13-Day Egypt Tour: Pyramids, Abu Simbel & Red Sea

After breakfast, travel to the Giza Plateau for the first major sightseeing day of your Egypt tour. Walk around the three main pyramids and pause at the viewpoints that show how their positions change across the plateau. Your guide explains how the monuments were built as royal tombs and points out details that are easy to miss when viewed only from a distance.

Continue to the Sphinx, whose human-headed, lion-bodied form faces the pyramid field. You have time for photographs and can choose whether to enter an available pyramid, subject to local access arrangements. Wear comfortable shoes, bring sun protection and carry water, as the open plateau has limited shade. Return to Cairo after the visit for a relaxed evening.

Begin the day at the Egyptian Museum, where the collection brings together royal statues, funerary objects, jewellery and everyday items from several periods of ancient Egypt. Move through the galleries with your guide, focusing on the pieces that explain how pharaohs, priests and craftsmen shaped the society you have already encountered at Giza.

Later, continue to Old Cairo for a different view of the city’s history. Walk through the historic quarter and visit its important churches, mosques or other accessible monuments according to the day’s local arrangements. The streets are uneven in places, so sensible footwear helps. Your guide also allows time for a drink or light meal before the transfer back to the hotel. The evening is free to prepare for the next day’s desert journey.

Leave Cairo by road for Bahariya Oasis, a journey of several hours through changing desert scenery. On arrival, take a break and have lunch before continuing by 4x4 into the surrounding landscape. The oasis has palm groves, low hills and springs, while the route beyond it gradually becomes more open and remote.

Continue towards The White Desert, where wind-shaped chalk formations rise from the pale ground. Your desert driver chooses suitable stopping points for photographs and a short walk, taking care around the uneven surface and strong midday sun. As evening approaches, the light changes the colour and shape of the rocks. Dinner and overnight arrangements are made at a desert camp or local accommodation, depending on the tour setup. Conditions are simple, and warm layers are useful after sunset.

After breakfast, leave the desert area and travel back towards Cairo. The drive takes much of the morning, so the route is planned with rest stops. From Cairo, continue towards Fayoum and then into the protected desert landscape of Wadi El Hitan, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for fossilised whale remains.

At the visitor area, follow the marked paths with your guide to see the ancient skeletons preserved in the desert rock. The fossils show how early whales adapted from life on land to life in the sea, giving the visit a clear connection between geology and natural history. The ground is exposed and walking can be on sand or rough surfaces, so closed shoes and sun protection are important. After the visit, return to Cairo for the night and an early start the next day.

Transfer to Cairo Airport for the flight to Aswan. After arrival, meet our local team and continue to the Nile waterfront, where a short boat ride takes you across to Phiala Temple on its island setting. The sanctuary was moved during the construction of the Aswan High Dam, and your guide explains how the relocation protected its carved gateways and halls.

Walk through the main entrance and follow the sequence of courtyards, columns and reliefs. Look for scenes connected with Isis, Osiris and Horus, along with later Roman additions. The island visit usually takes a few hours and includes time for photographs beside the water. Return by boat, check in at your Aswan accommodation and enjoy a quieter evening. Aswan is generally warmer and sunnier than Cairo, so a hat, water and light clothing are useful during the outdoor sightseeing.

Set out early by road for Abu Simbel, allowing several hours for the journey through the southern desert. The long transfer is worthwhile for the scale and detail of the two rock-cut temples built during the reign of Ramesses II. On arrival, enter the larger temple and examine the colossal seated figures outside before moving through its halls and inner sanctuary.

The nearby temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari has its own finely carved façade and interior scenes. Your guide sets the visit in context, including the international effort that moved the monuments to higher ground when the reservoir was created. The site is largely open and receives strong sun, so bring water and wear shoes suited to firm, dusty paths. After exploring both temples, return to Aswan by road for dinner and overnight accommodation.

Travel north from Aswan towards Luxor by road or by the cruise arrangement confirmed for your tour. The route follows the Nile Valley, passing farmland, villages and stretches of desert beyond the cultivated land. Breaks are arranged during the transfer, and luggage remains with you or is handled by the tour team according to the transport plan.

After arrival and check-in, visit Karnak Temple. Enter through its monumental approach and continue into the vast courtyards and columned halls, where inscriptions record the work of successive rulers. Your guide helps you read the site in stages rather than treating it as one large complex. Leave time for photographs and a rest before the evening visit. Later, walk through Luxor Temple, where the illuminated columns and statues give the monument a different atmosphere. Overnight in Luxor.

Cross to Luxor’s West Bank after breakfast for a morning among the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Your entry usually includes access to a selection of open tombs, with the exact choices depending on local ticket arrangements. Descend into the decorated chambers and look closely at the painted scenes of gods, rituals and the pharaoh’s passage into the afterlife. Tomb interiors can be narrow, steep and warm.

Continue to Hatshepsut Temple, built in terraces against the cliffs. The broad ramps and colonnades show how the temple was designed to connect the cultivated valley with the sacred landscape above. Your guide explains Hatshepsut’s reign and the stories shown in the surviving reliefs. The visit involves outdoor walking, so carry water and use sun protection. Return to the East Bank for lunch or a rest, with the remainder of the day free.

Leave Luxor after breakfast for the road transfer to Hurghada on the Red Sea coast. The journey crosses the Eastern Desert, replacing the green Nile Valley with rocky hills and wide open views. Rest stops are made along the way, and our team assists with luggage and hotel check-in after arrival.

Once settled, the afternoon is available for your first relaxed look at the coast. You may use the hotel facilities, walk along an accessible waterfront area or simply rest after the archaeological sightseeing. Any swimming or boat activity should be arranged through the approved local providers and depends on sea conditions. Hurghada has a warm coastal climate, but evenings can feel cooler in the open air. Overnight in Hurghada, with the next day reserved for time beside the Red Sea.

Spend the day at a relaxed pace in Hurghada. Travellers who choose a boat excursion can sail to a suitable reef area for swimming or snorkelling, while those preferring a quieter schedule can remain at the hotel or enjoy time by the beach. Marine activities are supervised locally, and the route and stops depend on sea conditions and the arrangements available that day.

Our team confirms the practical details before you leave, including meeting arrangements, equipment and the expected return time. Bring swimwear, a cover-up, reef-safe sun protection and a dry place for personal items. The Red Sea can be bright even when the air feels comfortable, so regular water breaks are sensible. Return to the hotel in the afternoon, leaving the evening open for dinner and rest.

Your final full day is free for a slower end to the tour. You can return to the beach, swim where conditions allow, book another supervised sea activity or spend time at the hotel. Keeping this day flexible lets you choose between more time outdoors and a restful pause before travelling home.

If you leave the hotel, carry only what you need and keep your travel documents secure. Our team remains available to help with local arrangements and to confirm the following day’s departure transfer. Use the afternoon to organise luggage, check that souvenirs are packed safely and settle any personal purchases. Enjoy your final dinner in Hurghada, with an early night recommended if your onward flight is in the morning.

After breakfast, check out according to your flight schedule and meet our representative for the transfer to Hurghada Airport. Allow enough time for the drive, airport procedures and baggage check-in. The exact pickup time is confirmed by our team once your flight details are available.

Keep your passport, phone, medication and important documents in your hand luggage. If you have spent the morning at the hotel, check the room carefully for chargers and personal belongings before leaving. Our representative helps you with the final transfer, bringing the 13-day itinerary to a close at the airport.