Overview
Tour Description
This is our classic private luxury itinerary for travellers who want to see the essential Egypt in ten days without rushing and without sharing their guide with anyone else. You spend three nights in a 5-star hotel in Cairo for the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then fly south to Luxor and sail to Aswan on a 5-star deluxe Nile cruise. A night in Luxor before the cruise and a night in Aswan after it give you room to breathe, and the option to add Abu Simbel.
Every day is planned around the best time to visit each site: the pyramids early, before the crowds; Karnak in the softer afternoon light; the Valley of the Kings first thing in the morning. A private Egyptologist guides you throughout, our team meets you at every airport, and all transfers are in a private air-conditioned car.
Why travellers choose this tour
- Fully private touring with your own Egyptologist guide
- 5-star hotels in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan and a 5-star deluxe Nile cruise
- Domestic flights included, so no long overnight drives
- Paced for international arrivals, with a relaxed first day
- Easy to adjust: add Alexandria, a Red Sea beach stay or a hot-air balloon flight
Read more about the highlights on this trip: the Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Philae Temple.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Cairo
Your King Tut Tours representative meets you inside Cairo International Airport, helps with your entry visa and luggage, and takes you by private car to your 5-star hotel. After check-in, your tour manager goes over the plan for the coming days with you and answers any questions. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight.
Overnight: 5-star hotel in Cairo
Day 2: Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and Saqqara
Start early at the Giza plateau, before the tour buses arrive. Your Egyptologist takes you around the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, up to the panorama viewpoint, and down to the Great Sphinx. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive south to Saqqara to see the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first pyramid ever built, and one of the beautifully carved noblemen’s tombs nearby.
Meals: breakfast, lunch · Overnight: Cairo
Day 3: Grand Egyptian Museum, the Citadel and Coptic Cairo
Spend the morning at the Grand Egyptian Museum, where the complete treasure of Tutankhamun is displayed together for the first time, along with the colossal statue of Ramses II and thousands of objects from 5,000 years of history. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit Salah al-Din’s Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, with wide views over the city, then Coptic Cairo for the Hanging Church and the Church of Abu Serga. If time allows, finish with a stroll through the Khan el-Khalili bazaar.
Meals: breakfast, lunch · Overnight: Cairo
Day 4: Fly to Luxor
After breakfast we take you to Cairo airport for your short flight to Luxor. Our Luxor team meets you on arrival and takes you to your hotel on the Nile. The afternoon is free to enjoy the pool or a walk along the Corniche — or ask us to arrange a felucca sail at sunset.
Meals: breakfast · Overnight: 5-star hotel in Luxor
Day 5: Board Your Nile Cruise – Karnak Temple
Check out and board your 5-star deluxe Nile cruise in time for lunch. In the afternoon, your guide takes you to Karnak, the vast temple complex of Amun with its forest of giant columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall. In the evening you can join the optional Sound and Light Show at Karnak.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Nile cruise
Day 6: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon
Cross to the west bank early to visit the Valley of the Kings, where you will enter three royal tombs with painted walls that still look fresh after 3,000 years. Continue to the terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Back on board for lunch as the ship sets sail for Edfu. For a spectacular start to the day, add an optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight before the tour.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Nile cruise
Day 7: Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples
Visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best-preserved temple in Egypt, reached by a short horse-carriage ride from the quay. Sail on to Kom Ombo for the unusual double temple of the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris, ideally at sunset. Afternoon tea on the sundeck as you sail towards Aswan.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Nile cruise
Day 8: Aswan – Philae Temple
Take a small boat across to Philae, the island temple of the goddess Isis, rescued from the rising Nile and rebuilt stone by stone. In the afternoon you can relax on board or join an optional visit to a colorful Nubian village by boat.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner · Overnight: Nile cruise
Day 9: Aswan – Optional Abu Simbel
Disembark after breakfast and check in to your hotel in Aswan. If you would like to see the great temples of Ramses II and Nefertari at Abu Simbel, we can arrange an optional early-morning private trip by road (about 3.5 hours each way) or by plane. Otherwise, enjoy a slow day by the river.
Meals: breakfast · Overnight: 5-star hotel in Aswan
Day 10: Fly to Cairo and Depart
Transfer to Aswan airport for your flight to Cairo, where our team meets you and assists with your connection or international departure.
Meals: breakfast
Included and Excluded
- Meet and assist at all airports in Egypt
- 3 nights in a 5-star hotel in Cairo with breakfast
- 1 night in a 5-star hotel in Luxor with breakfast
- 4 nights on a 5-star deluxe Nile cruise, full board
- 1 night in a 5-star hotel in Aswan with breakfast
- Domestic flights Cairo–Luxor and Aswan–Cairo
- Private Egyptologist guide for all sightseeing
- Entrance fees to the sites listed in the itinerary
- All transfers in a private air-conditioned vehicle
- Lunch on Days 2 and 3 and bottled water on touring days
- All taxes and service charges
- International flights and Egypt entry visa
- Optional tours (Abu Simbel, hot-air balloon, Sound and Light Show, Nubian village)
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Tips for guides, drivers and cruise staff
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
Is this tour private?
Yes. Your Egyptologist guide, vehicle and driver are for your party only. Only the cruise ship itself is shared with other passengers.
What hotels and cruise do you use?
5-star hotels in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan and a 5-star deluxe Nile cruise. We confirm the exact properties with your quote based on your dates and preferences.
Can I add Abu Simbel or a balloon ride?
Yes. Abu Simbel (by road or by air) and the sunrise hot-air balloon flight over Luxor are the most popular additions. Ask us to include them in your quote.
When is the best time to take this tour?
October to April has the most comfortable weather. The tour runs all year; in summer we start touring very early to avoid the midday heat.
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.
