Highlights of Egypt

Welcome to Cairo, where the ancient and modern worlds connect seamlessly. Flights can arrive late into Cairo today, but if you arrive earlier, head to the hotel pool for a refreshing post-flight dip. Alternatively, speak to your sales representative about booking pre-tour nights, allowing you free time to explore the city and relax into the adventure. Stay: Pyramids Park Resort (or similar).

Begin with a welcome briefing at 7am, in which we discuss the adventures ahead and meet as a group for the first time – remember to bring your insurance details with you. Then we head into the city to explore. First on the tour is the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which contains relics dating to 4,000 BCE, including the fantastic riches of Tutankhamun's tomb. Survey the many fabulous treasures of Egypt in one place and set the scene for the rest of the adventure.

Continue our learning at the National Museum for Egyptian Civilization, which covers Egypt from prehistoric times to now. In this vast museum is the Royal Mummies Hall, which displays the mummified remains of 20 pharaohs, including Hatshepsut, Seti I and II, plus multiple Ramses. Finally, we visit the ancient Khan El Khalili bazaar, navigating the narrow alleys lined with vendors selling everything from spices to gold. Please note: When the Grand Egyptian Museum fully opens, we go there instead of the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. Stay: Pyramids Park Resort (or similar) (B).

First on our sightseeing today is Giza, home to the Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus and the mysterious Great Sphinx. Only the throng of sightseers milling around their huge foundations keep you in the 21st century. If you'd like to go inside these grand structures, it is possible to buy an entrance ticket locally. We then visit Saqqara, a necropolis that pre-dates Giza and is now the largest archaeological site in Egypt. It's home to the oldest pyramid in the world, the Step Pyramid (or the Pyramid of Djoser), plus the tombs of ancient rulers. If you'd like to explore inside the stepped pyramid, it is possible to buy a ticket locally. Stay: Pyramids Park Resort (or similar) (B).

We have free time this morning to relax. You may wish to unwind at the hotel, enjoying the sun and taking a swim in the pool before our flight to Aswan. Alternatively, you could use the time to head back to the Pyramids of Giza for one last exploration.

In the afternoon, we transfer to Cairo Airport to catch our flight to Aswan. Settle into the hotel upon arrival or head out and explore the markets. Stay: Basma Hotel (or similar) Upgrade to a Nile-view room today – speak to your sales representative for more details (B).

Today we visit the highlights of Aswan, first taking a motorboat to the Philae temple complex on Agilkia Island. The standout structure here is the Temple of Isis, an impressive classical monument built around 690 BCE for the ancient goddess. We also visit the vast Aswan High Dam, which was built in the 1960s to manage flooding, increase hydroelectric power and provide a reliable source of water for agriculture.

In the afternoon, we visit the Nubian village of Animalia, where we can immerse ourselves in the indigenous Nubian culture with a visit to a traditional house and small museum. We then explore the Nile by felucca (a traditional Egyptian sailing boat). On this one-hour ride, we can truly enjoy the peace of the Nile and the beauty of the surrounding landscape, where the vast desert almost reaches the water's edge. (The timings of the felucca sailing might be changed according to weather conditions). Capping an activity-packed day, we enjoy an Egyptian dinner on the island of Gharb Sohil. Stay: Basma Hotel (or similar) Upgrade to a Nile-view room today – speak to your sales representative for more details (B/D).

We have a day at leisure. There's the option to visit the magnificent temples of Abu Simbel, where four great seated statues of Ramses II stare east towards the rising sun. Built by the pharaoh, the two temples were originally on the banks of the Nile; however, they were raised to a higher site in the late 1960s when waters from the new Lake Nasser rose behind the Aswan High Dam. Stay: Basma Hotel (or similar) Upgrade to a Nile-view room today – speak to your sales representative for more details (B).

Explore the Kom Ombo and Edfu temples today as we transfer (with a total drive time of 8hr 30min) to Luxor today. The temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the gods Sobek and Horus, sits on scenic spot by the Nile, while Edfu is home to the remarkably well-preserved Temple of Horus, a grand structure that served as the centre of the cult. Stay: Iberotel Luxor (or similar) Upgrade to a Nile-view room with a balcony today – speak to your sales representative for more details (B).

Start at the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile, which contains the once-hidden tombs of more than 62 pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramses III and IV. A discreet entrance in the hillside takes us underground, where a series of corridors and antechambers leads to the burial chamber and sarcophagus. The walls are covered in brightly painted images and hieroglyphs – a map of the afterlife to ensure the king's safe passage. One ticket allows us to see three tombs, usually those regarded as the most impressive; however, a visit to the tombs of Ramses VI and Tutankhamun (extra tickets, payable locally) are recommended.

Visits to tombs are now strictly controlled to halt further deterioration of wall paintings – each is periodically closed. On crowded days, make sure to have a quick visit to each of the included tombs if you want to add extra tombs as your tour leader will give a fixed meeting time. We then visit the Memorial Temple of Hatshepsut, a three-tiered monument that looks particularly impressive at the bottom of a limestone cliff.

In the afternoon, we visit Luxor Temple and the huge Karnak Temple complex on the east bank of the Nile. Built over more than 1,500 years, Karnak is a mixture of pylons, courtyards, halls and sanctuaries. The Hypostyle Hall has 134 columns, some of which are more than 75ft (23m) high.

In the evening, we have a farewell dinner together at a local restaurant, a chance to relive our adventures and perhaps start planning the next! Stay: Iberotel Luxor (or similar) Upgrade to a Nile-view room with a balcony today – speak to your sales representative for more details (B/D).

The adventure ends in Luxor today. If you'd like to explore a little more, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in Luxor (B).