CAIRO
ASWAN TO LUXOR NILE CRUISE
HURGHADA

Welcome to Egypt 🇪🇬 ☀️

Overview
Your journey begins in Cairo — the political, intellectual, and symbolic heart of Egypt for more than a thousand years. This arrival day is intentionally unhurried, allowing space to settle into the country while receiving a clear historical orientation that frames everything to come.

Itinerary

Private Transfer to Hotel
You are welcomed on arrival at Cairo International Airport and transferred privately to your 5-star hotel.

Hotel Check-in & Orientation
After reaching your hotel, your tour manager assists with check-in and walks you through the itinerary, confirming pickup times and logistics for the days ahead.

Meals: —
Overnight: Cairo

Visits: —

Overview
A full day devoted to Egypt’s earliest monumental landscapes — the desert plateau of Giza, where the pyramids and Sphinx define the age of the pharaohs, and Saqqara, where Egypt’s first experiments in stone architecture reshaped the history of royal burial. The day moves between scale and origin: standing before the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, then tracing the beginnings of pyramid construction at Djoser’s Step Pyramid. It combines the most iconic symbols of ancient Egypt with the deeper architectural and ideological roots that made them possible.

Itinerary

Morning Pickup – From Your Hotel
Begin the day with pickup from your hotel, where your guide and driver meet you for departure toward the Giza Plateau and Saqqara.

Pyramids of the Giza Plateau
Visit the Great Pyramid of Khufu together with the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, exploring the architectural precision, symbolism, and desert setting that shaped the foundations of Old Kingdom kingship.

Panoramic Views and Photo Stops
Enjoy key viewpoints over the plateau where all three pyramids align against the desert horizon.

Valley Temple and Great Sphinx
Visit the Valley Temple of Khafre, built from massive limestone blocks and used for royal ritual. Stand before the Great Sphinx, carved directly from the natural bedrock and guarding the entrance to the plateau.

Saqqara Necropolis
Continue to Saqqara—Egypt’s oldest royal burial ground. This vast desert plateau holds tombs, mastabas, and monuments spanning thousands of years, offering a clear view of how ancient funerary traditions evolved long before the Giza pyramids were built.

The Step Pyramid of King Djoser
Enter the Egypt’s first monumental stone structure and the earliest pyramid in history. Designed by the architect Imhotep, it marks the beginning of Egypt’s pyramid age and represents one of the most influential innovations in ancient architecture..

Return to Hotel
Settle into your private transfer back to your hotel in Cairo for a relaxed evening at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Cairo

Visits:
• Giza Pyramids
• Great Sphinx
• Valley Temple
• Saqqara Necropolis
• Step Pyramid of Djoser

Overview
A day that moves Cairo’s story forward while gently transitioning you toward Upper Egypt. The morning is devoted to the capital’s layered past, beginning at the Grand Egyptian Museum, where royal statuary, ritual objects, and complete collections present the pharaonic world at its fullest scale. The focus then rises to the Citadel of Saladin, where fortifications, mosques, and ceremonial spaces reveal how Cairo developed as a medieval center of power and faith. By afternoon, the rhythm shifts: a flight south carries you from the density of Cairo into the open light of Aswan, marking a clear change in landscape, atmosphere, and pace as the journey enters Upper Egypt.

Itinerary

Morning Pickup – From Your Hotel
Begin the day with pickup from your Cairo hotel by private air-conditioned vehicle. Your guide and driver escort you to the first site of the day, setting a clear, structured start before the transition from the capital toward Upper Egypt.

Grand Egyptian Museum
Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to an unparalleled collection of artifacts, including the complete treasures of Tutankhamun, monumental statues, and masterpieces spanning pharaonic history.

Citadel of Saladin
Enter Cairo’s great medieval fortress, founded in the 12th century by Salah al-Din — one of the most influential military and political figures of the Middle Ages. From this commanding position atop Mokattam Hill, Saladin reshaped Cairo’s defenses, establishing a fortified seat of power whose walls, gates, and terraces still define the skyline. Within this enclosure, dynasties that followed added their own mosques, palaces, and ceremonial spaces, creating a layered architectural record that spans the Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Muhammad Ali eras.

Muhammad Ali Mosque
Built between 1830 and 1848 under Muhammad Ali Pasha, this landmark adopts Ottoman-inspired design while representing Egypt’s own 19th-century ambition. Its alabaster interiors, high domes, and expansive terrace form one of the city’s most recognizable silhouettes, offering wide views across Cairo.

Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad
Completed in 1318, this Mamluk royal mosque functioned as the Citadel’s central congregational mosque, hosting the sultans for the weekly Friday prayer — the most important communal service in Islam. Its green-tiled dome, finely carved stucco, and elegant minarets offer a direct connection to Cairo’s medieval architectural core and the Citadel’s earlier period of dynastic rule.

Transfer to Cairo Airport
In the late afternoon, depart central Cairo by private air-conditioned vehicle for the transfer to Cairo International Airport. The movement marks a clear transition — leaving the layered density of the capital and preparing for the shift south.

Flight Cairo → Aswan
A short domestic flight carries you along the Nile corridor toward Upper Egypt. Below, desert expanses and cultivated riverbanks alternate, signaling a change in geography, light, and pace.

Arrival in Aswan & Private Transfer to Hotel
Upon arrival at Aswan Airport, you are welcomed by your local representative and transferred privately to your hotel. From the first moments, the atmosphere feels distinctly different — warmer tones, granite landscapes, and a quieter rhythm shaped by the river.

Hotel Check-in & Evening at Leisure
After check-in, the evening is left free to settle in and rest. This pause allows space to absorb the day’s contrasts before the Nile-centered journey continues.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Aswan

Visits:
• Grand Egyptian Museum
• Saladin Citadel
• Muhammad Ali Mosque
• Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad

Overview
An early journey south leads deep into Nubia, toward one of Egypt’s most commanding and deliberately placed monuments. This day is devoted entirely to Abu Simbel — a site conceived not only as a temple complex, but as a statement of power carved directly into the natural landscape. Here, architecture, geography, and royal ideology are inseparable. The temples rise from the rock face with colossal scale and precise alignment, asserting Egypt’s authority at its southern frontier. The visit also reveals a rare dialogue between ancient and modern engineering: the UNESCO-led relocation of the temples in the 1960s, undertaken to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, stands as a contemporary achievement that quietly mirrors the ambition and precision of their original construction.

Itinerary

Early Morning Pickup – From Your Aswan Hotel
Begin the day with early morning pickup from your hotel in Aswan by private air-conditioned vehicle. Accompanied by your guide, depart south on an overland drive of approximately four hours through the Nubian desert toward Abu Simbel. The route unfolds across long, open horizons, underscoring the site’s deliberate remoteness and its position at Egypt’s southern frontier.

Great Temple of Ramesses II
Stand before the colossal façade of the Great Temple, guarded by four seated statues of Ramesses II carved directly into the cliff. Inside, monumental halls and reliefs celebrate royal power, divine authority, and the king’s military achievements, including the Battle of Kadesh. The alignment of the temple reflects advanced astronomical planning, reinforcing its symbolic importance.

Temple of Queen Nefertari
Visit the smaller but equally refined temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. Its façade, carved with standing colossi of the queen and the king, is unique in ancient Egypt, marking one of the rare instances where a royal consort is depicted on an equal scale.

Return to Aswan
After the visit, begin the return journey to Aswan, arriving in the afternoon. The remainder of the day is left free to rest after the long but rewarding excursion.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Aswan

Visits:
• Great Temple of Ramesses II
• Temple of Queen Nefertari

Overview
The day begins in Aswan with embarkation on your Nile cruise, followed by a guided exploration of the city’s key landmarks. Visits focus on Aswan’s defining elements: its sacred river temples, modern infrastructure, and ancient stoneworking traditions. The sequence moves from Philae’s island setting to the High Dam and the granite quarries, offering a clear introduction to the region before settling into the steady rhythm of the Nile for the nights ahead.

Itinerary

Morning Pickup & Transfer to Nile Cruise
After breakfast, you are picked up from your Aswan hotel by private air-conditioned vehicle and transferred to the river for Nile cruise embarkation. Check into your cabin and settle into the river setting as the Nile becomes the central axis of the journey.

Afternoon Pickup – From Nile Cruise
After embarkation, your guide meets you at the cruise and accompanies you for the day’s visits, with transportation arranged by private vehicle and boat as required.

Philae Temple
A boat ride to Philae, one of Egypt’s most atmospheric temple complexes. Approaching the island by water sets the tone: quiet, graceful, and anchored in centuries of devotion to Isis. Within its colonnades and inner courts, reliefs, sanctuaries, and chapels reflect a layered history that continued well into the Roman era. The setting — water, rock, and temple stone — creates a sense of clarity and stillness that makes Philae one of Upper Egypt’s most memorable sites.

High Dam
Visit the High Dam, the modern project that reshaped Egypt’s water landscape in the 20th century. From the dam’s crest, take in the vast expanse of Lake Nasser and understand the role this structure plays in irrigation, electricity, and flood control — a striking contemporary counterpoint to the ancient world seen earlier in the day.

