Cairo and Nile Cruise: Luxor and Aswan 

Tour description

Combining the pyramids, sphinx and Egyptian Museum in Cairo with a luxury Nile Cruise is one of the world's classic holidays, and one of our most popular. You will see and learn about some fascinating ancient history while enjoying some of Cairo's very best hotels and watching rural Egyptian life pass by as you sail up-river on a 5-star deluxe level cruise boat.

We begin in Cairo with an introduction to Egyptian Pharaonic history at the pyramids and Sphinx at Gisa. In the afternoon we explore the huge Egyptian Museum with its famous Tutankhamun exhibit, and vast collection of statues and artefacts.

The tour starts in Cairo by staying in the famous Mena House hotel, located right at the foot of the pyramids for a truly memorable opening to your holiday. 

We leave Cairo and fly south to Luxor, commonly described as the world's largest open air museum. After a night in a 5-star hotel and a visit to the huge temple complex at Karnak we board your 5-star-deluxe level Nile cruise boat to check in. The afternoon is free to explore Luxor's markets, or perhaps visit the Mummification Museum. In the evening we visit Luxor temple in the center of town when it is beautifully lit up.

We start early the next morning to explore the West Bank of the Nile before the big crowds and the extreme heat of the middle of the day arrive. Our tours here take in the Valley of the Kings, where many Pharaohs were buried, the unique temple to Queen Hatshepsut, and also the less visited Medinat Habu temple which has some of Egypt's deepest carved hieroglyphs and colorful wall paintings, really giving a sense of how these temples used to look at their peak. Our final stop is at the Colossi of Memnon before we head back to the cruise boat.

The cruise boat then departs and heads south, up-river and through the locks on the Nile at Esna, before arriving at Edfu where we overnight

After visiting Edfu temple, we sail further up-river, stopping at Komombo, before reaching the laid-back town of Aswan, which sits beside the cascading waters of the Nile.

Here you can relax and watch myriad feluccas sail lazily around the many small islands or experience traditional Egyptian life with a stroll along the mazy streets of the town’s colorful bazaar. 

Our tours in Aswan include a boat trip to the lovely island Philae temple, the Aswan Dam, and a felucca sailboat trip on the river to some of the islands. You can also take the opportunity to visit the temples to Ramses II at Abu Simbel, which were dismantled and rebuilt when Lake Nasser was flooded.

From Aswan you return to Cairo by air and our last tour takes in the Citadel with great views over the city, several beautiful mosques, the ancient churches of Coptic Cairo, and the bustling Khan-el-Khalili bazaar. Your tour ends in Cairo with a transfer to the airport for your flight home.

You can extend the tour if you wish to add a day trip to the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, or to visit the spectacular desert scenery at Wadi Rayan and Wadi Hitan just outside Fayoum, near Cairo. This tour includes the 'Valley of the Whales' World Heritage Site where ancient whale fossils are found and displayed on the sand. 

·         Day 1:

·         Arrive in Cairo

We meet you at Cairo airport and transfer you to a deluxe 5-star hotel (normally the Oberoi Mena House). The rest of the day is free for you to settle in and relax.

·         Day 2:

·         Cairo - Pyramids, Sphinx & Museum tour

We enjoy a full day tour today to the majestic Pyramids and Sphinx at Gisa, and also to the famous Egyptian Museum. In the evening we transfer to the airport for a flight to Luxor. Here you check into a 5-star hotel by the Nile.

·         Day 3:

·         Luxor - Board cruise boat. Karnak and Luxor temples.

This morning we tour the huge temple complex at Karnak, added to by many different Pharaohs over the years. After lunch board your luxury Nile cruise boat and enjoy a free afternoon to relax or explore Luxor. In the evening we visit Luxor temple in the centre of town when it is beautifully lit up.

·         Day 4:

·         Luxor - West bank tour, sail to Edfu

This morning we tour the West Bank of the Nile and explore the Pharaonic tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatchepsut and Medinat Habu temples, and the Colossi of Memnon. In the afternoon we sail up-river and cross through the lock on the Nile at Esna before continuing to Edfu. Before the tour starts this morning, you also have the option of a spectacular hot air balloon flight to see the sun rise over the West Bank of the Nile.

·         Day 5:

·         Edfu and Komombo temples. Sail to Aswan

We visit Edfu temple this morning, before continuing to sail up the Nile to Aswan, breaking the journey at the temple at Komombo en-route.

·         Day 6:

·         Aswan. Free time, island felucca trip. Abu Simbel option

The Nile is at its most picturesque in Aswan, and we have this morning free to explore the town, its markets, and to walk along the Corniche or visit the Nubian Museum. In the afternoon we take a felucca sailboat trip around Kitchener and Elephantine islands. 
You also have the option this morning to visit the spectacular temples to Ramses II at Abu Simbel. 

·         Day 7:

·         Aswan - Philae temple. Fly to Cairo

We take a boat trip this morning to the beautiful island temple of Philae and the huge Aswan Dam. In the afternoon we take an internal flight with Egypt Air back to Cairo.

·         Day 8:

·         Cairo - City tour

Our tour of Cairo today includes the Citadel overlooking the city, some important and beautiful mosques, Coptic Cairo, and time to explore and shop in the busy Khan-el-Khalili bazaar. This evening you could take a dinner cruise on the Nile, re-visit the pyramids for a spectacular sound and light show, or enjoy a farewell dinner with other people in your group. 

·         Day 9:

·         Cairo - Tour ends. Airport transfer

Your time is free today until we transfer you to the airport in time for your flight home. 

 Included

• Accommodation in 5-star hotels and 5-star deluxe cruise boat
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary
• All transfers, including 24-hour airport transfer service
• Tours & guides as indicated on the itinerary
• All transport including flights from Cairo-Luxor and Aswan-Cairo
• Tipping Kitty
• All site entrance fees

Excluded

• International airfares (available on request)
• Visa costs (available on arrival for most nationalities)
• Meals not indicated in the itinerary 
• Drinks, snacks, tips for your guide, and other personal expenses
• Entrance fees to sites not mentioned (mummy room etc..)
• Gala Dinners in hotels/cruise boats on 24 & 31 Dec (if charged)
• Travel insurance (available on request)
• Any other items not mentioned above

Notes

·         *Gala Dinners Most of Egypt's hotels and Nile cruise boats arrange a very special Gala Dinner in the evening on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Payment for these is often compulsory, whether you attend or not. Prices can range from GBP 35 to over GBP 100 per person. Final decisions on prices and whether dinners are compulsory are made relatively close to the time. Gala Dinner prices are therefore not included in our prices above, and will be added to your booking if required. More information is available on request.

·         Private tour prices are based on 2 people travelling. 

·         Discounts are available if 4 or more people book together.