King Ramses - 13 days

Welcome to Egypt! Upon arrival in Cairo you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or those arriving early can opt to join our optional Backstreets of Cairo tour which departs the hotel at 10am.

If you'd like to extend your stay in Egypt we also offer a pre or post tour [[Day Trip to Alexandria. |122837]]

Bright and early this morning set off on a guided tour to see Ancient Egypt's most famous site: the iconic Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Known as Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus, the pyramids were already more than 2,000 years old. Next we explore the sand-strewn tombs and temples of the ancient necropolis of Saqqara, home to the Zhoser’s step pyramid. A visit to a government supervised Papyrus Museum will also be made at some point during today.

Cairo - Aswan. We take a guided tour of the vast new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza this morning. In this incredible 490,000 sq.m complex we'll discover a mind-boggling array of relics and antiquities from almost every period of ancient Egyptian history. Arguably the most famous exhibit is the spectacular funerary mask of King Tutankhamun. Made of solid gold and weighing 11kg, the mask was found covering the head of mummy, where it lay inside a series of 3 sarcophagi.

Continuing our tour, we travel on to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization where the mummies of ancient Egyptian pharaohs are now on display in the Royal Mummies' Hall. Some of the mummies you will see are so well preserved, they still have thick locks of hair, visible finger nails! Then there's time to relax back at the hotel before we board the night train to Aswan this evening.

Please Note: the Grand Egyptian Museum is scheduled to open in late 2022, 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.

Aswan. After arrival into Aswan and hotel check-in we enjoy a boat trip to Agilika Island where we visit the Temples of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and then we visit a perfume oil emporium back in Aswan. Spend the remainder of the evening at your own leisure; shop in the colourful souqs or simply kick back and relax.

Aswan - Nile felucca cruise. Early birds can go on an optional excursion to the majestic Temple of Abu Simbel. The gargantuan rock-cut temple at Abu Simbel was created to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler King Ramses II. Guarding the entrance to the temple, the four colossal statues of Ramses II sit majestically, staring out across the desert. In the afternoon we board a felucca for a 2-night journey downstream the River Nile, stopping at villages and islands along the way.

If sailing by felucca is not your style, consider upgrading to a 5 star luxury Nile Cruise, please see the tab above for prices. For more information about Nile Cruising please click [[here|130530]].

Spend a relaxing day sailing the Nile. Admire the views, go for a swim and 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, which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek, before returning to the felucca for the night.

Kom Ombo - Luxor. This morning we disembark and continue to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Enjoy some rest and relaxation. Tonight, an optional visit to the Temple of Luxor is available alternatively, enjoy the facilities of our hotel.

Luxor. This morning we explore the West Bank of the Nile and the legendary Valley of the Kings. Marvel at Colossi of Memnon, the massive stone remains of the temple of Amenophis III, and explore the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and surrounding tombs.

After lunch we visit the Temple of Karnak, a spectacular religious complex dedicated to the gods, and built on a gigantic scale. Here you can get lost wandering around the stone papyrus columns. The rest of the evening is at leisure.

Luxor - Hurghada. Departing Luxor we drive east to Hurghada, which is part of the beautiful Red Sea Riviera for 3 days on the beach!

The next 2 days are free to explore Hurghada or simply relax. Today there's an optional day trip to Giftun Island for swimming and snorkelling, which can be booked locally.

Hurghada is one of the Red Sea's most popular resorts and it is easy to see why. Hotels and expanded infrastructure provide holidaymakers with excellent aquatic facilities for sail boarding, yachting, deep-sea fishing, SCUBA diving and snorkeling. Hurghada’s central location provides a gateway to prime offshore reefs, which are some of the finest in the world. Hurghada also has plenty of restaurants and late night bars for evening entertainment. Just outside Hurghada is an ancient Roman quarry called Mons Porphyritis and Port Safarga – a famously windy place which is ideal for windsurfing.

Hurghada - Cairo. This morning we drive to Cairo. The remainder of today is free for you to relax or explore Egypt’s capital at leisure. You can opt to join us on a visit to Khan el Khalili bazaar, the ideal place for some last minute souvenir shopping.

Cairo. After breakfast, hotel check-out and onward transfer to the airport.