7 days, 6 nights: the Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, a flight to Aswan, a 3-night Nile cruise to Luxor via Kom Ombo and Edfu, and the Valley of the Kings and Karnak. Includes hotels, full-board cruise, flights, an Egyptologist and entrance fees.
This private 7-day tour fits Egypt's three great destinations into one week without rushing the important parts. You spend your first full day at Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then fly south to Aswan and board a Nile cruise that sails downriver to Luxor over three nights, stopping at the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu. In Luxor you see both banks of the river, the royal tombs and Hatshepsut's temple on the West Bank and Karnak and Luxor Temple on the East Bank, before a short flight brings you back to Cairo for your last night.
Flying both ways saves two long days on the road, and the cruise does the rest of the travelling while you sleep and eat on board. A certified Egyptologist guides every sightseeing day, your vehicle is private for your group, and both domestic flights, Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo, are included in the price.
It is a weaker fit if you want Abu Simbel, Saqqara or more free time in Cairo. Our Egypt classic tours include longer versions of this route, and a tailor-made trip can add nights in Cairo or on the Red Sea.
The pace is active: there is sightseeing on every full day except the last, and the Luxor visits start early to avoid the heat. Two days include a flight:
Expect plenty of walking on uneven ground, and steps and sloping corridors in the tombs of the Valley of the Kings.
Our representative meets you in the arrival hall of Cairo International Airport, helps you through the formalities and walks you to your private air-conditioned vehicle. The drive to the hotel takes 30 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic and the location of your hotel.
At check-in your tour leader goes through the plan for the week: tomorrow's pick-up time, what to wear for Islamic Cairo, and the early flight to Aswan on Day 3. The hotel offers a welcome drink.
No meals are included today. Keep the evening light, as Day 2 is a full day. Overnight in Cairo.
After breakfast your Egyptologist meets you at the hotel for the short drive to the Giza Plateau. The Great Pyramid of Khufu, built about 4,500 years ago, is the largest of the three and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Beside it rise the pyramids of Khafre, which keeps some of its smooth casing stones near the top, and Menkaure, the smallest of the three. Below them you see the Great Sphinx, carved from the bedrock of the plateau and linked to Khafre, and his Valley Temple of granite blocks, where the king's funeral rites began. Going inside the Great Pyramid needs an extra ticket bought at the site.
After lunch at a local restaurant you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, about 2 km from the pyramids. You enter through the Grand Hall with its colossal statue of Ramses II and climb the Grand Staircase lined with royal statues, then spend most of the visit in the Tutankhamun galleries, where the objects from the young king's tomb are shown together, from his gold mask to his chariots and jewellery. The museum is huge, so your guide picks a route through the key pieces.
The day ends in historic Islamic Cairo, among the mosques, domes and minarets of the old city, and in Khan el-Khalili, a market since the late 14th century, with lanes of lamps, spices, silver and fabric. There is time to shop or to sit for a mint tea before the drive back to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo. Meals: breakfast and lunch.
After an early breakfast you check out and transfer to Cairo airport for the domestic flight to Aswan, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Our representative meets you on arrival and your luggage is taken to the ship while you start the sightseeing.
You board your Nile cruise ship for lunch as it sets sail north. In the late afternoon it moors at Kom Ombo, a double temple from the Ptolemaic period with two sanctuaries side by side, one for Sobek, the crocodile god, and one for Haroeris, Horus the Elder. Your guide points out the Nilometer and a relief often read as a set of medical instruments; the small Crocodile Museum next door shows mummified crocodiles from a nearby cemetery.
Dinner is on board as the ship sails on to Edfu, where it moors for the night. Overnight on the ship. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After an early breakfast on board you ride by horse carriage from the river to the Temple of Horus. Built between 237 and 57 BC, it is the most complete temple in Egypt: the great pylon, the roofed halls and the granite shrine still stand much as they were built. The walls tell the story of the battle between Horus and his uncle Seth, which your guide reads with you.
Lunch is served as the ship sails north past palm groves, fields and villages, with afternoon tea on the sun deck. At Esna the ship passes through the lock beside the barrage, which is worth watching from the deck; the time of the crossing depends on the queue of ships.
