Classical Egypt & Nile Cruise - 11 days

Sunday. Welcome to Egypt! Upon arrival at Cairo airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or those arriving early can opt to join a Backstreets Tour of Cairo which departs the hotel at 10am. At 7pm this evening meet your guide and the rest of the group at a Welcome Meeting.



Note: If you would like to extend your stay we offer an [[Alexandria Day Trip|122837]] on the Saturday before your tour starts or on the final day and can arrange pre/post tour accommodation upon request.

Today see the incredible pyramids and the iconic Sphinx at The Giza Plateau. Perhaps opt to ride a camel. Later we travel to Saqqara, to explore the myriad of tombs and temples at the site and see Zhoser's step pyramid - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh's chief architect in 2700 BC.

Cairo - Luxor. We take a guided tour of the vast new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza this morning. In this incredible 490,000 sq.m complex we'll discover a mind-boggling array of relics and antiquities from almost every period of ancient Egyptian history, including the treasures of King Tutankhamun. Then we head over to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to visit the fascinating Royal Mummies' Hall, where the mummies of ancient Egyptian kings and queens are on display. Returning to the hotel there's time to relax by the pool before we board the overnight sleeper train to Luxor this evening.



Please Note: the Grand Egyptian Museum is scheduled to open in summer 2022, 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.

We arrive into Luxor this morning and drive to Dendera which is one of Egypt's best preserved temple complexes, located 60km north of Luxor. This vast complex covers 40,000 square meters and its temples, chapels and shrines were gradually built over thousands of years. Dendera's crowning glory is the 2000 year old Temple of Hathor with its exquisitely decorated ceiling. After our guided tour of this incredible site we return to Luxor where the afternoon if free to spend at leisure. Take a stroll around town or enjoy a refreshing swim in the pool and soak up the sunshine.



This evening there is an optional visit to view the beautiful Temple of Luxor at night. Book and pay locally.

4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its very best and this morning we visit Luxor’s famous West Bank. Our first stop is the famous Valley of the Kings, which is studded with beautifully decorated pharaoh's tombs, some of which you can enter. After exploring this incredible site we travel on to visit the striking limestone, colonnaded Temple of Hatshepsut, who was one of only three Egyptian ruling queens. On the West Bank we'll also see the imposing 18m-high Colossi of Memnon, which are all that remains of the temple of the hedonistic Amenophis III.



Returning to the East Bank we check-in on board a 5 star Nile cruiser which will be our home for the next four nights. Enjoy lunch and some rest and relaxation on board before we visit the colossal Temple of Karnak later this afternoon. More than a temple, Karnak is a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, pylons, chapels, halls and obelisks, all dedicated to the Theban gods and to the greater glory of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdom rulers.

Nile cruising. Today we set sail downstream. Relax on deck and go for a swim, soak up the sunshine and enjoy the views as we cruise the River Nile.

Nile cruising. Enjoy another day relaxing on board the cruiser as we sail the Nile to the Temple of Kom Ombo today, which is dedicated to Sobek the crocodile god, and Horus the falcon-headed god. This temple is unusual because everything is architecturally is doubled and perfectly symmetrical along the main axis of the temple including twin halls, courts, colonnades, sanctuaries and entrances. After a guided tour of the temple we continue our journey, arriving into Aswan this evening.

Consider the optional early morning excursion to the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel today. Please see our Abu Simbel by Road add-on for more info. Alternatively you can spend the morning at leisure.


This afternoon we take a short motorboat trip to Philae Temple - dedicated to the goddess Isis. The temple dates from 4th century BC but the Ptolomies and the Romans up to 3rd century AD built most of the existing structures. In danger of being completely submerged by the rising water of Lake Nasser, in 1972 UNESCO stepped in and an 8-year rescue effort was undertaken to relocate the entire temple 20m higher on nearby Agilika Island.

Aswan - Cairo. Today offers free time for you to discover Aswan - your way. Consider a visit to the Old Cataract Hotel, where Agatha Christie wrote the novel Death on the Nile or opt for a visit to the well-curated Nubian Museum.



Late this afternoon, we board the overnight train (twin berth sleeper cabins provided) for our journey back to Cairo.

Arriving into Cairo this morning, transfer to the hotel and check in. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy the hotel facilities or you can opt to or join us for an optional tour visiting Old Cairo, Coptic Cairo and the Citadel of Saladin (book locally).

Wednesday. Our tour comes to an end today with a transfer to the airport for your onward flight.