Overview
In Cairo we have a full day tour of the Pyramids, Sphinx & Cairo Museum and then 2 nights in Luxor with a full day tour of the Valley of the Kings and another tour of Luxor and Karnak temple amongst many other ancient Pharaonic sites.
Itinerary
Day 1 Tuesday
Cairo
Welcome to Egypt! Upon arrival our staff will meet you at the airport, assist you with obtaining your visa and luggage, and then transfer you to your hotel close to the Pyramids for the start of your trip. They will help you settle in, introduce you to the local area, and explain tomorrow’s arrangements. The rest of the day is free. If you arrive early you may like to take an evening dinner cruise on the Nile or enjoy a spectacular sound and light show at the pyramids (both available to book locally on arrival).
Overnight Cairo, 5-star Le Meridien Pyramids
Day 2 Wednesday
Pyramids, Sphinx & Museum
Our tour of Egypt begins with a trip to the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo. Home to the fantastic Tutankhamun exhibit the museum hosts a huge number of other ancient Egyptian artefacts. One of our local Egyptologist guides will be accompanying you on this and all of your other sightseeing tours, and you'll find them a wealth of knowledge and full of enthusiasm about Egyptian history, and their country in general. Following on from the museum we then head to Giza on the outskirts of Cairo to visit the Sphinx and the three great pyramids of Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), an awesome man-made structure constructed of giant stone blocks, together with the smaller pyramids of Khafre (Chephern) and Menkaure (Mycerinus), the majestic sight of these enormous structures rising out of the desert is a breathtaking spectacle. You will have the opportunity to climb down right inside the pyramids if you wish, though your guide cannot accompany you (a limited number of tickets are available for the Great Pyramid).
This evening we transfer to the station for the overnight sleeper train to Luxor (approx. 9 hours).
Overnight Between Cairo – Luxor, Sleeper Train Cabin
Day 3 Thursday
Luxor, West Bank tour, free time
We cross the Nile early this morning to begin our tour of Luxor's West Bank, home to the Valley of the Kings. Our tour includes several of these Pharaonic tombs, as well as the temples of Queen Hatchepsut and Medinat Habu, and the huge Colossi of Memnon.
Your afternoon is then free to relax and enjoy the facilities of your 5-star hotel on the banks of the Nile. You can also explore Luxor further, do some shopping or browsing in the market, visit the mummification museum or enjoy a felucca trip to nearby Banana Island. Additional sightseeing is also available if you'd like an even more in-depth exploration of Egyptian history. For example, the Rammesseum, Workers Village and Valley of the Queens on the west bank of the Nile are all worth a visit. Ask your tour guide for more details.
Overnight Luxor, 5-star Steigenberger Nile Palace Hotel
Day 4 Friday
Luxor, Karnak temple
Your morning is free today and you can enjoy a welcome lie in after several early starts. After lunch we'll tour the huge temple complex at Karnak, once the religious centre of Thebes and Upper Egypt. It was linked to Luxor by an extensive avenue, lined with sphinxes, and the whole complex was in turn linked to the Nile via a canal through which moved the sacred boats of the god Amun. Entering through a smaller sphinx-lined avenue, built by Ramesses II, you come to the immense pylon entrance. Inside the huge Courtyard are three chapels dedicated to the gods Amun, Khous and Mut. The remarkable Hypostyle Hall has 134 towering columns, each carved with scenes of gods and pharaohs, and hieroglyphic inscriptions adorn the walls.
Later this evening we transfer to the station for the overnight sleeper train back to Cairo (approx. 9 hours).
A spectacular hot air balloon flight over the west bank of the Nile is available this morning (expect an early start to catch sunrise as the balloon rises).
Overnight Between Luxor – Cairo, Sleeper Train Cabin
Day 5 Saturday
Cairo, free day
We arrive back into Cairo this morning and transfer to our hotel.
In the late afternoon we take a guided walk through the back streets and bazaars in central Cairo. We'll walk through the huge Bab al-Futuh gateway and explore streets dedicated to metalwork, spices, pottery, fabric, jewelery and anything else you can imagine as we gradually enter the more touristy Khan-el-Khalili bazaar. We'll have time for a break to try some tea and a shisha pipe and perhaps enjoy an early dinner of Egypt's unofficial national dish, Kushari.
Finally we visit the evening Al Guri Sufi show at the Wikalat al Ghuri, a 16th centry market place with a domed roof and some beautiful Islamic architecture. A colourful and flamboyant show packs crowds of locals, and some tourists in here twice a week with displays of dervish inspired dance, Sufi vocals and vibrant percussion. This makes a thrilling and entertaining end to our time in Egypt.
During peak periods, when queues and waits to get in can be very long, we may have to arrange an evening event at a hotel or restaurant instead of attending this show.
Overnight Cairo, 5-star Le Meridien Pyramids
Day 6 Sunday
Cairo
Your time is free in Cairo today for some final sightseeing or shopping until we pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport to catch your departure flight. A range of day trip options are available (subject to your flight time) and extra nights in Cairo may also be added if you would like to take advantage of these.
Price Details
Deposit £150.00 per person
Child Discounts available:
From Age 8 - To Age 11
Discount: 25.00 %