Would you like to discover the great monuments of the Pharaonic era without returning home exhausted? And would you like to add a cruise to your trip? Then this itinerary might be an interesting proposal: it is a tour of Egypt and the Red Sea that includes several days on the waters of the Nile River with maximum comfort on board, concluding the program in the coastal city of Hurghada. Without a doubt, a very balanced package between culture and relaxation to fully enjoy the country.
The 10 days of this tour through Egypt, the Red Sea, and the Nile aboard a cruise are meticulously designed to make the most of each day efficiently, while also allowing free time for relaxation. In any case, Egipto Exclusivo is an agency specializing in tailor-made trips, so we will make any modifications you need: extend or reduce the number of days, change the route, or add monuments of your interest. We will make your trip a completely personalized experience!
Egipto Exclusivo is an inbound travel agency specializing in tailor-made and private trips throughout Egypt. We design your itinerary putting all our heart and knowledge into a destination we love and know in depth. We will take into account your tastes and preferences so that you live a unique experience you will never forget.
Don’t hesitate any longer; just enjoy, and let us do what we are most passionate about and best at: preparing all the details. And if you have any questions, you will always be attended to and advised, before, during, and after your trip.
The objective of the first day of this tour through Egypt and the Red Sea is simply to arrive smoothly and acclimatize to the country. Our agency will assist you with this, as we will offer our services from the moment you land at Cairo International Airport. A member of our Spanish-speaking staff will meet you at the terminal to assist with visa procedures, and then escort you to our private air-conditioned vehicle. Our driver will be waiting there to take you to your hotel, located in the center of Cairo.
Once at the hotel, you will proceed with the usual check-in to take possession of your rooms. Additionally, our representative will provide you with all the information you need, answering any questions about this Egypt tour: “Is everything included in the Red Sea?” “What about on the cruise?” “What excursions are planned?” These are some of the questions we answer on this page, but you can delve into them as much as necessary at that moment.
Breakfast this morning is included in the package, as it is on the remaining days of the tour, and will be served at the hotel. Afterwards, our driver will be waiting at the door to depart for the guided tour of the Giza necropolis, an archaeological site located about 10 km from the center of Cairo.
In the Giza necropolis, the Pyramids of Khufu (or Cheops), Khafre (or Chephren), and Menkaure stand out above all else. The largest is the first, and the third is the smallest. They are named after the pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty who, around 2500 BC, promoted them as burial sites with maximum security, to preserve their mummies and continue eternal life in the Afterlife. This will be perfectly understood with the interior visit to each of them, which is part of the program.
In this royal necropolis, one of several that the city of Memphis had when it was the capital during the Old Kingdom, there are also other imposing monuments. Especially the Great Sphinx of Giza, which may represent Pharaoh Khafre. Its enormous physiognomy, half lion and half human, protects the enclosure and, at the same time, will pose for your camera to complete a photo you will remember for a lifetime. In addition to the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx, our guide will help you discover other corners of the site, such as the Valley Temple.
All of this undoubtedly constitutes one of the highlights of the program, as these are probably the most famous monuments in the world. It was already so in antiquity, when the Pyramid of Khufu was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. And it remains so today, as the entire complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In fact, the Giza Pyramids have been a source of inspiration for another current icon: the Grand Egyptian Museum, located very close to the necropolis. We will visit it right after, and it will provide a more modern and complete experience of Ancient Egypt, as it exhibits treasures such as those from Tutankhamun’s tomb, but also pieces from the Middle Kingdom or the Ptolemaic era. Without a doubt, a place that deserves a guided tour to make the most of this collection of almost 20,000 pieces on permanent display.
Lunch is included on this day and will be at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will return to Cairo, where you will spend another night at the hotel.
The third day is entirely dedicated to Cairo and will probably be the busiest of this Egypt tour: in the Red Sea, you will enjoy the beach, and on the Nile cruise, a relaxing journey, but in the country’s capital, you will perceive the frantic pace of this megalopolis of over 10 million people. In any case, it will be worth it, as its urban core preserves great tourist attractions, essential on any trip.