Unfinished Obelisk
Continue to the granite quarries to see the Unfinished Obelisk, still embedded in the bedrock where ancient craftsmen worked. Its massive scale reveals how obelisks were carved directly from the stone, with tool marks and a natural crack showing precisely why this one was abandoned. The site offers a rare and tangible view into ancient engineering and the sheer physical demands of monumental construction.

Return to Nile Cruise
Return to your cruise for lunch and time on deck. As the day settles, the rhythm slows and the river takes prominence, marking the true beginning of life aboard the Nile.

Optional Nubian Village Sunset Visit
At sunset, an optional motorboat excursion leads to a traditional Nubian village. Brightly painted houses, local customs, and riverside life offer a glimpse into one of the Nile Valley’s oldest living cultures.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Nile cruise

Visits:
• Philae Temple
• High Dam
• Unfinished Obelisk

Overview
A day shaped by the steady rhythm of Nile cruising, where the river serves as both passageway and constant presence between two major Ptolemaic temples. As the ship moves north, the scenery shifts between cultivated riverbanks, palm-lined villages, and open stretches of water, creating a natural progression toward Kom Ombo and Edfu — two of Egypt’s most coherent and well-preserved sacred complexes. The day balances time on board with focused site visits, allowing the experience to unfold gradually from morning through evening.

Itinerary

Arrival at Kom Ombo – On Foot from the Riverbank
The dahabeya moors directly beside Kom Ombo. From the riverbank, the temple is reached on foot — a short, level walk that keeps the transition from river to monument immediate and seamless.

Kom Ombo Temple
Arrive at Kom Ombo, uniquely built as a perfectly symmetrical double temple dedicated to two deities: Sobek, the crocodile god associated with strength and fertility, and Horus the Elder, linked to protection and kingship. Twin entrances, twin halls, and twin sanctuaries reinforce this duality. Reliefs throughout the complex illustrate offerings, rituals, and — most famously —a set of carvings interpreted as ancient medical instruments, offering insight into Ptolemaic knowledge and practice. Its location directly on the riverbank adds a dramatic setting, especially in late afternoon light.

Crocodile Museum
Step inside the Crocodile Museum, located directly beside the Kom Ombo Temple — a placement that reflects its close historical connection to the cult of Sobek. Inside, a carefully curated collection displays mummified crocodiles of varying sizes, votive offerings, and ritual artifacts once dedicated to the god. The museum bridges the environment, the temple, and ancient belief: the crocodiles that once inhabited this bend of the Nile, the inscriptions carved into the temple walls, and the everyday devotion of local communities all converge here in one clear, tangible narrative.

Scenic Nile Sailing
Continue sailing along the Nile, with time to observe life unfolding along the riverbanks. Fields, palm groves, fishing boats, and village life create a continuous visual rhythm, reinforcing the sense of movement through a living landscape rather than between isolated monuments.

Transfer by Horse-Drawn Carriage
Upon arrival at the Edfu riverbank, transfer by traditional horse-drawn carriage through the town to the temple entrance. This short ride reflects the historic approach to the site and remains the customary way to reach the temple.

Temple of Horus at Edfu
Travel by carriage from the riverbank through the town to reach the Temple of Horus, the best-preserved major temple in Egypt. Its monumental pylons, intact chambers, and sharply carved reliefs make it an extraordinary example of Ptolemaic religious architecture. Inside, scenes depict the mythological battles between Horus and Seth, ceremonial processions, and temple rituals that once animated this sanctuary. The scale, clarity, and completeness of the reliefs offer a rare opportunity to read stories and symbolism exactly as ancient visitors would have seen them.

Return to Nile Cruise
Reboard the ship and settle back into the calm rhythm of river life. As evening approaches, the shift from monumental architecture to open water and quiet riverbanks provides a natural close to the day. Dinner is served on board as the Nile continues its slow, steady flow northward.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Nile Cruise

Visits:
• Kom Ombo Temple
• Crocodile Museum
• Edfu Temple

Overview
This day is devoted entirely to Luxor’s East Bank — the ancient “land of the living,” where temples were raised to honor the gods, affirm kingship, and anchor Egypt’s cosmic order. After the stillness and symbolism of earlier days on the Nile, the focus here is ceremonial space and urban ritual: vast temple precincts, processional avenues, and monuments designed for public devotion and royal display. The day remains grounded in Luxor, with no onward travel, allowing time to absorb the scale and clarity of Thebes at its height.

