Egypt Nile + Pyramids

Nine days from the pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum to a three-night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, with Abu Simbel, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. Private Egyptologist guides throughout, tailored to you.

Every journey is customizable. Use our featured journeys as inspiration. We'll tailor the dates, hotels, activities, pace and budget around you.

Highlights

• The pyramids with an Egyptologist

  Giza and the Step Pyramid at Saqqara explained by a private, qualified guide, starting early to beat the heat.

• The Grand Egyptian Museum

  A guided morning among the treasures of Tutankhamun and thousands of years of Egyptian history.

• Three nights on the Nile

  Cruise from Aswan to Luxor with visits to Philae, Kom Ombo and Edfu, and a sunset felucca sail.

• Abu Simbel

  The colossal temples of Ramses II and Nefertari, reached on an early excursion from Aswan.

• Luxor, ancient Thebes

  The Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, Karnak and Luxor Temple after dark.

Suggested day-by-day

A starting point, not a fixed schedule — we adjust every day to suit you.

1. 1
   Day 1Arrive in CairoCairo, Egypt+

   A local representative meets you on arrival at Cairo International Airport and accompanies you to your hotel. Depending on traffic, the drive can take an hour or more, so the rest of the day is kept free.

   • Meet-and-assist on arrival
   • Private transfer to your hotel
   • Evening at leisure

   Upscale hotel with pyramid or Nile views, or similar · Cairo
2. 2
   Day 2The pyramids of Giza and SaqqaraGiza and Saqqara+

   Start early on the Giza plateau with your Egyptologist, when the light is soft and the crowds are thinner, to see the Great Pyramid, the Sphinx and the panoramic viewpoint. After lunch, continue to Saqqara for the Step Pyramid of Djoser and beautifully decorated tombs.

   • Giza pyramids and the Sphinx with an Egyptologist
   • Optional entry inside a pyramid (extra ticket)
   • Step Pyramid and tombs at Saqqara
   • Lunch at a local restaurant

   Upscale hotel or similar · CairoBreakfast, Lunch
3. 3
   Day 3The Grand Egyptian Museum and historic CairoCairo+

   Spend the morning at the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza, where the Tutankhamun collection is displayed. In the afternoon, explore the mosques and madrasas of historic Islamic Cairo and finish in the lanes of the Khan el-Khalili bazaar.

   • Guided visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum
   • Historic mosques of Islamic Cairo
   • Khan el-Khalili bazaar
   • Optional visit to Coptic Cairo

   Upscale hotel or similar · CairoBreakfast
4. 4
   Day 4Fly to Aswan and board your cruiseAswan+

   Take a morning flight of about an hour and a half to Aswan and board your ship. Visit the island Temple of Philae by motorboat, then sail around Elephantine Island in a felucca as the sun sets over the desert.

   • Flight from Cairo to Aswan
   • Temple of Philae
   • Sunset felucca sail
   • First night aboard

   Upscale Nile cruise ship or similar · Aboard your ship, AswanBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
5. 5
   Day 5Abu Simbel and Kom OmboAbu Simbel and Kom Ombo+

   Leave before dawn for Abu Simbel, about three and a half hours by road, to see the temples of Ramses II and Nefertari. Back aboard, the ship sails north to Kom Ombo, where you visit the riverside temple in the evening.

   • Early excursion to Abu Simbel by road (flights available at extra cost)
   • Afternoon sailing on the Nile
   • Evening visit to the Temple of Kom Ombo

   Upscale Nile cruise ship or similar · Aboard your shipBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
6. 6
   Day 6Edfu and the sail to LuxorEdfu, Esna and Luxor+

   Visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, then relax on deck as the ship passes the lock at Esna and continues toward Luxor. Afternoons on the river are made for tea, reading and watching life on the banks.

   • Temple of Horus at Edfu
   • Sailing through the Esna lock
   • Afternoon on the sundeck

   Upscale Nile cruise ship or similar · Aboard your ship, LuxorBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
7. 7
   Day 7Luxor's West BankLuxor+

   Cross to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, the terraced Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon, with the option of a dawn balloon flight first. Disembark and check in to your hotel, then see Luxor Temple illuminated in the evening.

   • Optional dawn hot-air balloon flight
   • Valley of the Kings (standard tomb ticket)
   • Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon
   • Evening visit to Luxor Temple

   Upscale hotel on the Nile, or similar · LuxorBreakfast
8. 8
   Day 8Karnak and back to CairoLuxor and Cairo+

   Walk through the vast temple complex of Karnak, including the towering columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall. Enjoy a free afternoon in Luxor before an evening flight back to Cairo.

   • Guided visit to Karnak
   • Free afternoon in Luxor
   • Evening flight to Cairo

   Upscale hotel near the airport or in the city, or similar · CairoBreakfast
9. 9
   Day 9Depart CairoCairo+

   Depending on your flight time, enjoy a slow breakfast or a final stroll before your transfer to Cairo International Airport. A representative can help you through check-in if you would like.

   • Private transfer to the airport
   • Departure assistance

   Breakfast

Make it yours

A few of the ways travelers tailor this journey:

• Sail on a dahabiya

  Swap the cruise ship for a traditional sailing boat with a handful of cabins, typically over four or five nights between Esna and Aswan.

• Balloon over the West Bank

  Watch the sun rise over temples and farmland from a hot-air balloon, weather permitting.

• Overnight at Abu Simbel

  Stay in the village to see the temples without the early start, and visit again in the quiet of the morning.

• Add the Red Sea

  Finish with a few days of snorkeling or diving at a beach resort on the Red Sea coast.

• Slow the pace in Aswan

  Add a night at a historic riverside hotel and visit a Nubian village, the botanical island or the Aswan souk.

Best months

1. ✓ Jan
2. ✓ Feb
3. ✓ Mar
4. ✓ Apr
5. May
6. Jun
7. Jul
8. Aug
9. Sep
10. ✓ Oct
11. ✓ Nov
12. ✓ Dec