This tour encompasses the major highlights of Egypt. Uncover the treasures of Egypt at the Grand Egyptian Museum, explore the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings, take in the sights & smells wandering through the Khan el Khalili Bazaar, gaze in awe at the mighty pyramids & sphinx & discover the Temples of Hathor, Queen Hatshepsut & Karnak in 6 incredible days.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Cairo

Sunday. Welcome to Egypt! Upon arrival at Cairo Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax by the hotel pool, or those arriving early, opt to join our unique Backstreets tour of Cairo which departs the hotel at 10am today. This optional tour takes you off the beaten track in Egypt's bustling capital, visiting Downtown Cairo, the exquisite mosques and monuments of El Moez Street in Islamic Cairo, Garbage City and the incredible Cave Church of St. Simon.
At 7pm this evening meet your guide and the rest of the group at a Welcome Meeting.
Note: If you would like to extend your stay we offer an Alexandria Day Tripon the Saturday before your tour starts, and we can arrange pre tour accommodation as well, please enquire.

Overnight: Cairo

Day 2 - Pyramids of Giza

After a good night's rest, we enjoy a full day of touring. Our first stop this morning is the famous pyramids and the iconic Sphinx at the Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek, listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction. Known as Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus, the pyramids were already more than 2,000 years old when Herodotus the Greek historian visited them (in 5th century BC). A highly skilled corps of mathematicians, masons, surveyors and stone cutters carried out the job of building the pyramids. 100,000 workers were used to carry out the back-breaking task of moving and laying the stones of the largest pyramid - Cheops and about 2.5 million limestone blocks, quarried locally and weighing in excess of 6 million tonnes were used to construct it. Leaving the Pyramids of Giza, we stop at a government supervised papyrus emporium where you can buy genuine papyrus at quite reasonable prices.
Continuing to the necropolis of Saqqara, we explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s Step Pyramid which constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC. The remainder of today is free to relax or explore Egypt’s capital at leisure. Perhaps head to Khan el Khalili Bazaar, the ideal place for souvenir shopping.

Overnight: Cairo  |  Meals: Breakfast

Day 3 - Grand Egyptian Museum

Cairo - Luxor. We take a guided tour of the vast new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza this morning. In this incredible 490,000 square meter complex, we'll discover a mind-boggling array of relics and antiquities from almost every period of ancient Egyptian history, including the treasures of King Tutankhamun. Then we head over to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to visit the fascinating Royal Mummies' Hall, where the mummies of ancient Egyptian kings and queens are now on display. This incredible hall contains 20 mummies in total and some are so well preserved that they still have thick locks of hair, visible finger nails and smooth blackened skin! The rest of the afternoon is free to relax by the pool at the hotel before we board the overnight sleeper train to Luxor this evening.

Please Note: the Grand Egyptian Museum is scheduled to open in late 2024, though an official opening date has yet to be released. If travelling prior to the opening of the new facility we'll visit the Egyptian Museum instead.

Overnight: Sleeper Train  |  Meals: Breakfast

Day 4 - Luxor & Dendera

We arrive into Luxor this morning and drive to Dendera which is one of Egypt's best preserved temple complexes, located 60km north of Luxor. This vast complex covers 40,000 square metres and its temples, chapels and shrines were gradually built over thousands of years. Dendera's crowning glory is the 2000 year old Temple of Hathor, with its exquisitely decorated ceiling. After our guided tour of this incredible site we return to Luxor where the afternoon is free to spend at leisure. Take a stroll around town or enjoy a refreshing swim in the pool.
This evening there is an optional visit to view the beautiful Temple of Luxor, beautifully illuminated at night (book locally).

Overnight: Luxor  |  Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 - Valley of the Kings

4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its very best. This morning we visit Luxor’s famous West Bank. Our first stop is the famous Valley of the Kings which is studded with beautifully decorated tombs, including the tombs of Ramses II, Seti I, Amenhotep II and of course, King Tutankhamen. After exploring this incredible site we travel to visit the Valley of the Queens and the beautiful limestone, colonnaded Temple of Hatshepsut, who was one of only three Egyptian ruling queens. Our final stop on the West Bank is to see the imposing 18m-high Colossi of Memnon, which is all that remains of the temple of the hedonistic Amenophis III.
Returning to the hotel at around midday, there's time to have lunch and relax by the pool before we visit the colossal Temple of Karnak later this afternoon. More than a temple, Karnak is a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, pylons, chapels, halls and obelisks, all dedicated to the Theban gods and to the greater glory of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdom rulers.

Overnight: Luxor  |  Meals: Breakfast

Day 6 - Luxor

Friday. Our tour comes to an end today with a transfer to Luxor Airport to meet your onward flight. Alternatively we can book post tour accommodation, so you can further explore Luxor’s abundance of antiquity’s.

Meals: Breakfast

includes:

excludes:

• International flights
• Visas
• Tip for your tour guide. We recommend you allow USD$8 per day, per traveller. Tipping your guide is an entirely personal gesture
• Entrance Fees: USD$90-110pp, paid in local currency
• Tipping Kitty: USD$45-55pp, paid in local currency

Please note: Tipping is not a natural part of many Western cultures and many of us feel uncomfortable, or unsure, about when, or how much, to tip. However, in the places you will visit, tipping makes up a significant part of many people's wages so it's important that we get it right. For this reason we've developed a very simple system to take all the hassle out of tipping. With our 'tipping made easy' policy, a nominal pre-determined amount is collected from all group tour participants to cover tips en route. This then saves you the hassle of when and how much to tip bellhops, luggage handlers, local guides and other support staff through the tour. Our 'tipping made easy' doesn't include a tip to your group tour leader. Naturally, though, the amount is up to you as tipping is an entirely personal gesture.