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This Egypt tour is a great offer for those of you looking to absorb and take in the major sights of Egypt. This package encompasses all the sites with a splash of the exotic in the Red Seascape.
Cairo International Airport (Google Map)
3 Hours Before Flight Time
Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, Saqqara, the Egyptian Museum, Temple of Philae, Temple of Kom Ombo, Temple of Edfu, Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple complex, West bank, Valley of the Kings, Dahab, and more!
Just as you touch down at Cairo international airport, one of our representatives will welcome and assist you before accompanying you on your transfer to your hotel.
Check-in, relax, and settle in – ready for adventurous upcoming days!
Overnight: Cairo.
No Meals.
After breakfast, you will be introduced to your guide who will be touring with you to the pyramids in Cairo. Your next stop will be the Sphinx followed by the Saqqara.
Overnight at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast.
Today, we head to Alexandria – Egypt’s second-largest city – home to the relics of bygone eras, such as Pompey’s Pillar, a Roman triumphal column that is among the world’s largest monolithic columns. We also tour the only Roman Amphitheatre to ever have been built in Egypt. There is also the extremely well-preserved 15th-century Citadel of Qaidbay, built on the same spot as the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria.
Overnight in Cairo hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch.
Enjoy your boosting breakfast before we head to Tahrir square – a different part of downtown Cairo that played a key role in its country’s newest history. This is where you will visit the famous Egyptian Museum – home of the most valuable and unique treasures of all past eras.
Later, your guide will lead the way to the Islamic areas of Cairo, where we will let you admire the Citadel of Saladin, housing the majestic Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali is situated. We will have lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Coptic Cairo where you will visit one of the oldest churches in Egypt – El Muallaqa located above a gatehouse of Babylon Fortress built by the Romans. Our next stop will be at Saint Sergius Church, which is said to be the resting place for the Holy Family during their journey from Israel.
Overnight at a hotel in Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast.
As we reach Aswan, enjoy your breakfast before heading to the Agilkia Island – home to the Temple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis. We will then proceed to the Old Dam, the original one, built-in 1899-1902 and visit the masterpiece of modern engineering embodied in the new High Dam, which was constructed 1960-1970 after which we’ll head back to the cruise ship.
Come evening, we will leave you to explore Aswan all for yourself – the souks being a highlight for visitors, with their multitude of shops, displays and multi-coloured wares.
Overnight Aswan hotel.
Meals: Breakfast.
The day is all yours to enjoy in the city of Aswan.
On offer is the optional tour of the temple of Abu Simbel – about 300 km out of the city – the three temples of Abu Simbel stand tall and proud. Twice a year, on October 22 and February 22, the sunbeams reach the inner sanctums and light up three out of the four sculptures. The only one to remain unlit is that of the God of the Underworld, Ptah. The small temple, dedicated to the Goddesses Hathor and Nefertari is also unique, whereby, for the first time in Egyptian architecture, the statues of the Pharaoh and his wife are equal in stature.
Overnight on board Nile cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
We continue sailing to the city known as the ” open-air museum “ – Luxor. On route, we stop for an exciting tour of the Temple shared by two gods Sobek and Haeroris in Kom Ombo before we visit Edfu Temple.
Overnight on board Nile Cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
This morning, get ready for an early start to avoid the noontide heat of the Valley of the Kings. Here, you’ll go on a tour to explore several Tombs such as the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in the Valley of the Queens, and the Colossi of Memnon.
Overnight on board Nile Cruise.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner
Our first stop today will be the Karnak Temple – one of the largest temples in the world – wander the endless giant pillars before we head to Luxor Temple, our last stop of the day.
Later, we take a short flight Sharm el-Sheikh and transfer to Dahab – one of the most beautiful Red Sea resorts on the Sinai Peninsula.
Overnight in Dahab.
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy the peace at the beach of Sabah el kheir. Activities such as watersports or snorkelling in the delightfully warm blue waters of the Red sea.
Overnight in a hotel. (Breakfast)
Go snorkelling today – swim along with the colourful sea life and discover the underwater world. After we return you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours.
Overnight at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast.
