Day
01
Arrival in Cairo
Met at the airport, visa and customs handled, and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to sleep off the flight.
Year-round · 15 Days
The Best of Egypt
15 days
Heritage
Cairo → Alexandria → Luxor → Aswan → Abu Simbel → Red Sea
Scroll for the days
The long way round, for travellers who would rather see Egypt once and see it properly. Cairo and Alexandria, the full river between Luxor and Aswan, Abu Simbel at dawn, and three days on the Red Sea to finish.
Length
15 days · 14 nights
Route
- Cairo
- Alexandria
- Luxor
- Aswan
- Abu Simbel
- Red Sea
Style
Heritage
, private
Starting at
$4,750 per person
- Giza
- Saqqara
- Alexandria
- Karnak
- Valley of the Kings
- Nile cruise
- Abu Simbel
- Red Sea
Day by day
The days, as they’ll unfold
01
/ 15
Day
02
Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum
The plateau early, then the Grand Egyptian Museum with its Tutankhamun galleries and the grand staircase of royal statuary.
Tutankhamun’s full collection, finally under one roof
Day
03
Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur
Three necropolises in one day, ending at Dahshur where you can usually walk into the Red Pyramid without queueing.
Day
04
Coptic and Islamic Cairo
The Hanging Church and Abu Serga in the morning, the Citadel of Salah al-Din and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali after lunch, then Khan el-Khalili as the lanterns come on.
Where the Holy Family is said to have sheltered
Day
05
Alexandria on the coast
North to the Mediterranean for the Citadel of Qaitbay on the old lighthouse foundations, the catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Overnight on the corniche.
Day
06
Alexandria to Cairo
A slower morning in the old Greek quarter, then back to Cairo in the afternoon.
Day
07
Fly to Luxor and board
Morning flight south. Karnak in the afternoon, and aboard your ship in time for dinner.
Day
08
The West Bank
The Valley of the Kings, the temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, and Medinet Habu, which most itineraries skip and should not.
Day
09
Esna and Edfu
Through the lock at Esna and on to the Temple of Horus, then a long afternoon watching the bank go by.
Day
10
Kom Ombo and Aswan
The double temple at Kom Ombo, then on to Aswan to moor for two nights.
Day
11
Philae and Nubian Aswan
The island temple of Philae and the High Dam, then across the water to a Nubian village for tea and a walk through the painted lanes.
Tea with a local family
Day
12
Abu Simbel
Before dawn to Abu Simbel for the colossi of Ramses II and the smaller temple of Nefertari. Back to Aswan, then fly on to the Red Sea coast.
An early start. Worth every minute.
Day
13
The Red Sea
Nothing scheduled. Reef, boat or sun lounger, as you prefer.
Day
14
A day on the water
A private boat out to two snorkelling stops and a quiet island for lunch, or a diving day for those who are certified.
Bring a hat and reef-safe sun cream
Day
15
Home
Fly to Cairo and connect with your onward flight.
Every day can move. Tell us where you’d like more time.
Included, and not
Prices are per person and vary with dates, group size and hotel choice. Your quote lists everything line by line.
Included
- Private Egyptologist guide throughout
- Four and five-star hotels and a Red Sea resort
- Four-night Nile cruise, full board
- All domestic flights within Egypt
- All entrance fees, including Abu Simbel
- Airport meet and assist with visa support
- Private air-conditioned transport throughout
- Daily breakfast, all meals aboard, selected dinners
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Tipping and personal expenses
- Diving courses and equipment hire
- Optional sunrise balloon over the West Bank
Plan your visit
The practical things travellers ask us most. Your trip designer covers the rest before you fly.
What to wear
Churches, monasteries and mosques ask for covered shoulders and knees. A light scarf does both jobs and helps in the sun.
When to go
October to April is the comfortable season. In summer, Luxor and Aswan are very hot, so we start early and rest at midday.
Arriving
We meet you as you land, or at the Taba border for Sinai trips, and walk you through visa and customs.
Pace
Early starts are flagged ahead of time. Tell us where you’d rather slow down and we’ll rebalance the days.
Make it yours
Talk to a trip designer about The Best of Egypt
Change the dates, add a day in Sinai, swap the cruise for a dahabiya. We’ll send back a revised day-by-day plan.
