This Exclusive Egypt tour is probably the most complete in terms of culture and archaeology. It will take you to see the country’s essential monuments and sites! On the one hand, the most symbolic places of the Pharaonic era: the Pyramids of Giza, the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Abu Simbel, the majestic temples of Upper Egypt… And on the other hand, all the great attractions of the capital, Cairo: its mosques, churches, bazaars…
Like the rest of our routes, this tour of Egypt is structured in a program where you will not waste a minute of your trip thanks to our transport, assistance and guide services at all times. Therefore, it is aimed at lovers of Egyptian culture, both past and present. Take note of this 11-day package to discover all the secrets of this fascinating country!
Egipto Exclusivo is a receptive travel agency specialized in customized and private trips throughout Egypt. We design your itinerary putting all our heart and knowledge into a destination, which we love and know in depth. We will take into account your tastes and preferences so that you can live a unique experience that you will never forget.
Do not hesitate any longer and limit yourself to enjoying and let us do what we are most passionate about and what we do best, prepare all the details. And if you have any questions, you will always be attended and advised, before, during and after your trip.
Day 1: Arrival in Cairo
Day 2: Pyramids of Giza and Grand Egyptian Museum
Day 3: Full day in Cairo
Day 4: Temples of Abydos and Dendera
Day 5: First full day in Luxor
Day 6: Second full day in Luxor
Day 7: Nile cruise: Luxor-Edfu
Day 8: Nile cruise: Edfu and Kom Ombo
Day 9: Abu Simbel-Aswan
Day 10: Temple of Isis in Philae and flight to Cairo
Day 11: Cairo Airport: return home
This tour of Egypt, focused on culture and archaeology, begins upon your arrival at Cairo International Airport. There, a representative of our agency, who speaks Spanish, will be waiting for you. They will be in charge of helping you with all the procedures related to the tourist visa and, after that, they will accompany you to the hotel. This journey will be made in a private vehicle provided by Egipto Exclusivo, as in each tour. And it will have all the comforts, including air conditioning.
Once at the hotel, where you will spend your first night, you will be provided with all the information you need to enjoy the trip: details about the route, schedules to follow, tips for free time, questions about the local currency, etc. In short, a day to get in touch with Egypt and rest for the intense program that awaits you.
The second day of this tour of the most historic Egypt is, in reality, the first that includes organized visits to places of interest. And not just any place, but the great icon of the country: the Pyramids of Giza and the spectacular museum built next to it, where you will enjoy guided tours.
After a hearty breakfast to recharge your energy, the day begins precisely with one of the highlights of this tour of Egypt: the famous Pyramids of Giza. Built by pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty (Old Kingdom) at the height of their reign, they are currently open to visitors and are part of the program. The largest is the Pyramid of Cheops (or Khufu), followed by the Pyramid of Khafre (or Jafra) and the Pyramid of Menkaure, which is the smallest of the three. We will also admire the Great Sphinx of Giza, a colossal sculpture, half lion and half pharaoh. Our guide will also explain the meaning of the Valley Temple and the importance of other spaces in the necropolis.
After visiting the archaeological site of Giza, we will move to the Grand Egyptian Museum of Giza. Designed by the Heneghan Peng Architects studio and built very close to the necropolis, it is the largest archaeological museum in the world and an essential place to understand and admire the Pharaonic civilization. Here are preserved and exhibited the treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb, refined statues of monarchs from all eras and even the wooden solar boat that was used to transport Cheops’ tomb. Without a doubt, a site that will not disappoint anyone, both for its architecture and its collection.
After these two intense visits, it will be time to regain strength in a local restaurant, which we will have reserved for you. And once finished, we will head back to Cairo and you will spend the night in the same hotel as the day before. Without a doubt, the well-deserved rest after one of the star days on this Exclusive Egypt tour.
After breakfast at the hotel, we will begin to discover the cultural attractions of Cairo, which are many. Starting from the hotel, located in the heart of the city, our guide will take you to the Citadel of Saladin, to begin with the visit of the Mosque of Alabaster. It is a monument, open to anyone, regardless of their religion, and shows us the refinement of Ottoman-inspired architecture in the 19th century. The panoramic views from the Citadel itself are also magnificent, as it is located on top of the Mokattam hills.
After that, we will continue through Islamic Cairo to enter the famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar, one of the oldest and most original in the entire Middle East. And we will take the opportunity to have lunch in a local restaurant, whose reservation will be taken care of by our agency.
Then it is time to visit another of the historical areas of the capital: the Coptic Quarter, closely linked to the early days of Christianity. In fact, we will visit places related to the journey of the Holy Family, in which the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph and the Child Jesus stopped in these territories, according to local belief. The Church of Saint George stands out, and we will approach the Cave Church, also known as the Monastery of Saint Simon, a spectacular Christian temple located in a natural cave, in the eastern part of the city.