Dinner is on board, followed on many ships by a galabiya party, when guests dress in the traditional Egyptian robe. The ship reaches Luxor late in the evening or overnight. Overnight on the ship. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After an early breakfast you cross to the West Bank. The Valley of the Kings holds more than 60 tombs cut into the hills for the pharaohs of the New Kingdom, among them Ramses II and Tutankhamun. The standard ticket opens three of the tombs open on the day; the tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses VI need an extra ticket bought at the site. The painted corridors show the king's journey through the underworld.
At Deir el-Bahari, the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut rises in three terraces against the cliffs. She ruled as pharaoh for about two decades, and its reliefs record her trading expedition to the land of Punt.
On the way back you stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues of Amenhotep III about 18 metres tall, which once stood at the entrance of his mortuary temple.
Lunch is back on the ship and the afternoon is free to rest. Dinner is on board, with the ship moored in Luxor. Overnight on the ship. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank at sunrise is an optional extra this morning, about 40 to 45 minutes in the air, back in time for breakfast and check-out. Read whether the balloon ride is worth it.
After breakfast you check out of the ship and visit Karnak, the temple of the god Amun, built and enlarged over some 2,000 years. You walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns, past the obelisks of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut, to the Sacred Lake and the giant granite scarab of Amenhotep III, which, by local custom, you walk around for good luck.
Luxor Temple, built mainly under Amenhotep III and Ramses II, stands in the centre of the modern town, joined to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes, about 2.7 km long. At its entrance the seated statues of Ramses II and one obelisk remain; the other obelisk has stood in the Place de la Concorde in Paris since 1836.
You transfer to Luxor airport for the flight to Cairo, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Our representative meets you on arrival and drives you to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo. Meals: breakfast.
After breakfast at the hotel, our representative drives you to Cairo International Airport in time for your flight home; airlines usually ask you to be there three hours before departure. This is the end of the tour.
If your flight leaves late in the day, Coptic Cairo is an easy optional half-day: the Hanging Church, built over the gatehouse of the Roman fortress of Babylon, the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, where by tradition the Holy Family rested, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue. Ask us when you book.
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.
The best months are October to April. From December to February, Cairo is around 18 to 22 °C by day and Aswan and Luxor around 23 to 26 °C, with cool evenings on the ship's deck. March, April, October and November are warmer, but still comfortable for sightseeing. From May to September, Aswan and Luxor often pass 40 °C, so the visits are planned for early morning and the afternoons are spent on board. Christmas, New Year and Easter are the busiest weeks for Nile cruises; book early for those dates. See also our guide to which direction to cruise.
Our guide to what to pack for a Nile cruise has more detail.
Many nationalities can buy a tourist visa on arrival at Cairo airport or apply for an e-visa in advance on the official portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg; the rules and fee depend on your passport, so check them before you book your flights. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from your arrival, and you will need it for the domestic flights and the cruise check-in. The visa is not included in the tour price.
The currency is the Egyptian pound. Cards are accepted in hotels, on the ships and in larger shops; keep small notes for Khan el-Khalili, toilets at some sites and personal extras. Tips are not included in the price; the tipping guide in the travel policies below gives the usual amounts for guides, drivers and cruise staff.
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: Prices of international flights worldwide are not included; Visa: Egypt entry visa is required (not included); Extra Drinks: Free drinks are provided with meals, and additional drinks may be charged; Tipping: The service charge for tipping is not included.
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.
Yes, because both long journeys are short flights and the cruise moves you between Aswan and Luxor overnight. You see the main site of each place with a guide; what you give up is free time and extra sites such as Saqqara or Abu Simbel. If you can spare one or two more days, we can add them.
That depends on the level you choose. The price options name the ships we use at each level, always "or similar", as the exact ship depends on the sailing dates. All of them sail from Aswan to Luxor on the same schedule, with full board and the visits in this itinerary.
No. Abu Simbel is about 280 km south of Aswan. It can be added as an early-morning trip on Day 3 by flying to Aswan the evening before, which adds a night; ask us when you enquire.
Three nights on board with breakfast, lunch and dinner, the sightseeing in Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu and Luxor with your Egyptologist, and the entrance fees for the sites in the itinerary. Drinks with meals and tips for the crew are not included.
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!
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