We shall set off early this morning in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle to the small town of St Catherine. Marvel at the view from the top of the perch of the monastery looking upon Mount Sinai, widely known as Moses’s mountain, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. We will then visit St Catherine’s monastery, which dates back to 548 AD, named after Catherine of Alexandria – the monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Overnight at hotel in Dahab.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch.
On the road again back to the buzzing capital, Cairo. Upon leaving Dahab, we will drive to Sharm el Sheikh airport and fly back to Cairo. Your private driver will escort you to your chosen hotel to smoothly check in and enjoy your free afternoon to do as you please.
Overnight in hotel.
Meals: Breakfast.
Get ready to bid your farewell to Egypt as today our agent will take you to Cairo International Airport for your final departure.
Meals: Breakfast
Nile Cruise Dinner:
Depending on your arrival time, you can add a Nile Dinner Cruise to your schedule on-board a 5-star standard or deluxe Nile Cruise depending on your preference.
Sound and Light Show:
Depending on your arrival time, attend the Sound and Light show – the show is exhibited on the Giza Pyramids Plateau itself, a great way to get a glimpse of what awaits you tomorrow.
Sunrise Hot-Air Balloon ride over the ancient wonders of Luxor
Come and enjoy the splendors of the ancient historical sights of Luxor from the air. See this spectacular landscape from the unique viewpoint that only hot air ballooning can provide.
Egypt offers a wide variety of 3-star hotels. The prices range from $12 to $20 per person per night in a double room. I would suggest you check hotel directories for rates and locations. Backpacker services are not popular in Egypt, although a few are available.
The best time to visit Egypt is from October to May. It is the peak travel season, temperatures are milder though comparatively warmer than in the northern hemisphere. This is our High-Season with its two busiest periods: the Christmas/New Year period and the Easter Period, whereby hotels and cruises will put their prices up. This can mean that some hotels become really expensive, so making your reservations very early, even for the budget hotels, is strongly advised. The other 4 months are the low-season so to speak. May to September are the height of Egyptian summer, with very high temperatures, especially in Upper Egypt (Luxor and the southern parts of the country). However, this is the time for you to see Egypt in virtual peace and quiet, giving you the advantage of seeing the sites without any hassle either from school children or crowds of tourists.
Even though we arrange tours… the best BUDGET way is to do it yourself.
It is easier to sit back, have someone make all arrangements for you and just zip, worry-free from place to place (and some people wouldn’t do it any other way; it is a vacation after all LOL). But if you’re willing to put in the work, are flexible, easily adaptable, easy going and you’re willing to deal with haggling etc. it is not impossible to do Egypt without an operator.
In 10 days you can definitely visit three cities. You can even add Aswan in there. For most first-time visitors, 2 days in Cairo is enough. It is an overwhelming city, especially if you’re going about on your own.
If you’re going to do this yourself, I suggest at least securing ground transportation for the day. That can be a hired private car or taxi but you don’t want to be wasting time flagging down and haggling with taxis at every turn. Having pre-arranged transport will take lots of the hassle out of doing things yourself. Having a good guide book is essential but if you can, book a guide or two to break up the monotony and really help with understanding the sites and bringing them to life. There are many good budget hotels in Luxor, Cairo and Aswan, which can be booked on sites such as hostelworld.com. You pre-pay 10% of the booking when it’s made and then pay the rest on arrival. The hostels do tours as well.
If you’re a student, be sure to bring your ISIC card for 50% discount on tickets to the sites.
If you decide you need help arranging all or part of the trip, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Spend a couple of nights in Cairo, take the sleeper-train to Aswan, spend another two nights there while visiting Abu Simbel and the Philae Temple, maybe Kom Ombo too. Then you can take a cruise down the Nile to Luxor, spend two nights visiting the Valleys of the Kings and Queens and the Karnak Temple Complex. Then you can return to Cairo and from there head to a Red Sea resort, either on the Sinai Peninsula or the coast, for a few nights.
The high-season is October to May, making June to September (the summer months and the hottest) the low-season and therefore prices are at their lowest.
