Tour Overview

This 12 day Egypt tour is for travellers who want to see the country properly, not just tick off the headline sites. It starts with the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then heads north to Mediterranean Alexandria, a city with a very different, Greco-Roman character. From there you fly south to Aswan, travel to the temples of Abu Simbel and sail down the Nile to Luxor, stopping at Kom Ombo and Edfu on the way.

After a week of temples and tombs, the final part of the trip slows right down. You drive across the Eastern Desert to Hurghada for four nights by the Red Sea, with time to swim, snorkel the coral reefs or simply do nothing at all. It is a natural way to absorb everything you have seen, and to come home rested rather than needing another holiday.

Throughout, a private Egyptologist guides you at each stage and a private driver handles every transfer. Cairo and Luxor hotels are 4★, the Nile cruise ship is 5★ and the Hurghada beach resort is 4★ on an all-inclusive basis. Hurghada airport has direct international flights to many European cities, and if you need to fly home from Cairo we can add a domestic flight.

Highlights

Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum with a private Egyptologist
Full day in Alexandria: catacombs, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Qaitbay Citadel
Abu Simbel’s twin temples, reached by road from Aswan
3-night Aswan to Luxor cruise via Kom Ombo, Edfu and the Esna lock
Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor Temple
Four nights to unwind on the Red Sea coast in Hurghada

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive in Cairo

Our representative meets you at Cairo International Airport, assists with the visa and arrival formalities and escorts you to your private air-conditioned vehicle. Transfer to your 4★ hotel and settle in after the journey. Depending on your arrival time you may want an early night, as tomorrow begins at the Pyramids. Your guide will be in touch to confirm the plan for the coming days and answer any questions about the trip.

Meals: None

Day 2 – Pyramids, Sphinx & Grand Egyptian Museum

Begin on the Giza Plateau with the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, and the panoramic viewpoint over all three. Walk down to the Sphinx and the granite Valley Temple beside it. After lunch, spend the afternoon at the Grand Egyptian Museum, close to the plateau, where your guide leads you through the Tutankhamun galleries and the monumental Grand Staircase lined with royal statues from across three thousand years.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3 – Day Trip to Alexandria

Drive north to Alexandria, around three hours by the desert road. Explore the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, where Egyptian and Roman styles mix in a striking underground tomb, and Pompey’s Pillar, a red granite column standing on the ancient Serapeum hill. After a seafood lunch near the harbour, visit the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Qaitbay Citadel, built on the site of the famous Pharos lighthouse. Return to Cairo in the evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4 – Fly to Aswan, Philae & Board the Cruise

Take a morning flight to Aswan and transfer to your 5★ Nile cruise ship. After lunch on board, visit the High Dam for views over Lake Nasser, the Unfinished Obelisk lying in its granite quarry, and Philae Temple, reached by a short motorboat ride to its island. In the late afternoon, sail by felucca around Elephantine Island and past the Aga Khan Mausoleum on the west bank. Dinner and overnight on board in Aswan.