10 days
Daily Tour
12 people
Arabic, English
Our most complete package: the pyramids, a Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan, the temples of Abu Simbel, and a relaxing finish on the Red Sea coast at Hurghada with time for snorkelling and the beach.
Welcome to Egypt! Our representative meets you at Cairo International Airport, helps with luggage and drives you to your hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle.
After check-in, take time to rest. Your Egyptologist guide will visit you at the hotel to go through the full programme, answer your questions and confirm pick-up times. The evening is free to relax or take a short walk, and we are happy to suggest a good local restaurant.
Meals: Not included
Overnight: Cairo / Giza
Start early at the Giza Plateau, home to the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. Stand in front of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, then see the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure and the Great Sphinx with your guide explaining how and why they were built. Stop at the panoramic viewpoint for the classic group photo.
In the afternoon, visit the Grand Egyptian Museum beside the plateau, the largest archaeological museum in the world dedicated to a single civilisation. See the full Tutankhamun collection and thousands of artefacts from Egypt's 5,000-year history, presented in an order that follows the story of the pharaohs.
Entering the pyramids themselves is optional and paid locally.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Cairo / Giza
Drive to Saqqara, the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis. Walk around the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest monumental stone building in the world, and enter decorated tombs of nobles where the painted scenes of daily life are still vivid (tombs open subject to daily site rotation).
Return to the city for Coptic Cairo, where the Hanging Church, the Church of St. Sergius and the Ben Ezra Synagogue show how Christian and Jewish communities lived alongside Islamic Cairo for centuries.
Finish in the historic Khan el-Khalili bazaar: browse spices, lanterns, perfumes and silver, stop for mint tea in a traditional cafe and bargain like a local with your guide's tips.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Cairo / Giza
Transfer to Cairo Airport for the short flight to Luxor, the world's greatest open-air museum. You are met on arrival and taken to Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever built: walk through the Hypostyle Hall with its 134 giant columns and past the sacred lake and obelisks.
Board your 5-star Nile cruise, have lunch on board and settle into your cabin. In the late afternoon visit Luxor Temple, beautifully lit at sunset, and return to the ship for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner (full board on the cruise)
Overnight: Nile cruise, Luxor
Cross to the West Bank of Luxor. Enter the Valley of the Kings and explore three royal tombs of your choice, with walls covered in colourful scenes from the Book of the Dead. The tomb of Tutankhamun and a few others need a separate ticket, which your guide can arrange.
Continue to the terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari and stop at the Colossi of Memnon. After lunch on board the ship sets sail south towards Edfu, and you can relax on the sun deck as the Nile scenery passes by.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight: Nile cruise, sailing to Edfu
Visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best-preserved temple in Egypt, reached by a traditional horse carriage ride from the dock. Its huge pylon, inner halls and carved reliefs tell the myth of Horus and Seth.
Sail on to Kom Ombo, a rare double temple shared by the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris, set right on the riverbank. Evening arrival in Aswan, with dinner and time to enjoy the ship's facilities.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Overnight: Nile cruise, Aswan
After breakfast, check out of the cruise and go by motorboat to Philae Temple, the beautiful island sanctuary of the goddess Isis that was moved stone by stone to save it from the rising waters. Then visit the Aswan High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk.
Optional excursion: Abu Simbel. Leave very early (around 3:30-4:00 am) for the drive across the desert to the two great temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari, carved into the mountainside more than 3,000 years ago. You are back in Aswan around midday. Ask us to add it to your quote.
Free time in the afternoon, or take an optional felucca sail around Elephantine Island at sunset.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hotel in Aswan
After breakfast you are transferred for your onward journey to Hurghada by flight or private road transfer, depending on the schedule we confirm at booking. Check in at your Red Sea hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at the beach or pool.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hurghada
A free day to unwind after the sightseeing. Swim and snorkel in the clear Red Sea water, relax on the beach, or add an optional excursion: a boat trip to the Giftun Islands with snorkelling over coral reefs, a desert quad safari with a Bedouin dinner, or an introductory dive.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Hurghada
Enjoy a last breakfast and some time by the sea, then transfer to Hurghada Airport in time for your international or domestic flight. We say goodbye and hope to welcome you back to Egypt soon.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: -
It is offered as an optional excursion because it requires a very early start (around 3:30-4:00 am) and a long desert drive. Ask us to include it in your quote and we will add it to Day 7.
Yes. Private air-conditioned transport with hotel pick-up and drop-off is included in Cairo, Giza and the other cities covered by the itinerary, plus all airport transfers.
Yes. All tours can be run privately for your group, and the itinerary, start time and stops can be adjusted. Contact us with your dates and we will confirm.
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before departure for day tours and 7 days before arrival for packages. Please contact us for exact terms on your booking.
Airport transfers, 9 nights accommodation (hotels and the Nile cruise), full board on the cruise and breakfast at the hotels, domestic transport as per the itinerary, a private vehicle, an Egyptologist guide and entrance fees to the listed sites.
International flights, the Egypt entry visa, tips, the optional Abu Simbel excursion, drinks, lunches and dinners outside the cruise, and personal expenses.
The price per adult is $1,690 and per child $990. Infants travel free. Please tell us the ages of your children when you enquire so we can confirm the exact rate.
Groups are limited to a maximum of 12 people, so you get personal attention from your guide. You can also book a fully private tour for your family or friends.
Your Egyptologist guide speaks Arabic and English. Other languages may be arranged on request for private tours.
Most nationalities can get an e-visa online or a visa on arrival, but rules change, so please check the current requirements for your passport before you travel. We can send you an invitation letter or advice if needed.
October to April is the best season, with pleasant weather for sightseeing in Luxor and Aswan. From May to September it is very hot in Upper Egypt, so we schedule early starts, and the Red Sea days are ideal in summer.
Light, breathable clothing that covers shoulders and knees for temples and churches, comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Bring a light jacket for cool evenings on the Nile and swimwear for Hurghada.
Yes. The pace is comfortable, with a private vehicle throughout. Some sites involve walking and stairs, such as the Valley of the Kings and the pyramid area, so tell us about any mobility needs and we will adapt the programme.
Tips are not included. Tipping is customary in Egypt for the guide, driver and cruise staff, and your guide can advise you on suitable amounts.
Yes. Vegetarian, vegan and other dietary needs can be arranged on the cruise and at hotels if you tell us in advance when booking.
Send us your travel dates and number of travellers using the booking form or by email at capitalofpyramids@gmail.com and we will confirm availability and your final quote.
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