Egypt 14-Day Tour with Red Sea Diving

After breakfast, travel from central Cairo to the Giza plateau for a guided visit to the Giza Pyramids. Your guide explains how the pyramid complex was planned, how stone was moved and how the monuments fitted into the beliefs of Egypt’s Old Kingdom. You have time to walk around the main viewpoints and see the different angles of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.

Continue to the Great Sphinx, where the lion’s body and human head face across the plateau. The visit includes time for photographs and for questions about the temple structures beside the statue. Ground surfaces are uneven in places, and the midday sun can be strong, so comfortable shoes, water and a hat are useful.

Return to Cairo after the plateau visit. The afternoon remains flexible for rest or an optional local meal, while your guide confirms the following day’s museum visit and any road arrangements.

Today centres on the Cairo National Museum, where you see a broad collection of Egyptian objects arranged across different periods of the country’s history. Allow time to examine statues, coffins, jewellery, tools and everyday items rather than treating the museum as a quick stop. Your Egyptologist guide places the exhibits in context and points out details that are easy to miss in a large collection.

After the museum, continue through an older part of Cairo for a slower look at historic streets and religious architecture. Depending on access and the day’s conditions, the route may include a church, mosque or traditional market area. Your guide explains local customs and helps you move comfortably through the busier sections.

There is time for lunch and a break before returning to the hotel. Prepare a small overnight bag for the desert section, while larger luggage can remain arranged for the next transfer according to the tour plan.

Leave Cairo by road for Alexandria, a journey of several hours depending on traffic. On arrival, explore the Mediterranean waterfront and the city’s broad coastal setting. Your guide introduces Alexandria’s Greek, Roman and later history as you visit the main planned sights included in the day’s route, with time to see how the city differs from inland Cairo.

The itinerary may include the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, Pompey’s Pillar and the area around the Citadel of Qaitbay, subject to opening arrangements. At the coast, the air and light change noticeably, and there is a chance to pause for lunch or a drink near the seafront. Some sites involve steps and uneven flooring, so wear shoes with a secure sole.

Return to Cairo in the late afternoon or evening. The following day begins with a longer desert transfer, so keep essentials close and use the evening to rest. Your driver and guide will confirm the departure arrangements before you settle in.

Travel west from Cairo towards Bahariya in a comfortable vehicle, crossing the changing landscape from the Nile Valley’s settled edge to open desert. The drive takes several hours, with a break arranged along the way. Your guide explains how oasis communities depend on groundwater and agriculture in an otherwise dry environment.

On arrival, explore the Bahariya Spring Oasis at a relaxed pace. See palm groves, cultivated land and the warm springs that support local life. A spring visit is a chance to slow down after the road journey, although water temperature and access can vary. Follow local guidance and bring swimwear only if bathing is permitted at the selected site.

Spend the night in Bahariya or at a desert camp, depending on the confirmed route. The evening is quiet compared with Cairo, with dinner and time to look across the darkening landscape. Pack a light layer because desert temperatures can fall after sunset.

Set out by 4x4 into the desert to see the chalk landscapes known for their pale rock shapes. The White Desert Formation has been shaped by wind and erosion, leaving isolated pinnacles and rounded forms across the open ground. Your driver chooses safe stopping points, and your guide explains how the rock changed over long periods.

Walk short distances around the formations, photograph the contrast between white stone and sand, and pause for tea or a simple desert meal according to the day’s arrangements. There are no continuous paths or shaded facilities, so carry water, use sun protection and follow the guide across the uneven surface. The pace is easy, but sturdy footwear helps.

Return towards Bahariya and then continue by road to Cairo, or complete the return according to the agreed overnight plan if road timing makes that more practical. This is a long travel day; the schedule allows breaks rather than rushing between viewpoints.

After the desert section, transfer to Cairo Airport for the flight to Luxor. Internal flight timings can vary, so the morning is organised around the confirmed departure rather than a fixed public schedule. On arrival, meet the local team and continue to the east bank of the Nile for the day’s main visit.

Explore the Karnak Temple Complex with your Egyptologist guide. Walk through the great entrance, the vast columned hall and the temple courts, while learning how successive rulers added chapels, pylons and inscriptions over many centuries. The complex is extensive, so allow time for walking in the open sun and for pauses as your guide explains the reliefs.

After the visit, transfer to your Luxor accommodation and check in. The evening is free for dinner or rest. Keep water with you during the temple visit, and wear clothing that is comfortable for several hours on your feet.

Cross to Luxor’s west bank after breakfast for a morning among the royal burial sites. At the Valley of the Kings Royal Tombs, your guide explains why pharaohs were buried in this desert valley and how the painted corridors led towards the burial chambers. The included tombs can change, and additional entrances may require separate arrangements, but every visit involves steps and uneven ground.