We will set out to discover them after the corresponding breakfast at the hotel. The first stop will be the Citadel of Saladin, a spectacular military complex located on the Mokattam Hills, with privileged panoramic views of the city. Since its construction (12th century) and throughout the following centuries, the complex has been expanded and embellished, reaching its zenith with the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, promoted by Muhammad Ali in the 19th century. This temple is open to visitors, and by exploring its interior, you will understand why it is considered one of the most majestic in the country.
You will also be accompanied on a tour of Old Cairo, an area also designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Islamic Quarter, which emerged after the Arab conquest in the 7th century, houses imposing buildings and genuine corners. For example, the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, one of the largest, most famous, and authentic in the entire Middle East.
The Coptic Quarter, for its part, also harbors places of enormous significance, as it is believed that the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and the Child Jesus stayed here during their Flight into Egypt. Now, the sites that sheltered them are revered as sacred, such as the Cave Church in the Monastery of Saint Simon or the Church of Saint George: these are sites worth discovering to understand the different religious sentiments that exist in the capital, beyond the majority Muslim faith.
On such a full day, a local gastronomy restaurant could not be missed, which our agency will reserve and is included in the package. And for sleeping, once again, the Cairo hotel where you are staying.
On the fourth day of the tour, we will leave behind the bustling capital and its surroundings to travel to the far south: after breakfast at the hotel, we will pick you up for the transfer to the airport in our private vehicle. There, you will take a flight that, in about an hour and a half, will transport you to Aswan.
At the airport in this other city, another Egipto Exclusivo vehicle will be waiting for you, with a driver and official guide. And the immediate destination of the transfer is the Temple of Isis at Philae. It is undoubtedly one of the monuments of Ancient Egypt where magic is very present. And not only because the goddess worshipped here was the patroness of this occult science, but also because of its successful combination of architecture and landscaping. Until the 20th century, it was on the island of Philae, at which point the rising waters of the Nile due to the Aswan Dam forced the entire complex to be moved to this other islet, Agilkia. And the original landscape was reproduced, in which riverside vegetation and river water embrace the complex, considered the last great work of that civilization.
After the guided visit, we will transfer you to the boat where you will take the cruise the following day. Therefore, it will be time for check-in to take possession of your cabins, which will offer you rest tonight and for the next two nights. Lunch and dinner, by the way, will also be on board the boat, as you will enjoy full board during these days.
Meanwhile, the afternoon will be free in Aswan, which is a magnificent opportunity to discover this city where the Nubian people from the south have left their clear mark. The colorful houses of their villages are an attraction in themselves, as are
its museums, Elephantine Island, and its Unfinished Obelisk, among other places you can explore in the time between lunch and dinner.
The free time from the previous afternoon in Aswan can be extended into the morning of the fifth day, either to visit the city or to enjoy the first-class services on board the boat. Among these services is, of course, breakfast. The other proposal is no less interesting: an optional road trip to Abu Simbel.
Should you choose this second option, we will take you in a comfortable vehicle to visit this imposing site, composed of two monuments from the time of Ramses II. This famous pharaoh had it built to show the strength of his reign to the neighboring Nubians to the south and also to elevate himself to the status of a god, as can be understood from the colossal statues on the facade. His favorite wife, Nefertari, is also a protagonist in the adjacent temple. Both constructions, by the way, also had to be moved stone by stone to their current location, as the Aswan Dam and the resulting Lake Nasser would have submerged them forever.
Whichever option is chosen, both proposals converge in the afternoon: after lunch on board, the navigation along the Nile River begins. The journey thus offers an exceptional viewpoint to discover this region, known as Upper Egypt, with fertile plains, green islands, lush riverbanks, and calm waters.
While enjoying the surrounding view, the boat will reach its first stop: Kom Ombo. Its two main attractions are on the same bank: its Ptolemaic-era temple and its Crocodile Museum. The former is a magnificent sacred enclosure, some structures of which are preserved, spectacularly decorated with reliefs. Many of them depict Sobek, one of the gods worshipped here: he was a symbol of fertility and was represented with crocodile features, an animal very numerous in past times. Both aspects explain the creation of the aforementioned museum, with mummified crocodile specimens and many other pieces featuring this animal.
