Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Egypt – Cairo – The River Nile
100% customisable for you
Your adventure in Egypt begins today. Head to the airport, whizz through security and enjoy some downtime before your five-hour flight from the UK to Cairo, arriving late evening. After landing, you’ll be whisked though airport security into a private transfer to your luxury hotel in Cairo for a two-night stay.
What better way to start your time in Cairo than seeing the Great Pyramids of Giza? This morning, enjoy a private guided tour of this vast funeral complex. Built in the middle of the third millennium BC, these remains are testimony to the power of the pharaohs during the Ancient Egyptian Empire.
Explore the entire site, including the Sphinx – the guardian of the Giza Necropolis – followed by the megalithic Valley Temple and the three pyramids of Khufu, Khafra and Menkaure. Later, you could visit the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, founded in 1857 by French archaeologist Auguste Mariette. Or, tour the Grand Egyptian Museum, which brings together 3,000 years of history with eye-catching displays and cutting-edge virtual tours, as well as almost 100,000 objects (including the solid-gold burial mask of Tutankhamun).
Spend the morning discovering Cairo with a local to get a feel for the city, uncovering hidden gems and landmarks that you won’t find in guidebooks. There’s no set itinerary – for example, you might like to explore Cairo’s café scene (known as ahawi), which are places for relaxation, entertainment and a key part of Egyptian social life. Or head to the historic side of Cairo, home to the largest concentration of Islamic monuments in the world (including Bab al-Futuh and Bab Zuweila), alongside restored monuments on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
After lunch, hop in your private transfer to Cairo airport for an hour-long domestic flight to Luxor. Upon arrival, a second private transfer will take you to your hotel, a historic institution that combines old-style elegance with luxurious comfort. Enjoy dinner before strolling through the gardens.
Don’t forget your deck shoes, because it’s the first day of your cruise down the Nile. After a private transfer from Luxor to the Steam Ship Sudan (owned by our parent company, Voyageurs du Monde), settle into your cabin and enjoy lunch onboard.
Spend the afternoon visiting incredible sites including the Karnak Temple Complex, dedicated to the god Amun, followed by the Luxor Temple, the most elegant of the Ancient Egyptian buildings built under Amenhotep III. After returning from sightseeing, the steamship will head to Qena, north of Luxor. This part of the Nile is magnificent, rarely frequented by cruise ships and offers beautiful views of the surrounding countryside (especially at sunset). Enjoy a delicious dinner onboard and overnight stay while docked in Qena.
Fuel up on a tasty breakfast this morning, as it’s an early start. Today your private guide is taking you on a two-hour drive to visit the holy city of Abydos. Once the cult centre for Osiris, the king of the underworld, Abydos has been attracting visitors since the Ancient Egyptian era. The city’s temple dates back to the reign of Seti I and is filled with exquisite, colourful engravings that mark the birth of Ramesside art.
On the return drive, visit the fascinating Dendera Temple Complex. Ascend the rooftop for panoramic views of the desert landscape, admire the dazzling main temple ceilings that depict celestial constellations, and see the spectacular temple of Hathor, goddess of joy and love. Arrive back in time for lunch on the steamship before it departs for Luxor, where it docks for the night.
Cameras at the ready this morning, as your private driver will take you to the Valley of the Kings on the Nile’s west bank. Famous for its rock-cut tombs, it became a burial ground for pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses II, as well as queens, high priests and other elites. Humans were promised eternal life, so their ornately decorated tombs were stocked with sacred objects and possessions to prepare for their journey into the afterlife.
There are other nearby sites to discover, including the Valley of the Nobles and the old workers’ village of Deir el-Medina. After a busy morning, it’s back to the steamship for lunch, while it continues to Esna, and then Edfu, where it docks overnight. Enjoy dinner onboard and a nightcap before turning in.
After a relaxing breakfast, disembark the steamship to visit the Temple of Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. Built in the third century BC, Edfu is dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus, his wife Hathor, the goddess of beauty and love, and their son Harsomtus. Head back for lunch before your steamship continues to Kom Ombo and docks for the night.
Arriving in time for sunset, there’s just enough time to squeeze in more sightseeing: the floodlit Temple of Kom Ombo, unique in Egypt because it’s dedicated to two deities, Horus and the crocodile-headed god Sobek. Feeling hungry? Good news – your chef on the steamship has another decadent dinner planned for you.
Today, the steamship is heading towards Aswan, the final leg of your journey, where Egypt’s Nile Valley ends and Nubia begins. Fields alongside the river give way to large sand dunes that were once considered the border of civilisation. Stop off to visit the Temple of Philae, the domain of the goddess Isis, a universal and magical deity reigning over life, death and the underworld. Philae was one of the most important shrines in Egypt and Nubia until 550 AD, when the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I ordered its closure. After the tour, there’s free time in Aswan to explore the city’s markets and haggle over souvenirs in a souq. Head back to the steamship for one final delicious dinner and good night’s sleep onboard.
It’s time to say goodbye to the Steam Ship Sudan. This morning, a private transfer will take you to your next abode – a hotel in Aswan on a traditional Egyptian sailing boat called a felucca. Stop along the way on El Nabatat Island, known as ‘Kitchener’s Island’ after a former British Consul-General in Egypt turned this deserted island into a lush botanical garden. The island’s west side has magnificent views of the Nile’s west bank and the desert beyond. During your stay in Aswan, you could also visit the island of Elephantine, home to an impressive wealth of ancient ruins.
Sadly, your luxury Egyptian adventure ends today. After one last breakfast on the Nile, a private transfer takes you to the airport for a domestic flight to Cairo. From there, catch your international flight back to the UK, eager to tell friends and family about your memorable trip into Egypt’s past.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
