4 days, 3 nights: the Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then a flight to Aswan for the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple, and a flight back to Cairo. Includes hotels with breakfast, flights, a private vehicle, an Egyptologist and entrance fees.
This private four-day tour joins the two ends of ancient Egypt in a short trip: the royal cemetery of Giza in the north, and Aswan, the granite town on the First Cataract of the Nile in the south. You spend a full day at Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, fly to Aswan in the evening, see the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple the next day, and fly back to Cairo for your last night, so you leave from the airport you arrived at.
Flying both ways keeps the trip short: the train between Cairo and Aswan takes 12 to 14 hours, while the flight takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. Both domestic flights are included, together with a private Egyptologist on the two sightseeing days, a private air-conditioned vehicle for every transfer, the entrance fees to the sites in the itinerary and the motorboat to Philae.
It is a weaker fit if Luxor is a must (the Valley of the Kings and Karnak are not on this route), if you want Abu Simbel (it needs an extra day in Aswan), or if you would rather travel slowly. For those, see our Egypt classic tours, a Nile cruise, or ask for a tailor-made trip.
The pace is full on the two middle days and light at each end. Days 2 and 3 each combine sightseeing with a flight, so the order of visits is fixed around the confirmed museum entry time and the flight times before you book. Expect walking on sand and uneven stone at Giza and in the Aswan quarry, and a step down into the boat for Philae.
Our representative meets you in the arrival hall of Cairo International Airport, after passport control and baggage collection, and walks you to your private air-conditioned vehicle. The drive to the hotel takes 30 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic and on where your hotel is; the meeting point and a local phone number are in your travel documents.
At the hotel, the representative goes through the next two days with you: the pick-up time for Giza, the museum entry time and the timing of the evening flight to Aswan. Check-in at most hotels is from the early afternoon; if you land in the morning, the hotel can usually keep your luggage until the room is ready.
Dinner is at your hotel. If you land early enough and want to see Giza after dark, the Sound and Light show at the pyramids is an optional extra this evening. Pack a small overnight bag: tomorrow you check out and end the day in Aswan.
After breakfast you check out and your Egyptologist meets you at the hotel; your luggage stays in the vehicle for the day. On the Giza Plateau stand the pyramids of the Fourth Dynasty kings Khufu (Cheops), Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaure (Mycerinus), built about 4,500 years ago. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the largest and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Your guide explains how each pyramid was part of a complex, with a mortuary temple, a causeway and a valley temple by the edge of the cultivation, surrounded by the tombs of the court.
The standard ticket covers the plateau. Going inside the Great Pyramid needs a separate ticket bought at the site; the passage is steep, narrow and warm, so skip it if you have knee, back or breathing problems or dislike enclosed spaces.
Below the pyramids you see the Great Sphinx, carved from the bedrock of the plateau, and beside it the Valley Temple of Khafre, built of huge granite blocks brought from Aswan, where you will be tomorrow. This is where the king's funeral rites began before his burial.
Lunch is at a local restaurant near the plateau. The Grand Egyptian Museum stands about 2 km from the pyramids. You enter through the Grand Hall with its colossal statue of Ramses II, climb the Grand Staircase lined with royal statues, and spend most of the visit in the Tutankhamun galleries, where the objects from the young king's tomb are shown together. On a flight day the visit is planned to fit the time you have, with your guide choosing the key pieces.
From the museum you drive to Cairo airport, usually 45 to 60 minutes, for the domestic flight to Aswan, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Our representative meets you in Aswan; the airport is about 25 km from the town, around 25 minutes by road. You check in to your hotel for the night.
After breakfast you check out and meet your Aswan Egyptologist. The High Dam, completed in 1970, ended the yearly Nile flood, gave Egypt year-round irrigation and much of its electricity, and created Lake Nasser behind it, about 500 km long. From the top you see the lake on one side and the river on the other. The site is open and exposed, so bring water and sun protection.
In the ancient granite quarries of Aswan lies the Unfinished Obelisk. Had it been finished it would have stood about 42 metres tall and been the largest obelisk ever made; a crack in the stone stopped the work, and it was left attached to the bedrock. The marks of the workers' tools and the trenches around it show how obelisks were cut before being floated down the Nile. The quarry floor is uneven and hot in the sun, so wear good shoes.
You drive to the boat landing and cross by motorboat, about 10 minutes, to Agilkia Island. The Temple of Isis at Philae was one of the last places where the old Egyptian religion was practised. When the waters between the old and the new dams threatened to drown it, the temple was taken apart and rebuilt on Agilkia in a UNESCO campaign completed in 1980. Your guide shows you the pylons, the birth house and the Kiosk of Trajan by the water. Boarding the boat involves a step down, so tell us before travel if anyone needs help.
Lunch is at a local restaurant in Aswan. Your luggage is with you in the vehicle, and the transfer to Aswan airport is timed to your flight back to Cairo, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Our representative meets you in Cairo and drives you to your hotel for the last night.
