Classical Egypt
PRIVATE TOUR: Discover the incredible wonders of ancient Egypt in nine exhilarating days - From the Pyramids of Giza, the only remaining ancient wonder of the world, to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. You'll visit the impressive Abu Simbel and enjoy a relaxing cruise, meandering the River Nile onboard a five star Nile Cruiser.
For a detailed itinerary and information about visas, money, weather and more download our Trip Notes
Tour overview
Itinerary
Day 1 Cairo
Day 1 Cairo
Welcome to Egypt and the start of your holiday! Arrival Cairo and included transfer to your hotel. The remainder of today is at your leisure to relax or explore Cairo your way. Consider heading out for dinner at one of the restaurants offering views over the Nile River and city, or head to the sound and light show at the pyramids this evening.
Day 2 Pyramids & Saqqara
Day 2 Pyramids & Saqqara
Today visit the last remaining ancient wonder of the world, the impressive Pyramids at Giza Plateau. Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks, it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. The other two - Chephren and Mycerinus are equally breathtaking, and all three Pyramids are truly a sight that can only be fully appreciated in person. Continue on to Memphis, where you will see the colossal statue of Ramses II before touring the tomb-strewn necropolis of Saqqara, featuring King Zhoser’s Step Pyramid. Constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC, this was the template for all future pyramid construction.
Day 3 Egyptian Museum
Day 3 Egyptian Museum
Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum this morning which houses a giant exhibition containing the treasures of King Tutankhamun. Many pieces on show are being displayed for the first time and artefacts have been brought together from across Egypt and the world to this one location. The museum also makes use of new technology including virtual reality. After your guided tour head over to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to see the mummies of mighty pharaohs on display in the Royal Mummies' Hall.
This afternoon visit the world famous Khan El Khalili Bazaar, with trinkets and delights to be found amongst the many shops and stalls located here. Then continue to The Citadel. This monumental Islamic-era fortification, in the heart of Cairo, was once the seat of government from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Here, you'll visit the beautiful Mosque of Muhammed Ali built in the 1830's, this impressive structure is made from alabaster stone and is a smaller version of the Blue Mosque found in Istanbul.
Please Note: the Grand Egyptian Museum is scheduled to open in late 2024, though an official opening date has yet to be released. If travelling prior to the opening of the new facility we'll visit the Egyptian Museum instead.
Day 4 Philae Temple & High Dam
Day 4 Philae Temple & High Dam
Cairo - Aswan. After breakfast take a short flight south to Aswan and transfer to your hotel. This afternoon visit the beautiful Philae Temple and Aswan High Dam. Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, was rescued in an enormous UNESCO effort in the 1970s. Due to high water levels in the reservoir created by the Old Aswan Dam, and further aquatic drama due to the creation of the mighty High Dam, Philae Temple was relocated stone by stone on higher ground on nearby Agilika Island.
Day 5 Abu Simbel
Day 5 Abu Simbel
Aswan - Abu Simbel - Aswan. It's an early start today as you board a short flight down south to explore the magnificent temples of Abu Simbel , created to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler King Ramses II. Guarding the entrance to the temple (built between 1290 and 1224 BC) hewn into the side of a mountain are four famous colossal statues of the pharaoh himself.
Returning to Aswan, you will have some free time to perhaps do some shopping in the colourful souqs and markets or simply relax in this attractive town which straddles the River Nile. This afternoon, board your luxury Nile cruiser for your 3 night Nile cruise
Days 6-7 Nile Cruise to Luxor
Days 6-7 Nile Cruise to Luxor
Nile Cruising. Spend the next two days relaxing aboard your luxury Nile Cruiser, taking in the riverside village views from the top deck, as well as exploring some of the exciting historical sites located along this stretch of the Nile. On day 6 moor up at the riverside and enjoy a visit to the waterside Temple of Kom Ombo. Consisting of two temples, one dedicated to the Crocodile-headed god Sobek and the other dedicated to the falcon god Horus.
