Begin with the Pyramids. Sail the Nile through four millennia of temples. Follow the Mediterranean corniche of the city that once ruled the ancient world.
Your Journey Route
This ten-day loop brings together Egypt's three greatest cities in a single seamless itinerary. Cairo delivers the Giza plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the medieval bazaars of Khan el-Khalili. Your Nile cruise threads the temple complexes of Aswan, Kom Ombo, Edfu and Luxor on a five-star ship with full board. The journey closes with a day in Alexandria: the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Citadel of Qaitbay on the Mediterranean waterfront, and a long seafood lunch above the corniche, before a free final day in Cairo.
Your driver meets you at Cairo International Airport with a name board. Private air-conditioned transfer to your centrally located hotel. Welcome briefing with your guide covers the days ahead, and the rest of the day is yours to settle in and rest.
The Giza plateau at dawn is a different world from the midday crowds. Your Egyptologist guide brings the complex alive with the engineering, politics and ritual behind every stone. Afterward, the Grand Egyptian Museum holds Tutankhamun's complete burial treasure in a purpose-built space of extraordinary scale.
Cairo's depth is not only Pharaonic. The old city layers 2,000 years of Christian and Islamic heritage over Roman foundations. The Hanging Church sits above a Roman fortress tower. Khan el-Khalili has been a trading bazaar since the 14th century. The noise, colour and scent of its narrow lanes is one of the great urban experiences on earth.
An early flight south to Aswan, Egypt's most serene Nile city. Your guide takes you directly to Philae Island, where the Temple of Isis sits reachable only by motorboat. Then the Unfinished Obelisk, abandoned in the granite quarry when a crack appeared, still lying where it fell 3,500 years ago. Board your Nile cruise ship for dinner on board.
The ship sails north from Aswan through a landscape of golden cliffs and date palms. The dual temple of Sobek (the crocodile god) and Horus sits directly on the Nile bank. Its crocodile mummies, preserved in the adjacent museum, are among the most unusual artefacts in Upper Egypt. The ship sails again at dusk.
The Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most completely preserved ancient Egyptian temple in existence. Its towering granite falcons at the entrance and its interior rooms, still with original paint on the ceilings, give a picture of what an active ancient temple looked like. Horse-drawn carriages take you from the ship to the temple gates.
The West Bank of Luxor is the ancient world's greatest necropolis. The Valley of the Kings holds royal tombs cut into the limestone cliffs, the wall paintings inside remaining strikingly vivid after 3,200 years. Hatshepsut's mortuary temple, cut into the cliff face at Deir el-Bahari, is architecturally unlike anything else in Egypt. Then Karnak Temple on the East Bank before your evening flight back to Cairo.
A private car takes you from Cairo to Alexandria (approximately 2.5 hours each way). The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a landmark of contemporary architecture built over the site of the ancient library. The Citadel of Qaitbay stands on the very spot of the Pharos lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders. Seafood lunch on the corniche, Stanley Bridge waterfront walk, return Cairo by evening.
A free day with no fixed programme. Many guests use this morning to visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities on Tahrir Square, stroll the leafy Zamalek island neighbourhood, or walk the Nile corniche at sunset. Your guide is available if you would like company or recommendations. Optional farewell dinner in the evening.
Breakfast at the hotel, check out, and private transfer to Cairo International Airport in time for your international departure. A flexible connection time is arranged based on your flight schedule.
A chartered morning flight from Aswan to Ramesses II's colossus temples. Four colossal statues, the inner sanctuary aligned to the sun twice yearly, before the coaches arrive.
Sunrise over the Valley of the Kings from above. The temples, the Nile and the Eastern Desert spread out in the early light. The iconic Egypt photograph.
Extend your Alexandria visit to a full 2-night coastal stay. A full evening on the corniche, the fish restaurants of Anfushi, and time to explore at your own pace.
Karnak Temple's evening sound and light show after sunset. The hypostyle hall is spectacular under floodlights, with a narrated history of the temple complex.
The boy pharaoh's burial chamber requires a separate ticket from the Valley of the Kings general entry. Limited daily access makes this worth booking in advance.
A private felucca around Elephantine Island at dusk in Aswan. Pink granite rocks, the Aga Khan Mausoleum and the golden cliffs in the last light of the day.
Instead of 2 nights at a Hurghada beach resort, this itinerary includes a full day in Alexandria plus one free day in Cairo. Both tours follow the same Cairo and Nile cruise section. Choose Alexandria if you prefer Mediterranean culture and history; choose Hurghada if you want a Red Sea beach finish.
The standard itinerary includes Alexandria as a day trip from Cairo (approximately 2.5 hours each way by private car). An overnight Alexandria extension can be added as an optional upgrade, giving you a full evening on the corniche and more time to explore.
October through April is ideal. Cairo, Luxor and Aswan are best at 18–24°C daytime. Alexandria is a pleasant coastal city year-round, with a mild Mediterranean breeze even in summer.
Yes. The pace is comfortable, all transfers are private and air-conditioned, and temple visits are paced with your guide at your speed. The cruise section is particularly gentle. We can arrange hotel rooms on ground floors or with lift access if needed.
Yes. The Cairo to Aswan domestic flight is included in the tour price. The Luxor to Cairo return flight (after the cruise) is also included. You arrive in Cairo and depart from Cairo.
Fully private. Your group only. No joining with other travellers at any point. Your guide, vehicles and boats are exclusively yours throughout the itinerary.
Yes. A Jordan extension (Petra and Wadi Rum) can be added at the end of this itinerary. Contact us for a combined Egypt and Jordan quote.
Cancellations more than 30 days before departure receive a full refund of deposits minus non-refundable supplier costs. We recommend comprehensive travel insurance for all tours.
Nile cruise at sunset plus Mediterranean coastline makes for an exceptionally romantic itinerary.
Four civilisations in ten days: Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic and Greco-Roman Alexandria.
Private tour with a guide at every moment. Safe, seamless, and built for confident solo exploration.
Cairo's bazaars, Aswan's Nubian villages, and Alexandria's literary cafe culture in one journey.
Every journey we build is private, guided and crafted around you. Tell us your travel dates and group size and we'll send you a personalised itinerary within 24 hours.
