10 Days Cairo Luxor Aswan & Abu Simbel (Archaeology Tour)

This is the day people picture when they imagine Egypt. Arrive at the Giza Plateau by 08:00, before the heat and the tour buses build up, to see the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the smaller Pyramid of Menkaure standing in a row against the desert. The Sphinx sits just below, facing east toward the rising sun. Guides can arrange an optional camel or horse ride along the plateau’s edge for photos with all three pyramids in frame — worth doing for ten minutes even if you’re not a fan of animal-back rides generally. After lunch, head to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square (or the newer Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza, which has been absorbing much of the museum’s collection — confirm which is showing Tutankhamun’s treasures at time of travel). Either way, this is where the gold mask, the royal mummies, and thousands of artifacts pulled straight from the tombs you’ll visit later in the trip are kept.

Continuing the journey, visit the ancient capital of Memphis, where you can witness the remarkable statue of Ramses II. Conclude the day’s adventures in Dahshur, where you’ll have the chance to marvel at both the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid.

After a fulfilling day, enjoy a comfortable transfer back to your hotel in Cairo for another overnight stay.

Overnight in Cairo.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

A quieter, less crowded day than Day 2, and for many travelers, more atmospheric. Memphis was Egypt’s capital for over 3,000 years, though little remains above ground beyond a fallen colossus of Ramses II and a small open-air museum. Saqqara, ten minutes away, is where step pyramids were invented — the Step Pyramid of Djoser predates the Great Pyramid by roughly a century and still dominates the necropolis. With far fewer visitors than Giza, it’s possible to walk the surrounding tombs at your own pace. Spend the afternoon at Khan El Khalili, Cairo’s centuries-old bazaar, for spices, textiles, and a coffee at a café frequented by Cairo’s writers for generations — a good last stop before flying south the next morning.

Overnight in Cairo.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

A short domestic flight (around one hour) takes you from Cairo to Luxor, ancient Thebes, capital of Egypt during the height of the New Kingdom. After checking in, the afternoon is dedicated to Luxor’s East Bank, where the living city and its temples always stood — as opposed to the West Bank, reserved for the dead. Karnak Temple is the main event: not a single building but an entire complex built up over 2,000 years, its Hypostyle Hall alone holding 134 towering stone columns. Time the visit to end near Luxor Temple as the sun sets, when its columns are lit and the crowds thin out for the evening.

Overnight in Luxor.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

An early start (08:00) crosses the Nile to the West Bank, where the New Kingdom’s pharaohs carved their tombs deep into the desert cliffs rather than building pyramids, hoping to avoid tomb robbers. The Valley of the Kings holds over 60 known tombs, including Tutankhamun’s — tickets typically allow entry to three tombs, so a guide’s recommendation on which to prioritize matters. Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple, built into the cliff face at Deir el-Bahari, remains one of ancient Egypt’s most striking pieces of architecture. On the way back, stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two 18-meter statues that have stood alone in a field for over 3,400 years. By early afternoon, transfer to your Nile cruise boat and settle in as it casts off, sailing south toward Esna.

Overnight in Luxor.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Morning arrival in Edfu, where a horse-drawn carriage takes you from the dock to the Temple of Horus — widely considered the best-preserved temple in Egypt, thanks to centuries spent buried under desert sand and Nile silt before 19th-century excavation uncovered it almost intact. The falcon-headed statues of Horus still guard the entrance. Afternoon is spent sailing toward Kom Ombo, with time on the sun deck to watch riverside villages, water buffalo, and palm groves pass by — this is the pace a Nile cruise is built for.

Overnight in Luxor.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

An early visit to Kom Ombo’s temple, unique for being a “double temple” split symmetrically down the middle — one half dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, the other to the falcon god Horus the Elder, each with its own entrance, halls, and sanctuary. The adjoining Crocodile Museum houses several mummified crocodiles found at the site. The boat continues to Aswan by afternoon, Egypt’s southernmost major city and historically the gateway to Nubia. Visit the High Dam, completed in 1970 and responsible for both ending the Nile’s annual floods and creating Lake Nasser; the elegant, colonnaded Philae Temple, relocated stone-by-stone to Agilkia Island in the 1970s to save it from rising water; and the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in its quarry, cracked before completion — its abandoned state reveals more about ancient Egyptian stone-cutting techniques than a finished monument ever could.

