5 Days Egypt Christmas Vacation | | Cairo & Luxor Tour

The beginning of your journey to the land of civilization and Welcome to Egypt, the cradle of civilization and the land of treasures!

Did you know that Cairo alone boasts more than 450 registered archaeological sites? Here begins your exceptional journey into the heart of history, accompanied by Egypt Online Tour experts. We ensure that your arrival is the beginning of an unforgettable story.

Morning: Arrival and Royal Welcome

Once your flight lands at Cairo International Airport, an Egypt Online Tour representative will be waiting for you with a warm smile and a sign with your name. You will then be transferred in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel to begin your relaxing journey.

Afternoon: Check-in and Get Ready

Your private tour guide will assist you with checking into your hotel and confirm the departure times for the remaining days based on your carefully selected itinerary.

Evening: Rest and Optional Exploration

You can take a break or go for a short walk near your hotel, or even request an optional night tour of Old Cairo (by prior arrangement with Egypt Online Tour).

Today, the second day will be in Cairo, where we will discover the splendor and sanctity of ancient Cairo. The program will be as follows:

Morning:

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, the day begins with a legendary tour of the heart of Pharaonic civilization, beginning with:

The Giza Pyramid Complex

The Giza Pyramid Complex is an archaeological site on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. It has the 3 great  Egyptian pyramids and also  the Great Sphinx, several tombs, a workers' village, and an industrial complex. It is located in the Western Desert, about 9 km west of the Nile River in the old town of Giza, and about 13 km southwest of Cairo city center.

Prepare to be amazed by the Great Pyramid of Khufu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the only one remaining. You will also visit the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, and take unforgettable photos in front of the mysterious Great Sphinx, which tells the secrets of thousands of years. 

Valley Temple

You will learn about one of the most important sites used in pharaonic mummification rituals and funerary beliefs.

The Valley Temple is a temple built by the ancient Egyptians on the banks of the Nile near the pyramids, connected to them by a road called the "Procession Way." After the death of the pharaoh, his body was mummified and his mummy prepared in the Valley Temple. Then, it was transported in a grand procession to a temple directly next to the pyramid, called the Mortuary Temple. After religious rituals were performed on the deceased, he was brought into the sarcophagus chamber and placed in the coffin.

The Valley Temple first appeared during the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu, and its construction continued until the end of the Twelfth Dynasty. It was built where the desert met the green land, and sometimes aqueducts were built for it.

Afternoon:

A stunning site housing more than 120,000 artifacts, including the treasures of King Tutankhamun and the world's most famous golden death mask.

The Egyptian Museum

Its construction dates back to 1835, and it was located in Azbakeya Gardens at the time. At that time, it housed a large number of diverse antiquities. It was then moved with its contents to the second exhibition hall of the Saladin Citadel. This was when the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, who worked at the Louvre Museum, decided to open a museum displaying a collection of antiquities on the banks of the Nile at Bulaq. When these antiquities were threatened by flooding, they were moved to a special annex of Khedive Ismail's palace in Giza. Egyptologist Gaston Maspero then joined the team and inaugurated the new museum building in its current location in the heart of Cairo in 1902, during the reign of Khedive Abbas Hilmi II.

Afternoon:

Coptic Cairo

A spiritual journey to the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, where religions blend in harmony, and you will experience the depth of history and tolerance.

Islamic Cairo

A magical tour of the historic alleyways and the famous Khan el-Khalili market, where you can purchase spices, perfumes, and authentic handicrafts.

Evening:

Return to the hotel to rest after a day filled with wonder and contemplation.

With Egypt Online Tour, you don't just visit landmarks, you experience every moment with a sense of history and adventure.

After breakfast and check-out from your hotel, our tour begins early in the morning (between 6:00 and 7:00 AM) with a flight to Luxor, one of the world's greatest open-air museums. Upon arrival, a guide from the Egypt Online Tour team will be waiting to welcome you and take you directly to your hotel to check in and prepare for a day full of surprises.

Afternoon: The Kingdom of the Dead

We begin our tour on the West Bank, specifically in the Valley of the Kings, where the mummies of 62 pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, lie. There, you'll see the architecture of the tombs decorated with inscriptions that tell the secrets of life after death according to pharaonic belief. These tombs remained hidden under the sand for centuries until they were discovered by Europeans in the 19th century. 

