Fifteen Day Tour - Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Dahabeya Cruise, Aswan and Abu Simbel 

Day 1

CAIRO

Upon arrival in Cairo, you are met at the airport by our representative who will assist you through immigration and customs (including help with your visa if required) and driven to your hotel by private transfer. You will then have the rest of the evening to relax and settle into your hotel.

Overnight Cairo: Stay at the Hotel of your choice

Day 2

CAIRO: Tour: Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum

After breakfast, your private guide and driver will meet you at your hotel for a full-day tour of the pyramids at Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum. The morning will be spent touring these iconic monuments and the Sphinx. Afterwards, you will be driven to the Grand Egyptian Museum, where, with your guide, you will spend the afternoon looking at the wonders this recently opened museum has to offer - including the world famous treasures of King Tutankhamun.

Overnight Cairo: Stay at the Hotel of your choice

Day 3

CAIRO: Tour: The Citadel and the Khan al Khalili Bazaar

After breakfast, you will be met by your private guide and driver and taken on a half day tour to visit the Citadel, founded in 1176 by the Muslim commander Salah ad-Din, and the bustling Khan al-Khalili Bazaar with its maze of covered narrow alleyways selling anything from gold to spices and perfume. Afternoon at leisure. Time for you to simply walk the streets of central Cairo taking in the amazing atmosphere or having a coffee at one of the many street side cafes. Alternatively you might want to visit one of Cairo's other exceptional museums such as the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization which houses a truly wonderful collection of Royal Mummys.

Overnight Cairo: Stay at the Hotel of your choice

Day 4

CAIRO: Tour: Alexandria

After an early breakfast, you will be met by your private guide and driver and taken on a full day tour to Alexandria. Here you will visit among other things the National Museum, the Catacombs of Kom Ash-Shuqqafa, Pompey's Pillar, the Library and Fort Quaitbey. You will then return to Cairo and your hotel.

Overnight Cairo: Stay at the Hotel of your choice

Day 5

CAIRO/LUXOR: Tour: House of Howard Carter

After breakfast, you will be met and driven to Cairo Airport for the short flight to Luxor. Upon arrival you will be met by our representative and driven by private car to your hotel, via the relatively new museum, the house that once belonged to Howard Carter. The house is relatively small but offers a wonderful incite into Howard Carter's everyday life while searching for and excavating  King Tutankhamun's tomb. 

Afternoon at leisure.

Overnight Luxor: Stay at the Hotel of your choice

Day 6

LUXOR: Tour: West Bank Tour

Early morning breakfast before you are met by your private guide and driver for a full days guided tour of Luxor's West Bank. The West Bank is home to some of Egypt's richest archaeological sites including the Valley of the Kings and Queens, The Temple of Hatshepsut, The Ramesseum and the Colossi of Memnon.

Overnight Luxor: Stay at the Hotel of your choice 

Day 7

LUXOR: Tour: Temples of Karnak and Luxor

Today is the turn of Luxor's East Bank. After a leisurely breakfast you will be picked up mid morning for the relatively short drive to the temples of Karnak and Luxor. Your private guide will accompany you as you visit these truely magnificent temples. Second, only to Giza's pyramids, Karnak with its towering hypostyle hall is Egypt's second most important Pharaonic site. The Temple of Luxor with its two enormous seated colossi of Ramses II at its entrance was mainly constructed by the 18th dynasty Pharaoh Amenhotep III and enjoys a very central position in Luxor. 

Rather than returning directly to your hotel you might want to spend the evening in Luxor town enjoying diner at one of the many wonderful restaurants before seeing the sound and light show at Karnak Temple.

Overnight Luxor: Stay at the Hotel of your choice 

Day 8

LUXOR/DAHABEYA CRUISE

After breakfast, you will be met by our representative and driven to Esna where you will board your chosen Dahabeya cruise boat. After embarkation the boat sails to the Island of El Hegz just north of Edfu. During this time lunch will be served on board. Over night and dinner at El Hegz.

