Overview
Tour Description
This 8-day tour pairs a short 3-night Nile cruise with more time on land. You fly to Aswan, sail north to Luxor, spend a night in a Luxor hotel so you can see the West Bank and Karnak without rushing, and finish in Cairo with a visit to the old Christian quarter.
It is a good choice if a full week on a ship feels too long, or if you want Coptic Cairo as well as the pharaohs.
Highlights
- A welcome dinner in Cairo with your tour manager
- The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
- Philae Temple and the High Dam in Aswan
- 3 nights on a 5-star Nile cruise with Kom Ombo, Edfu and the Esna lock
- Luxor Temple lit up at night, then the Valley of the Kings and Karnak
- Coptic Cairo: the Hanging Church, Abu Serga and the Church of St George
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Cairo and welcome dinner
We meet you at Cairo Airport and take you to your hotel to rest. In the evening you meet your tour manager for a short introduction to the trip, then go out for dinner at one of our favorite Cairo restaurants.
Meals: Dinner. Overnight: Cairo hotel.
Day 2: Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
Your Egyptologist takes you to the Giza Pyramids, built during the Old Kingdom for Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, and the Great Sphinx, carved from a single outcrop of limestone. After lunch you explore the Grand Egyptian Museum and the full Tutankhamun collection.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Cairo hotel.
Day 3: Fly to Aswan, Philae and the High Dam, board the cruise
A morning flight takes you to Aswan. You ride a motorboat to Philae Temple, the temple of Isis built under Ptolemy II and moved to Agilkia Island during the UNESCO Nubia campaign, then visit the High Dam. In the afternoon you board your 5-star Nile cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Nile cruise, Aswan.
Day 4: Optional Abu Simbel, sail to Kom Ombo and Edfu
A free morning in Aswan, or an optional early trip by coach to Abu Simbel, the twin temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari. Back on board, the ship sails north to Kom Ombo to visit the temple of Sobek and Horus, then continues to Edfu.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Nile cruise.
Day 5: Edfu, the Esna lock and Luxor Temple by night
In the morning you visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the falcon god and son of Isis and Osiris. In the afternoon the ship passes through the lock at Esna on its way to Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes. In the evening you visit Luxor Temple, which is at its most beautiful when lit up after dark.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Nile cruise, Luxor.
Day 6: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, the Colossi and Karnak
After breakfast you leave the ship and set out with your Egyptologist for the West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, the terraced Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. In the afternoon you cross back to the East Bank for Karnak, the largest temple complex in Egypt, before checking in to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast. Overnight: Luxor hotel.
Day 7: Fly to Cairo and Coptic Cairo
A morning flight takes you back to Cairo, where your guide meets you for Coptic Cairo. You visit the Hanging Church, with its marble pulpit and carved wooden screen, the church of Abu Serga, built over the cave where the Holy Family is said to have sheltered, and the Greek Orthodox Church of St George on the Roman tower of the Babylon fortress. Lunch is included before you return to the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Cairo hotel.
Day 8: Fly home
After breakfast we take you to Cairo Airport for your flight home.
Meals: Breakfast.
Included and Excluded
- Meet and assist at all airports
- Domestic flights Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo
- 3 nights in a 5-star hotel in Cairo with breakfast
- 3 nights on a 5-star Nile cruise, full board
- 1 night in a 5-star hotel in Luxor with breakfast
- Welcome dinner in Cairo
- Egyptologist guide on all sightseeing
- Entrance fees to all sites in the itinerary
- All transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle
- All service charges and taxes
- Abu Simbel trip (optional)
- International flights and Egypt entry visa
- Optional tours
- Drinks on the cruise and at hotels
- Tips for guides, drivers and crew
- Personal expenses
Prices:
What will it cost you?
Prices per person change with the season and how many of you travel. Set yours and see the real number — no email needed.
Note:
All the accommodation in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan hotels and Nile cruises are 5* ultra deluxe accommodations
Tour Attractions
FAQs
How much does the 8-day tour with a 3-night Nile cruise cost?
From $6,000 per person sharing a double room from May to September, and $9,000 per person from October to April. Single travelers pay $9,500 in summer and $11,500 in winter.
Is a 3-night Nile cruise long enough?
Yes. The 3-night cruise from Aswan to Luxor covers the same temples as the 4-night trip in the other direction, with a little less time on deck. Adding a night in a Luxor hotel gives you an unhurried day for the West Bank and Karnak.
Can Abu Simbel be included?
Yes. It is optional on day 4. You can join the early coach trip or ask us to book a private car or a short flight from Aswan.
Which churches do we visit in Coptic Cairo?
The Hanging Church, the Church of Abu Serga (St Sergius and Bacchus) and the Greek Orthodox Church of St George, all inside the old Roman fortress of Babylon. The Ben Ezra Synagogue is next door and can be added.
What is included in a luxury tour?
VIP airport service, private guides and vehicles, 5-star hotels, a deluxe cruise or dahabiya, and internal flights.
