The Wonders of Ancient Egypt (10 days)

𓂀 Summary

• 9 Days in Cairo ― Luxor ― Aswan
• What you'll experience: 18 Attractions
  • The Great Pyramids of Giza
  • The Great Sphinx
  • The Egyptian Museum
  • Khan El-Khalili
  • Karnak Temple Complex
  • Luxor Temple
  • Hot Air Balloon Ride over Luxor
  • The Necropolis of Thebes
  • The Valley of the Kings (+ Tomb of Tutankhamun)
  • Deir El-Bahari (Hatshepsut's Temple Complex)
  • The Colossi of Memnon
  • Temple of Horus in Edfu
  • Temple of Kom Ombo
  • The Abu Simbel Temples (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • Elephantine Island
  • Mausoleum of Aga Khan
  • Aswan High Dam
  • The Temples of Philae

𓋹 Detailed Itinerary

Cairo, The Center of the World: Our capital is the entire world’s melting pot. It's the city where you can experience everything Experiencing Cairo will seem like you experienced the whole world through its different eras in a day.

Day 1: New York/Cairo Flight

• Your fascinating journey to Egypt begins today with an overnight flight to Cairo.

Day 2: Arriving at The Center of The World: Cairo

• Welcome to Cairo, our magnificent capital. Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met and assisted through customs and formalities by one of our representatives, then transferred to your hotel.

Day 3: Experiencing the Last Wonder of the World & Cairo's Treasures

• This morning, after enjoying a delicious breakfast, we'll embark on your journey to experience the world’s most iconic sights, the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. A private guide, driver, and expert Egyptologist will take you to see the first and only surviving wonder from the Seven Wonders of the World. You will approach the pyramids by camel and will be given the opportunity to take excellent photos and go inside the largest pyramid (optional). After you’ve been amazed, we'll visit the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (or the Grand Egyptian Museum, upon request), where you will experience the world’s greatest collection of artifacts and antiquities. After that, we’ll take you shopping at the world's oldest bazaar market, Khan El-Khalili, where you can buy various types of souvenirs. To cool off from the craze of this colorful market, we’ll take you to drink tea (and a hookah (optional)) at Cairo’s oldest cafe that served Napoleon's troops, El Fishawy, before calling it a day.

Luxor, The World’s Greatest Open-Air Museum: Home to an endless amount of palaces, temples, and monuments. Walking through Luxor will provide you with the experience that you're still in Ancient Egypt, with how well-preserved the temples and tombs are.

Day 4: Living the Ancient Egyptian Dream in Luxor

• Following a wholesome breakfast, your journey to Upper Egypt’s Luxor will commence. After hotel checkout, you will be accompanied by an English-speaking representative and begin your expedition with a private airport transfer. From there, you will board an exclusive charter for a swift 1-hour flight filled with unforgettable views from above. Upon arrival in Luxor, you will enjoy a private transfer to your cruise ship, which will be your home for the next three days. After settling in, getting accommodated with the ship, and enjoying an exquisite lunch aboard, you will disembark to explore the ancient city guided by a private Egyptologist. We'll take you to visit the renowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Karnak Temple Complex and the Luxor Temple to learn more about ancient Egypt’s fascinating history. You will begin by strolling along the Avenue of Sphinxes to enter the Karnak Temple complex, the center of Ancient Egypt's faith. Then, experience the Luxor Temple, one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in the world. At sundown, following your action-filled day, relish a delicious dinner on board your Nile cruise and savor an evening of relaxation, comfort, and entertainment.

Day 5: Entering the Magnificent Tombs of the Kings & Queens

• Begin the day with an optional early morning Hot Air Balloon ride situated in the midst of the sunrise overseeing the beauty and magnificence of Luxor, where a light breakfast and tea will be served. If you prefer to sleep in, you'll enjoy a delicious breakfast onboard your cruise when you wake up before meeting with your private guide to explore the West Bank of the Nile, home to some of Egypt's most spectacular sites. Beginning with the Necropolis of Thebes and the famous Valley of the Kings to explore the site where the tombs of 64 of Egypt's notable Pharaohs can be found carved out of solid rock, alongside the legendary Tomb of Tutankhamun. Then, explore Deir El-Bahari (Hatshepsut's Temple Complex), a grand temple built into cliffs that carries one of the most powerful and successful Pharoah Queens. After that, you'll conclude the day's adventure with a visit to the Colossi of Memnon, the massive twin statues that are the only remaining monuments of Amenhotep III's temple. Finally, you'll return to your ship to savor an elaborate lunch and enjoy the cruise as you sail upstream to Edfu for dinner and an overnight stay.

