14-day Egypt adventure

Our Marsa Alam tour team will greet and support you upon arrival at Cairo International Airport. You'll be transported to your hotel in a private, air-conditioned vehicle. Your evening is at leisure, depending on your flight's arrival time. If you have an early arrival, we can arrange an optional city orientation tour. Contact us for suggestions on maximizing your first day. Accommodation at your chosen hotel tonight.

Your guide will collect you from your Cairo hotel to explore the iconic Pyramids of Giza – Khufu , Khafre , and Menkaure . Next, visit the awe-inspiring Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple. Lunch is served at a local Giza restaurant. Afterward, you'll tour the Egyptian Museum , home to an exceptional collection of over 250,000 artifacts spanning 5,000 years. Highlights include the exclusive Tutankhamun exhibit — treasures, gold, and jewelry buried for millennia until excavation in 1920. (Royal mummies gallery available for an additional $30 fee; the new Grand Museum opens later). Return to your hotel. Optional: Sound and Light Show at Giza Pyramids, $40 per person.

Your Marsa Alam guide will collect you to explore Cairo's ancient wonders: the magnificent Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the world's oldest large stone structure, erected during the 3rd Dynasty for King Djoser. Then enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Proceed to Memphis, founded by King Menes and Egypt's capital during the Old Kingdom for over 3,000 years—see the Statue of Ramses II and the Alabaster Sphinx. Next, drive to Dahshur, where two later pyramids lie largely destroyed, but the Black Pyramid (12th Dynasty, 1929–1885 BC) and other structures remain. Dahshur also boasts two of Egypt's finest early pyramids: the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, both built under King Sneferu (2613–2589 BC), the 4th Dynasty founder. These monuments testify to the architectural evolution leading to the Great Pyramid and its companions at Giza. Return to your hotel.

Depart at 7:00 am from your Cairo hotel, escorted by your Egyptologist. Travel 220 km northwest in a private air-conditioned vehicle to Alexandria , arriving around 10 am. Begin your exploration of Alexandria : Visit the Roman Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa , built in the 2nd century AD and used for 200 years during a period of cultural fusion in the city. See Pompey's Pillar , a 25-meter granite column honoring Emperor Diocletian (contrary to its name, unrelated to Pompey). Explore the Citadel of Sultan Qaitbay , erected in the 15th century by Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay to defend against crusaders, built using stones from the ancient Lighthouse of Ptolemy II (3rd century BC), damaged in a 1303 earthquake. Lunch at a local Egyptian restaurant. Visit the New Library of Alexandria , reborn in October 2002, uniting the arts, history, philosophy, and science. Depart Alexandria at 7 pm, arriving in Cairo at 10 pm. Stay overnight in Cairo.

Pickup from your Cairo or Giza hotel at 6:00 am. Drive 350 km east to Bahariya Oasis in 4 hours, with restroom and coffee stops en route. At 10:00 am, transition to a 4x4 Jeep for off-road exploration of the Black Desert . Lunch at El Haize Oasis at noon. By 1:00 pm, drive to Agabat Valley , arriving at 3:00 pm, nestled deep within the White Desert . Experience the otherworldly landscape—millions of years ago, a seabed; now, formations of limestone, chalk, and sand create nature's sculpture gallery. At 4:30 pm, explore the White Desert National Park, Egypt's most famous desert destination. At 5:30 pm, set up camp and watch the sunset paint the sky pink and fiery orange, silhouetting the rock formations. At 6:30 pm, gather around a small campfire under the stars, enjoying a simple meal of grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables—nothing tastes better in the desert. Bedouin staff will prepare dinner and arrange comfortable desert camping overnight.

Wake to a desert breakfast before returning to Bahariya Oasis . En route, visit Crystal Mountain (Gebel al-Izzaz), a remarkable crystal-studded hill often called the "Jewel of the Desert." Quartzite crystals gleam brilliantly in sunlight—a natural wonder discovered by accident decades ago. Continue to Bahariya Oasis and soak in the natural hot spring at Bir Sigam , located 7 km east on the Cairo road. The spring's warm, therapeutic waters offer perfect relaxation. Drive back toward Cairo; fly from Cairo Airport to Aswan, then transfer via modern private air-conditioned vehicle to your 5-star hotel for check-in.

