Egypt Encompassed

Day 1 Tour starts in Cairo

Our journey begins in Cairo this evening. Due to the arrival time of the suggested group flight there are no activities or meals included today. Those on the suggested group flights will arrive in the late evening and be met and transferred to our hotel.

Day 2 Cairo

We begin our day with a guided tour of the old Islamic district where we’ll visit the main Citadel (Al-Qalaa), a crusader-style fortress dating from the time of Saladin and home to Egypt's rulers for almost 700 years. From here we’ll visit the Coptic area of Cairo to see the Hanging Church, considered the most beautiful church in all of Egypt. Housing some buildings that date back as far as the 6th century BC, this area of the Old City is one of the most beautiful and fascinating in all of Cairo. Not only home to Christian monuments, here we’ll come across all three Abrahamic religions as we also see a number of important Islamic monuments. After enjoying a delicious lunch in a local restaurant, we continue on to spend some time wandering along the vibrant El Moaz Street, considered by some to have the greatest concentration of medieval Islamic architecture anywhere in the world.

Day 3 Cairo

Starting our busy day with an early breakfast, we will first drive to the much-anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum. Known locally as GEM, this museum has long been in the making, with plans first announced in 2002, after which a number of setbacks and delays followed. The museum claims to be the largest archaeological museum complex in the world, with over 100,000 different artefacts on display, and stands as a fantastic introduction to our trip. After spending the morning at the museum, we then move on to the awe-inspiring Pyramids of Giza, one of the most spectacular sites in the world. As the royal burial ground for Memphis (ancient capital of Egypt), here we can view the three pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus from a panoramic viewpoint, as well as the sphinx. If there is time we might also get the chance to go inside one of the Pyramids, before crossing back over the Nile to Cairo where we will spend the rest of the evening.

Please note: If the Grand Museum is not yet open, we will visit the Egyptian Museum on DAY 2 (alongside some of the sites already noted for this day) and this morning we’ll visit Saqqara and Memphis before heading to the Pyramids of Giza

Day 4 Cairo - Alexandria

Today we set off north and drive to Egypt’s second largest city and largest port, Alexandria. En route we will visit the centuries-old monasteries of Wadi El Natrun, which played a key role in the history of the Coptic Christian Church, as well as stop at a local farm where we can learn more about farming in this area and enjoy a delicious freshly-cooked lunch. Arriving into Alexandria in the afternoon, we can then enjoy an introductory walk around the downtown area, including the Corniche, where from afar we can admire the Citadel of Qaitbay, Alexandria's 15th century defensive fortress and once one of the most important defensive structures in the Mediterranean. Founded by Alexander the Great in 332BC, this great city was once the capital of Greco-Roman Egypt and rivalled Rome itself, before falling into decline in the 4th century AD. After a revival in the 19th century, the city was developed into a major port linking it to the River Nile, and Alexandria soon became the focus of Egypt’s commercial and maritime expansion, attracting thousands of Europeans to come and settle here.

Day 5 Alexandria

Today we will explore some of the city’s treasures, starting with a visit to the Library of Alexandria. Once the largest and most important library in the ancient world, here we will find a selection of in-house museums and art galleries worth a visit, as well as simply admiring the modern architecture of this unique building. From here we move on to the National Museum, which houses items found in Alexandria and artefacts from ancient Egyptian, Classical and Christian cultures. The last stop will be the Royal Jewellery Museum located in an early 20th century palace, owned by the Muhammad Ali Dynasty. The museum contains countless priceless jewels, jewellery and 19th century art.

Day 6 Alexandria - Cairo - Aswan

This morning we explore the vast burial site of the Catacombs of Kom Shuqqafa (2nd Century AD), a series of tombs dug deep into the rock. Nearby we’ll then visit the Roman Amphitheatre at Kom al Dikka which houses a small theatre, assembly hall, residential area and bathing complex. After lunch, we jump on a train back south to Cairo, arriving in time to connect with our overnight train to Aswan. We will have dinner on board the train and settle in for our overnight journey south.