We start the fourth day of this tour of Egypt with an early breakfast, since we will have to check out and go to Cairo International Airport to go to our next destination: Middle Egypt, further south. We will land in Sohag, where another guide from our agency will be waiting for you with the corresponding sign.
After loading the suitcases in our vehicle, we will head to Abydos and its temple, one of the most sacred places in Ancient Egypt. This funerary temple of Pharaoh Seti I (New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty) was the main center of worship to Osiris, god of regeneration and judge of the Afterlife. Any tour of Egypt that focuses on culture, like this one, includes it in its route because it was an important place of pilgrimage for the ancient Egyptian religion, whose believers visited it in search of eternity. With the help of our guide you will discover all the secrets that this sacred and magical place hides.
Once this fascinating temple has been visited and energy has been restored in a local restaurant, we will continue our road trip towards Luxor. But first we will make another key stop on this tour of Egypt: the temple of Dendera, dedicated to Hathor, celestial and maternal goddess for the pharaohs. This spectacular monumental complex from the Ptolemaic era, which preserves structures of great beauty such as its hypostyle hall or its mammisis, is also famous for its astronomical function and its mysterious character, exemplified in the Zodiac of Dendera. Our guide will illustrate you on all this.
In the last stretch of the day, we will arrive in Luxor. It will be time to check in at the hotel and rest for the next day.
We will start the day early, with breakfast at the hotel. After that, we will cross the sacred waters of the Nile by ferry. That consideration was given to it by the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt: at that time, this city on the eastern bank of the river was the capital and was called Thebes, and after their death they were buried on the western bank for their eternal rest. One of the wonders of Ancient Egypt awaits us there: the Valley of the Kings. And also other important necropolises that, in combination with the city, were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
We will dedicate this entire day to exploring the main places of interest on the west bank, essential on any tour of Egypt. In the Valley of the Kings we will access the interior of fascinating tombs, such as that of Seti I or that of Ramses III, all of them richly decorated. The same occurs in the Valley of the Queens, where the royal wives received eternal burial. Among all of them, the one of Nefertari stands out, Great Royal Wife of Ramses II and one of the key characters during his reign. The Valley of the Nobles also represents an interesting visit to learn about the funerary uses of Theban high society. A social stratum opposed to the one we will find in Deir el Medina, a town of artisans that allows us to approach the daily reality of the humble class in Pharaonic times.
Lunch will be held in a local restaurant in the area, leaving the afternoon for the return to the hotel, where you will spend the night. And all the visits will be guided, as in the rest of the monuments that make up this tour of Egypt.
Ancient Thebes houses many of the great monuments of the Pharaonic era. Therefore, this tour of archaeological Egypt dedicates a second full day to it. After the pertinent breakfast at the hotel, we will cross the waters of the Nile again, this time to explore the sacred sites that remained pending on the other side of the river.
It will be a new route along the west bank and in a private vehicle, which will take you through different sacred temples, erected by some of the most important and representative pharaohs of the XVIII and XIX dynasties, during the New Kingdom. This is the case of the temple of Hatshepsut, object of a famous rehabilitation and great influence for all subsequent architecture. Its location at the foot of spectacular cliffs enhances its beauty.
The Ramesseum is not far behind, erected by the will of the great Ramses II in a colossal style, so much to his liking. You will tour the site with our guide, as well as the temple of Medinet Habu, one of the great legacies left to us by his son, Ramses III. At the beginning or end of the route we will stop next to the Colossi of Memnon, giant sculptures and survivors of a temple that has not been preserved.
You will have lunch in a local restaurant on this west bank and in the afternoon we will return to the hotel to pick up our luggage and check out, since tonight you will sleep in one of the most special places on this tour of Egypt: on board the boat in which you will take the cruise on the Nile during the following days. Therefore, it will be necessary to check in on the boat, where dinner is also planned.
The sweet awakening in our boat will be followed by the pleasure of having breakfast in it, recharging energies for an intense morning. This tour of Egypt still dedicates a few more hours to the ancient city of Thebes, as we will use the first part of this day to visit the monuments of that Pharaonic capital on which the current Luxor was built.
