After breakfast, begin your journey through Egypt’s ancient history with your private Egyptologist guide. Your first stop is the Giza Plateau, where you’ll stand before the Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, built more than 4,500 years ago, and the iconic Great Sphinx, carved from a single outcrop of limestone. Your guide will explain how and why these monuments were built, and you’ll also visit the nearby Valley Temple, once part of the funerary complex of King Khafre.

Continue to Saqqara, the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis and home to the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, the world’s oldest large stone monument and the forerunner of every true pyramid that followed. Then visit Memphis itself, the first capital of unified ancient Egypt, where an open-air museum displays the colossal statue of Ramses II and the beautifully carved Alabaster Sphinx.

Enjoy lunch at a quality local restaurant along the way, then return to your hotel in Cairo in the late afternoon.

Overnight Cairo
Meals Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, spend the day discovering Cairo beyond the pharaohs, beginning at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Its galleries trace Egypt’s story from prehistoric times to the present day through thousands of artifacts, and its highlight is the Royal Mummies Hall, where some of ancient Egypt’s most famous kings and queens are displayed in a solemn, dimly lit setting.

Next, ascend to the Citadel of Saladin, the medieval fortress that served as the seat of Egypt’s rulers for centuries. Inside stands the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, often called the Alabaster Mosque, famous for its Ottoman-style domes and slender minarets, with panoramic views over Cairo and, on a clear day, all the way to the pyramids.

After lunch, continue to the bustling Khan El Khalili Bazaar, one of the oldest markets in the Middle East, where narrow lanes are lined with traditional handicrafts, spices, jewelry, perfumes, and authentic Egyptian souvenirs. Take your time to browse, bargain, and perhaps stop for a traditional Egyptian tea, then return to your hotel in the evening.

Overnight Cairo
Meals Breakfast, Lunch

After an early breakfast, transfer to Cairo Airport for your short domestic flight to Aswan, Egypt’s southernmost city, known for its relaxed pace, Nubian culture, and dramatic granite landscape along the Nile. On arrival, your guide will meet you and begin a tour of the city’s highlights, starting with the Aswan High Dam, the 20th-century engineering project that tamed the Nile’s annual floods and created the vast reservoir of Lake Nasser.

Continue to the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis. After a short boat ride across the water, you’ll reach Agilkia Island, where the temple was relocated stone by stone in a UNESCO-led rescue operation to save it from the rising waters behind the dam. Its graceful columns and detailed reliefs make it one of Egypt’s most atmospheric sites.

After the tour, board your Nile cruise ship, where you’ll be welcomed aboard, shown to your cabin, and served lunch. Spend the afternoon settling in and enjoying the ship’s facilities as your Nile journey begins, with dinner served onboard.

Overnight Nile cruise, docked in Aswan
Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy breakfast onboard as the ship sails north along the Nile, passing small villages, palm groves, and farmland that have changed little over the centuries. Your first excursion is the extraordinary Temple of Kom Ombo, perched on a bend in the river and built symmetrically along two parallel axes. It is uniquely dedicated to two gods: Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus the Elder, the falcon-headed god, with twin sanctuaries, entrances, and colonnades.

Return to the ship for lunch as it continues sailing toward Edfu. The afternoon is free to relax on the sun deck, take a dip in the pool if available, or simply watch the Nile’s ever-changing scenery drift by. Dinner is served onboard as the ship sails on.

Overnight Nile cruise, sailing toward Edfu
Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, disembark in Edfu and travel by horse-drawn carriage to the Temple of Horus, a memorable and traditional approach to one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt. Centuries buried under desert sand protected its towering pylon, walls, and reliefs from erosion, and your guide will point out the carvings that tell the story of Horus’s battle against Seth.

Return to the ship for lunch as it sails on toward Luxor, built on the site of ancient Thebes, capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom. On arrival, visit the magnificent Luxor Temple, elegantly positioned along the Nile and beautifully illuminated in the evening. In ancient times it was linked to Karnak Temple by the Avenue of Sphinxes, which you’ll see as you walk through its colonnades and courtyards. Dinner is served onboard, with the ship docked in Luxor for the night.

Overnight Nile cruise, docked in Luxor
Meals Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, check out of your cruise ship and set off to explore Luxor’s East Bank with your guide. Your visit is to the vast Karnak Temple Complex, one of the largest religious sites ever constructed, expanded by successive pharaohs over roughly 2,000 years. Walk among its towering pylons and obelisks and through the famous Hypostyle Hall, a forest of enormous columns that once stood painted in vivid color.

After your guided tour and lunch, depart by private vehicle for Hurghada, crossing the Eastern Desert to reach the Red Sea coast. Upon arrival, check into your beachfront hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at leisure, with the sea on your doorstep.

Overnight Hurghada
Meals Breakfast, Lunch

After breakfast, the day is yours to enjoy the Red Sea at your own pace. Spend it unwinding on Hurghada’s beautiful beaches and in its crystal-clear waters, or relax by the pool at your resort after a week of sightseeing.

If you’d like a more active day, your hotel or our team can help arrange optional excursions such as snorkeling or scuba diving over colorful coral reefs, glass-bottom boat trips, desert safaris by quad bike or jeep, or a range of water sports.

Overnight Hurghada
Meals Breakfast

Enjoy breakfast and a leisurely morning by the sea, with time for a last swim or a stroll along the beach, before your private transfer to Hurghada Airport for your short flight back to Cairo.

Upon arrival, you’ll be met and transferred privately to your hotel for your final evening in Egypt, with time to pack, rest, or enjoy a last dinner in the city.

Overnight Cairo
Meals Breakfast

After a final breakfast, check out of your hotel at your leisure. At the scheduled time, your representative will provide a private, air-conditioned transfer to Cairo International Airport in time for your departure flight, bringing your ten-day journey to a close and sending you home with unforgettable memories of Egypt’s timeless monuments, the majestic Nile, and the beautiful Red Sea.

Meals Breakfast