Journey to Egypt
Cairo, Aswan & Luxor
Trip Overview
Day 1 - 5 | Cairo | Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza | 4 nights
Day 5 - 8 | Aswan | Old Cataract Mandarin Oriental | 3 nights
Day 8 - 10 | Luxor | Al Moudira | 2 nights
Day 10 | Departure
Day 1 | Cairo
VIP Airport Service Upon Arrival & Private Transfer
Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, a representative will greet you at the aircraft door and escort you through fast track passport control, assisting with your entry visa if required. They will stay with you through baggage claim and customs before introducing you to your private guide in the arrivals hall. From there, your chauffeur will take you directly to your hotel.
Welcome to Cairo
Cairo is stunning, wild and, for some, a little overwhelming at first. The call to prayer rises five times a day over the hum of more than twenty million people, and few cities on earth carry so many layers of history at once: pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic and modern, all stacked on top of each other along the Nile. Egyptians have an exceptional sense of humour and a generosity that will stay with you. I always tell people to give Cairo a day. By the second evening, it has you.
Your Hotel: Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza
I love the Four Seasons Nile Plaza as a family base in Cairo because it is a true refuge from the beautiful chaos outside. The Nile runs right below your windows and the service is effortless. If you want a first taste of Egyptian food tonight, Zitouni downstairs serves beautiful mezze with views over the water.
Dinner Reservations
Depending on your interest, we will make dinner reservations on your behalf this evening.
STAY: Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza | Premium Nile View Room
Day 2 | CAIRO
Guided Visit: The Grand Egyptian Museum
Your guide will meet you in the lobby this morning and you’ll be taken by private transfer to Giza (approx. 35 minutes) for a visit of the Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization. More than 120,000 artefacts are here, and for the first time the complete treasures of Tutankhamun are shown together.
For the kids: The GEM has its own Children's Museum, and seeing Tutankhamun's golden mask up close is unforgettable.
9 Pyramids Lounge
After your tour, enjoy a recommended lunch with the whole Giza plateau in front of you.
The Pyramids of Giza & the Sphinx
This afternoon, explore the Pyramids of Giza. They are the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, and they have never lost their power to overwhelm. Your guide will take you around the Great Pyramid and the Giza plateau before you finish at the Sphinx, an ancient figure still wrapped in legend and mystery.
Leisure
Enjoy the rest of your afternoon at leisure back at your hotel.
STAY: Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza | Premium Nile View Room | Breakfast
Day 3 | Cairo
Guided Visit: Saqqara
With an expert guide, head out of Cairo for about 45 minutes out of the city to Saqqara, the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis and home to King Zoser’s Step Pyramid, the first great stone structure ever built. You will step inside a pyramid to see hieroglyphics carved into its walls more than 4,000 years ago. Then we leave the crowds behind for the lesser-visited tombs of Mehu, the Two Brothers, the Butchers and Maya, their walls still vivid with scenes of daily life in Ancient Egypt. This is one of my favourite mornings in Egypt.
Lunch at a Local Restaurant
Enjoy a recommended lunch at a local restaurant with simple yet delicious Egyptian dishes.
Islamic Cairo
This afternoon, accompanied by your guide, delve into the spiritual world of Islam and how the city of Cairo, Umm Addunya, portrays its spirituality through saints and figures of the esoteric side of Islam. Start with the Cairo Citadel which boasts Egypt’s most iconic mosque and a medieval fortress built by Saladin perched on a hilltop overlooking the old city.
Head down to the Mosque of Sultan Hassan, one of the most splendid medieval monuments in Cairo. This grandiose 14th-century mosque is a stunning example of Mamluk architecture and it’s one of Cairo’s most beautiful mosques. The Sultan Hassan Mosque is filled with intricate stonework, massive vaulted chambers and geometric patterns. Built from enormous blocks of stone, its walls reach 38 meters and symbolized the might of Mamluk rule. The Al-Rifai Mosque is right next door and you visit both with a single ticket.
