8 day egypt tour cairo luxor aswan package

Marsa Alam tours coordinator greets you at Cairo International Airport and arranges your private, climate-controlled vehicle transfer to your hotel. Your evening is at leisure, allowing you to unwind after travel. Early arrivals may enjoy an optional sound and light evening performance at the Giza Pyramids (40 USD per person additional). Rest overnight at your Cairo hotel accommodation.

Your guide collects you from your Cairo hotel for a spectacular day exploring the Pyramids of Giza complex, including Khufu , Khafre, and Menkaure monuments. Marvel at the iconic Great Sphinx, an ancient marvel from millennia ago, and visit the Valley Temple ruins. Midday lunch is served at a traditional restaurant overlooking the Giza plateau. Next, explore the Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo. This world-class institution houses over 250,000 authentic antiquities spanning 5000 years, featuring the exclusive Tutankhamun exhibition—a priceless collection of golden treasures and jeweled ornaments discovered in his sealed burial chamber in 1920. Visits to the Royal Mummies Hall are arranged separately (additional 30 USD). Fly south to Aswan. Overnight accommodation at Movenpick Aswan.

Early departure from Aswan drives you to majestic Abu Simbel via private vehicle. The two monumental temples of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari were carved into mountainside sandstone between 1274 and 1244 BCE. The Great Temple honored Ramesses II, Ra-Harmakis, Amun-Ra, and Ptah with four towering colossal statues. The secondary temple was dedicated to Queen Nefertari and Goddess Hathor. In the 1960s, UNESCO achieved a groundbreaking feat by dismantling and relocating both temples to higher ground to prevent submersion by Lake Nasser. Lunch is served in Aswan with sunset felucca sailing. Optional afternoon visit to the Nubian Village—a vibrant, colorful settlement showcasing authentic Nubian culture and artistry. Two hours exploring this welcoming community reveals the soul of Nubian heritage. Overnight at Movenpick Aswan.

Aswan sightseeing includes the Temple of Philae and sunset felucca sailing around Elephantine Island, the High Dam construction, and the partially quarried Obelisk. Philae Temple: This sanctuary was constructed around 690 BCE to honor the goddess Isis, representing the final flowering of classical Egyptian temple design. The High Dam: Built at Egypt's northern border between Egypt and Sudan, this earth-fill dam was completed in 1968 and inaugurated in 1971. The Unfinished Obelisk: Aswan's northern granite quarries housed Egypt's premium building stone, used for statuary and temple ornamentation. The massive unfinished obelisk provides crucial insights into ancient construction methods, though its full assembly process remains partially mysterious. Three sides of the 42-meter shaft were completed except for inscriptions. Had it been finished, this 1168-ton monument would have been Egypt's heaviest worked stone. Noon lunch in Aswan. Travel to Kom Ombo temple : This site, 40 km north of Aswan, honors the gods Sobek and Horus, dating mainly to the Ptolemaic and Roman eras (332 BCE–395 CE). Drive to Edfu temple : This Upper Egyptian landmark showcases a beautifully preserved edifice honoring Horus the falcon-deity. Construction of this Ptolemaic sanctuary, overlaid on an older predecessor, dates between Ptolemy III's reign (246 BCE). Wall inscriptions record the mythological struggle between Horus and Seth, likely enacted annually as ritual drama. Transfer to Luxor for overnight stay at Steigenberger Pyramids Hotel

Following breakfast, visit the monumental Karnak complex, the largest religious sanctuary ever constructed worldwide. No site in Egypt surpasses Karnak's grandeur. This magnificent temple complex represents the cumulative masterpiece of countless generations of pharaohs and ancient architects. The Karnak complex encompasses three primary temple sanctuaries spread across 247 acres of land. Finally, visit Luxor Temple, the ceremonial center for Egypt's paramount festival of Opet. Built predominately by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, the temple served as the stage for festival rituals reconciling the pharaoh's mortal nature with divine authority.
Around noon, enjoy lunch at a traditional restaurant in Luxor . The afternoon is yours to explore at leisure.

Begin your morning with an exhilarating hot-air balloon ascent over Luxor . Your hotel pickup launches you skyward in the early dawn, presenting an aerial panorama of Luxor's majesty. A light breakfast and tea accompany your flight. Following your balloon adventure, your private driver transfers you across Luxor's West Bank. You will visit the monumental Valley of the Kings , the eternal burial ground of Egypt's pharaohs from the 18th through 20th dynasties. Explore three royal tombs, including those of the legendary Ramesses II and the youthful Tutankhamun . The decorated interior walls remain remarkably well-preserved. Optional access to young Pharaoh Tutankhamun 's tomb and King Seti 1's sepulcher are available. The Hatshepsut Temple: This sanctuary ranks among Egypt's most beautiful and best-preserved classical temples. Built upon three ascending levels with symmetrical ramps, the structure rises from the desert floor in sculptured terraces, merging dramatically with the limestone cliffs of the Theban hillside—as if Nature herself had constructed this extraordinary monument. Colossi of Memnon: These two colossal quartzite statues of King Amenhotep III remain the sole relics of a grand mortuary complex. Quarried in Cairo, the stones were transported 700 kilometers to Luxor. Standing 18 meters high, these colossal twins represent the remains of what was once the West Bank's largest compound, commissioned by Amenhotep III. Valley of the Queens: This sacred necropolis, historically called Ta-Set-Neferu ('place of the Pharaoh's children'), interred the wives and royal offspring of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties (1550–1070 BCE) alongside nobility. The tomb of Nefertari, Ramesses II's most beloved wife, stands as one of the most celebrated. For her honor, he built an exquisite temple at Abu Simbel. Visit Queen Nefertari's sepulcher. Overnight in Luxor .

Savor an unforgettable hot-air balloon experience in the morning. The Egyptian balloon offers an extraordinary vantage point to witness Earth's grandest open-air museum. Early pickup from your Luxor hotel carries you to the balloon launch site. Light breakfast and refreshing tea are provided. Following your balloon ascent, your private vehicle transports you northward 60 kilometers to Qena, where you'll explore Dendera temple . Dendera temple The Hathor Temple was predominantly erected during the Late Ptolemaic age, particularly under the rule of Ptolemy XII and Cleopatra VII. Subsequent embellishments occurred under Roman dominion. Despite Ptolemaic construction by non-Egyptian monarchs, the temple architecture adheres strictly to classical Egyptian design conventions, except for the hypostyle hall's entrance facade, inscribed to Emperor Tiberius's commission.
Hathor held veneration as a healing deity, evident in the temple's incorporated wellness sanctuary. Pilgrims visited seeking curative intervention from the goddess. Sacred water, sanctified by pouring across inscribed statues, facilitated ritual bathing. Priests of Hathor dispensed healing ointments. Sleeping chambers accommodated those anticipating divine nocturnal visitations and therapeutic intervention. Return to Luxor for an onward flight to Cairo. Overnight lodging at Le Meridien airport location.

Departure transfer to Cairo airport for your international flight home.