Cairo and Nile River Tour: 10-Day Egypt Expedition

After breakfast, travel with your guide to the Giza Plateau for the Pyramids at Giza. You will see the three major pyramids from the plateau and have time to walk between the viewpoints, learn how the royal complexes were planned, and take photographs at a comfortable pace. Your guide explains the construction, religious purpose, and later history of the monuments.

The visit continues to the Great Sphinx, whose human face and lion’s body were carved from the bedrock beside the pyramid complex. Depending on the site schedule, there may be time to enter one of the pyramids at an additional cost. Wear comfortable shoes, carry water, and expect sun exposure, as much of the plateau is open ground. Return to Cairo after sightseeing for a second night in the city.

Leave Cairo by road for a full-day excursion to Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast. The journey takes several hours each way, so we set out early and keep the route focused on the city’s main historical sites. In Alexandria, visit the Kom el Shoqafa Burial Chambers, a Roman-period underground complex where Egyptian, Greek, and Roman influences meet in the carved decoration and tomb design.

Continue to the Pompeian Column, a single red-granite column associated with the ancient Serapeum, then see Sultan Qaitbay's Fortress on the waterfront. The fortress occupies the area traditionally linked with Alexandria’s ancient lighthouse. Time is also allowed for Alexandria's Modern Library, whose striking building reflects the city’s continuing connection with learning. After the visits, return to Cairo by road. The day involves walking on uneven surfaces and a long transfer, so comfortable footwear is useful.

Today explores two sides of Cairo’s older quarters. Begin in Islamic Old Cairo, where your guide leads you through historic streets, mosques, and lanes shaped by centuries of trade and worship. The district is best enjoyed on foot, with time to pause for architectural details rather than rushing between distant sites.

Continue to Cairo's Medieval Citadel, a hilltop fortress with broad views across the city. The route then moves into Coptic Cairo to visit the Suspended Church, known for its timber interior and position above an older passage, followed by Ben Ezra Synagogue. Your guide places each building within Cairo’s wider religious history and explains local customs during visits. Finish at Khan el-Khalili Market, where you can browse jewellery, textiles, spices, and small crafts. The market is crowded in places; keep valuables secure and agree meeting points before exploring independently.

Spend the morning at Cairo's antiquities museum, the Egyptian Museum, with your guide. The collection covers thousands of years of Egyptian history, from early dynastic objects to later royal and religious artefacts. Rather than trying to see every gallery, follow a planned route through the most important rooms and allow time to examine sculpture, funerary objects, writing, and everyday items.

Your guide explains how museum pieces connect with the monuments visited earlier in the tour. The pace is indoors and easier on the feet than the open-air sites, although some galleries can be busy. Keep your ticket and follow the museum’s photography rules, which can vary by room. The afternoon remains flexible for rest, a café visit, or final preparations for the journey south. Our team confirms the next day’s transfer arrangements before your fifth night in Cairo.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport or rail connection arranged for your itinerary and travel from Cairo to Luxor. On arrival, our team takes you to the cruise vessel for check-in. Allow time for boarding formalities, settling into your cabin, and a meal before sightseeing begins.

Use the afternoon to get familiar with the boat and watch the Nile landscape from the deck. Depending on the sailing schedule, there may be an initial visit to Luxor Temple, where courtyards, columns, and statues line the eastern bank. The complex was connected to Karnak by an avenue of sphinxes and was used for major religious ceremonies. The vessel begins its southbound cruise when cleared to sail. Keep your cabin documents and valuables secure, and follow the crew’s instructions during boarding and departure.

Begin on Luxor’s west bank, where the morning visit focuses on the royal tombs of the Valley of Kings. Walk into selected tombs with your guide and see painted burial chambers built for New Kingdom rulers. Conditions inside vary, with steps, uneven floors, and warm, enclosed spaces, so travellers should move carefully and carry water for the outdoor sections.

Continue to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, built against the cliffs and arranged on broad terraces. The reliefs and surviving columns explain the queen’s rule and the temple’s ceremonial role. On the return route, stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two large seated figures that once guarded a much larger temple complex. Later, visit the Karnak Temple Complex on the east bank, following its courtyards, processional spaces, and columned halls. Return to the vessel for the next stage of the cruise.

As the vessel continues south, visit Edfu Temple, one of Egypt’s best-preserved ancient temples. A short transfer from the river leads to the entrance, where your guide explains the temple’s dedication to Horus and points out the monumental gateway, reliefs, courtyards, and inner rooms. The visit is mostly outdoors, with some shade available but limited seating in parts of the site.

Return to the boat and sail onward through the agricultural landscape along the Nile. Later, stop at Kom Ombo Temple, which has an unusual double design dedicated to Sobek and Horus the Elder. The carved walls show religious scenes, medical instruments, and a calendar of festivals. Visit at a steady pace, then return to the vessel for dinner and an evening on deck. Sailing times can change with river traffic and locks, so the crew’s daily programme takes priority.

Arrive in Aswan and begin with the Aswan High Dam, an important modern engineering project that changed flood control, electricity generation, and settlement patterns along the Nile. Your guide explains the lake it created and the relocation of several ancient sites. Continue by boat to Philae Temple, set on an island after its original location was threatened by rising water. The sanctuary’s reliefs and columns show its long religious history.

Later, take a Felucca sailing expedition around the islands and riverbank, subject to wind and local operating conditions. The traditional sailboat gives you a quieter view of Aswan, with time to sit back and watch the river traffic and granite-strewn landscape. Return to the cruise vessel, collect your belongings, and prepare for disembarkation. Our team confirms the next day’s transfer to Luxor and onward departure arrangements.

Disembark after breakfast and transfer by road from Aswan back to Luxor. The journey takes several hours, so we allow practical time for the drive, luggage, and any scheduled departure connection. The route follows the Nile Valley and gives you a final look at the settlements and farmland that line the river.

After reaching Luxor, use the remaining time according to your travel schedule: rest at the arranged accommodation, take a meal, or review photographs from the cruise. Your final night in Luxor provides a buffer before returning home, while travellers departing later can transfer to Luxor airport or continue to their next connection with assistance from our team. Keep passports, tickets, and luggage accessible during the transfer, and check departure details before leaving the hotel.