- Duration10 Days / 9 Nights
- Tour typePrivate tour, shared Nile cruise ship
- StartsMeet and assist at Cairo International Airport
- PriceFrom $1,550 per person based on 6+ travellers
OverviewItineraryWhat’s includedPricesFAQ
Tour Overview
This easy pace Egypt tour covers the great sights of Cairo, Luxor and the Nile without the rush of a standard itinerary. We spread the sightseeing over ten days, keep early starts to a minimum and give you at least two nights in each place, so you spend more time looking and less time packing. It suits seniors, travellers with limited mobility and anyone who simply prefers a slower rhythm, with a private Egyptologist guide and driver who are happy to go at whatever speed suits you.
You begin with three nights in Cairo, visiting the Pyramids one day and the Grand Egyptian Museum the next. Then you fly to Luxor for two nights in a 4★ hotel on the Nile, seeing Luxor Temple and Karnak at a gentle pace. Finally you board a 5★ ship for a four-night cruise to Aswan, stopping at the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. Most days have a free afternoon to rest by the pool or on deck.
We want to be honest about access. The museums are largely step-free, but the Giza Plateau has sand and uneven paths, the tombs in the Valley of the Kings involve steps and sloping corridors, and some temples have raised thresholds. Your guide will always tell you what to expect so you can choose what to do. We choose a cruise ship with a lift where one is available, though not every ship has one, and a wheelchair can be arranged on request.
Highlights
- Fewer early starts and free afternoons to rest
- At least two nights in each place, so less packing and unpacking
- Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum on separate days
- Two hotel nights in Luxor before a four-night 5★ Nile cruise
- Honest notes on steps and uneven ground at every site
- Wheelchair available on request, cruise ship with a lift where possible
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Cairo
Our representative meets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo International Airport, helps with the visa desk and luggage, and takes you by private car to your 4★ hotel. If you need a wheelchair at the airport, just tell us in advance and it will be waiting. There is nothing planned for the rest of the day, so you can rest after the journey. Your guide calls in during the evening to say hello and talk through the days ahead.
Meals: None
Day 2 – Pyramids & Sphinx at a Gentle Pace
After an unhurried breakfast you set off mid-morning for the Giza Plateau. Your driver takes you right up to the Great Pyramid and then on to the panoramic point, so there is little walking between stops. The ground around the pyramids is sandy and uneven, and the path down to the Sphinx has a gentle slope, so take your time. After a relaxed lunch with a view of the pyramids, you return to the hotel for a free afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 – Grand Egyptian Museum
Today is devoted to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is spacious, air-conditioned and largely step-free, with lifts between floors and wheelchairs available. You see the colossal statue of Ramses II, the grand staircase lined with statues and the full Tutankhamun galleries, with seats along the way when you need a break. After lunch you can head back to the hotel, or visit Khan el-Khalili for an hour if you feel like browsing the bazaar.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4 – Fly to Luxor & Luxor Temple by Night
After breakfast your driver takes you to the airport for a late-morning flight to Luxor, where you check in to a 4★ hotel overlooking the Nile. The afternoon is free to settle in. As the heat fades in the early evening, your guide takes you to Luxor Temple, which is beautifully lit after dark. The paths through the temple are mostly flat and paved, with a few low steps between courts, making this a gentle introduction to Luxor.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5 – Karnak Temple & Free Afternoon
You visit Karnak in the morning, when it is cooler and quieter. This vast temple complex is mostly flat, though the ground is uneven in places, and your guide plans a route through the Great Hypostyle Hall and the sacred lake with regular rests in the shade. After lunch you return to the hotel for a free afternoon by the pool. In the evening you might enjoy a short horse carriage ride along the Corniche.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6 – Board Your Nile Cruise
Enjoy a slow morning at the hotel before your driver takes you to the quay around midday to board your 5★ Nile cruise. We choose a ship with a lift where one is available, and ask for a cabin close to it. Lunch is served on board, and the afternoon is yours to unpack once for the next four nights. If you feel like it, your guide can take you to the small, calm Luxor Museum later in the day.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 – Valley of the Kings & Sail South