On Day 7 reach the west bank of Luxor and enjoy a guided tour of the famous Valley of the Kings, where you can explore the lavishly decorated tombs of mighty pharaohs. Then visit the beautiful Temple of Hatshepsut and the towering Colossi of Memnon.
Day 8 Karnak & Luxor Temple
Day 8 Karnak & Luxor Temple
After a leisurely breakfast disembark your cruiser and visit Karnak Temple. Karnak is a spectacular myriad of sanctuaries, pylons, chapels, halls and obelisks, all dedicated to the Theban gods and to the greater glory of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdom rulers. Later explore Luxor Temple, dedicated to Amun, construction work on the temple began during the reign of Amenhotep III in the 14th century BC. Then continue to your hotel later today, where the rest of the day is at leisure.
Day 9 Flight to Cairo
Day 9 Flight to Cairo
Today marks the end of your incredible journey through Egypt. A transfer will be provided to take you to Luxor Airport to meet your flight to Cairo, where your tour ends. Should you wish to book another night to explore more of the city, please enquire.
For information about visas, top travel tips and much more, take a look through our travel guide.
Tour Highlights
Included
Not Included
Prices & Dates
Hotels
The Sonesta Hotel & Casino is a sophisticated and luxurious hotel offering spacious, en-suit rooms with opulent furnishings. Enjoy a cocktail at the poolside bar or indulge in a relaxing massage or Turkish steam bath at the full-service spa. With 5 restaurants located within the hotel you'll be spoilt for choice over dining options.
Situated on Elephantine Island, the Movenpick is a luxurious hotel with stunning views of the Nile River. There is a range of spacious and luxurious rooms with stylish furnishings, private balconies or terraces and a great selection of amenities including WiFi, satellite TV and tea/coffee making facilities. The Movenpick offers three restaurants as well as the Lounge Bar and Panorama Bar. Guests can also make use of the outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts.
Deluxe Nile cruise boats are elegant, luxurious boats with spacious cabins and an excellent range of facilities. You'll have the opportunity to relax as your cruise boat meanders along this famous river. Enjoy delicious dining experiences coupled with incredible views of the villages and vistas that dot the river bank.
The Steigenburger Nile Palace is a grand hotel and stylishly furnished, with many rooms overlooking the Nile River. The hotel has a health club with massage rooms, sauna, steam room and fitness room, and a tennis court on the roof, not to mention a riverside pool. Its four restaurants offer a choice between Nubian, Lebanese, Italian, and Thai cuisine.
An elegant and luxurious classical hotel, the Sonesta's sophistication will ensure you a comfortable stay. The hotel has a sweeping terrace with fantastic views of the Nile, a grand entrance of polished marble and handsomely appointed furnishings with exquisite detail and a beautiful health spa. All its rooms offer views of the city or the river, complemented by a wide range of restaurants and cafes. Just minutes away you will find the temples at Luxor and Karnak, home to two of ancient Egypt's most famed sanctuaries.