If you would like more of Aswan, such as a felucca on the Nile, a Nubian village or Abu Simbel, the trip can be extended by a night; Abu Simbel is about 280 km south of Aswan and takes a full morning. Our guide to what to do in Aswan lists the options.
After breakfast, check out at the time agreed with our representative. Before leaving the room, check the safe, chargers, passports and medicine. Your private vehicle drives you to Cairo International Airport for your international flight; airlines usually ask you to be at the airport three hours before departure, and the pick-up time is set from your flight time, terminal and the expected traffic. This is the end of the tour.
If your flight leaves late in the day, ask us when you book about extra sightseeing, such as Coptic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili, or the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization with the Royal Mummies Hall, as an optional extra.
Comfortable, well located
More space and better ships
Our highest level
Children pay less, see the children policy below. Christmas, New Year and Easter dates add 25%. Prices are per person in US dollars.
October to April is the most comfortable time. In December and January, daytime temperatures are around 19 to 21 °C in Cairo and 23 to 25 °C in Aswan, with cool mornings and evenings. Aswan is one of the hottest places in Egypt: from May to September it often passes 40 °C, so the visits start early and the time at the open quarry and the High Dam is kept short. Christmas, New Year and Easter are the busiest weeks for domestic flights and hotels, so book early for those dates.
Our guide to what to pack for a trip to Egypt has a fuller list.
Many nationalities can buy a tourist visa on arrival at Cairo airport or apply for an e-visa in advance on Egypt's official portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg. The rules and the fee depend on your passport, so check them before you book your flights. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive. The visa is not included in the tour price. Keep your passport with you on Days 2 and 3: it is checked at the domestic flights.
The currency is the Egyptian pound. Cards are accepted in hotels and larger shops; keep some small notes for the boatmen at Philae, toilets at some sites and small purchases. Tips are not included in the price. The tipping guide in the travel policies below gives the usual amounts; how much you give is your choice.
All prices are per person in US dollars. The price changes with the season (winter 1 October to 30 April, summer 1 May to 30 September), the accommodation level and the size of the group. Christmas, New Year and Easter dates add 25%. Your quote lists the final price and everything it covers. After the deposit, changes to your itinerary cost US$25 per request, plus any third-party fees.
A deposit of 30% of the total tour cost confirms your booking. We send you a secure payment link for the deposit; the balance is paid in cash or by card on arrival in Egypt, unless your written offer gives another date. We never ask for card details by email, chat or WhatsApp. We confirm every booking by email.
No-show travelers are charged 100%. During peak events in Egypt, hotels and Nile cruises do not refund deposits. Groups of more than 10 people may have different terms.
Add each child and their age in the enquiry form so the quote is exact.
Optional visits, such as a hot air balloon ride in Luxor, a Sound and Light show or a felucca ride, are not in the price. Tell us which ones you want and we add them to your quote with their cost.
Not included in the price: International flights to and from Egypt; Egypt entry visa; Travel insurance; Extra tickets at the sites, such as inside the Great Pyramid; Drinks with meals; Optional activities, such as the Sound and Light show or an extra day in Aswan; Early check-in and late check-out; Tips for guides, drivers and boatmen.
Tipping is customary in Egypt and is not included in the price. A usual amount for a private tour is US$8 to 10 per person per day for your guide, US$4 to 5 for your driver and US$5 to 8 per person per day for the crew on a Nile cruise. Your guide can advise you on the day.
The train between Cairo and Aswan takes 12 to 14 hours, which would cost a full day or a night of a four-day trip. The flight takes about 1 hour 20 minutes, so you can see Giza and the museum on Day 2, sleep in Aswan and still fly back to Cairo after the Aswan sites on Day 3. Both domestic flights are included in the price.
No. This route covers Giza and Aswan only. Abu Simbel, about 280 km south of Aswan, can be added with one more night in Aswan. Luxor needs at least one more day; if you want both Aswan and Luxor, a six-day tour or a Nile cruise between the two cities is a better fit. Ask us when you enquire.
You check out in the morning on Days 2 and 3, and your luggage stays in your private vehicle while you visit the sites, then goes with you to the airport. Check the baggage allowance printed on your domestic ticket, and keep passports, medicine and valuables in your hand luggage.
No, the tour is private for your own group: your guide and vehicle are not shared. The hotels and domestic flights are, as on any hotel stay or flight.
Independent reviews on the platforms travelers already trust.
Amazing Egyptian vacation! We did an 11 day private tour of Cairo, cruise on the Nile between Aswan and Luxor and a 4 day stay in Hurghada. The guided tours were very interesting, with extremely knowledgeable guides, attentive and helpful.
Egypt package to the Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara was a fascinating journey through Egypt's ancient past ,guide knowledge, the majesty of the pyramids, and the historical depth of Saqqara made this tour truly enriching!
our honeymoon to Egypt ,Giza and Saqqara was a magical escape into history The pyramids looming in the distance, the quiet serenity of the desert, and the ancient wonders of Saqqara created moments that will be with me forever!
From the same category, with the same private service.
We always use the cookies this site needs to work. With your permission we also use the optional ones listed under Settings. You can change your choice at any time. Privacy policy