It has never been a problem, however you have to put up sometimes with annoying verbal harassment and this happens to Egyptian women as well. The best thing is to ignore and go on. It can sometimes get really irritating but reacting does not work. There is nothing forbidden in Egypt. You do not need to cover up or anything of the sort, yet to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to yourself, do please cover your shoulders and cleavage and do not wear shorts. It is just a matter of feeling comfortable and fitting in. Best footwear are sneakers as there is a lot of walking and it is dusty and sometimes the streets are in poor condition and dirty.
The ones recommended are: Yellow Fever (common to most parts of Africa), Tetanus and Hepatitis. Otherwise, just take the usual precautions when travelling to hot parts of the world. Drink bottled water, avoiding ice and unless you are in a well-known hotel and restaurant, avoid eating uncooked greens. Avoid roadside food stands. Bring a good insect repellent as the evenings might be full of mosquitoes. At all cost, avoid contact with street dogs, rabies is still a risk in Egypt. Make sure you have condoms on you, they are also available in all pharmacies. Carry a small medical kit for your needs, with painkillers and diarrhea tablets at hand at all times. We also advise you to carry a travel insurance.
On Organizing your Trip – Alone or in a couple or with friends and you wish to organize everything yourself, please let the hotel know of your plans before leaving. Should you get lost, the hotel will be able to act on your behalf. Also arm yourself with hotel address and telephone number, always, as you may need it. Be aware that you might be ripped-off. Like many tourist destinations, Egypt has its “wolves”, preying on unsuspecting, trustful travelers. Often the total cost will be more than if you had arranged it through a travel agent or your hotel and a lot less enjoyable.
On independent travel, for a first timer it is not advised. It much better to take a guide. You don’t need to book a package tour, groups can be arranged here. First and foremost, prepare yourself for a culture shock. Many seasoned travelers arrive and find it is unlike any other country they have previously visited.
On Dining Out, first time travelers are at a loss. It is best to seek out a hotel chain or a well-reviewed restaurant (ask around if you can) then you can be assured to get good, clean food. The price will be worth it. Never drink tap water! Wash and shower with it, but do not drink it.
On the Egyptian Language- Learn the basic words: La’ (no) and shukran (thank you). You will be needing them.
On Transportation – Taxis are a problem as they do not have a counter and pricing can be very tricky. Best is to use Uber or Careem or else have your hotel get you a cab and negotiate the price before you go on your ride.
In general, always take a bottle of water on your expedition. The heat will get to you.
Always carry local currency as it will make your life easier, especially when paying for groceries, taxis, touristic venues, museums and souvenirs. In big shops, restaurants and hotels you may use your credit cards.
On Tips – If you feel generous enough to tip one child, then expect to be followed by a hoard of others expecting to be tipped as well. Make sure you have a lot of small bills for such ventures as tipping is sort of expected and even the smallest bill (one pound) will be welcomed.
On Photography – Taking photos inside many temples is restricted, so please follow the advice of your guide and the keeper of the sites. In some places, please be aware that the government will charge you for taking photographs. Due to new policies put in place by the Ministry of Tourism, cameras are not permitted at all in the Valley of the Kings. Please exercise caution and respect when taking photographs of anything other than tourist sites. It is forbidden to take photographs of the police, anything of a military nature or indeed bridges, airports and public works. Respect should be given to Egyptian women, use discretion. Always ask permission before taking photos of people and expect to be asked for a tip in return.
On Clothing – Upon visiting mosques, please dress conservatively, i.e. half/long sleeved shirt and no shorts. In public areas, this would also be our advice. However, in some touristic areas such as the seaside, it perfectly fine to wear shorts and sleeveless shirts. Please remember to remove your footwear upon stepping into a mosque.
On Health – Bring a supply of your medication if you take any on a regular basis as well as a copy of your prescription. However, please be assured that your hotel or our staff will find you a specialized doctor should the need arise.
Egypt’s national airline is Egypt Air. Most major international airlines fly to Cairo.
Please check with your travel agent or your favourite travel website for more
information.
Please visit https://visacentral.com/egypt-visa
Please note your passport should be valid for 6 months after the end date of your visa.