Before your final stop, you must visit Ibn Tulun, Cairo’s oldest surviving mosque with a one-of-a-kind climbable spiral minaret and rows of very photogenic archways. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun is much older and has a completely different feel than Cairo’s grander and more ornate Mamluk or Ottoman mosques.
Enter Old Cairo through the medieval gate of Bab El Fotouh with your expert guide. Walk the length of Al Moez Street through the Islamic Quarter, past centuries-old “wekalas”, the trading houses that still sell every kind of ware.
Evening at Khan el Khalili
The walk ends at Khan el Khalili just as the lanterns come on. Founded in the 14th century as a stop for caravans, it is one of the great bazaars of the Middle East. Walk with your guide through the maze of streets, stop by shops filled with rugs and lanterns, enjoy tea at one of the world’s most famous cafes known to have hosted the greatest poets of the Middle East.
Dinner Reservations
Depending on your interest, we will make dinner reservations on your behalf this evening.
STAY: Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza | Premium Nile View Room | Breakfast
Day 4 | Cairo
At Leisure in Cairo
Enjoy the day exploring the city independently at your own pace. We will provide recommendations closer to departure.
Dinner Reservations
Depending on your interest, we will make dinner reservations on your behalf this evening.
STAY: Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza | Premium Nile View Room | Breakfast
Day 5 | Aswan
At Leisure in Cairo
Spend the morning at leisure relaxing at your hotel.
Flight to Aswan
Private transfer to Cairo airport for your flight to Aswan, where you will be met on arrival for transfer to your hotel.
Welcome to Aswan
Aswan is where Egypt slows down. At the First Cataract, the old southern frontier of the pharaohs, the Nile widens and flows lazily around black granite boulders and palm-fringed islands, and the colorful houses of the Nubian villages run right down to the water. Its quarries gave Ancient Egypt the granite for its obelisks and colossal statues. For me, this is the softest, most beautiful stretch of the river, and the perfect pause in the middle of your journey.
Your Hotel: The Old Cataract, Aswan
After the energy of Cairo, I wanted somewhere with a contrasting atmosphere. The Old Cataract is one of Egypt’s great historic hotels, set high above the Nile with sweeping views across the river and Elephantine Island. Your suites give you a beautiful base to slow down, enjoy the gardens and pool, and take in the timeless atmosphere of Aswan.
STAY: Old Cataract Mandarin Oriental | Palace Garden View Suite | Breakfast
Day 6 | Aswan
Guided Visit: Philae Temple
A full day in Aswan with your private guide, beginning with a short boat ride to Philae. Dedicated to the goddess Isis, it is one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt and one of the most atmospheric. When the High Dam threatened to flood it, the entire temple was taken apart stone by stone and rebuilt on its island, where it still rises straight out of the water.
Nubian Village Visit
Continue by boat to a Nubian village on the west bank. The Nubians have their own language, music and traditions, and their homes are painted in bright blues, yellows and pinks. It is a chance to sit with a local family over tea and see a side of Egypt most visitors miss.
STAY: Old Cataract Mandarin Oriental | Palace Garden View Suite | Breakfast
Day 7 | Aswan
Private Transfer and Flight to Abu Simbel
4:30am: Private transfer to the Aswan airport for your day trip to Abu Simbel.
6:55am: Board your short 45 minute flight to Abu Simbel, arriving early to explore the temples before large crowds.
Guided Visit: Abu Simbel
Accompanied by your expert local guide, discover two of ancient Egypt’s most extraordinary temples carved directly into the rock during the reign of Ramses II. The monumental façades and enormous statues are impressive from the outside, while the interiors reveal beautifully preserved reliefs and chambers.
Flight to Aswan
1:30pm: After exploring the temples, return to Aswan where you’ll be transferred back to your hotel.
At Leisure in Aswan
Spend the remainder of the afternoon and evening at your leisure. We will make spa and restaurant reservations as requested.
