Overview
Tour Description
A classic route through Egypt in eight days, with a 5-star hotel in Cairo, four nights on a deluxe Nile cruise and flights between the cities. What sets this version apart is the evening program in Luxor: after your first day of temples you return to Karnak at night for the sound and light show, when the columns and obelisks are lit and the story of Thebes is told around you.
Tour highlights
- The Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
- Karnak Temple by day and the Karnak sound and light show by night
- Hot air balloon over Luxor and the Valley of the Kings
- Edfu, Kom Ombo, the Unfinished Obelisk, the High Dam and Philae
- Abu Simbel and a Nubian village
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Cairo
We meet you at Cairo Airport and drive you to your 5-star deluxe hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle.
Overnight: 5-star hotel, Cairo.
Day 2: Pyramids, Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
After breakfast your Egyptologist takes you to the Giza Plateau for the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Sphinx and the Valley Temple. After lunch at a good Cairo restaurant, you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum and the treasures of Tutankhamun.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch. Overnight: 5-star hotel, Cairo.
Day 3: Fly to Luxor, Karnak, Luxor Temple and the sound and light show
You fly to Luxor and board your 5-star Nile cruise. After lunch you visit Karnak, whose Great Hypostyle Hall holds 134 giant columns, then Luxor Temple, built by Amenhotep III and Ramses II and linked to Karnak by an avenue of sphinxes nearly 3 km long. In the evening you return to Karnak for the sound and light show.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Nile cruise, Luxor.
Day 4: Balloon ride, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and the Colossi
At dawn you float over the West Bank in a hot air balloon. After breakfast on board you visit the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, built on three terraces against the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, and the Colossi of Memnon. Back on board for lunch, the ship sails for Edfu.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Nile cruise.
Day 5: Edfu and Kom Ombo
Day 6: Aswan: High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, Philae and a Nubian village
In Aswan you visit the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in the granite quarry where it cracked, and Philae Temple, the temple of Isis moved to Agilkia Island in the UNESCO Nubia campaign. Later you visit a Nubian village by boat.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Nile cruise, Aswan.
Day 7: Abu Simbel and fly to Cairo
An early drive to Abu Simbel to see the temples of Ramses II and Nefertari. Back in Aswan, you leave the ship and fly to Cairo, where we meet you and take you to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast. Overnight: 5-star hotel, Cairo.
Day 8: Fly home
After breakfast we drive you to Cairo Airport for your flight home.
Meals: Breakfast.
Included and Excluded
- All airport and hotel transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle
- Domestic flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo
- 3 nights in a 5-star deluxe hotel in Cairo with breakfast
- 4 nights on a 5-star deluxe Nile cruise, full board
- English-speaking Egyptologist guide
- Entrance fees to all sites in the itinerary
- Abu Simbel excursion
- Nubian village visit
- Hot air balloon flight over Luxor
- Karnak sound and light show
- Bottled water during tours
- All service charges and taxes
- International flights and Egypt entry visa
- Drinks on the cruise and at the hotel
- Optional tours not listed
- 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.
Tour Attractions
FAQs
How much does the 8-day Cairo and Nile cruise package cost?
From $8,050 per person sharing a double room from May to September, and $9,050 per person from October to April. Single travelers pay $9,000 in summer and $10,000 in winter.
What is the Karnak sound and light show like?
It is an evening walk through the temple with lighting and a recorded narration that tells the story of Thebes and its pharaohs. It lasts about an hour and ends at the sacred lake.
Is Abu Simbel included?
Yes. The Abu Simbel excursion is included on day 7, along with the balloon ride, the Nubian village and the sound and light show.
When is the best time to take a Nile cruise?
October to April has the most comfortable weather. Summer is hot in Luxor and Aswan, but cruises are quieter and prices are lower, and we schedule sightseeing early in the morning.
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.