Tour Reviews
Classical Egypt - 9 DaysPRIVATE TOUR: Discover the incredible wonders of ancient Egypt in nine exhilarating days - From the Pyramids of Giza, the only remaining ancient wonder of the world, to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. You'll visit the impressive Abu Simbel and enjoy a relaxing cruise, meandering the River Nile onboard a five star Nile Cruiser.Private911210Accommodation - hotels were excellent but the Nile cruiser was fairly ordinary. Food - The only food provided was the Nile Cruiser and breakfasts at the hotels. The standard of the food on the cruiser was ordinary, all buffet. Local transport was very good and the drivers were very professional and handled the local driving conditions well. Cairo guide was outstanding, good English great knowledge but knew when to back off and let us do our own exploring and gave us enough time to look at our own pace. The other guides were good as well although there was a bit of a push to go to some local outlets that were OK but not really our thing i.e. natural oils etc. Your guidance note about the On The Go representative was confusing as it indicates that there was only one when in fact there were three, Cairo, Aswan and Luxor so the tipping guidance was not appropriate, Communication - there needs to be a big improvement in communication around daily activities and also in our situation, details of the flights that have been arranged i.e. we only found out the day before we were due to fly from Luxor to Cairo what time the flight left Luxor. This was important as we had to catch a flight to Dubai. The biggest negative issue is the tipping: it just seemed that everyone had their hand out for something and while your notes do say it is part of the culture it is not part of our culture
Classical Egypt - 9 DaysPRIVATE TOUR: Discover the incredible wonders of ancient Egypt in nine exhilarating days - From the Pyramids of Giza, the only remaining ancient wonder of the world, to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. You'll visit the impressive Abu Simbel and enjoy a relaxing cruise, meandering the River Nile onboard a five star Nile Cruiser.Private911210Overall our first experience with our quide was very good had experience with company rep insisting and pressure to tip in Cairo we then flew to Aswan our second quide we found him pleasant But he put so much pressure on tipping every single person it made our experience with him un bearable we felt because we were 2 females traveling without husbands he put extra pressure on us to tip he made our Aswan experience uncomfortable and didn't enjoy that part of our trip
Classical Egypt - 9 DaysPRIVATE TOUR: Discover the incredible wonders of ancient Egypt in nine exhilarating days - From the Pyramids of Giza, the only remaining ancient wonder of the world, to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. You'll visit the impressive Abu Simbel and enjoy a relaxing cruise, meandering the River Nile onboard a five star Nile Cruiser.Private911210The tour was fantastic. Well organised and our tour guides Donny (in Cairo) and Mohammed (in upper Egypt) were absolutely sensational ; I couldn’t rate them higher, and because of them I’d definitely recommend this tour to friends !! Brilliant
Classical Egypt - 9 DaysPRIVATE TOUR: Discover the incredible wonders of ancient Egypt in nine exhilarating days - From the Pyramids of Giza, the only remaining ancient wonder of the world, to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. You'll visit the impressive Abu Simbel and enjoy a relaxing cruise, meandering the River Nile onboard a five star Nile Cruiser.Private911210My husband, Tibor and I recently returned to Australia from an On the Go tour of Egypt. We were very grateful to On theGo Tours for the way in which we were looked after but I want to recognise one of our guides in particular. Our guide from Aswan to Luxor was Dr Mohammed Hosny and he was absolutely fantastic. We found him to be incredibly knowledgeable, something that we value very highly, and also prepared to discuss any of the issues that we raised. He went out of his way to look after us and to meet our needs and when I contacted him to arrange something outside our itinerary, he was very accommodating and ensured that he was there to look after us. I can't commend him highly enough. Many thanks once again
Classical Egypt - 9 DaysPRIVATE TOUR: Discover the incredible wonders of ancient Egypt in nine exhilarating days - From the Pyramids of Giza, the only remaining ancient wonder of the world, to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. You'll visit the impressive Abu Simbel and enjoy a relaxing cruise, meandering the River Nile onboard a five star Nile Cruiser.Private911210[New testimonial]I just wanted to say that we so enjoyed our recent holiday to Egypt with On-the-Go. All the arrangements were very smooth and there were no disruptions or issues on our whole tour. The boat Princess Sarah which took us from Aswan to Luxor was clean but I would say tired however the staff were excellent. We loved the Movenpick Hotel in Aswan and the Sonesta St George in Luxor and ideally we would have spent an extra night in either of those hotels and one less night on the boat. I would like to particularly recommend our guides who were fantastic. Both were incredibly knowledgeable and personable and really helped us understand and appreciate the sites we were visiting. We had Nash in Cairo and then Dr Mo Hosny from Aswan to Luxor. Dr Hosny had worked researching for 5 years at Karnak Temple and so had incredible knowledge to share with us. However he was also very good at providing simple explanations and key information to take away. We would recommend OntheGo to anyone wanting an more adventurous holiday. Some people commented to us before we went that we were brave to go to Egypt but we felt very safe for the whole tour.
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