After the visit, you will return to the boat and continue the journey. Dinner will be served on board, as will the overnight rest when the cruise reaches the river port of Edfu, about 60 km from Kom Ombo.
The morning of the sixth day begins with breakfast on board the cruise and, afterwards, a visit to the Temple of Edfu, considered by many to be the best-preserved temple of Ancient Egypt. What is undeniable is its enormous size, making it the second largest, only behind the Karnak complex. Dedicated to Horus, omnipresent in the temple with his characteristic falcon representation, it houses impressive spaces and elements, such as its grand entrance pylons.
Back on the boat, there will be time for lunch and to continue downstream, which will require us to cross the famous Esna Lock. Shortly after, we will reach the next destination, where we will spend the night: Luxor. Before that, there will be time to discover the city’s two great monuments: the Temple of Luxor and the Temple (or Temples) of Karnak. It should be remembered that this city was built on ancient Thebes, the capital of Ancient Egypt for many centuries. For this reason, and for being the seat of the powerful Clergy of Amun-Ra, there are numerous points of interest, grouped under the UNESCO World Heritage designation.
Both temples were connected by an imposing avenue of sphinxes, over 2.5 km long. And in both temples, spectacular hypostyle halls, historic obelisks, entrance pylons, and open courtyards are preserved. But as we said before, Karnak is larger, housing other smaller temples within its complex.
After this tour along the East Bank of the Nile River, it will be time for dinner on board and an overnight rest, while the boat remains docked in Luxor port.
Luxor’s attractions are not only on the East Bank. On the contrary, some of the most fascinating are on the West Bank, and we will take you to discover them on the morning of the seventh day of this Egypt tour. The Red Sea, by the way, will be awaiting your arrival at the end of the day.
After breakfast on board, you will enjoy a tour of the bank where the sun set, a fact laden with religious significance in Pharaonic civilization. For this reason, the monarchs of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties chose the Valley of the Kings as their necropolis. We will visit the most representative and spectacular tombs, where colorful murals and sarcophagi that once contained royal mummies are preserved. The Colossi of Memnon and the mortuary temple of Queen-Pharaoh Hatshepsut are other stops marked on this route.
After a morning filled with cultural visits, we will return to the boat for check-out and continue with the program of this Egypt tour, with the Red Sea now in sight. We will now travel by road in a comfortable private vehicle with a driver and air conditioning, to reach the city of Hurghada at the end of the day. We will drop you off at the resort hotel where you will stay on a full-board, all-inclusive basis, so you can enjoy dinner before resting in your rooms.
If you have chosen this tour of Egypt and the Red Sea, one of the most anticipated moments of the trip will have arrived: free days at the beachfront resort. Therefore, you can choose between a swim in the hotel facilities or in the crystal-clear waters of Hurghada, where you can also practice diving and snorkeling at any level. The full-board arrangement will allow you to relax about breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all included in the package.
Second completely free day of this tour through Egypt and the Red Sea, which you can plan as on the previous day or complement, for example, with a stroll through the city. Among Hurghada’s main attractions are its aquariums, its Al Mina Mosque, or its luxurious marina. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are again included in the resort hotel’s service package.
After 9 days of touring Egypt, the Red Sea, and the Nile, it’s time to bid farewell to the country. On this tenth day, which also includes breakfast at the resort hotel, we will take you to Hurghada airport by means of our private vehicle with a driver. There, you will take the flight to Cairo, which is included in the package and will serve as a connection for your international flight back home.
All that will remain is the farewell at the terminal, with suitcases full of new experiences and memories filled with good times. And of course, with the hope of a new reunion, either for another tour of Egypt and the Red Sea or a completely different and customizable package.
In this tour of Egypt and the Red Sea, with a Nile cruise, we combine all-inclusive days with others offering greater freedom of choice. But always, with the essential services for the smooth running of the trip. Here is the list of included services:
As is customary in this type of tour through Egypt and the Red Sea, certain services are not included, as they are at the travelers’ discretion or depend on personal matters. Specifically:
These are just some of the opinions of our clients. Their comments fill us with encouragement and give us the strength to continue working with the aim of making our travelers happy, breaking myths and prejudices. Here you can find a selection of their stories. They motivate us to continue improving and reaffirm the value of our effort.
