8-day Egyptian adventure: Cairo highlights and Nile river cruise departing Hurghada

Upon touchdown at Hurghada International Airport, our dedicated travel specialist extends a warm welcome. You'll be transported comfortably to your Hurghada hotel in a private climate-controlled vehicle. Settle in for an overnight stay at your beachfront accommodation.

Your Cairo guide collects you from your lodging for a captivating tour showcasing The Pyramids of Giza ( Cheops , Chephren, and Mykerinus ). Continue to see the iconic Great Sphinx, dating to antiquity, then visit the Valley Temple . Next, discover the Egyptian Museum , home to an expansive collection comprising over 250,000 authentic archaeological pieces spanning 5000 years. Highlights include an exclusive Tutankhamen section featuring his treasures, precious metals, and adornments sealed within his tomb for millennia before excavation in 1920. Note: The mummy gallery entrance fee is separate. Retire for the evening in Cairo.

Depart from your Giza accommodation and journey to Cairo airport for your short flight to Aswan. Upon landing in Aswan, transfer to your waiting Nile cruise vessel. Embark and enjoy lunch on board. Explore Aswan's historical treasures, including the sacred Temple of Philae and a traditional felucca sailing adventure around Elephantine island, the massive High Dam infrastructure, and the renowned Unfinished Obelisk.
The Temple of Philae was erected to venerate the goddess Isis, marking the final temple constructed in classical Egyptian architectural tradition. Building commenced circa 690 BC as a premier worship sanctuary. The Aswan High Dam stands as a monumental rock-filled engineering structure positioned at Egypt and Sudan's northern frontier. Fed by the Nile River waters, it creates Lake Nasser as its reservoir. Project construction ran from 1960 to completion in 1968, with formal inauguration in 1971. The Unfinished Obelisk reflects Aswan's historical role as Egypt's granite quarry of choice for statuary and temple ornamentation. The sizeable incomplete obelisk within the Northern Quarries furnishes crucial understanding of sculptural methods employed, though entire construction techniques remain partially mysterious. Nearly 42 meters of shaft width were completed sans inscriptions. Weighing 1168 tonnes upon completion, it would represent the heaviest stone monolith ever shaped by Egyptian craftspeople. Midday meal at 12:00 on your cruise vessel.
Evening dining and overnight accommodation aboard your cruise.

Start your day with breakfast on the cruise, followed by lunch onboard. The optional Abu Simbel excursion incurs a 90 USD surcharge per participant. Abu Simbel's Temples: Ramses II and Queen Nefertari's dual sanctuaries were hewn into the mountainside along the western Nile bank between 1274–1244 BC. The larger shrine honored Ramses II, Ra-Harakhty, Amun-Ra, and Ptah, adorned with four tremendous stone figures. The smaller temple venerated Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. Both structures underwent complete dismantling and repositioning on higher terrain in a UNESCO preservation triumph. Following the Abu Simbel excursion, sail to Kom Ombo at 13:00 to visit its Temple. This landmark sanctuary, positioned 40 kilometers north of Aswan, honored deities Sobek and Horus, primarily dating to the Ptolemaic and Roman eras (332 BC–395 AD). Navigate onward to Edfu for overnight anchorage. Enjoy your evening meal and rest aboard your cruise vessel. Evening entertainment with traditional Galabyia dress party.

Rise to breakfast onboard your cruise. Next, explore Edfu's magnificent Edfu Temple : This Upper Egyptian treasure showcases a strikingly preserved structure dedicated to Horus the hawk deity. The Ptolemaic Horus Temple, constructed atop a much older sanctuary, dates to the era of Ptolemy III (246 BC). Wall inscriptions recount the legendary Contending of Horus and Seth, believed to have been performed annually as sacred theater. Set sail toward Luxor via the Esna Lock, where you'll experience Luxor temple Luxor Temple: Principally constructed during the New Kingdom reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and finalized by King Tutankhamon and the illustrious King Ramses II. Ramses II erected the First Pylon and embellished it with depictions of his military triumph at Kadesh. Evening dinner and overnight rest aboard your cruise.

Breakfast aboard your cruise vessel. Visit the western bank of Luxor and explore Karnak The Valley of the Kings: Once called the sacred Place of Truth, this legendary necropolis hosted Pharaonic tombs within towering sarcophagi as awaiting eternal existence. Behind Deir el Bahri, a pyramid-shaped mountain peak dominates the vista. The Colossi of Memnon: Two massive statues, known as the Colossi of Memnon, tower roughly 18 meters above the plain—remnants of Egypt's once-grandest western bank complex, commissioned by Amenhotep III. The Hatshepsut Temple: Ascending from desert flats in terraced magnificence, this sanctuary of the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut merges seamlessly with towering limestone precipices on the Theban mountain's eastern face, as though nature itself had authored this incomparable edifice. Overnight rest aboard the cruise near Luxor Karnak Temple:
Karnak transcends a mere temple—it's an awe-inspiring assemblage of hallowed precincts, pavilions, gateways, and obelisks, all venerating Theban deities and honoring Egypt's rulers supremely. Karnak represented the premier location for ceremonial devotion to the Theban Triad (Amun, Mut, and Khonso). Transport to Hurghada from Luxor - to your resting place in Hurghada .

Unwind at your Hurghada beachfront property for a rejuvenating day. Savor leisurely moments while soaking in the sun and sea breezes. Opt to arrange one of our exclusive maritime recreation offerings, such as guided snorkeling expeditions

Complete your hotel checkout and proceed to Hurghada airport for your international flight home.