Specifically, two temples: the temple of Luxor and the temple of Karnak. The first is located in the center of the city and you will have already sensed its silhouette in the previous days, as it is very close to the eastern bank of the Nile River and the port from which the ferry departs to cross its waters. It is a spectacular temple built largely in the times of Amenhotep III (XVIII Dynasty), in which the mosque of Abou Al Hagag was embedded in medieval times. Among its most representative elements are its pylons and its obelisk, ‘pair’ of the one currently located in the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
During the morning we will also visit the temple of Karnak, which was connected to the previous one through an Avenue of Sphinxes of several kilometers. Both were consecrated to Amun-Ra, god of the sun, and therefore Luxor is sometimes known as ‘the City of the Sun’. The temple of Karnak is actually a huge religious site, the largest in Ancient Egypt, which also houses other small temples inside. Here was the headquarters of the powerful Clergy of Amun and Ramses II contributed greatly to its splendor. Its Great Courtyard or its Great Hypostyle Hall are among the monuments most represented by artists and most photographed by tourists on any tour of Egypt. Adjectives run out here!
After a rich visit with our guide, it will be time to return to the boat and have lunch, while the long-awaited navigation on the waters of the Nile River begins. This cruise, which must cross the famous Esna lock, is not only an experience in itself but also the most practical way to get to
some places of interest. For example, the city of Edfu, in whose port you will dock to spend the night.
The pleasant breakfast on board our ship will be the prelude to the visit to the Temple of Edfu, which we will visit in the morning. This sacred site is a classic of any tour of Egypt with a cruise included, as it is one of the largest and best preserved from the Pharaonic period. It was consecrated to Horus, god of the horizon, royalty, and war. Built in Ptolemaic times, it preserves elements that will be etched in your memory, such as the large sculptures representing the god, its enormous pylons, or the hall of the sacred boat, as a fluvial procession of this divinity departed from here to meet Hathor in Dendera. These and other details will be discussed in depth by our guide.
After that, you will return to the ship for lunch and continue the journey to the next place of interest: Kom Ombo. In this city, you will enjoy another temple of extraordinary beauty, which is dazzling from its vision on board. Visiting it thoroughly, you will discover why it was dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, a sacred animal that also stars in the Crocodile Museum, with numerous mummified specimens and portrayed in works of art.
The day does not end here, as you will return to the ship to set course for Aswan. Dinner will be on board and, upon arrival in this city, you will moor to spend the night in your comfortable cabin.
After a restorative breakfast, there will be no time to waste: we will depart very early by road to Abu Simbel, on the banks of Lake Nasser. It will be the southernmost point of this tour of Egypt. The two temples, built by Ramses II for his glory and that of his Great Royal Wife, Nefertari, represent a true milestone in art and heritage conservation. Firstly, for its extraordinary beauty and monumentality. And secondly, because they were moved stone by stone to their current location in the 1960s, to avoid being flooded by the reservoir after the construction of the Aswan Dam.
After lunch and return, you will enjoy the free afternoon in Aswan, one of the most interesting cities on this tour of Egypt. Its Corniche, its close relationship with the Nubian people, its museums, the archaeological site of the Unfinished Obelisk, or its islands, especially Elephantine Island, are some of the attractions that await you.
At the end of the day, your cruise ship will be waiting for you again docked on the banks of the Nile: although it will have remained still this day, it will also be your best restaurant and your best accommodation.
The penultimate day of this tour of cultural and archaeological Egypt is dedicated, in the morning, to the visit of the Temple of Isis in Philae, which together with Abu Simbel and other monuments, is listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We will travel there in a short journey by road, once breakfast on board is finished and we have checked out of the cruise. However, we will leave our luggage on it during the morning for greater comfort.
The Temple of Isis is located on the island of Agilkia. The monument was moved here, as the island of its original location was flooded by the waters of the Nile after the construction of the nearby Aswan Dam. Therefore, you will access the island in a small and friendly boat, and you will walk through all the corners of the site dedicated to this celestial goddess, protector of magic and wisdom. And you will do it with our expert guide, as it is the best way to discover this captivating place for its unique location and for the artistic beauty of this set from the end of the Pharaonic era. It is considered the last great temple of that civilization!
And, in fact, it is also the last scheduled visit on this tour of Egypt: after getting to know it thoroughly, we will return to Aswan to collect our luggage from the ship and leave for Aswan airport. And you will fly to Cairo, where you will spend the night in a hotel.
On the last day of this tour of Egypt there is no time for cultural visits. Therefore, you will have breakfast at the hotel and make the final check-out. And throughout the morning or the day we will make the transfer to Cairo International Airport. We will offer you assistance to check in and we will say goodbye in the international hall, with the hope that you have fully enjoyed the experience and that we will see each other again on another tour of Egypt. Have a good trip back and see you next time!
On this tour, Egipto Exclusivo includes premium and tailor-made services so that you can safely enjoy the trip, from beginning to end. On the other hand, there are other services not included, as they are at the discretion of each traveler. They are the following.
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.