Continue to the Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple, set against the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari. Walk up the broad terraces and examine the surviving reliefs that describe the queen’s rule and her trading expedition to Punt. The site has limited shade, so an early start, water and sun protection make the visit more comfortable.

Return to the east bank after the sightseeing, with time for lunch and a rest before the next travel stage. Your guide confirms the following morning’s transfer to Aswan and helps organise luggage for the road journey.

Leave Luxor after breakfast and travel south towards Aswan. The road follows the Nile Valley, passing farmland, villages and stretches of desert. The drive takes much of the day, with planned stops so you can stretch, buy refreshments and take in the changing scenery rather than remain in the vehicle continuously.

Your guide uses the journey to explain how settlements depend on the river and how transport links connect Upper Egypt’s cities. If the schedule and access arrangements allow, there may be a short stop at a riverside town or an archaeological point along the route; the main focus remains reaching Aswan comfortably.

Arrive in Aswan and check in before the evening. The city has a slower rhythm and a different landscape, with granite islands and broad Nile views. Rest well, since the next day includes an early excursion to the temples at Abu Simbel.

Begin before sunrise for the road transfer to Abu Simbel, allowing for the long journey through the desert south of Aswan. The early departure helps you reach the site before the strongest heat and leaves time to examine the temples without compressing the visit. Bring breakfast items, water and a light layer for the cooler start.

At the Abu Simbel Monuments, stand before the four colossal figures of Ramesses II and enter the rock-cut temple to see its halls, reliefs and sanctuaries. The smaller temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari sits nearby. Your guide explains the temples’ original location and their relocation during the construction of the Aswan High Dam, a practical detail that adds important context to the visit.

Return to Aswan by road after the tour. The journey is long, but the route includes opportunities for breaks. The evening is free for a quiet meal and rest rather than another scheduled sightseeing stop.

Visit the island setting of the Philae Sacred Temple by boat after breakfast. The short crossing gives you a clear view of the granite-strewn Nile landscape before you walk through the temple gateway, columned courts and sanctuaries. Your guide points out scenes of Isis, Horus and other deities, and explains how the complex remained an active religious centre into the Roman period.

The boat ride and island paths are straightforward for most travellers, but surfaces can be uneven and access depends on local operating conditions. Take water, a hat and comfortable shoes. Allow time for photographs from the landing area, where the temple and surrounding water create a different setting from the inland monuments.

Return to Aswan for lunch and a relaxed afternoon. You may spend time by the river or browse local shops with your guide’s advice. Keep only what you need ready for tomorrow’s road transfer to the Red Sea coast.

Leave Aswan by road for Hurghada, crossing from Upper Egypt towards the Red Sea coast. This is a substantial transfer and takes several hours, with rest stops arranged along the route. The landscape changes from cultivated Nile farmland to wide desert and then to the coastal plain, making the journey a useful transition between the archaeological and seaside parts of the tour.

Our team keeps the day practical: luggage stays with you, refreshments can be arranged during breaks and the driver follows the confirmed road plan. Wear comfortable clothes for the journey and keep sunscreen, medication and valuables in a small day bag rather than in the main luggage.

Arrive in Hurghada, check in and take time to settle by the coast. The evening is free for a meal and rest. Your diving or sea excursion briefing takes place before the next day’s water activities, including guidance about equipment, boat procedures and personal comfort in the water.

Spend the day on a Red Sea diving excursion arranged around your experience level and the confirmed sea conditions. After transfer to the marina, meet the dive team, check equipment and listen to the safety briefing before boarding. Certified divers can explore suitable reef sites, while travellers who do not dive can ask about available snorkelling or time on the boat.

Underwater, expect clear reef scenery, colourful fish and sheltered areas selected by the crew for the day’s conditions. No dive site or visibility is guaranteed, and the instructor or guide makes the final decision about safe locations. Follow the briefing, stay within your limits and tell the team about any health concern before entering the water.

Return to shore with the afternoon available for poolside rest, a walk along the promenade or a quiet meal. Keep the evening easy after the water activity, and allow enough time to organise luggage for departure.

Enjoy a final breakfast and complete hotel check-out according to the confirmed departure arrangements. Our team checks the transfer details and helps with luggage before taking you to Hurghada Airport or the next agreed point in your travel plan. Allow extra time for airport procedures, especially if you are connecting to an international flight.

If your departure is later in the day, you can spend the remaining hours at the hotel or take a short local walk, provided your luggage and airport timing allow it. Avoid planning a separate excursion today, since road traffic and airline check-in requirements can vary.

Before leaving, check your room, vehicle and day bag for passports, phones, chargers and medication. Your fourteen-day route ends with the airport transfer, leaving you ready for the journey home or your onward connection.