Collect you from your Aswan hotel and transfer to your Nile cruise. Today's explorations include major Aswan attractions: the Temple of Philae, a sailing tour around Elephantine Island via felucca, the High Dam, and the Unfinished Obelisk. Philae Temple : Built to honor the goddess Isis, it was the last temple constructed in classical Egyptian style. Construction started around 690 BC at one of the final sacred sanctuaries where the goddess was venerated. The High Dam : Located at Egypt–Sudan's northern border, this rock-fill dam harnesses the Nile, with its reservoir forming Lake Nasser. Built 1960–1968 and officially opened in 1971. The Unfinished Obelisk : Aswan supplied ancient Egypt's finest granite, used for statues and temple embellishments. The massive 42-meter unfinished obelisk in the Northern Quarries reveals construction techniques; three sides are complete except inscriptions. At 1,168 tonnes, it would have been Egypt's heaviest stone piece ever made. Lunch at noon on the cruise. At 4:00 pm, sail around Elephantine and visit Lord Kitchener Island. Optional: Visit the authentic Nubian Village (2 hours), colorful, artistic, and genuinely welcoming. Dinner and overnight aboard the cruise. Meals: Breakfast–Lunch–Dinner.

Breakfast and lunch aboard the cruise. Early departure to visit Abu Simbel from Aswan. Abu Simbel Temples : Two colossal temples carved from the mountainside on the Nile's west bank between 1274 and 1244 BC. The Great Temple, dedicated to Ramses II, Ra-Harakhty, Amun Ra, and Ptah, features 4 massive statues. The second temple honors Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. Both were dismantled stone-by-stone and rebuilt at higher elevations—a UNESCO triumph. At 1:00 pm, lunch on the cruise. Sail to Kom Ombo. Kom Ombo Temple : Sited 40 km north of Aswan, this temple dedicated to the gods Sobek and Horus dates mainly to Ptolemaic and Roman periods (332 BC–395 AD). Sail to Edfu for overnight stay. Dinner and overnight aboard. Galabeya party tonight.

Breakfast aboard the cruise. At 8:00 am, visit Edfu by horse-drawn carriage. Edfu Temple : An Upper Egyptian gem dominated by a pristinely preserved temple dedicated to Horus, the falcon god. Built during the Ptolemaic era (founded under Ptolemy III, 246 BC), wall inscriptions chronicle the Myth of Horus and Seth, likely performed annually as a religious drama. Return by 10:00 am. Lunch on the cruise. At 10:30 am, sail toward Luxor through the Esna Lock, arriving at 6:00 pm. Visit Luxor Temple. Luxor Temple: Largely built by New Kingdom Pharaoh Amenhotep III and completed by King Tutankhamun and the great King Ramses II. Ramses II erected the First Pylon, decorating it with his military Battle of Kadesh. Dinner and overnight aboard the cruise. Optional: Sound and Light show at Karnak Temple, $40 per person.

Optional: Balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings, $80 per person. Breakfast aboard the cruise, then disembark. Explore Luxor's west bank and major sites. Valley of the Kings : Formerly called the Great Place of Truth, this majestic domain held pharaohs in grand stone sarcophagi, awaiting immortality. The isolated valley behind Deir el Bahari is dominated by a pyramid-shaped peak. The Colossi of Memnon : Massive twin statues, rising about 18 meters from the plain, are ruins of what was once the largest complex on the west bank, built by Amenhotep III. Queen Hatshepsut Temple : Rising in terraces from the desert plain, the temple merges seamlessly with sheer limestone cliffs on the Theban Mountain's east face, as if nature itself constructed this extraordinary monument. Karnak Temple: More than a single temple—a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons, and obelisks dedicated to Theban gods and the glory of Egypt's pharaohs. Karnak was the most important site for worshipping the Theban Triad (Amun, Mut, and Khonso). Lunch during the tour. Transfer to Hurghada hotel.

Hurghada
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then continue exploring countless Hurghada activities and attractions: swim in the crystalline sea, bask in the warm sun on pristine sandy beaches, savor refreshing beverages, feast on fresh cuisine, and much more.

Immerse yourself in a day of leisure to discover Hurghada at your own pace. You may arrange optional excursions such as a trip to Giftun Island or the Dolphin House for an unforgettable marine experience.

Spend another unscheduled day at your Hurghada 5-star resort – Tropital Sahel Hasheesh, enjoying the facilities and beach at leisure.

Depart Hurghada by flight to Cairo , with an international departure from Cairo International Airport.