Egypt journey spanning 6 days

A representative from Marsa Alam will greet and support you upon arrival at Cairo International Airport. Private air-conditioned transport takes you to your hotel for a relaxed evening. Depending on your flight arrival time, should you arrive early, we can suggest a cultural excursion. Overnight stay at your Cairo hotel.

After hotel pickup, your guide escorts you to the magnificent Pyramids of Giza (Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure), then to the enigmatic Great Sphinx and the ancient Valley Temple. Lunch at a local Giza restaurant. Next, visit the renowned Egyptian Museum, housing over 250,000 artifacts spanning 5,000 years, with the exclusive Tutankhamen treasure collection—gold, jewels, and sacred objects buried over 3,500 years before discovery in 1920. The royal mummy hall requires an optional separate fee (40 USD). The New Grand Egyptian Museum is under final preparations; limited pre-opening tours are available. Access currently extends to the Grand Hall, retail zone, and exterior gardens only. Evening flight to Aswan and hotel transfer.

Early departure with breakfast pack. Journey to the magnificent Abu Simbel temples: Ramesses II's Great Temple and Queen Nefertari's temple, both carved into mountain rock between 1274–1244 BC and relocated stone-by-stone to higher ground by UNESCO—considered one of history's greatest preservation triumphs. The Great Temple honors Ramesses II, Ra-Harakhte, Amun-Ra, and Ptah, with four colossal statues. The smaller temple celebrates Queen Nefertari and goddess Hathor. Lunch in Aswan at a local establishment. Explore Aswan's highlights: Philae Temple (built to honor goddess Isis, among the last classical Egyptian constructions), the High Dam (rock-fill dam completed 1968, inaugurated 1971), and the Unfinished Obelisk—nearly 42 meters of granite offering insights into ancient monument construction, would have weighed 1,168 tonnes if completed. Felucca sailing around Elephantine Island completes the Aswan experience. Afternoon transfer to Luxor. Overnight at Nile Palace Steigenberger.

Optional: hot-air balloon over Valley of the Kings ($80 per person). Breakfast at hotel. Visit the west bank, including the Valley of the Kings (once called the Great Place of Truth, a majestic domain where pharaohs rested in grand stone sarcophagi awaiting immortality, dominated by pyramid-shaped Theban Mountain). Witness the Memnon Colossi—18-meter statues rising from the plain, remnants of Amenhotep III's vast complex. Experience the Queen Hatshepsut Temple, rising through limestone terraces and merging dramatically with eastern cliffs of the Theban range. Explore Karnak, more than just a temple—a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons, and obelisks dedicated to Theban deities and pharaonic glory, the most crucial site for worshipping the Theban Triad (Amun, Mut, Khonsu). Tour Luxor Temple, largely constructed by Amenhotep III, completed by Tutankhamon and Ramesses II, with the first pylon decorated with Ramesses II's Battle of Kadesh. Midday meal during excursions. Evening flight to Cairo; hotel transfer. Overnight stay in Cairo.

Drive to Alexandria (220 km/3 hours) to your central hotel facing the Corniche. Explore Greco-Roman treasures: The Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, hewn from southern hillside rock in the Carmous district, dating to the 2nd century AD and displaying remarkable Egyptian-Greco-Roman fusion, discovered 1900 when a donkey fell through an entrance. Pompey's Pillar: a massive 30-meter column towering over ancient Rhakotis ruins (the original settlement from which Alexandria grew), hewn from red Aswan granite, standing alone where the magnificent Temple of Serapis once stood, measuring 2.7m base with elegant Corinthian capital. The Roman Amphitheatre of Kom el Dikka: an affluent Greco-Roman residential area with villas, bathhouses, theater; the Park of Pan where citizens enjoyed leisure pursuits. Thirteen white-marble terraces comprise Egypt's only discovered Roman amphitheatre. Lunch at local Egyptian restaurant with views of the Citadel and fishing harbor. Bibliotheca Alexandrina: reimagining the ancient Great Library, this magnificently designed cultural center houses multiple museums, galleries, planetarium, and restoration laboratory. Opened 2002 by UNESCO, the sun-disk architecture dominates the Corniche with an eight-million-volume reading room. Three museums: Antiquities, Sadat, Manuscripts. Optional afternoon visit to Fort Qaitbey: built by Mamluk Sultan Qaitbey to protect this strategic Mediterranean port, historically Egypt's most vital defensive stronghold, occupying Pharos Island where it replaced the Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). Red brick remnants of the lighthouse persist—nostalgic reminders of its former magnificence. Walking the Corniche to Fort Qaitbey offers unforgettable Mediterranean vistas. Return to Cairo. Overnight stay.

Hotel pickup at 08:00 with your Egyptologist guide. Ascend to the Saladin Citadel, constructed by Salah al-Din atop Moqattam Hills in 1183 AD as a Crusader defense fortress. Celebrated for fresh mountain air and panoramic Cairo vistas, it preserves historic mosques and museums. Marvel at the Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pasha, designed by Turkish architect Yousif Boushnaq, who traveled from Istanbul specifically to build this masterwork. The mosque's luminous alabaster structure contrasts beautifully with the sandstone cityscape. Lunch at a traditional Old Cairo restaurant. Tour Old Cairo's spiritual landmarks: the Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Church of Santa Barbara, and Church of Abu Serga—one of the earliest Coptic churches in Cairo. Explore Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, among the Middle East's oldest marketplaces, the historic heart of Cairo's trade since the 14th century, brimming with artisan wares and local flavor. Transfer to Cairo Airport for your international departure. For those wishing to extend their Cairo stay, contact us for optional arrangements.