Featured Itinerary
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Cairo - Pyramids & Sphinx
Day 1Start early to beat the heat and crowds at the Giza Plateau. Explore all three pyramids (Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure), the Great Sphinx, and the Solar Boat Museum. Optional: enter the Great Pyramid or take a camel ride for photos. Hire an Egyptologist guide to bring 4,500 years of history to life. Entrance opens 7am. Evening sound and light show at the pyramids - dramatic narration with the monuments illuminated. Book in advance. Return to Cairo for dinner.
The Egyptian Museum
Day 2Explore the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square - home to the world's largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities. Don't miss Tutankhamun's treasures including his golden mask, the Royal Mummy Room (extra ticket), and ancient jewelry. A guide is highly recommended - there are over 120,000 items! Alternative: Visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) near the pyramids if fully open.
Flight to Luxor
Day 3Morning flight from Cairo to Luxor (1 hour). Check into your Nile-view hotel. Explore the massive Karnak Temple - the largest ancient religious site in the world! Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall with 134 giant columns, see the sacred lake, and marvel at hieroglyphic-covered walls. Visit Luxor Temple at sunset when it's beautifully illuminated. Walk the avenue of sphinxes connecting to Karnak. This temple sits right in Luxor city center.Construction spanned 2,000 years. Arrive late afternoon when it's cooler and less crowded.
Valley of the Kings
Day 4Early start to beat the heat! Explore the Valley of the Kings - burial site of pharaohs including Tutankhamun, Ramses II, and Seti I. Your ticket includes 3 tombs (Tutankhamun requires separate ticket). The painted walls and ceilings are incredibly preserved. Essential to have a guide explain the hieroglyphics and tomb significance.
Edfu Temple
Day 5Drive from Luxor to Aswan (230km, 3-4 hours) with temple stops. Visit Edfu Temple - best-preserved temple in Egypt, dedicated to falcon god Horus. Horse carriages take you from parking to temple entrance. Unique double temple dedicated to crocodile god Sobek and falcon god Haroeris. Beautiful Nile-side location. See the mummified crocodiles! Continue to Aswan. Check into your hotel. Evening stroll along the Aswan Corniche - the most relaxed and Nubian-influenced city in Egypt
Abu Simbel Temples
Day 6Early morning drive OR fly to Abu Simbel (280km south, 3 hours drive or 45-min flight). See Ramses II's massive temple with four colossal statues carved into the mountainside, plus the temple of his wife Nefertari. UNESCO moved these temples block-by-block in the 1960s to save them from Lake Nasser flooding - an engineering marvel! The scale is breathtaking. Return to Aswan. Visit Philae Temple (relocated island temple to goddess Isis) via motorboat. See the Aswan High Dam. Optional: Visit Nubian Museum or take felucca to Elephantine Island. Evening at leisure in Aswan's relaxed atmosphere.
Morning in Aswan
Day 7Morning visit to the Nubian Museum to learn about Nubia's rich culture and the impact of the High Dam. Or explore the colorful Nubian villages and shop for handicrafts. Fly back to Cairo (1.5 hours). Time permitting, last-minute shopping in Cairo or visit the Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque for panoramic city views.Transfer to Cairo International Airport for your evening departure flight. End of an unforgettable journey through ancient Egypt!
