Cairo, Egypt (4 nights). Arrival in Cairo, welcomed by your guide and transferred to the hotel. (D)

Cairo: Giza, Dahshur and Saqqara. A day devoted to the great sites of ancient Memphis. The Giza plateau first, with the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, one of the seven wonders of the world, then Dahshur and its two pyramids of Sneferu, the Bent and the Black. In the afternoon, the Saqqara plateau: the mastaba of Mereruka, the funerary complex of Djoser and its step pyramid, the oldest monumental stone structure in the world, and the Imhotep Museum. Welcome cocktail and dinner at the hotel. (B, L, D)

Cairo: the Grand Egyptian Museum. Morning at the Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest archaeological museum in the world, followed by lunch facing the pyramids of Giza. In the afternoon, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and its royal mummies hall, where 21 pharaohs and queens of antiquity rest. (B, L, D)

Cairo and the Fayoum oasis. An escape to the green region of Fayoum: the pyramid of El-Lahun, a walk by Lake Qarun, then Wadi Al-Hitan, the Valley of the Whales, a UNESCO site where fossils bear witness to a sea that vanished forty million years ago. Typical lunch at Tunis, a village of potters, and return to Cairo at the end of the day. (B, L, D)

Cairo and Aswan. Domestic flight to Aswan, cradle of Nubian civilisation. On arrival, the Nubian Museum, then in the evening the sound and light show at the Temple of Philae, rising out of the water. (B, L, D)

Aswan. The Tombs of the Nobles, cut into the cliff face, and the monastery of Saint Simeon, then lunch with a Nubian family. In the afternoon, a stroll through town: the cathedral, the great mosque, the unfinished obelisk and the big market. (B, L, D)

Aswan. Free day to explore Aswan at your own pace: a felucca ride between Elephantine and Kitchener islands, the botanical garden, a camel ride or the Nubian antiquities museum. At the end of the day, sunset over the Nile from a terrace. Optional excursion to the temples of Abu Simbel, at extra cost. (B, D)

Aswan, Daraw and Silsila. Boarding a dahabeya, a traditional two-masted sailing boat, for two nights. A stop at Daraw for its camel market, one of the most authentic in Egypt, before sailing on to Silsila and its sandstone quarries, whose stone built the country's greatest temples. Night on board. (B, L, D)

Sailing to Esna. A day of sailing on the Nile, between palm groves, fishing villages and farmland. Meals served on board, and the night on board. (B, L, D)

Esna and Luxor (3 nights). Disembarkation and a visit to the temple of Esna, dedicated to the ram god Khnum, before continuing to Luxor by coach. In the early evening, the sound and light show at Karnak Temple, followed by dinner in a local restaurant. (B, L, D)

Luxor: the west bank. Crossing to the west bank for a day in the royal necropolis: three tombs in the Valley of the Kings, those of Seti I, Ramesses VI and Tutankhamun, an open-air lunch facing the temple of Medinet Habu followed by its visit, then the tombs of the artisans at Deir el-Medina. (B, L, D)

Luxor: the Valley of the Queens and the museums. The day opens with the tomb of Nefertari, in the Valley of the Queens, whose frescoes are among the finest in ancient Egypt. Access depends on the progress of restoration work. The tombs of the nobles Ramose and Userhat follow. In the afternoon, the Luxor Museum and the Mummification Museum, the only museum in the world entirely devoted to the funerary rituals of antiquity. (B, L, D)

Luxor, Dendera and Hurghada (3 nights). The road to Hurghada with a stop at Dendera for the temple of the goddess Hathor, one of the best preserved in the world, with its zodiac carved into the ceiling. Check-in at the hotel on the edge of the Red Sea. (B, L, D)

Hurghada. A day of rest beside the turquoise water of the Red Sea: the beach, the hotel facilities or the coral reefs, for diving and snorkelling. (B, D)

Hurghada. A second free day beside the Red Sea. (B, D)

Hurghada and Cairo. Domestic flight to Cairo for one last walk through the Khan el-Khalili souk, a great bazaar of lanes filled with spices, jewellery and lanterns. Farewell dinner. (B, L, D)

Cairo: return. Transfer to the airport and return flights to Montreal. (B)