Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Cairo
Your Ancient Egypt Tours representative meets you at the airport exit with a sign and takes you to your private air-conditioned vehicle. You'll head to your hotel in Cairo, arriving around 14:00 for check-in. If you get there early, you can relax at the hotel or arrange a pre-tour night for earlier access. Your tour coordinator will call to confirm the meeting times for tomorrow.
Optional Activities
- 2-hour open buffet dinner Nile cruise including belly dancer, local band and skirt rotation performer
- Sound and Light show
- Day 2
Cairo to Aswan
After breakfast at your hotel, your personal guide leads you through the Giza Plateau for the day. You'll walk around the Great Pyramid of Khufu, three smaller pyramids, Khafre's pyramid with its funeral temple, Menkaure's pyramid, and the Great Sphinx. The Valley Temple shows where mummification happened. You'll grab a photo of the three pyramids with Cairo's skyline behind them. At lunch, you'll eat at a local restaurant before heading to the Egyptian Museum. There you'll see over 250,000 artifacts, including King Tutankhamun's gold treasures, jewels, and headdresses from 5,000 years of history. Later you'll transfer to the train station and board your overnight sleeper train to Aswan with dinner included.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel in Cairo), Lunch (Lunch at local restaurant), Dinner (Dinner on sleeper train)
Included Activities
- Visit Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops)
- Visit three smaller pyramids at Giza
- Visit Khafre's pyramid
- Explore funeral temple remains
- Visit Menkaure's pyramid
- Visit Great Sphinx
- Visit Valley Temple
- Photo opportunity at Giza Plateau
- Visit Egyptian Museum
Landmarks/POIs Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) Pyramid of Khafre Pyramid of Menkaure Great Sphinx Valley Temple Egyptian Museum - Day 3
Aswan
You'll wake to breakfast served on the train as you roll into Aswan. Your representative meets you and helps with your hotel transfer. From there, the day is yours to explore Aswan at your own pace. Wander through the city, check out the local markets, or relax by the river however you like.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast on train)
- Day 4
Aswan Nile Cruise
After breakfast at your hotel, your representative takes you to board your 5-star Nile cruise. Once on board, you'll have lunch and then explore Aswan. You'll see the High Dam, an engineering project built from 1960 to 1970 that controls the river's flooding and produces hydroelectricity. Next you visit the Unfinished Obelisk, the largest ancient obelisk ever attempted, believed to belong to Queen Hatshepsut. If finished, it would have reached 42 meters tall and weighed nearly 1,200 tons. Later you'll sail by felucca (traditional Egyptian sailboat) to Philae Temple on Agilkia island. This temple was moved from its original location to preserve it from Lake Nasser's waters. The main Temple of Isis and its monuments were built between the 26th dynasty and the Roman period. You'll finish the day with dinner on board.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch (Lunch on board cruise), Dinner (Dinner on board)
Included Activities
- Board 5-star Nile cruise
- Visit High Dam
- Visit Unfinished Obelisk
- Sail by felucca to Agilkia Island
- Visit Philae Temple
Landmarks/POIs High Dam Unfinished Obelisk Philae Temple - Day 5
Kom Ombo to Luxor
You'll sail to Kom Ombo, where afternoon tea is served. There you visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, sitting on high grounds overlooking the Nile. Built around 180 BC during the Ptolemaic era with Roman additions later, it has a unique double dedication to Sobek (the crocodile god) and Haroeris (falcon-headed Horus). The temple was built in a location where crocodiles loved to bask. Ptolemy XIII added hypostyle halls around 51-47 BC, and Roman emperor Trajan added the forecourt and outer walls. From there you continue sailing to Edfu to see the Temple of Edfu, the second-largest temple in Egypt after Karnak. Known as Apollonopolis Magna during Greco-Roman times, it was built during the Ptolemaic period and dedicated to the falcon god Horus. Dinner is on board. Then you sail to Luxor with afternoon tea and an evening Galabya party celebration.