The Valley of the Kings

Also known as the "Valley of the Gates of the Kings" is a valley in Egypt used for 500 years, between the 16th and 11th centuries BC, to construct tombs for the pharaohs and nobles of the New Kingdom, spanning the 18th to 20th dynasties of ancient Egypt. The valley is located on the west bank of the Nile River, opposite Thebes (present-day Luxor), in the heart of the ancient mortuary city of Thebes. The Valley of the Kings is divided into two valleys: the East Valley (where most of the royal tombs are located) and the West Valley.

We then visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, an architectural marvel carved into the mountain, which tells the story of the first woman to rule Egypt as pharaoh.

The Temple of Hatshepsut

Is a temple from the 18th Dynasty of Egypt, and the best-preserved of the temples built approximately 3,500 years ago at Deir el-Bahari, Egypt. It was built by Queen Hatshepsut on the west bank of the Nile opposite Thebes (the ancient capital of Egypt and the seat of the cult of Amun) (present-day Luxor). Hatshepsut's Temple is distinguished by its unique architectural design, compared to the Egyptian temples built on the east bank of the Nile in Thebes. The temple consists of three successive floors arranged on open terraces. Built of limestone, the temple features beautifully arranged limestone statues of the god Osiris and Queen Hatshepsut in front of the second-story columns. Originally painted, only a few traces of the colors remain, and some of the statues are in excellent condition, demonstrating the elegance and beauty of the temple's design.

Afternoon: Guardians of Silence

We then head to the Colossi of Memnon, the largest standing stone statues in Luxor. These statues guard the funerary temple of Amenhotep III, and have impressed visitors for thousands of years. 

The Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon, known locally as the Colossi or the Salamats, are two colossal statues erected around 1350 AD. They are all that remains of a temple built to commemorate Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who ruled Egypt during the 18th Dynasty. They are located in the necropolis of Thebes, located west of the Nile River from present-day Luxor.

Evening: Relaxing Night or Magic Show

Return to your hotel in Luxor for a relaxing night, or you can choose to attend the magical Sound and Light Show at the Karnak Temples (optional, extra charge). The temple walls tell the story of ancient Thebes in stunning lighting.

Did you know that the Karnak Temples alone are the largest ancient religious complex in the world? Day 4 takes you on a magical tour through the greatest testaments of Egyptian civilization!

Morning:

After breakfast, our tour begins at one of the most important historical sites in ancient Egypt, the Karnak Temples, known for its forest of giant columns and inscriptions that tell the secrets of kings and priests.

Karnak Temple

The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak Temple, is a group of temples, buildings, and columns. Construction and expansion continued from the Pharaonic era, specifically the Middle Kingdom kings, until the Roman era in Luxor, Egypt, on the East Bank. The temple was built for the divine trinity of Amun (Amun-Ra in the modern era), his wife, the goddess Mut, and their son, the god Khonsu. Each of them had a temple within the Karnak Temple Complex. Sometimes, tourists and non-specialists are only interested in the Karnak Temple, dedicated to Amun-Amun-Ra.

Then we move on to the Luxor Temple, a masterpiece that testifies to the greatness of Kings Amenhotep III and Ramesses II.

Luxor Temple

A large complex of ancient Egyptian temples is located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city of Luxor, now known as Ancient Thebes. Founded in 1400 BC, the Luxor Temple was built to worship Amun-Ra, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu, the gods also known as the Theban Triad. The Luxor Temple was constructed during the reigns of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Dynasties. The most important existing structures in the temple are those built by Kings Amenhotep III (1397-1360 BC) and Ramesses II (1290-1223 BC) (who added the open courtyard, the pylon, and the two obelisks to the temple). King Thutmose III (1490-1436 BC) also built sanctuaries for visitors to the Theban Triad, and Tutankhamun (1348-1337 BC) completed its wall reliefs. The triple sanctuary, previously built during the reigns of Queen Hatshepsut and King Thutmose III (of the Eighteenth Dynasty), was destroyed and rebuilt during the reign of Ramesses II. The temple was also called Ipet Reset (meaning the southern sanctuary or the place of Amun-Re). It is one of the best-preserved and most beautifully constructed Egyptian temples, and it is where Egyptian temple planning is most clearly demonstrated.

Evening:

After the tour, you will be transferred to Luxor International Airport to prepare for your flight back to Cairo, with an approximate departure time between 10:00 and 11:00 PM.

Your journey home, and every moment you spent in Egypt, will be filled with magic, history, and adventure. Now, it's time to head back, but the memories will remain etched in your heart forever.

Morning:

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred directly to Cairo International Airport to prepare for your flight home.

We wish you a safe and happy journey and hope to see you again on future trips. If you're considering a similar adventure, Egypt Online Tour is your best destination for organizing your Cairo-Luxor 5-day trips with professionalism and enjoyment.