This is the one early start of the trip, as the West Bank is far more comfortable before the heat builds. An electric tram carries you from the visitor centre into the Valley of the Kings, where your ticket covers three tombs. Each tomb has steps or sloping corridors, so your guide will suggest the easiest ones. You then see the Temple of Hatshepsut, which has long ramps, and the Colossi of Memnon from the roadside before the ship sails south.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 – Edfu & Kom Ombo
At Edfu a horse carriage or car takes you from the quay to the Temple of Horus, the best preserved temple in Egypt, where the ground is largely flat. The rest of the day is spent sailing, with time to relax on deck. In the late afternoon you reach Kom Ombo, where the double temple sits just above the riverbank and is reached by a short flight of steps. If you prefer, you can enjoy the view from the ship instead.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 – Aswan, Philae & Felucca
In Aswan you take a small motorboat to the island temple of Philae. Getting in and out of the boat involves a step down, and the boatmen are used to helping. In the afternoon you enjoy a gentle felucca sail around Elephantine Island. If you would like to see Abu Simbel, it can be added as an optional extra, either by road, which is a long day of about three and a half hours each way, or by a short flight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 – Fly to Cairo & Depart
After breakfast you leave the ship and your driver takes you to Aswan Airport for the flight to Cairo. Our representative meets you there and helps you through to your international flight home, with a wheelchair waiting if you have asked for one. If you would like to stay longer and break up the journey, we can add a night or two in Cairo or a relaxing few days on the Red Sea coast.
Meals: Breakfast
Good to know: Ships with lifts are limited; we request one and a cabin near it, but confirm what is available when you book.
What’s Included
Included
- 3 nights in a 4★ hotel in Cairo with breakfast
- 2 nights in a 4★ hotel on the Nile in Luxor with breakfast
- 4 nights on a 5★ Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, full board, with a lift where available
- Domestic flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo
- Private Egyptologist guide for all sightseeing
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for all transfers and tours
- Airport meet and assist on arrival and departure
- Entry fees to all sites listed in the itinerary
- Wheelchair on request at airports and sites
- Lunches on sightseeing days in Cairo and Luxor
- Bottled water in the vehicle
Not included
- International flights
- Egypt entry visa
- Optional Abu Simbel trip by road or air
- Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings and pyramid interiors
- Drinks with meals
- Tips for guides, drivers and cruise staff
- Travel insurance
- Personal spending
Prices
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Single traveller | $2,570 |
| 2 travellers | $1,790 |
| 3–5 travellers | $1,650 |
| 6+ travellers | $1,550 |
Per person in USD. Child prices depend on age and the services included – ask us for a child price before you book. Prices can be higher over Christmas, New Year and Easter; we confirm the exact price in writing before you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much walking is involved?
Less than on most Egypt tours, but some walking is unavoidable. Expect short walks on sand and uneven ground at Giza, steps and sloping corridors in the tombs, and long but gentle distances inside Karnak. Your driver gets you as close as possible to each site, and your guide plans regular rests in the shade. You can always skip a part and wait somewhere comfortable.
Is this tour suitable for wheelchair users?
Partly, and we would rather be honest than promise too much. The Grand Egyptian Museum, hotels and airports work well with a wheelchair, and we can provide one on request. Many temples have uneven paving and raised thresholds, and most tombs have steps. Tell us about your needs before booking and we will suggest changes so the trip works for you.
Does the cruise ship have a lift?
We choose a 5★ ship with a lift whenever one is available on your dates and ask for a cabin near it. Not every Nile cruise ship has a lift, though, and boarding sometimes means walking through other ships moored alongside. We will tell you which ship you are on and what to expect before you confirm.
How early are the starts?
Most days begin after a relaxed breakfast, usually between nine and ten. The only early start is the Valley of the Kings on day seven, because the West Bank becomes very hot by late morning and is far more pleasant early. Several afternoons are completely free, so you can rest at the hotel, by the pool or on deck.
How do I pay for the tour?
Because this package includes hotels, domestic flights and a Nile cruise, we ask for a deposit when you confirm so we can secure those bookings. The balance is paid on arrival in Egypt. We will send the exact amount and payment details with your confirmation, and you are welcome to ask us anything before you commit.
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Want to combine tours or change anything? Contact us or message us on WhatsApp and we will tailor it for you.
