11-Day Egypt Tour: Giza, Luxor & White Desert

Begin at the Iconic Giza Pyramids, where you see the pyramid fields in a clear order: the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Your guide explains how the complex was planned, how the stones were moved and which areas you may enter when access is available. Time is set aside for photographs from the plateau and for a closer look at the Valley Temple.

Continue to the Mythical Sphinx, whose lion body and human head face the pyramid field. Later, visit the World-Class Egyptian Museum in central Cairo. The galleries contain statues, funerary objects and royal treasures spanning several periods of Egyptian history. Museum visits involve plenty of walking, so comfortable shoes and water are useful; the order of the galleries may change with local access arrangements.

Leave Cairo for the ancient capital of Ancient Memphis. At the open-air site, see the colossal limestone figure of Ramesses II and the alabaster sphinx, then hear how Memphis controlled trade and administration in the early kingdom. The visit is shorter than the pyramid sites but gives useful context for the monuments that follow.

At the Sakkara necropolis, walk around the Step Pyramid of Djoser and its surrounding courtyards. This was one of Egypt’s earliest large stone monuments, and your Egyptologist points out the changes in design that led to later true pyramids. Continue to the Dahshour Pyramid complex for the Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid, with time to explore the desert setting. Return to Cairo after the sightseeing, usually in the afternoon, with the evening free.

Travel by road from Cairo to Bahariya Oasis, a journey across increasingly open country. After lunch and a short break, begin a Desert expedition through Egyptian sands by four-wheel-drive vehicle. The route crosses dry valleys and low dunes before reaching the Golden Mummies Valley discovery, where burial remains found near the oasis show how local life continued during the Greco-Roman period.

Continue towards the Quartz-studded Crystal Mountain, a low ridge scattered with bright quartz crystals. Your driver chooses a safe stopping point, and you should avoid removing stones from the site. Back in the oasis, the evening includes a Geothermal spa night at a natural hot spring or similar local bathing area, subject to access and conditions. Dinner is served in the oasis before you settle into the desert camp arrangements.

Set out after breakfast for the Surreal White and Black Desert landscapes. The Black Desert has dark volcanic hills and gravel plains, while the White Desert is shaped by pale chalk formations rising from the open floor. The drive includes several short stops rather than one long walk, making it easier to appreciate the changing terrain and take photographs without rushing.

Later, reach the camp area for a Wilderness camping experience. The team prepares a fresh dinner and arranges bedding in a protected position, with facilities kept simple compared with a hotel. A memorial overnight under desert stars gives you a quiet evening away from city lights; temperatures can fall after sunset, so bring warm layers even outside the winter months. Breakfast follows at camp before the return journey begins.

After breakfast, leave the desert by four-wheel-drive vehicle and return to Bahariya Oasis before continuing by road to Cairo. The journey takes much of the day, with planned breaks for refreshments and rest. The landscape gradually changes from open desert to cultivated land and denser traffic as you approach the capital.

On arrival, transfer to your Cairo hotel for a relaxed evening. This is a practical recovery day after the desert camp, so there is no major sightseeing scheduled. Keep your luggage organised for the next morning’s flight and carry any fragile desert finds or electronics in your hand luggage. Our team confirms the airport transfer and the arrangements for your onward stay in Aswan.

Fly from Cairo to Aswan and continue by road to Abu Simbel, allowing time for the journey through southern Egypt. At the site, enter the Abu Simbel colossal temples of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari. The four seated figures outside the larger temple are immediately striking, but the interior chambers are equally important: look for the reliefs showing royal ceremonies, battles and religious scenes.

Your guide explains how the temples were relocated to higher ground during the Nubian rescue campaign when the reservoir was created. After the visit, return to Aswan by road and check in. The schedule is full, so the evening is best used for dinner and rest. The exact road and flight sequence can vary with the confirmed transport plan, but our team coordinates the transfers so you are not left to arrange the connections independently.

Take a short boat ride to the island of Philae and visit the Philae sacred sanctuary, dedicated mainly to Isis. The temple courts, columns and reliefs are reached on foot, and the island setting makes the visit feel separate from the modern city. Your guide follows the surviving inscriptions and explains the sanctuary’s later Christian use.

Continue to the Aswan hydroelectric barrier to understand how the dam changed irrigation, electricity production and settlement patterns along the Nile. If you choose the Nubian settlements visit (optional), travel by boat or road according to local conditions and meet residents in a village setting. The visit may include tea, conversation and a look at brightly painted homes. Later, board the Nile cruise or transfer to the vessel, where the crew explains cabin arrangements and the sailing schedule.

Spend the day on the Nile as the vessel travels north towards Luxor. Mornings are suited to the upper deck, where you can watch palm groves, cultivated fields and small riverside villages pass at a slower pace than the road journey. Meals are taken onboard, and there is time to read, rest or speak with your guide about the temples and settlements along the route.

The cruise schedule may include a stop at a river temple or a period of sailing without a shore visit, depending on navigation and local operating conditions. Follow the onboard guidance when the vessel is moored and keep valuables secured in your cabin. By evening, the ship is positioned for the Luxor programme, leaving you ready for the west-bank visits on the following day.

Cross to Luxor’s west bank in the morning to visit the Royal tombs of the Kings in the Valley of the Kings. Your guide explains the painted burial chambers and the beliefs behind their layouts; the tombs entered depend on the site authorities and the day’s access. Continue to the Queen Hatshepsut mortuary temple, built into the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari, then pause beside the Memnon stone sentinels.

After a break, visit the Karnak sanctuary grounds, walking through the great columned hall and the temple precincts in the order set by the guide. Finish at Luxor ceremonial temple, where the avenue, pylons and evening light make a useful contrast with Karnak. An Aeronautical balloon adventure (optional) may be arranged early in the morning before the west-bank visits, subject to weather, flight safety and local approval.

Enjoy breakfast and complete check-out according to the departure arrangements. Depending on your flight time, there may be a little free time for the cruise staff to help with luggage and for a final view of the Nile from the deck. Our representative then arranges your transfer to Luxor airport or the next confirmed connection.

Allow extra time for airport security and domestic or international check-in, especially if you are connecting through Cairo. Keep your passport, travel documents and permitted hand luggage with you during the transfer. Our team remains available until your departure so the final handover is clear and unhurried.