Itinerary

Morning Pickup – From Your Nile Cruise
After breakfast, you are picked up from your dahabeya by private air-conditioned vehicle for the East Bank visits.

Karnak Temple Complex
Explore the largest religious complex of ancient Egypt, dedicated primarily to Amun-Ra but expanded over more than 1,500 years by successive pharaohs. Karnak is not a single temple but an entire ceremonial city: vast courtyards, obelisks, sanctuaries, sphinx-lined avenues, and monumental gateways. The Great Hypostyle Hall, with its 134 towering columns carved with hymns, royal names, and scenes of ritual, remains one of the most striking architectural spaces in the ancient world.

Luxor Temple
Explore Luxor Temple, linked to Karnak by the ancient Avenue of the Sphinxes. Built by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, this temple beautifully reflects the harmony of religion and royalty in ancient Egypt.

Return to Nile Cruise
After the visits, return by private vehicle to your dahabeya. The afternoon and evening are left calm and unstructured — time to rest on board, enjoy the river, and prepare for the following day’s West Bank exploration.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Nile Cruise

Visits:
• Karnak Temple
• Luxor Temple

Overview
The final day in Luxor unfolds on the West Bank — the ancient realm of eternity, where New Kingdom pharaohs shaped their legacy through tombs, temples, and colossal monuments carved into desert cliffs. The morning brings a last, concentrated immersion into Egypt’s most powerful period, moving through royal burial grounds and mortuary architecture designed for permanence beyond time. By afternoon, the journey turns outward: leaving the Nile Valley behind, you travel east across the desert toward the Red Sea, marking a clear transition from ancient landscapes to open horizons and coastal light.

Itinerary

Morning Pickup – From Your Dahabeya
After breakfast and disembarkation, you are picked up by private vehicle and transferred to the West Bank, where your guide continues with the day’s exploration.

Valley of the Kings
Enter the royal necropolis of the New Kingdom, where pharaohs were buried in elaborately decorated tombs carved deep into the desert cliffs. Inside, corridors and chambers are covered with scenes from sacred texts — celestial maps, gods, and rituals guiding the king toward rebirth and eternity. The Valley reveals both the spiritual imagination and technical mastery of ancient Egypt.

— Notable tombs often open to visitors include those of
Ramses IV
Ramses III
Merenptah

— Additional optional tombs available for visit
Tutankhamun
Ramesses V & VI
Seti I
Ay

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
Visit the terraced mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, rising in clean lines against the limestone cliffs. Dedicated to the god Amun, the temple honors Egypt’s most powerful female ruler and records key moments of her reign, including her divine birth and the famed expedition to the Land of Punt. Its architectural harmony and dramatic setting make it one of Egypt’s most distinctive monuments

Colossi of Memnon
Pause before the two monumental seated statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, standing nearly 18 meters high. Once guarding the entrance to his vast mortuary temple, these colossal figures have watched over the Theban plain for more than 3,400 years — enduring symbols of royal authority and the passage of time.

Private Transfer Luxor → Hurghada
In the afternoon, depart Luxor by private air-conditioned vehicle for the overland journey to Hurghada on the Red Sea. The five-hour drive follows the desert highway, moving gradually from the cultivated Nile Valley into wide, open landscapes before descending toward the coastline.

Arrival & Resort Check-in
Arrive in Hurghada and check in at your all-inclusive resort. Settle into your room, orient yourself within the property, and take in the first impressions of the Red Sea environment.

Optional Experience: Sunrise Hot-Air Balloon Flight
A pre-dawn departure (between 3:00 and 4:00 AM) takes you to the West Bank launch site, where the balloons rise just before sunrise. As you lift above the valley, the landscape unfolds quietly — fields, villages, desert cliffs, and the great monuments appearing in soft, early light. The experience offers a wide, unhurried perspective on Luxor and a rare sense of calm before the day’s visits begin.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Hurghada

Visits:
• Valley of the Kings
• Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• Colossi of Memnon

Overview
A full day devoted to slowing down and letting the Red Sea set the rhythm. After days shaped by temples, desert horizons, and cultural immersion, this part of the journey introduces a different pace — open, quiet, and restorative. The coastline becomes the setting for unstructured time: warm air, clear water, and the gentle routines of resort life. Whether you choose to spend the day by the pool, along the shoreline, or simply resting in the stillness of the Red Sea environment, the emphasis is on ease. While optional activities remain available, the day is designed to let your body and mind settle, breathe, and reset before the journey continues.

