8 days, 7 nights: the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, a flight to Luxor and a 4-night Nile cruise to Aswan via Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. Includes hotels, full-board cruise, flights, an Egyptologist and entrance fees.
This eight-day tour fits Egypt's two great sights, Cairo and the Nile, into one week without rushing either. You start with two nights in Cairo for the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. On Day 3 you fly to Luxor and board your ship for four nights on the river, sailing south to Aswan with stops at Karnak and Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. A short flight brings you back to Cairo for your last night, so you fly home from the airport you arrived at.
Sailing from Luxor to Aswan gives you the longer, four-night version of the cruise: the big Luxor sites come first, while you are fresh, and the slower days on the river and in Aswan come at the end. Both domestic flights, your Egyptologist guide, the entrance fees, the horse carriage at Edfu, the Taftaf tram at the Valley of the Kings and the boat to Philae are all included.
It is a weaker fit if you want time at the beach or a second full day in Cairo for Coptic and Islamic Cairo; a longer tour in our luxury Egypt tours or a tailor-made trip adds those. Abu Simbel is not included but can be added from Aswan.
The pace is moderate. Sightseeing days start after breakfast; the West Bank day in Luxor starts earliest, to see the tombs before the heat. Two days include a flight:
The days on board are relaxed: the ship sails while you eat or rest, and the visits at Edfu and Kom Ombo take about two hours each.
Our representative meets you in the arrival hall of Cairo International Airport, helps you with the visa on arrival if you need it, and walks you to your private air-conditioned vehicle. The drive to your hotel takes 30 to 60 minutes, depending on traffic and on where the hotel is.
At check-in your tour manager goes through the week with you: the pick-up time tomorrow, the flight to Luxor on Day 3, and how the days on the ship work. The hotel offers a welcome drink.
No meals are included today. The hotel restaurant is the easiest choice after a long flight; tomorrow starts after breakfast.
After breakfast your Egyptologist meets you at the hotel and you drive to the Giza Plateau. The pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure were built about 4,500 years ago for three kings of the Fourth Dynasty. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the largest and the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Going inside needs a separate ticket bought at the site, and the panoramic viewpoint gives the classic view of all three pyramids together.
Below the pyramids you see the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre, built of huge granite blocks, where the king's funeral rites began.
Lunch is at a local restaurant near the plateau.
The Grand Egyptian Museum stands about 2 km from the pyramids. You pass the colossal statue of Ramses II in the Grand Hall, climb the Grand Staircase lined with royal statues and spend most of the visit in the Tutankhamun galleries, where the objects from his tomb, among them the gold mask, are displayed together. The museum also holds Khufu's solar boat, a cedar-wood boat about 43 metres long found beside the Great Pyramid in 1954.
The day ends at Khan el-Khalili, Cairo's great bazaar since the late 14th century, with lanes of lamps, spices, silver and fabric. There is time for shopping or a mint tea at one of the old cafés before you return to your hotel.
After breakfast you check out and our representative takes you to Cairo airport for the flight to Luxor, about one hour. Your guide meets you on arrival and drives you to your Nile cruise ship. You check in and have lunch on board.
Karnak was the temple of the god Amun, built and enlarged by pharaohs over some 2,000 years, and is one of the largest religious complexes ever built. The Great Hypostyle Hall has 134 columns, the tallest about 21 metres high, and the obelisks of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut still stand near the heart of the temple.
Luxor Temple, built mainly under Amenhotep III and Ramses II, is linked to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes, about 2.7 km long. One of the two obelisks at its entrance remains; the other has stood in the Place de la Concorde in Paris since 1836. The temple is lit in the evening, and it is a good time to see it.
Dinner is on board, with the ship moored in Luxor for the night.
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. A small electric tram, the Taftaf, included in your tour, takes you from the visitor centre to the tombs. The standard ticket opens three of the tombs open on the day; the tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses VI need a separate ticket bought at the site.
