Cairo & the Nile

Arrive at Cairo International Airport and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon in Islamic Cairo exploring the medieval lanes around the Al-Azhar Mosque, one of the world's oldest universities. Evening at Khan el-Khalili, Cairo's great bazaar operating continuously since 1382, for spices, shisha pipes, gold jewellery, and koshary at a local restaurant. Overnight Cairo.

💡 Haggling is expected and enjoyable in Khan el-Khalili - never accept the first price and always smile while negotiating.

Morning at the Giza Plateau for the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the only surviving ancient wonder of the world, along with the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, and the Great Sphinx. Afternoon at the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo, home to the gold death mask of Tutankhamun and 5000 years of extraordinary artefacts. Overnight Cairo.

💡 Buy tickets to enter the Great Pyramid in advance if possible - only 300 people are allowed inside per day and they sell out early.

Morning flight to Luxor, the world's greatest open-air museum. Afternoon at Karnak, the largest religious complex ever built, covering 100 hectares with avenues of ram-headed sphinxes and hypostyle halls with 134 columns. Evening at Luxor Temple, dramatically illuminated at night with statues of Ramesses the Great glowing gold. Overnight Luxor.

💡 Luxor Temple lit at night is one of Egypt's most atmospheric experiences - arrive after 7 PM when the lighting is at its best.

Cross the Nile to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, where 63 royal tombs are carved into the limestone cliffs including Tutankhamun's, Ramesses VI's, and Seti I's with extraordinary painted walls. Visit the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh, carved into a cliff face. Stop at the giant seated Colossi of Memnon. Overnight Luxor.

💡 The Valley of the Kings ticket includes entry to 3 tombs - Tutankhamun's tomb requires a separate additional ticket and is worth it.

Board a traditional felucca sailboat on the Nile for a leisurely sail south past sugarcane fields, riverside villages, and water buffaloes wading in the shallows. Stop at Edfu Temple, dedicated to Horus and the best-preserved temple in Egypt, still showing its original colours inside the inner sanctuary. Continue to Aswan by road or boat. Overnight Aswan.

💡 The felucca sail between Luxor and Aswan is one of the great slow travel experiences - let the Nile set the pace and do nothing for a few hours.

Morning at the Aswan High Dam, the massive Soviet-built structure that created Lake Nasser and changed Egypt's geography. Boat to Philae Island for the stunning temple of Isis, dismantled and rebuilt on higher ground to save it from the rising lake. Afternoon felucca ride to a Nubian village on Elephantine Island for tea, henna, and colourful Nubian houses. Overnight Aswan.

💡 The Nubian villages around Aswan are warm, welcoming, and full of colour - visiting one is a genuine cultural highlight of the trip.

Early morning 3-hour drive or short flight south to Abu Simbel on the shores of Lake Nasser. The Great Temple of Ramesses II with its four 20-metre seated colossi, and the smaller Temple of Nefertari, are carved entirely from solid rock and were moved 65 metres uphill in the 1960s to save them from Lake Nasser. An engineering miracle saving an ancient miracle. Return to Aswan. Overnight Aswan.

💡 Fly to Abu Simbel rather than drive if your budget allows - the 45-minute flight saves 6 hours of desert road and is surprisingly affordable.

Morning flight back to Cairo. If time allows, visit Coptic Cairo, the ancient Christian quarter with the Hanging Church and the spot where the Holy Family is said to have sheltered on the flight to Egypt. Transfer to Cairo International Airport for your return flight. End of tour.

💡 Egypt is hot year-round - the best time to visit is October to April when temperatures are bearable. Summer can reach 45 degrees in Aswan.