Overnight in Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

The earliest start of the trip: a 04:00 departure for the roughly three-hour drive (or a short flight) to Abu Simbel, timed to arrive before the tour buses and the midday heat. The Great Temple of Ramses II, fronted by four 20-meter seated colossi of the pharaoh, was carved directly into a mountainside — and, like Philae, was moved in the 1960s in a UNESCO engineering effort to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. The smaller Temple of Hathor, dedicated to Ramses’s queen Nefertari, stands beside it. Return to Aswan by late morning, disembark from the cruise, and catch an evening flight back to Cairo.

Overnight in Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

A deliberately open day after eight days of early starts. Sleep in, revisit Khan El Khalili, or take an optional full-day trip to Alexandria (roughly 2.5 hours from Cairo by road) to see the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, and Qaitbay Citadel, built on the site of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria. Return to Cairo for a final dinner.

Overnight in Cairo.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Private transfer to Cairo International Airport for your international flight home, timed around your specific departure — most operators recommend arriving three hours before an international flight.

Meals: Breakfast

• Prices are in US dollars per person per trip and you can pay in any other currency.
• Rates are subject to change in case of any changes in airport taxes, hotel rates, transport rates, or government taxes.
• Rates are not valid during Christmas or New Year.
• Travel insurance and entry visa charges are not included in the package.

• The customer receives a confirmation voucher via email within 24 hours of successful booking.
• We are offering a low down payment of just 25% to secure your spaces on tour, including hotel rooms, cruise cabins, domestic flight tickets, and other travel-related services. The remaining balance can be paid up to two days before your arrival date or in cash upon arrival at the destination to your tour manager, making you’re booking a risk-free investment.

• Cancellation after confirmation with payment before 30 days of the commencement of the tour: 10% of the value of the tour package.
• Canceling the tour 30 to 20 days before commencement of the tour: 25% of the value of the package
• Canceling 19-15 days before commencing the tour: 50% of the tour cost
• Canceling 14-11 days before commencement of the tour: 75% of the tour cost
• Canceling before 10 days or less before the tour date: No refund for the tour

• Up to 2 years: FREE
• Age from 2 and below 6 years: 25% of adult price
• Age from 6 up to 11 years: 50% of adult price
• Ages 12 and Up: adult price.

Notes:

• Children policy is applied to children who share rooms with their parents ( Maximum 1 Child sharing parent’s room )
• If your tour includes airfare, additional charges for your children may apply.

In general, it is often possible to change the travel date, but it may be subject to certain conditions and fees. Airlines, for instance, typically offer options to change flight dates, but they may charge a change fee and any difference in fare. It’s important to review the terms and conditions of your ticket or booking and the policies of the airline or travel agency you booked to understand the options available to you.

Similarly, hotels and other accommodations may have different policies regarding date changes. Some may allow free or low-cost changes if made within a certain time frame, while others may have more restrictive policies or charge a fee for modifications.

To determine whether you can change the travel date and the associated costs or requirements, I recommend contacting the airline, hotel, or travel agency you booked with. They will be able to provide you with accurate and up-to-date information based on your circumstances.

Remember, it’s always a good idea to review the cancellation and change policies before making any travel arrangements to understand your options in case of unforeseen circumstances or changes to your plans.

Travelers often must obtain a visa before entering a foreign country. A visa is an official document issued by the destination government that permits you to enter and stay for a certain period. Some countries have visa waiver agreements with certain nationalities, allowing visitors to enter without a visa for a specified period. However, this exemption usually has limitations, such as the purpose of travel or the length of stay.

It is important to note that visa requirements can change, so checking for updates before making any travel arrangements is recommended. Allow enough time for the visa to be processed, as it can sometimes take several weeks or even months. You can contact us to help you obtain the visa.

To book a tour with us, we require that it be paid at the time of booking. This is the only guarantee for you to book the tour.

Daily excursions:
You can also pay for the tour with cash at the beginning of the tour.

Multi-day trips:
For multi-day tours, we require a deposit upon approval of the itinerary. The down payment can range from 10% to 100%, depending on the tour and time duration.

Gratuity is not included in any of our packages and vacations and is left to the travelers’ discretion. While it is not obligatory, it holds significant importance to the individuals who provide you with care and services during your travels.