At Deir el-Bahari the temple of Queen Hatshepsut rises in three terraces against the cliffs. She ruled as pharaoh for about two decades, and the reliefs record her trading expedition to the land of Punt. On the way back you pass the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues of Amenhotep III about 18 metres tall.
Lunch is served on board as the ship leaves Luxor and sails south. In the evening it passes the lock at Esna, where ships wait their turn to change level; many guests watch from the deck.
Dinner is on board while the ship sails on towards Edfu. A sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank, before the tombs, is an optional extra this morning.
After breakfast a horse carriage takes you from the quay to the Temple of Horus. Built between 237 and 57 BC, it is the most complete temple in Egypt: its pylon, roofed halls and granite shrine still stand much as they were built. Your guide reads the reliefs of the battle between Horus and Seth with you.
Lunch is on board as the ship sails south past fields, palm groves and villages.
Kom Ombo is a double temple from the Ptolemaic period, with two entrances and two sanctuaries side by side: one for Sobek, the crocodile god, and one for Haroeris, Horus the Elder. Your guide points out a relief often read as a set of medical instruments, and the Nilometer once used to measure the height of the river. Next door, the Crocodile Museum shows mummified crocodiles found in a nearby cemetery.
The ship sails on to Aswan. Dinner is on board.
Lunch is on board, and the afternoon is free on the sun deck or in town. An optional felucca sail around Elephantine and Kitchener's Island, or a visit to a Nubian village, are the usual ways to spend it.
Dinner is on board, your last night on the Nile.
After breakfast you check out of your cabin and our representative takes you to Aswan airport for the flight to Cairo, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Your tour manager meets you on arrival and drives you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free.
A last evening in Cairo: an optional dinner cruise on the Nile, a walk in Zamalek or simply dinner at the hotel. Settle tomorrow's departure time with our representative tonight.
After breakfast and check-out, our representative drives you to Cairo International Airport in time for your international flight; airlines usually ask you to be at the airport three hours before departure. This is the end of the tour.
If your flight leaves late in the day, ask us about an extra visit, such as the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization with the Royal Mummies Hall, or Coptic Cairo, 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 for the Nile. In December and January days are around 23 to 26 °C in Luxor and Aswan and about 20 °C in Cairo, with cool mornings and evenings on the sun deck. March, April, October and November are warm and less busy than the winter holidays. From May to September, Luxor and Aswan regularly pass 40 °C: the ships sail as normal and are air-conditioned, but visits are kept to the early morning and late afternoon. Christmas, New Year and Easter weeks fill first, on the ships and on the domestic flights.
Our Nile cruise packing list has more detail.
Many nationalities can buy a tourist visa on arrival at Cairo airport or apply for an e-visa before travelling 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, but we can arrange the visa on arrival for you on request.
The currency is the Egyptian pound. Hotels and ships take cards for extras such as drinks; keep small notes in cash for markets, toilets at some sites and small purchases in Aswan. On the ship, drinks with meals are paid at the end of the cruise. Tips are not included in the price; most ships suggest a shared amount for the crew, and 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: Costs of international flights; Whether or if your luxury Nile cruise schedule includes optional excursions; Individual expenditure; Egypt entry visa fees (we can arrange the visa on arrival on request).
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.
Sailing south from Luxor is the four-night version of the classic cruise, one night longer than Aswan to Luxor. You see the big Luxor sites first, and the ship has time to sail between Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan in daylight. Our guide to Luxor to Aswan or Aswan to Luxor compares both directions.
Yes, as an optional extra from Aswan. The road trip leaves Aswan at about 4 am and takes about 3 to 3.5 hours each way, so it fits the morning of Day 6 or, with a later flight, Day 7. A short flight from Aswan is also possible on some days. Ask us when you enquire.
That depends on the level you choose: Standard, Premium or Luxury. Each price option names the Cairo hotels and Nile cruise ships we use, or similar, and we confirm the exact ship and hotel with your booking.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included on board, with tea and coffee at meals on most ships. Soft drinks, bottled water at meals, juices and alcohol are paid on board, usually at the end of the cruise.
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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