our overall experience, I don’t regret going, but I’m on the fence about the overall time/price value of the experience. We had a flight delay, getting us there later than expected, making the experience at the site feel a bit rushed, and needing to make it back to catch a flight back to the ship. The sun and heat were intense. It was a lot of travel for a few hours and pricey. Although very cool to see, relaxing and shopping in Aswan might have been nice, which is what other passengers who didn’t book the excursion did that day.
Now that we’ve covered what’s included in the trip, let’s move on to our experience on the ship itself. In the next post, I’ll take you through our time on the brand-new AmaLilia. We’ll look at the rooms, the amenities, and what it’s really like to live on this floating resort as we cruised down the Nile. Hope you’ll join me for that part three of the adventure.
Part Three: AmaWaterways AmaLilia Ship Review: Luxury Accommodations on Your Nile River Cruise (part 3 of 4)