Itinerary

Day at Leisure
Enjoy the resort’s facilities at your own pace: swimming pools, beach access, spa services, or simply reading and relaxing in the sun or shade. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Hurghada

Visits: —

Overview
A full day on the Red Sea combining snorkeling, island time, and relaxed sailing. The rhythm is straightforward: a morning departure from the marina, two separate snorkeling sites with clear visibility, a mid-day break at Orange Bay, and a calm return in the afternoon. The focus is on accessible coral reefs, quiet stretches of open water, and the unhurried atmosphere of Hurghada’s coastline, with optional light water activities available for guests who enjoy a touch of movement and fun.

Itinerary

Morning Pickup — Hurghada Resort
Meet your private driver in the lobby for a transfer to the marina. Upon arrival, the crew welcomes you on board and provides a brief orientation covering the day’s program, equipment use, and safety procedures.

Red Sea Departure — Sailing to the First Snorkeling Site
The boat sets out into open water, with Hurghada fading behind you. Wide horizons, shifting blue tones, and a steady forward motion mark the transition from the coastline to the reef zone.

Stop 1 — First Snorkeling Site
A shallow coral garden characterized by layered textures and clear visibility. Soft corals, small reef fish, and calm currents create an accessible introduction to the Red Sea’s marine environment.

Sailing Toward Giftun Island
A smooth stretch across open water as the boat heads toward Orange Bay.

Stop 2 — Orange Bay on Giftun Island
Two hours on pale, fine sand and shallow turquoise water. Wooden loungers, sheltered seating areas, and time to swim, rest, or wander along the shoreline. The atmosphere is relaxed and quiet, with a distinctly tropical feel.

Lunch On Board
A freshly prepared buffet lunch served on deck as the boat anchors in a calm stretch of water.

Stop 3 — Second Snorkeling Site
A different reef area offering varied coral formations and another opportunity to explore the underwater landscape.

Banana Boat & Sofa Ride
A short, lively activity that adds a playful moment to the day — light movement on the water and a brief spark of fun between the calmer parts of the experience.

Return Sail to the MarinaA relaxed return toward Hurghada as the afternoon light begins to soften.

Return Transfer — Hurghada Resort
Your private driver meets you at the marina for the transfer back to your resort.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Hurghada

Visits:
• Giftun Island
• Orange Bay
• Two Snorkeling Sites

Overview
A day centered on ease and unstructured time, allowing the body and mind to slow after the movement of previous day. The Red Sea coastline becomes the background for simple rhythms — sun, water, quiet spaces, and the comfort of your resort. Whether you spend the day by the pool, walk along the beach, or enjoy the stillness of the sea from shaded seating, the intention is to give you a complete pause. Optional activities remain available, but the day carries no set program, leaving room for rest or gentle exploration as you prefer.

Itinerary

Day at Leisure
Time to enjoy the resort however you wish: beachside lounging, pool time, spa treatments, or peaceful reading in a quiet corner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Hurghada

Visits: —

Overview
Another restorative day on the Red Sea, shaped to preserve the slow, steady rhythm of this stage of the journey. As the final full day before departure, it offers the space to rest deeply and let your energy settle in an environment that naturally supports calm — a wide coastline, gentle water, and the quiet comfort of resort life. Whether you choose complete stillness or a light optional activity, the focus remains on warmth, ease, and unhurried time.

Itinerary

Day at Leisure
Use the day freely within the resort — swimming, sunbathing, visiting the spa, or simply resting in a quiet corner. Optional outings or water activities may be arranged if desired, but nothing is scheduled, allowing you to fully absorb the calming atmosphere of your surroundings.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Hurghada

Visits: —

Overview
The final day brings the journey to a soft and reflective close. After the depth of Cairo, the sacred landscapes of Luxor, and the stillness of the Red Sea, this transition marks the gentle end of an experience that unfolded across Egypt’s most meaningful places. The pace slows naturally, allowing the impressions of the past days to settle — the desert horizons, temple silhouettes, and coastline light. Whether your onward travel begins in Hurghada or continues through Cairo, the departure is arranged with the same coherence and care that shaped the rest of your journey, ensuring a smooth and unhurried conclusion.

Itinerary

Resort Checkout
After breakfast, check out from your room and prepare for departure.

Departure from Hurghada
If your onward flight departs from Hurghada International Airport, a private air-conditioned vehicle will transfer you directly to the airport.

Alternative Departure via Cairo

If your onward flight is scheduled from Cairo, two travel options can be arranged upon request:

– A private overland transfer from Hurghada to Cairo, taking approximately seven hours

– A short domestic flight from Hurghada to Cairo

Both options should be arranged in advance to ensure a smooth and timely connection.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: —

Visits: —