Day 1Meet and Assist

Welcome to Egypt. Wonderfully chaotic and always colorful, Cairo is an intriguing mix of the modern and ancient. You will meet your representative at the airport and head to the hotel.

For those who arrive early and have free time, there are plenty of things to see and do during our Egypt luxury tours. Travel along the river by felucca, head out to explore the markets, or, if the hustle and bustle of the city are too much, catch the metro into the oldest part of the city, the Coptic Christian sector. The latter is a haven of peace, with narrow cobbled streets and beautiful old churches that are included in our Cairo day tours.
Overnight: in Cairo | Meals: No meals are included on this day.

 

Day 2Pyramids of Giza, Egyptian Museum & Head to Aswan

Your Driver and Egyptologist will be waiting for you at the hotel to start your adventure by Exploring the amazing Pyramids of Giza, which have stood tall for 4,500 years.

Afterward, make your way to the Egyptian Museum, home to one of the world's great collections of antiquities. Wander the treasure-filled halls of the Museum. You will have plenty of time to explore the sites today (approximately 3 hours for the pyramids and 3 hours for the Museum).

In the evening, you will board an overnight train to the southern city of Aswan (approximately 13 hours).

Overnight: on the Sleeper Train | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner.

Day 3Aswan Arrival, Aswan Market and Temple of Isis

Arrive in Aswan in the morning. Our driver and representative will meet you at Aswan Station. Aswan is where the Nile runs deep and fast between granite rocks as the desert encroaches on the river. Even to travelers in ancient times, Aswan was known as the legendary gateway to Nubia Village. Today it is still something of a frontier town where the Arab Middle East meets Africa.

During this Aswan day tour, a visit to the Aswan Market is highly recommended. You will find exotic spices, carpets, leather goods, and countless other wares here. Enjoy the sights of donkey carts and men in flowing robes and turbans.

In the afternoon, you can visit the temple of Isis at Philae Temple (optional). There are many other sites to be seen around Aswan, and your Egyptologist will organize some excursions – perhaps a camel ride or a trip to the Unfinished Obelisk.

In the evening, you will take a trip across the river to a Nubian village and enjoy dinner at one of the local houses.

Overnight: in Aswan | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner.

Day 4Abu Simbel and Felucca Ride

Rise early to visit the magnificent Temple of Abu Simbel (Optional).

Later in the day, you will board feluccas (traditional wooden boats with broad canvas sails) to spend a day on the Nile River and then a night under the stars. Watching the sunset across the Nile is unforgettable, and this part of the trip will surely be a highlight.

Your Nubian sailing crew will prepare all meals. While there is no cabin or enclosed section on the felucca, a canopy offers shade and protection from the elements. Conditions are basic, and you will sleep outside on the deck on a mattress. While blankets are provided, a sleeping sheet is recommended. There is a very clean toilet on board. During the colder months (October to March), it can get very cold at night (as low as 5°C), so a sleeping bag is highly recommended.

Special Information: Slight alterations to the Nile itinerary may be necessary throughout the year, depending on winds and currents. As the felucca is a sailing craft without any outboard engine, if there is no wind, it will not travel very far! If you visit Abu Simbel, you will miss the morning sailing on the Felucca. Upon returning to Aswan (approximately 1-1.30 pm), you will be dropped off where the felucca is located at that time. Any travelers who do not visit Abu Simbel will enjoy a morning of felucca sailing.

Overnight: Aboard the Felucca | Meals: Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner.

 

Day 5Kom Ombo & Head to Luxor

This morning you will visit the Temple at Kom Ombo. The temple is dedicated to two gods: Haroeris (Horus the Elder) and the crocodile-headed Sobek, the Egyptian god of the Nile. Check out the many mummified crocodiles on display.

On the east bank around Kom Ombo, canals to keep the desert at bay feed reclaimed land. It supports not only crops of sugar cane but also a large Nubian community displaced from their homeland by the rising waters of Lake Nasser. Transfer by bus to Luxor (approx 4 hours), tracing the path of the Nile northward. Upon arrival, you will have time to look around the town's monuments and museums. It may be possible to visit Karnak Temple to witness the memorable sound and light show (optional), which relates its history dramatically.

Overnight: in Luxor | Meals: Breakfast.

Day 6Valley of the Kings and Queen Hatshepsut's Temple

Visit the ancient tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. Rising early, cross the Nile and drive to the secluded valley where 63 pharaohs were buried as part of their journey to the afterlife.

In the company of an expert guide, you will explore (for approximately 2 hours) some of the exquisitely decorated tombs of these rulers of long ago. It is here that the burial site of the boy-king, Tutankhamun, discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922, can be found. This visit to the Valley of the Kings brings to life much of what you saw in the Egyptian Museum.

If you would like to organize a visit to King Tut's tomb today, this can be arranged with advance notice, ask your guide for more details. On your way back to the river, you can see the funerary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's first female ruler, and you will spend about an hour here. This afternoon you are free to explore Luxor or perhaps just relax by the hotel pool.

Overnight: in Luxor | Meals: Breakfast.

 

day 7Temple of Karnak and Head to Hurghada

Early this morning, take a horse-drawn carriage to the historic Temple of Karnak(approx 1 hour), which you will explore with a local guide. Explore the magnificent Karnak Temple, perhaps the most impressive of all the ancient Pharoahs' monumental works.

In the afternoon, bid farewell to the Nile and drive east to Hurghada (approx 3 hours). The green Nile Valley is soon left behind as you head out into the barren Eastern Desert. Passing through rocky hills, the glittering waters of the Red Sea soon come into view.

Overnight: in Hurghada | Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 8Offshore Reefs and Snorkeling

Early this morning, after breakfast at the hotel, head to some offshore reefs where you can swim and snorkel to see the abundance of vividly colored marine life that inhabit these waters. You will have around four hours to explore this underwater world. The young ones will love this part of our Hurghada day tour.

Overnight: in Hurghada | Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 9Bid Farewell

Your adventure comes to an end. No activities are planned for the final day, and you can depart your accommodation. Our driver and representative will transfer you to the Cairo international airport for your journey back home.

Meals: Breakfast.

 Inclusion

• Meet-and-assist services upon arrival and departure.
• All transfers (Cairo-Aswan-Luxor-Cairo) on air-conditioned vehicles, sleeping train, and Felucca.
• All Accommodations at 5-star hotels with 2 connected rooms or 2 rooms next to each other, including breakfast.
• All sightseeing tours in Cairo, Luxor, Abu Simbel, and Aswan, including an English-speaking Egyptologist guide,
• Entrance fees and transfers on air-conditioned vehicles.
• Portage when needed.
• All Service charges and taxes.

 Exclusion

• Entry visa to Egypt.
• International airfare.
• Gratuities/Tipping (Recommended).
• Any optional night and day activities not included as part of the itinerary
• Entrance fees to the chambers of the pyramids, and the Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings.
• Meals except where indicated.
• Drinks and any personal expenses.