Festive King Ramses

Welcome to Cairo, Egypt's bustling capital. You will be met at Cairo Airport and transferred to our start hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, or those arriving early may wish to book our Backstreets of Cairo tour which visits lesser known highlights of the capital including Tahrir Square, the hub of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.

You may also extend your stay in Cairo with our pre or post tour accommodation or tour add-ons like our Alexandria Day Trip.

Get ready for a memorable day! Today we explore the legendary Pyramids of Giza and the iconic Sphinx at the Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet's oldest tourist attraction! A stop will be made at a government supervised papyrus emporium, and then we travel on to explore the sand-strewn tombs and temples of the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, home to the Zhoser's Step Pyramid. (B)

This morning we'll travel to the new Grand Egyptian Museum, which houses a giant exhibition containing the treasures of King Tutankhamun. Many pieces on show are being displayed for the first time and artefacts have been brought together from across Egypt and the world to this one location. The museum also makes use of new technology including virtual reality.

After our guided tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum we head over to National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to visit the fascinating Royal Mummies' Hall where the mummies of ancient Egyptian kings and queens are on display. Then there's time to relax back at the hotel before we board the night train to Aswan 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. (B)

After arrival to Aswan and hotel check-in, we enjoy a boat trip to Agilika Island where we'll discover the Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis. On return to Aswan we'll make a stop at a perfume oil emporium. Spend the remainder of the evening at your own leisure - shop in the colourful souqs or simply kick back and relax. (B)

Optional early morning excursion to the magnificent rock-cut Temples of Abu Simbel, built by mighty King Ramses II. This afternoon, we board our Nile felucca for a 2 night voyage downstream on the River Nile. Relax and chat with new friends as the felucca gently plies its route. Stops are made en route for swimming and visiting local villages.

If sailing by felucca is not your style, consider upgrading to a 5 star luxury Nile Cruise. (B/L/D)

Relax, go for a swim or just chill out in the sun on deck. Let your troubles melt away, as the felucca plies its route.

In the afternoon we dock near Kom Ombo and take a motorboat to visit the temple before returning to the felucca for the night. (B/L/D)

This morning we disembark and drive to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best! Enjoy some rest and relaxation and then tonight, we have the opportunity to visit Luxor Temple with dinner afterwards. Luxor Temple was built by Amenhotep III and looks stunning at night when it's illuminated by hundreds of lights (book/pay locally), alternatively simply enjoy the facilities of our hotel. (B)

Today we discover the West Bank of the Nile and the legendary Valley of the Kings and some its many tombs. Marvel at Colossi of Memnon, the massive stone remains of the Temple of Amenophis III, before exploring the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and surrounding tombs.

After lunch, we visit the Temple of Karnak, a spectacular religious complex built on a gigantic scale, where you get lost wandering around the stone papyrus columns. The rest of the evening is at leisure. (B)

Today we drive to the coastal town of Hurghada, which will be our base for the next few days. Hurghada is one of the Red Sea's most popular resorts and it is easy to see why. Hotels and expanded infrastructure provide holidaymakers with excellent aquatic facilities for sail boarding, yachting, deep-sea fishing, SCUBA diving and snorkelling. (B)

The next 2 days are free to explore Hurghada or simply relax. There's is an optional day trip to Giftun Island for swimming and snorkelling, which can be booked locally.

Hurghada's central location provides a gateway to prime offshore reefs, which are some of the finest in the world. Hurghada also has plenty of restaurants and late night bars for evening entertainment. Just outside Hurghada is an ancient Roman quarry called Mons Porphyrites and Port Safaga – a famously windy place which is ideal for windsurfing. (Bx2)

This morning we drive to Cairo where the remainder of today is free for you to relax or explore Egypt's capital at leisure. Or you can opt to join us on a excursion to Khan el Khalili Bazaar, the ideal place for some last minute souvenir shopping. (B)

Our holiday comes to an end and we bid farewell to our guide and fellow travellers. Included airport departure transfer.

For information about visas, top travel tips and much more, take a look through our travel guide. (B)