10-day Egypt adventure featuring a Nile Cruise and White Desert exploration

A Marsa Alam representative will welcome you at Cairo International Airport and assist with your transfer to the hotel via a private air-conditioned vehicle. Settle in for an overnight stay at your accommodation.

Your guide will collect you from your Cairo hotel and lead you on a memorable journey to the Pyramids of Giza (Cheops, Chephren, and Mykerinus). Afterward, you'll stand before the iconic Great Sphinx and visit the Valley Temple. Next comes the Egyptian Museum, which houses an extraordinary collection of over 250,000 genuine artifacts spanning 5,000 years of history. A special exhibition dedicated to Tutankhamun displays treasures and golden artifacts buried in his tomb for 3,500 years before their 1920 rediscovery. The evening is yours to explore Cairo's nightlife.

You'll be collected from your Cairo hotel and fly to Aswan, where you'll board your Nile cruise vessel for embarkation and lunch. Afterward, explore Aswan's highlights: the Philae Temple, an Elephantine Island felucca sail, the High Dam, and the Unfinished Obelisk. The Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, was the last classical Egyptian temple built (circa 690 BCE) and stood as one of the final sanctuaries where this goddess was venerated. The High Dam, completed in 1968 and inaugurated in 1971, is a rock-fill structure at the Egypt-Sudan border that created Lake Nasser. The Unfinished Obelisk in the northern quarries reveals ancient Egyptian stone-working techniques; had it been completed, this 42-meter shaft weighing 1,168 tonnes would have been their heaviest single monument. Lunch is served at noon aboard the cruise; at 4 PM, enjoy a felucca sail around Elephantine Island and visit a local Nubian village (optional). Dinner and overnight accommodation on the cruise.

Early morning departure by private car to Abu Simbel. These two temples, carved from the mountainside on the western Nile bank between 1274 and 1244 BCE, represent masterpieces of ancient engineering. The Great Temple honors Ramses II, Ra-Harakhty, Amun Ra, and Ptah, adorned with 4 colossal statues. The smaller temple celebrates Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. Both temples were dismantled stone by stone and relocated to higher ground—a UNESCO triumph recognized as one of the greatest preservation achievements. Return to Aswan by afternoon; lunch awaits at 1 PM. At 1 PM, sail toward Kom Ombo. The Kom Ombo Temple, standing 40 km north of Aswan, was dedicated to the deities Sobek and Horus, with construction spanning the Ptolemaic and Roman periods (332 BCE–395 CE). Sail onward to Edfu. Dinner and overnight on the cruise.

Begin with breakfast on deck, then visit Edfu's magnificent temple dedicated to Horus, the falcon god. This Ptolemaic structure, built between the reigns of Ptolemy III (246 BCE) and later periods, stands as Upper Egypt's best-preserved temple. Wall inscriptions recount the ancient myth of the contested struggle between Horus and Seth, likely performed annually as religious drama. Sail through Esna lock toward Luxor. The Luxor Temple, largely constructed by Pharaoh Amenhotep III and completed by King Tutankhamun and Ramses II, showcases the First Pylon decorated with scenes of Ramses II's victorious Battle of Kadesh. Dinner and overnight on the cruise.

After breakfast on board, visit Luxor's western bank and its magnificent monuments. The Valley of the Kings, once called "the Great Place of Truth," is a majestic domain where pharaohs were laid in great stone sarcophagi, awaiting eternal life. This isolated valley behind Deir el Bahari is dominated by a pyramid-shaped peak. The Colossi of Memnon are massive paired statues rising 18 meters from the plain—remnants of what was once the largest complex on the west bank, built by Amenhotep III. The Hatshepsut Temple rises from the desert in terraced splendor, its limestone facade merging seamlessly with the Theban Mountain's eastern cliffs as if nature herself had constructed this extraordinary monument. Karnak is far more than a temple; it's a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons, and obelisks dedicated to Theban gods and the glory of Egypt's pharaohs. Karnak was the paramount center for worshipping the Theban Triad (Amun, Mut, and Khonsu). Then fly back to Cairo and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo.

Early pickup at 6 AM from your Cairo or Giza hotel for a 4-hour drive (350 km) to Bahariya Oasis with rest stops for facilities and refreshments. At 10 AM, transfer to your 4x4 Jeep and venture into the Black Desert. Lunch is served at El Haize Oasis around noon. At 1 PM, head toward the Valley of Agabat, deep in the heart of the White Desert. Arriving at 3 PM, you'll encounter otherworldly limestone and chalk formations shaped by millions of years. The site was once underwater; over geological time, unique rock sculptures developed from ancient marine sediments. Explore the White Desert National Park from 4:30 PM—Egypt's most renowned desert destination. By 5:30 PM, set up camp and witness the sunset's transformation as the sky turns pink, then fiery orange, while rock shapes fade into silhouette and silence envelops the landscape. At 6:30 PM, gather around a small fire for a simple dinner of chicken, rice, and vegetables—a meal that tastes incomparably better in the desert. Bedouin staff arrange dinner and desert camping.

At 6 AM, enjoy the sunrise over the desert landscape. Breakfast is served in the wilderness at 7 AM before driving to Bahariya Oasis. At 9 AM, visit Crystal Mountain (locally called Gebel al-Izzaz) on your return journey. This crystal hill, visible on the right, earns the nickname "Jewel of the Desert" from its composition of quartzite crystals that gleam magnificently in sunlight. This natural formation was discovered by chance decades ago. At 11 AM, drive to Bahariya Oasis and soak in Bir Sigam hot spring, a therapeutic natural pool known for its healing properties and optimal temperature. Located 7 km east of Bahariya on the Cairo road, this spring is considered Egypt's finest. At noon, begin the return drive to Cairo, arriving at 4:30 PM.

Pick up from your Cairo hotel and transfer by air-conditioned car to El Fayoum Oasis in the Western Desert (126 km, 1 hour 52 mins). Begin your adventure in a Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 to Wadi Al Hitan. From Tunis village to Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley) is 69.2 km (1 hour 37 mins). Wadi Al Hitan is a Protected UNESCO World Heritage Site added in 2005, also known scientifically as Zeuglodon Valley, discovered in 1936. Located 35 km west of Wadi El-Ryan deep within the Western Desert, it is a fossil-rich area considered an open museum spanning 45 million years. It contains petrified primitive whale skeletons, shark teeth, shells, and mangrove roots preserved in soft rock. Everywhere reveals petrified seashells and corals. Visit the Fossil and Climate Change Museum, which displays whale fossils and skeletons outdoors, and indoors in glass cases exhibits fossils, skeletons, fossilized mangroves, and ancient seashells. Enjoy lunch, then drive to the Magic Lake and Gebel Al-Mudawara. The Magic Lake is one of Egypt's most beautiful lakes, overlooking sand dunes. The view offers one of the most stunning sunsets imaginable. Located in Wadi El Rayan in Fayoum, it changes colors throughout the day based on season and sunlight. It's an astoundingly beautiful place surrounded by desert where people hike, sandboard, and swim. The lake's mineral content reportedly helps treat rheumatism. Gebel Al Mudawara, seven kilometers south of the waterfall along the left eastern road side, is a scenic area with three mountains along the lakeshore—a favored picnic spot. Wadi El Rayan is a depression 42 meters below sea level, covering 673 km. In 1966, it became a water reservoir when connected to Qarun Lake via underground pipeline. Tea time at sunset, then return to Cairo for overnight stay.

Your tour concludes following breakfast at our Cairo hotel. Complimentary airport transfers are provided to ensure you reach your departure flight. Should you wish to extend your Cairo stay, please let us know.