Solo-ish Egypt

Welcome to Egypt! Arrive by 2:00 pm for your included arrival transfer from the airport. Then join your CEO and group for this evening’s adventure. After your welcome moment, head to downtown Cairo for a walking food tour with stops at local favourite establishments. Learn more about Egyptian cuisine as you wander the bustling streets and taste street food from fava beans to falafel sandwiches. Witness first-hand how food has the power to bond strangers together and enjoy yourself during this G unique family-style dinner. Stay: Cosmopolitan Cairo Hotel (D)

Wake early to beat the heat and enjoy a visit to the awe-inspiring Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. We’ve all “seen” the pyramids, but your first glimpse will always take your breath away. Learn more about the structures from your CEO and certified Egyptologist and feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. Then head to a cultural farming project outside the city that boasts a female-led community kitchen. Attend a bread making demonstration before having lunch here with the women of the project to hear how their work is preserving their traditions, culture, and ways of life, while allowing them to independently support their families. Afterwards, pass through the barren desert and fertile farmlands to Sakkara, the site of the county’s first pyramids. Spend the rest of the evening on your own back at the hotel. Stay: Cosmopolitan Cairo Hotel (B/L)

Please note, before tonight's travel the group will return to the hotel where there will be time to shower and freshen up. The overnight train is a modern air-conditioned sleeper, with twin-berth beds. There is no shower in the cabin, but each cabin does have a sink. The shared toilet is at the end of each carriage. A basic airline-style tray meal for dinner and breakfast is included. Attendants can serve drinks in your compartment at extra cost or there is a bar car for socializing. (B/L/D)

As one of the important destinations in Egypt and the premier location at the far southern end of the country where the Nile widens and the Sahara Desert meets its flowing water. For thousands of years it has been a crucial trade route between Egypt and Africa and today it offers a fusion of cultures, landscapes, and some striking architecture. After arriving on the overnight train, the group will travel to the beautiful Philae Temple. Sail across the Nile to the island of Agilkia to explore this temple complex. Sail back to the mainland and have free time for lunch back at the hotel before reconvening for a short walk to the boat launch point. Cross to one of the many Nile islands and visit a Nubian village. Walk around the small community, then enjoy a traditional dinner at a local family in their home. Stay: Obelisk Hotel Aswan (B/D)

It’s time for a day that belongs to you! The choice really is all yours. You can join your CEO for a visit to Abu Simbel, one of the most fascinating sights in the area, or you can spend the morning enjoying your own company. The remainder of the day is free to do as you choose. Perhaps, join a half-day tour to an unfinished obelisk and gain insights into Egypt's rich history of monumental construction. Either way, take the itinerary into your own hands and spend some time exploring the area on your own. Stay: Obelisk Hotel Aswan (B)

Travel by traditional felucca today along the Nile to Aswan Bridge, where you’ll disembark as a group and transfer to Kom Umbo. Visit this temple right on the banks of the river that is dedicated to the crocodile god before continuing on towards Luxor, the incredible city on the East Bank. Enjoy dinner at a local market restaurant in the city before an evening to yourself; the perfect way to unwind. Stay: Emilio Hotel Luxor (B)

Prepare for a day of visits to the most impressive sites in Luxor. Begin with the famed Valley of the Kings on a guided tour descending down the narrow corridors to check out the tombs of the pharaohs. Then it’s onward to The Funerary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which seems to rise out of the surrounding limestone outcrops and learn more about how her family members attempted to wipe her memory from history. Finish off the guided visits at the massive 18m (59ft)-high Colossi of Memnon, which is all that remains of this once magnificent ancient temple. Lunch will be had with a local family on the West Bank of the Nile with views over the water. After the meal the group will stop at an Alabaster Factory together to learn more about this type of stone and what it means to Egyptians both ancient and today. The remainder of the late afternoon and evening will be spent at your leisure. (B/L)

Sail by ferry back to the West Bank this morning to meet your student guide. Then, set off on two wheels and pedal through the local village where the group will visit and learn about the Funtasia Project and how it’s benefitting the local community over tea. Round out the day with a stop at Karnak Temple to learn about ancient religious life in Egypt. Then, have a free afternoon all to yourself to explore the bustling bazaar in Luxor at your leisure. Stay: Emilio Hotel Luxor (B)

You arrived a solo traveller and are leaving with many new friends. Say goodbye to your fellow Solo-ish travellers and depart at any time. (B)