Egypt at its best in 13 wonderful days

Tour overview

Visit the towering Pyramids of Giza, relax on a felucca as you cruise down the Nile, and discover the ancient wonders of Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, and Philae Temple before a few days by the beautiful Red Sea in Hurghada. This is Egypt at its best in 13 wonderful days.

Brief Itinerary

Day	Highlights	Overnight
Day 1	Welcome to Egypt!	Cairo
Day 2	Pyramids of Giza	Cairo
Day 3	The Grand Egyptian Museum	Night train to Aswan
Day 4	Aswan—Philae Temple	Aswan
Day 5	Aswan—Optional Abu Simbel	Board a felucca
Day 6	Felucca Sailing & Kom Ombo	felucca
Day 7	Kom Ombo & Luxor	Luxor
Day 8	Luxor—Valley of the Kings	Luxor
Day 9	Luxor – Hurghada. Red Sea Riviera	Hurghada
Day 10-11	Explore Hurghada: Sun, Sea & Sand	Hurghada
Day 12	Cairo—your way	Cairo
Day 13	Cairo—Depart

Highlights

Relax at the Red Sea and swim in the clear coastal waters
Discover exquisite tombs and explore the beautiful Temple of Hatshepsut
Embark on a boat trip to Agilika Island to explore romantic Philae Temple
Sail the River Nile on board a traditional felucca and sleep under the stars

Day 1: Welcome to Egypt! (B)

Upon arrival in Cairo you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or those arriving early can opt to join our optional Backstreets of Cairo tour which departs the hotel at 10am. If you'd like to extend your stay in Egypt we also offer a pre or post tour Day Trip to Alexandria.

Day 2: Pyramids of Giza (B)

Bright and early this morning set off on a guided tour to see Ancient Egypt's most famous site: the iconic Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Known as Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus, the pyramids were already more than 2,000 years old. Next we explore the sand-strewn tombs and temples of the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, home to the Zhoser’s step pyramid. A visit to a government supervised Papyrus Museum will also be made at some point during today.

Day 3: The Grand Egyptian Museum (B)

Cairo - Aswan. This morning we join our guided tour of the incredible new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. This vast 490,000 sq.m complex showcases an astonishing collection of artefacts from nearly every period of ancient Egyptian history. Among the highlights are treasures of King Tutankhamun, with plans for his famous solid gold funerary mask to eventually be showcased here, alongside many items being exhibited for the first time. Later, we make our way to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which remains home to a vast collection of statues, jewellery, and sarcophagi. Here, we’ll see the well-preserved mummies of Yuya and Thuyu, high-ranking nobles and the great-grandparents of King Tutankhamun. Some mummies are so well preserved they still have thick locks of hair and visible fingernails. Then there's time to relax back at the hotel before we board the night train to Aswan this evening.

Day 4: Aswan - Philae Temple (B)

After arrival into Aswan and hotel check-in we enjoy a boat trip to Agilika Island where we visit the Temples of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and then we visit a perfume oil emporium back in Aswan. Spend the remainder of the evening at your own leisure; shop in the colourful souqs or simply kick back and relax.

Day 5: Aswan - Optional Abu Simbel (B/L)

Nile felucca cruise. Early birds can go on an optional excursion to the majestic Temple of Abu Simbel. The gargantuan rock-cut temple at Abu Simbel was created to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler King Ramses II. Guarding the entrance to the temple, the four colossal statues of Ramses II sit majestically, staring out across the desert. In the afternoon we board a felucca for a 2-night journey downstream the River Nile, stopping at villages and islands along the way. If sailing by felucca is not your style, consider upgrading to a 5 star luxury Nile Cruise

Day 6: Felucca sailing & Kom Ombo (B/L)

Spend a relaxing day sailing the Nile. Admire the views, go for a swim and chill out in the sun on deck. Let your troubles melt away, as the felucca plies its route. In the afternoon we dock near Kom Ombo and take a motorboat to visit the temple, which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek, before returning to the felucca for the night.

Day 7: Kom Ombo & Luxor (B)

Kom Ombo - Luxor. This morning we disembark and continue to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Enjoy some rest and relaxation. Tonight, an optional visit to the Temple of Luxor is available alternatively, enjoy the facilities of our hotel.

Day 8: Luxor - Valley of the Kings (B)

This morning we explore the West Bank of the Nile and the legendary Valley of the Kings. Marvel at Colossi of Memnon, the massive stone remains of the temple of Amenophis III, and explore the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and surrounding tombs. After lunch we visit the Temple of Karnak, a spectacular religious complex dedicated to the gods, and built on a gigantic scale. Here you can get lost wandering around the stone papyrus columns. The rest of the evening is at leisure.

Day 9: Luxor - Hurghada. Red Sea Riviera (B/D)

Departing Luxor we drive east to Hurghada, which is part of the beautiful Red Sea Riviera for 3 days on the beach!

Day 10-11: Explore Hurghada: Sun, Sea & Sand (B/D)

The next 2 days are free to explore Hurghada or simply relax. Today there's an optional day trip to Giftun Island for swimming and snorkelling, which can be booked locally. Hurghada is one of the Red Sea's most popular resorts and it is easy to see why. Hotels and expanded infrastructure provide holidaymakers with excellent aquatic facilities for sail boarding, yachting, deep-sea fishing, SCUBA diving and snorkeling. Hurghada’s central location provides a gateway to prime offshore reefs, which are some of the finest in the world. Hurghada also has plenty of restaurants and late night bars for evening entertainment. Just outside Hurghada is an ancient Roman quarry called Mons Porphyritis and Port Safaga – a famously windy place which is ideal for windsurfing.

Day 12: Cairo - your way (B)

Hurghada - Cairo. This morning we drive to Cairo. The remainder of today is free for you to relax or explore Egypt’s capital at leisure. You can opt to join us on a visit to Khan el Khalili bazaar, the ideal place for some last minute souvenir shopping.