10-Day Cairo And Nile Cruise Tour with Luxor

After breakfast, your guide takes you to the Giza Plateau for your first full day of sightseeing. Begin with The Pyramids of Giza, where you can walk around the Great Pyramid and the two neighbouring pyramids while your Egyptologist explains how the complex was planned and built. There is time for photographs from the main viewpoints, and an optional interior visit may be arranged locally if available and suitable for your plans.

Continue to The Sphinx, reached within the same archaeological area. The guide explains the statue’s human and lion imagery before you enter the viewing area for a closer look. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water, and expect sun exposure on open ground. The visit usually takes several hours, including the transfer from your hotel and time at the plateau.

Return to Cairo for a relaxed afternoon and a second night at your hotel.

Today focuses on Cairo’s ancient collections. Visit Cairo museum, officially known as the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, with your guide. The galleries contain statues, jewellery, coffins, papyri, and everyday objects from different periods of Egyptian history. Your guide helps put the major pieces into context, so the visit feels like a connected story rather than a walk through unfamiliar cases.

After the museum, continue with time for lunch and a drive through central Cairo. The exact sequence can change with traffic and local opening arrangements, but the pace remains practical, with time to listen, ask questions, and pause between visits. If you want to buy souvenirs, your guide can explain how to compare quality and agree a price before purchasing.

Spend the evening at leisure. This is a useful night to repack a smaller bag for the flight to Aswan and keep larger luggage ready for the cruise transfer.

Your fourth Cairo night gives you a slower day before the Nile cruise. Use the morning to rest, explore independently, or ask our team about suitable local activities. A private visit to another part of the city may be possible, subject to opening times and your preferred pace, but the day is intentionally flexible rather than packed with fixed sightseeing.

Take care with the afternoon heat and allow extra time for any journey across the city. Cairo’s roads are busy, and a short distance can take longer than expected. Your guide or representative can confirm the next day’s airport transfer arrangements, luggage requirements, and where to meet the team.

Enjoy your final evening in Cairo before travelling south. Keep valuables, travel documents, and any items needed during the flight in your hand luggage. The following morning begins the Nile section of the itinerary, with arrival in Aswan and boarding preparations for Royal Princess.

Overnight: Cairo.

After breakfast, transfer to Cairo airport for your domestic flight to Aswan. On arrival, our team meets you and begins the day’s sightseeing before embarkation, subject to the cruise schedule. Visit The high dam, a major modern engineering project that changed flood control, electricity generation, and farming along the Nile. Your guide explains its effect on the river and the surrounding communities.

Continue to Phiala temple, reached by a short motorboat ride across the reservoir. The island setting gives the visit a different rhythm from the mainland sites, and your guide points out the reliefs and later additions within the sanctuary. Allow time for the boat crossing and for walking on uneven surfaces.

Return to the vessel for check-in aboard the Royal Princess. Once cabins are ready, settle in and watch the river landscape change as the ship begins its Sailing Trip. Meals and the evening onboard follow the cruise programme.

Begin early for the road excursion to Abu Simbel, a practical but rewarding addition from Aswan. The journey takes several hours each way, so bring breakfast items, water, sun protection, and anything needed for a comfortable drive. At the site, your guide explains the large rock-cut temples commissioned by Ramesses II and the relocation project that protected them from the rising reservoir waters.

You have time to see the temple façades, enter the main chambers, and study the carved scenes inside. Photography rules can vary by area, so follow the instructions given at the entrance. The open approach is exposed, while the inner rooms are darker and cooler underfoot.

Return to Aswan and rejoin the Royal Princess according to the cruise schedule. The remainder of the day is for lunch, rest, and watching the riverbanks pass from the deck. Cruise timings can change slightly with navigation and local operating conditions.

The ship continues north along the Nile, with sightseeing arranged around its navigation schedule. At Kom Ombo, leave the vessel for a guided visit to Kom ombo temple, built on a raised riverbank site and dedicated to two different deities. The unusual layout is easy to understand on foot: one side relates to Sobek and the other to Horus. Your guide also points out the carved medical instruments and the nilometer area.

Return to the ship and continue sailing towards Edfu. After docking, transfer by horse-drawn carriage or another locally arranged vehicle to Edfu temple. The approach reveals the large entrance pylons before you enter the courtyards and covered halls. The temple’s well-preserved inscriptions describe its rituals and myths, giving you clear details to look for during the visit.

Rejoin the cruise after the tour. The rest of the evening is free for dinner and time on deck as the vessel continues towards Luxor.

Arrive in Luxor after breakfast or according to the ship’s morning programme. Your guide takes you to Karnak temple, a vast complex developed by successive pharaohs over many centuries. Walk through the monumental entrance, the Great Hypostyle Hall, and the open courtyards while your Egyptologist explains how the precinct expanded and how its religious role changed over time.

Continue to Luxor temple, where columns, statues, and decorated walls show a different stage of Egyptian temple design. The site is especially atmospheric later in the day, but the exact visiting hour depends on the cruise schedule and local access arrangements. Wear supportive footwear because the route includes broad stone courtyards and uneven surfaces.

Return to the Royal Princess for your final cruise night. Use the evening to organise luggage for disembarkation and keep out the clothes, documents, and toiletries you will need for the next day’s land sightseeing.

Disembark after breakfast and begin the Luxor West Bank visit with your guide. The first major stop is The valley of Kings, where royal tombs were cut into the desert hills. Your entrance ticket normally allows access to a set number of open tombs, and the available selection can change. Inside, expect sloping passages, steps, and decorated chambers; comfortable shoes and water make the visit easier.

Continue to Queen Hatshepsut temple, built in terraces against the cliffs. Your guide explains the queen’s reign and the scenes carved along the surviving walls. Finish with the Colossi of Memnon, two large seated figures that once guarded the entrance to a much larger temple. This short stop works well for photographs and a final explanation of the West Bank.

Transfer to your Luxor hotel for check-in and a quieter evening. Keep your departure details accessible, as the next morning’s transfer depends on your onward travel arrangements.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before our representative arranges your transfer to Luxor airport or the next point on your travel plans. The departure time depends on your transport schedule, so keep luggage ready and allow a margin for road conditions. If your departure is later in the day, our team can advise whether there is enough time for a short independent walk or a relaxed meal nearby.

Before leaving, check your room carefully for passports, chargers, medication, and small purchases. Larger luggage should be secured for the transfer, while travel documents and valuables remain with you. Airport procedures can take time, particularly during busy periods, so arriving with a comfortable margin is sensible.

Your 10-day Cairo and Nile cruise itinerary ends in Luxor after four Cairo nights, four nights aboard Royal Princess, and one night in a Luxor hotel.