Duration: 5 days · 4 nights
Starts from: Cairo
Group size: Up to 12 guests
Difficulty: Easy

Overview

A compact private trip: the Egyptian Museum, Giza and the Citadel in Cairo, both banks of Luxor in a day, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae on the way to Aswan, and Abu Simbel before you fly back.

If you only have five days, this trip fits in the sites most people come to Egypt for, with no wasted time. Your own guide and driver meet you at each stage, two short flights cover the long distances, and the hotels are simple, comfortable bases for early starts.

Your one full day in Cairo covers the Egyptian Museum, the pyramids and the Sphinx, the Citadel with its mosques and Joseph's Well, and Khan el-Khalili. Early the next morning you fly to Luxor for the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple, Luxor Temple and Karnak, all in one long day.

On day four you drive south along the Nile, stopping at Edfu and Kom Ombo, and reach Aswan in time for Philae. The last morning starts early with the road trip to Abu Simbel, about three and a half hours each way, before you fly back to Cairo.

Highlights

The Egyptian Museum, the Giza pyramids and the Sphinx
The Citadel and Khan el-Khalili
Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple
Karnak and Luxor Temple
Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae
The rock temples of Abu Simbel

Itinerary

1
Day 1
Arrival in Cairo
Our representative meets you at Cairo International Airport, whatever time you land, and drives you to your hotel. Check in and rest. Overnight in Cairo.
2
Day 2
Egyptian Museum, Giza, Citadel & Khan el-Khalili
An 8:00 pickup for the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square and its halls of statues, coffins and jewellery. Drive to Giza for the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure and the Sphinx, then up to the Citadel for the Mosque of Suleiman Pasha, the alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali and Joseph's Well. End in Khan el-Khalili and return to the hotel by about 17:00.
3
Day 3
Cairo → Luxor: West Bank & East Bank
A 4:00 pickup for the flight to Luxor, landing around 6:00. On the West Bank, visit the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Then cross to the East Bank for Luxor Temple and Karnak, with its avenue of sphinxes, hall of 134 columns, obelisks, sacred scarab and sacred lake. Overnight in Luxor.
4
Day 4
Luxor → Edfu → Kom Ombo → Aswan
Check out at 7:00 for the drive south in a private car. Stop at the Temple of Horus at Edfu and the double temple of Sobek and Haroeris at Kom Ombo, then reach Aswan in the afternoon for the island temple of Philae. Overnight in Aswan.
5
Day 5
Abu Simbel → fly to Cairo
An early departure for the drive of about three and a half hours to Abu Simbel. Spend around three hours at the Great Temple of Ramses II and the temple of Hathor and Queen Nefertari, then return to Aswan airport for the flight back to Cairo, where the trip ends.

What's included

Hotels: 2 nights in Cairo, 1 in Luxor and 1 in Aswan, 3-star with breakfast (4- and 5-star hotels on request at extra cost)
Domestic flights Cairo – Luxor and Aswan – Cairo
Private air-conditioned transfers and road journeys throughout, including Luxor – Aswan and Abu Simbel
Meet-and-assist at all airports
Private guide for all visits (English, Spanish or German)
Bottled water on every tour
Entry fees for all sites in the itinerary, including Abu Simbel
All taxes and service charges

Not included

International flights and Egypt visa
Lunches and dinners
Optional tours and personal expenses
Tips for guides and drivers
Travel insurance
Supplement for 4- or 5-star hotels

What to bring

Passport valid for at least six months
Comfortable walking shoes
Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
Clothes covering shoulders and knees for mosques
A warm layer for the very early starts

Pickup & meeting point

Arrival pickup at Cairo International Airport: our representative meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign, helps you through passport control and drives you to your hotel.

Children up to 11 pay the child rate