Festive King Tut

Welcome to Cairo, Egypt's bustling capital. You will be met at Cairo Airport and transferred to our start hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, or those arriving early may wish to book our Backstreets of Cairo tour which visits lesser known highlights of the capital including Tahrir Square, the hub of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.

You may also extend your stay in Cairo with our pre or post tour accommodation or tour add-ons like our Alexandria Day Trip.

Today we visit to the legendary Pyramids of Giza, sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World followed by the iconic Sphinx nearby. We continue to a government supervised papyrus emporium, followed by Saqqara to see King Zhoser's Step Pyramid - the first known pyramid ever built. After the tour we return to Cairo and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Cairo - Aswan. This morning we join our guided tour of the incredible new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. This vast 490,000 sq.m complex showcases an astonishing collection of artefacts from nearly every period of ancient Egyptian history. Among the highlights are treasures of King Tutankhamun, with plans for his famous solid gold funerary mask to eventually be showcased here, alongside many items being exhibited for the first time.

Later, we make our way to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which remains home to a vast collection of statues, jewellery, and sarcophagi. Here, we’ll see the well-preserved mummies of Yuya and Thuyu, high-ranking nobles and the great-grandparents of King Tutankhamun. Some mummies are so well preserved they still have thick locks of hair and visible fingernails. After our excursion, we return to the hotel to enjoy some free time by the pool before boarding our overnight sleeper train to Aswan.

Arrive into Aswan and check into our hotel. We then take a leisurely boat trip to romantic Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and rescued under an enormous UNESCO effort in the 1970s to save the temple from the rising waters of the High Dam. Upon returning to Aswan we visit a perfume oil emporium and as night falls, there is free time to shop in the colourful souqs or simply relax and watch an amazing sunset.

Aswan - Nile felucca sailing. Optional early morning excursion to the magnificent rock-cut Temples of Abu Simbel, built by mighty King Ramses II. This afternoon, we board our Nile felucca for a 2 night voyage downstream on the River Nile. Relax and chat with new friends as the felucca gently plies its route. Stops are made en route for swimming and visiting local villages.

If sailing by felucca is not your style, consider upgrading to a 5 star luxury Nile Cruise, please see 'Cruise Upgrade Prices & Dates' tab above for details.

Nile felucca sailing - Kom Ombo. Relax, go for a swim or just chill out in the sun on deck. Let your troubles melt away, as the felucca plies its route. In the afternoon we dock near Kom Ombo and take a motorboat to visit the temple before returning to the felucca for the night.

Kom Ombo - Luxor. This morning we disembark and drive to Luxor for check-in to our 5 star hotel. The afternoon is free for swimming or relaxing by the pool. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Queens and the gigantic Temple of Karnak, 4000 year old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Tonight, we have the opportunity to visit Luxor Temple with dinner afterwards. Built by Amenhotep III, Luxor Temple looks stunning at night when it's illuminated by hundreds of lights (book/pay locally). Remainder of the evening is at leisure.

Luxor - Cairo. This morning we venture to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. Highlights of the visit include the Colossi of Memnon, a massive pair of statues that stand silent against the backdrop of history, the Valleys of the Kings and the awesome ramped and colonnaded Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.

The Valley of the Kings is studded with often highly decorated tombs, constructed to once house the regal sarcophagi enclosed mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting passage into the after-life. This afternoon after lunch and time to relax we visit the colossal Temple of Karnak. Lose yourself in the stone-columned Hypostyle Hall and go crazy with your camera. This is ancient Egypt! Tonight we return by overnight sleeper train to Cairo.

This morning we arrive into Cairo and check into our hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore Egypt’s bustling capital your way. Consider visiting the famous Khan el Khalili Bazaar to pick up some souvenirs or admire the imposing Citadel of Saladin.

Our amazing holiday comes to an end and we bid farewell to our guide and fellow travellers. Included airport departure transfer.

For information about visas, top travel tips and much more, take a look through our travel guide.