- Meals
- Lunch, Afternoon Tea (Afternoon Tea), Dinner (Dinner on board)
Included Activities
- Visit Temple of Kom Ombo
- Visit Temple of Edfu
- Sail to Luxor
- Galabya party
Landmarks/POIs Temple of Kom Ombo Temple of Edfu - Day 6
Luxor
After breakfast on board, you disembark and cross to the West Bank. You'll explore the Valley of the Kings, used from about 1539 BC to 1075 BC and containing roughly 60 tombs from Thutmose I to Ramses X or XI. The ancients called it 'The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh.' You visit 3 tombs, with the most famous being KV62, King Tutankhamun's tomb, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922 and the first royal tomb found largely intact. Then you see the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at El Deir El Bahary. Hatshepsut was the first great woman in recorded history, setting the stage for figures like Cleopatra and Elizabeth I. Her three-tiered temple was used for worshipping Amun and funeral rites. You'll also see the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that have stood guard for 3,400 years at his mortuary temple's entrance. After crossing back to the Eastern bank, you explore Karnak Temple, the largest place of worship ever constructed. Called 'Ipet-isut' (The Most Select of Places) in ancient times, it spans 247 acres and shows generations of builders' work. Lunch is on board, then you have free afternoon time with afternoon tea.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast on board), Lunch (Lunch on board), Afternoon Tea (Afternoon Tea), Dinner (Dinner on board)
Included Activities
- Visit Valley of the Kings
- Visit 3 tombs in Valley of the Kings including Tomb of Tutankhamun
- Visit Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
- Visit Colossi of Memnon
- Visit Karnak Temple
Landmarks/POIs Valley of the Kings Tomb of Tutankhamun Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Colossi of Memnon Karnak Temple - Day 7
Luxor to Hurghada
After breakfast on board the cruise, you disembark and head to Hurghada by private air-conditioned car. When you arrive, you'll check in to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to settle in and explore this popular Red Sea resort town however you'd like.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast on board before disembarkation), Lunch, Dinner
- Day 8
Hurghada
After breakfast at your hotel, the day is completely free. You can relax on the beach, walk around town, or try optional water activities if any appeal to you.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Tiran Islands
- Royal Sea Couple
- Dolphin Show
- Hurghada City exploration
- Safari
- Pharaonic Village
- Day 9
Hurghada
After breakfast at your hotel, you have another free day. Keep enjoying the beach resort or explore optional activities that interest you.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Tiran Islands
- Royal Sea Couple
- Dolphin Show
- Hurghada City exploration
- Safari
- Pharaonic Village
- Day 10
Hurghada
After breakfast at your hotel, this is your final free day in Hurghada. Spend it however you like at the Red Sea resort before your airport transfer.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch, Dinner
Optional Activities
- Tiran Islands
- Royal Sea Couple
- Dolphin Show
- Hurghada City exploration
- Safari
- Pharaonic Village
- Day 11
Hurghada to Cairo
After breakfast at your hotel, your representative takes you to Hurghada airport for your domestic flight to Cairo. When you land in Cairo, you'll be met by your representative and transferred to your hotel. You have the rest of the day free to explore the city.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel)
Optional Activities
- Saqqara Pyramids
- Memphis
- Dahshor Pyramids
- Pharaonic Village
- ALF LILA W LILA
- Sound and Light show at Giza Pyramids area
- Sound and Light show at Karnak Temple
- Sound and Light show at Philae Temple
- Palace of Royal Jewelry
- Mostfa Kamal Cemetery
- Natroun Monastery
- Roman Theatre
- Day 12
Departure from Cairo
After breakfast at your hotel, you head to the airport for your flight home. Your Ancient Egypt Tours representative picks you up and takes you to the airport. If your flight leaves early before breakfast service, arrange with the hotel for a breakfast box to bring with you.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel)