Day 7 Aswan

After enjoying breakfast on the train, we arrive into Aswan where we will be met and transferred to our Nubian guesthouse. After a delicious lunch we then have the afternoon to relax or explore at leisure. The guesthouse is a lovely place to unwind, or you might want to visit the nearby Botanical Gardens or interesting Nubian Museum. Later this afternoon we then pay a visit to Aswan’s souq, a treasure trove of all kinds of different goods, from spices and peanuts to henna powder and flowers, as well as carpets, talismans, and much more. After enjoying dinner around the market we return to the guesthouse for the evening.

Day 8 Aswan

Today we can really soak up the magic of the Nile as we board a felucca and set sail north. This is a wonderful way to see the area and to observe life on the river. Stopping to explore further, we walk through a village north of Aswan where we can then enjoy a home-cooked lunch hosted by a local family, before spending the afternoon slowly floating back upriver to Aswan.  

Day 9 Aswan - Abu Simbel

After breakfast we will take to the road and drive south to Abu Simbel, arriving in time for lunch. In the afternoon we’ll head out for a tour of the impressive Temple of Rameses II and the accompanying (but more modest) temple built for his favourite wife, Queen Nefertari. Originally sculpted into the rock face, amazingly these vast temples were cut into pieces, relocated to higher ground and then reconstructed during the reign of President Nasser - so to prevent them being lost to Lake Nasser when the land flooded after the construction of the Aswan high dam further north. In the evening we will enjoy the sound and light show at the temple (subject to demand) before spending the night in a traditional guesthouse.

Day 10 Abu Simbel - Aswan

After breakfast we’ll drive back to Aswan. We should arrive in time for lunch, after which we will visit some of the local sites. We begin with a visit to the High Dam, an engineering miracle built in the 1960s to regulate the flow of the Nile, which today provides irrigation and electricity for the whole of Egypt. From here we move on to the beautiful island temple of Isis on Philae, as well as the colossal unfinished obelisk in Aswan’s nearby stone quarries. It was unfortunately abandoned when a flaw was found, but had the obelisk been completed it would have reached a height of nearly 36 metres and weighed in at a hefty 1,320 tons. Dinner will be at the guesthouse this evening.

Day 11 Aswan - Kom Ombo - Edfu - Luxor

We set off by road for Luxor today, first visiting the riverside temple of Kom Ombo, the only temple in the Nile Valley that is dedicated to two gods - Haroeris and Sobek. From here we continue north to Edfu, enjoying spectacular scenery as it changes from desert to lush greenery. This remarkably well-preserved temple is the largest in the Nile Valley after Karnak. Supposedly built on the site of the final battle between the Gods Horus and Seth, the temple was built in the 3rd century BC and lay buried under sand for centuries before being unearthed by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in the 1860s. We arrive in Luxor late afternoon where we check in and then head out for dinner.

Day 12 Luxor

Today we have an early start as we prepare to take in the exceptional sites of the West Bank. After crossing the River Nile by boat we first visit the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. We will then visit the Temple of Hatshepsut, before moving on to the Tomb of the Nobles. After lunch at a local restaurant we will continue our explorations to the Valley of the Workers, also known as Dier Al Madina, before finishing in the Valley of the Queens. Late afternoon we return to our hotel where we can enjoy an evening at leisure.

Day 13 Luxor

Heading north by road this morning, we follow the Nile Valley towards the Greco-Roman temple of Dendera, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. Built during the Ptolemaic period, the complex is dominated by the Temple of Hathor, dedicated to the Egyptian goddess of love and motherhood and built by the later rulers of Egypt to legitimise their claim over the pharaonic crown. The temple’s famous zodiac map, which dates back to the 1st century BC and now resides in the Louvre, was a victim of Napoleonic treasure hunters in the early years of the 19th century. Returning to Luxor we then have lunch at a local restaurant before enjoying some downtime. Late afternoon, we’ll end the day at the magnificent Luxor Temple, an awesome testament to the power and wealth of the ancient pharaohs, before exploring the local market and having dinner.

Day 14 Luxor

Waking early to enjoy sunrise at Karnak offers the chance to explore this vast and hugely impressive temple before the crowds arrive. Returning to our hotel for breakfast we’ll then set off to a local farm where we can enjoy some cooking alongside our local hosts, before sitting down to savour our well-earned culinary delights. This afternoon is then free to relax at the hotel or explore at leisure, before meeting this evening for our final dinner.

Day 15 Tour ends in Luxor

The tour ends after breakfast at the hotel.