Egypt 8-Day Tour: Cairo, Giza and Nile Cruise

After breakfast, your guide takes you to Giza for a close look at Giza's monumental pyramids. You see the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, then continue to the Sphinx and its limestone enclosure. Your guide explains how the plateau was planned as a royal burial ground and points out details that are easy to miss from a distance. Allow time for photographs, but expect some walking over uneven ground.

Later, visit the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo, where galleries hold statues, jewellery, coffins and everyday objects from several periods of Egyptian history. The collection includes Tutankhamun's burial treasures, including the famous gold mask. This is a substantial museum, so your guide focuses on the principal rooms and gives context without rushing every display. You return to the hotel after the visits, with the evening free to relax before the move south.

• Giza plateau and Sphinx visit with a guide
• Guided tour of Cairo's comprehensive museum and Tutankhamun collection

After breakfast, transfer to Cairo airport for the flight to Luxor. On arrival, our team takes you to the cruise boat, where the crew assists with check-in and luggage. Once settled, have lunch on board and take in the first views of the river from the deck. The pace changes here: travel between sites is by water, and much of the afternoon is spent watching fields, villages and palm-lined banks pass slowly by.

Later, visit Karnak Temple before the boat begins its southbound sailing. Karnak's sprawling complex includes vast courts, columned halls and monumental gateways built and expanded by successive pharaohs. Your guide leads you through the main route and explains how the temple was connected to ancient Thebes. Return to the boat for dinner and your first night on the Nile. Shore visits involve walking in the heat, while the boat provides a quiet place to rest between excursions.

• Flight transfer from Cairo to Luxor
• Cruise check-in, lunch and visit to Karnak Temple

Cross the Nile in the morning for Luxor's West Bank, the area chosen by pharaohs for royal burials. Your guide takes you into selected tombs in the Valley of Kings' royal tombs, where painted scenes cover corridors and burial chambers below the desert hills. The number of open tombs can vary, and the guide explains how to read the wall decoration while allowing time to walk through the underground spaces. Some passages are steep or low, so comfortable shoes are useful.

Continue to Hatshepsut's terraced temple at Deir el-Bahari. Its broad levels rise against the cliffs, connected by ramps and lined with reliefs depicting the queen's reign and trading expedition to Punt. A short stop at the Colossi of Memnon follows before you return to the boat. Lunch and the afternoon are usually spent on board as the cruise continues south, with time to rest, read or watch the river from the sun deck.

• West Bank excursion and selected royal tombs
• Deir el-Bahari and Colossi of Memnon before returning to the boat

The boat continues south, with the day's visits arranged around its sailing schedule. At Edfu, travel by local transfer to the Temple of Horus, one of Egypt's most complete ancient temples. The huge entrance pylon, detailed walls and enclosed courts show how temple rituals were organised. Your guide describes the temple's connection with Horus, the falcon-headed god, before you return to the boat.

Later, stop at Kom Ombo for a walk through its unusual double temple. One side was dedicated to Sobek, associated with the crocodile, and the other to Horus the Elder. The site sits directly beside the river, making the changing light over the water part of the visit. Back on board, the cruise resumes towards Aswan. Meals are served on the boat, and the evening is a good time to enjoy the deck without another long road transfer.

• Temple of Horus at Edfu
• Double temple of Kom Ombo and continued sailing towards Aswan

Arrive in Aswan and visit Philae's riverside sanctuary, reached by boat across the reservoir to Agilkia Island. The temple complex was moved from its original island during the UNESCO rescue project, and its courtyards, reliefs and columns remain closely linked to the worship of Isis. Your guide explains the relocation and the stories carved into the gateways before the boat returns you to shore.

After lunch and time to settle into your Aswan accommodation, take a Felucca sailing adventure around the islands and riverbank. These traditional wooden sailboats move according to the wind, so the route and duration can change with conditions. Sit back rather than expecting a fast transfer; the appeal is the quiet view of granite rocks, palms and passing river traffic. Disembark after the sail and spend the evening at leisure. The cruise portion ends in Aswan, with your luggage transferred onward by the local team.

• Motorboat visit to Philae Temple
• Traditional felucca ride on the Nile near Aswan

Leave Aswan early for the road journey to Abu Simbel. The temples stand near Egypt's southern border and are best visited as a dedicated excursion, so expect a substantial travel day with time on the road in both directions. On arrival, walk towards the two rock-cut temples commissioned by Ramesses II. Their monumental seated statues face the approach, while the inner halls contain reliefs showing royal ceremonies and military victories.

Your guide explains how the temples were dismantled and rebuilt on higher ground during the creation of Lake Nasser. The smaller temple, dedicated to Queen Nefertari and Hathor, has its own sculpted figures and painted chambers. After the visit, return to Aswan and spend the final evening of the tour at your accommodation. Keep essential items with you for the excursion and carry water, sun protection and shoes suitable for firm, sometimes dusty paths.

• Return road excursion to the rock temples of Abu Simbel
• Evening back in Aswan after the southern desert journey

Enjoy breakfast in Aswan before checking out. Our team arranges your transfer to the airport or to the next point on your Egypt travel plans, according to the departure details provided for your booking. Keep your passport, travel documents and valuables in your hand luggage, and allow enough time for airport procedures.

If your departure is later in the day, you can use the remaining time to rest or take a final look at the Nile near your accommodation, subject to the day's transfer schedule. The tour ends with your drop-off in Aswan; any onward flight or connection is handled according to your confirmed travel arrangements.

• Breakfast and hotel check-out
• Transfer to Aswan airport or your arranged onward destination