STAY: Old Cataract Mandarin Oriental | Palace Garden View Suite | Breakfast
Day 8 | Luxor
Drive to Luxor
Today, you’ll take a scenic 4-hour drive north along the Nile, through sugar cane fields and small farming villages, brings you to Luxor. If you wish to stop along the way, we strongly recommend visiting Kom Ombo and Edfu, two of the best temples in Egypt.
Welcome to Luxor
Luxor is like no other place on earth. It stands on the site of ancient Thebes, the capital of Egypt through its golden age, and it holds more of the ancient world in one place than anywhere else I know. The living city and its great temples sit on the east bank, while the royal tombs lie hidden in the mountains of the west, the side of the setting sun and, for the Ancient Egyptians, of the afterlife.
Guided Visit: Karnak & the Temple of Khonsu
This afternoon, Karnak, the largest religious complex ever built, dedicated to Amun Ra, the chief creator god. Walking through the Great Hypostyle Hall, a forest of 134 giant columns, is one of those moments that stops everyone in their tracks. Then step away from the crowds into the quieter Temple of Khonsu, one of the off-the-beaten-track sites most visitors walk straight past.
Your Hotel: Al Moudira, Luxor
Al Moudira is a beautiful, intimate retreat on the West Bank of Luxor, surrounded by lush gardens and away from the bustle of the city. With its courtyards, pools and beautifully designed interiors, it feels more like a private country house than a hotel - a peaceful place to return to after days exploring Luxor’s ancient sites.
STAY: Al Moudira | Junior Suite | Breakfast
Day 9 | Luxor
Sunrise Hot Air Balloon
Start the morning in the sky. You will be collected before dawn and taken across to the West Bank to watch your balloon being inflated in the half light. Rise through the cool morning air to around 1,000 feet. Below you, the Nile snakes through a ribbon of green fields between the desert sands, the temples catch the first light, and the balloon drifts low enough over the villages for children to wave you good morning. This is a shared balloon flight.
Guided Visit: The Valley of the Kings
After breakfast, your guide takes you into the Valley of the Kings, hidden behind the mountains of the West Bank, where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried. Visit the tomb of Ramses VI, with its extraordinary painted ceilings, and the famous tomb of Tutankhamun, where more than five thousand objects of gold, jewellery, alabaster and funerary furniture were found.
The Temple of Hatshepsut & the Colossi of Memnon
Continue to the temple of Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh who dressed and ruled as a king, built in terraces into the cliffs. Stop on the way back at the Colossi of Memnon, two giant seated statues that have watched over the West Bank for 3,400 years.
Lunch on a Felucca
Lunch aboard a felucca on the Nile.
Guided Visit: Luxor Temple
In the afternoon, Luxor Temple, built largely by Ramses II and dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut and Khonsu. Its colossal statues and colonnades are at their most beautiful in the late afternoon light.
STAY: Al Moudira | Junior Suite | Breakfast
Day 10 | Departure
Airport Transfer
Private transfer to Luxor airport for your journey home. Flight details to be confirmed.
Pricing & Inclusions
See our Booking Terms & Conditions here.
Starting at $1,200 per person per day
All Accommodation: As listed in the itinerary
Cairo | Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza | 4 nights
Aswan | Old Cataract Mandarin Oriental | 3 nights
Luxor | Al Moudira | 2 nights
Transport:
All private transfers and transportation throughout, as described in the itinerary.
Domestic flights, as described in the itinerary.
Cairo - Aswan
Aswan - Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel - Aswan
Guiding & Activities:
A private guide throughout, all private tours and excursions as listed in the itinerary
All necessary entrance fees
A sunrise hot air balloon flight over Luxor’s West Bank (shared)
Meals:
All breakfasts, some meals
Other:
Restaurant reservations, logistical coordination with 24-hour support on-trip, and our insider recommendations and tips.
Exclusions
International flights
Egypt visa
Travel insurance
Tips
Meals and drinks not listed in the itinerary