Aswan, The Magical Paradise of Nubia: Its unique beauty is unmatched, everywhere you look will seem like a colorful painting, whether it's the natural scenery or the beautiful architecture. Aswan will feel like a dream with its heavenly atmosphere.

Day 6: Cruise to Kom Ombo & Aswan

• After enjoying breakfast this morning, you will reunite with your private guide and disembark from your cruise ship to visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu, This temple dedicated to Horus (falcon god), is the second-largest temple in Egypt and is considered to be one of the best-preserved cult temples in Egypt. Then, sail south to the Temple of Kom Ombo, a unique double temple dedicated to Haroeris (sun god) and Sobek (crocodile god), the latter considered by some ancient Egyptians to be the creator of the world. While you're there, check out the rare crocodile mummies! After that, you will head back to the ship for an energy-reviving lunch, while sailing south to Aswan where you will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 7: Sailing down Magical Aswan through the Great Nile

• Wake up to an optional morning experience you wouldn't want to miss, the Abu Simbel Temples (UNESCO World Heritage Site), the grand twin temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari. Lunch will be served on the ship before you sail by felucca, a traditional wooden sailing boat, to catch mesmerizing views of Elephantine Island and the Mausoleum of Aga Khan before sailing back into Aswan for dinner and your final overnight stay on the ship.

Day 8: Philae Temple & High Dam, Flight to Cairo

• After your final breakfast on the ship, you will begin your quest to the impressive Aswan High Dam, a marvel of engineering when it was constructed. Then, to conclude your voyage, you will head to the enchanting Temples of Philae. After that, we'll escort you to Aswan's airport for a short flight back to Cairo where you will settle for the evening at your hotel.

Back in Cairo

Day 9: Back in Cairo for Leisure*

• We give you this day as an opportunity to explore Cairo on your own. That being said we can take you on additional experiences in Cairo or Alexandria today, please click on the "Optional Add-ons" tab below to see what we have in store for you!

Day 10: Goodbyes and Departure

• An Expo Egypt representative will escort you back to the Cairo International Airport. Thank you for choosing us to show you around Egypt, we hope to see you again when you can experience more of Egypt!

𓉱 Accommodation

• Steigenberger Pyramids hotel "Pyramids view room"
  • First 2 Nights in Cairo
• Solaris II or Royal Isadora or Princess Sarah or Blue Shadow
  • 4 Nights (Nile Cruise)
• Steigenberger El Tahrir hotel
  • Last 2 Nights in Cairo

𓅔 Included Services

• 17 meals
  • 8 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, and 4 Dinners
• English-speaking Tour Guide & Expert Egyptologist
• 24/7 Concierge Service
• International & Domestic Flights
• Airport Transfers and Customs Assistance
• Entry fees for all attractions and experiences

𓇌 Optional Add-Ons

National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NEMC) in Cairo

• Considered the crown jewel of the National Museum of Civilization, the royal mummies hall is designed to display the Ancient Kings and Queens of Egypt. The design aims to give visitors the feeling of strolling through the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, where the mummies were originally buried. The most famous Royal mummies such as Hatshepsut and Thutmose can be found here, making it home to some of the greatest and most unexpected discoveries in the history of global archaeology.

A Day in Alexandria: An Emperor’s Mediterranean Dream

• Alexandria, named after Alexander, the Great. When he came to the shores of this city with a few fishermen after conquering much of the world, he said "this is where I'll build my city that I have always dreamed of." It became the city that's the source of freedom and charm every morning and mystery at night according to Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz.

𓊖 Excluded Services

• Egypt's Entry Visa fee (However, we will assist you in attaining the visa).
• A stipend for your personal tipping
• Meals that aren't included in this experience

𓋖 Expo Egypt's Promise

We are proud to include this experience in our portfolio. We ensure that this experience, like every experience in our portfolio, is superior in quality, outstanding in service, and competitive in pricing. Expo Egypt checks competitor's pricing on a weekly basis to ensure we are providing the best price for each experience. In regards to quality and service, we take feedback on each experience seriously; if there is any slight problem or negative remarks regarding an experience, we will remove it from our portfolio. By booking this experience you can rest assured that you are going to partake in this experience with the best price, quality, and service.