Overnight El Hegz Island: Stay on the Nile Cruise boat of your choice 

Day 9

DAHABEYA CRUISE:  Tour: Tombs at El Kab and the Temple of Edfu

After breakfast you will visit the tombs at El Kab with your guide and then return to the dahabeya for the 3 hour sail to Edfu. After lunch you will visit to the Temple of Edfu with your private guide. The Temple, which was buried under sand for nearly 2,000 years is the best preserved Ptolemaic temple in Egypt and is dedicated to the god Horus. On returning to the dahabeya you sail for about one hour to the island of El Fauaza where you berth for the night.

Overnight El Fauaza: Stay on the Nile Cruise boat of your choice  

Day 10

DAHABEYA CRUISE:  Tour: El Ramady Village and Gebel El Silsila

After breakfast you sail from El Fauaza for about three hours to the village of El Ramady, where you will have the opportunity to walk  around the village to explore the landscape. From El Ramady the dahabeya continues to cruise for about three hours to reach Gebel El Silsila. After lunch your guide will accompany you to the quarries of Gebel Silsila, a sandstone quarry full of New Kingdom stele and shrines.

On returning to the boat you will sail for about an hour to the village of Fares where you will overnight.

Overnight Fares: Stay on the Nile Cruise boat of your choice
 

Day 11

DAHABEYA CRUISE: Tour: Fares Village and the Temple of Kom Ombo

After breakfast you have the opportunity to walk around the village of Fares before the dahabya sails for Kom Ombo - a journey that takes approximately 3 hours. After lunch your private guide will take you to visit the impressive temple of Kom Ombo, a dual deity temple dedicated to both Sobek and Haroeris.  On returning the dahabeya then sails for another 2 hours to reach the Island of Harbyab where it berths for the overnight stay.

Overnight Harbyab: Stay on the Nile Cruise boat of your choice  

Day 12

DAHABEYA CRUISE:  Tour: Temple of Philae, High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk

Early in the morning you sail from Harbyab Island and after about four hours reach the southernmost point of this Nile cruise, Aswan! After lunch on board you will be taken by your guide to visit the legendary Temple of Philae, dedicated to Isis and saved from the rising waters of the Nile caused by the building of the High Dam. On your return to the dahabeya, via the High Dam, visit the unfinished Obelisk, a gigantic obelisk dating from the New Kingdom, that would have weighed a staggering 1100 tonnes if finished. Return to the dahabeya for your final evening meal there.

Overnight Aswan: Stay on the Nile Cruise boat of your choice  

Day 13

ASWAN: Tour: Temple of Kalabsha

After a leisurely breakfast you are collected from your cruise boat by our representative and taken on a half day tour to the Temple of Kalabsha on the shores of Lake Nasser. You will also visit the remains of the Roman Kiosk of Qertassi and Beit al-Wali, a temple built during the reign of Ramses II.  After your visit you will return to Aswan and to check into the hotel of your choice. Rest of the day is free and given to relaxing and settling in at your hotel.

Overnight Aswan: Stay at the Hotel of your choice

Day 14

ASWAN: Tour: Abu Simbel

Very early morning start today for your full day visit to the Temple of Abu Simbel (lunch included). This temple, an icon of Ancient Egypt and a true highlight for any trip to Egypt, was hewn from solid rock and was built as a monument to Ramses II, though dedicated to the deities of Amun, Ptah and Ra-Harakhty. You will also see the smaller Temple of Hathor, built in honour of Ramses II favourite wife, Nefertari. Upon your return to Aswan you will be taken back to your hotel for your final night in Aswan. 

Overnight Aswan: Stay at the Hotel of your choice

Day 15

ASWAN/CAIRO

After a leisurely breakfast you are collected from your hotel by our representative for your flight back to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo you will be met and transferred to catch your onward international flight back home. Our representative will escort you through the airport as far as passport control.