Egypt 15-Day Tour with Nile Cruise and Red Sea Coast

Begin with the Giza Pyramids Complex, where your guide explains how the plateau was planned as a royal burial ground. You will see the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, with time to walk between the monuments and take in the changing views across the site. Entry inside a pyramid, when selected and available, is separate from viewing the exterior.

The visit continues to the Mighty Sphinx, carved from the limestone bedrock with the head of a king and the body of a lion. Your guide points out the causeway and temple remains nearby, helping you understand how the pyramid complex worked as a complete ceremonial landscape. Wear comfortable shoes, carry water and expect sun exposure; the plateau involves walking over uneven ground.

• Allow several hours for the plateau, photography and explanations.
• Transport between the hotel and Giza is included in the day's touring arrangements.
• Extra camel rides or optional interior entries are not assumed unless listed in your booking.

Visit the Egyptian Antiquities Museum for a chronological introduction to Egypt's ancient history. Your guide leads you through selected galleries rather than asking you to absorb the entire collection at once. Look for royal statues, funerary objects, jewellery and everyday pieces that put the large monuments into human context. Museum displays and access arrangements can change, so the route may be adjusted on the ground.

Later, continue to the Historic Old Cairo Quarter, an area where Islamic, Coptic and Jewish heritage sites lie within a compact part of the city. Depending on opening arrangements, the visit can include historic churches, the Ben Ezra Synagogue area and important mosques or streets. Modest clothing is useful, and some religious buildings require shoes to be removed. The day combines indoor galleries with slower walking through older neighbourhoods.

• Your licensed Egyptologist guide explains the objects and sites in sequence.
• Keep small personal items secure in crowded areas and during transfers.
• The pace can be adapted for families and travellers who prefer more frequent pauses.

Travel by road to Alexandria for a full day beside the Mediterranean. The journey takes several hours each way, so an early departure is sensible. On arrival, your guide introduces the city's Hellenistic and Roman past before visiting the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, where underground chambers combine Egyptian, Greek and Roman funerary details.

Continue towards the waterfront and the site associated with the ancient Pharos lighthouse, then see the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina from the outside or visit according to the day's opening arrangements. A seafood lunch can be arranged locally, subject to the selected meal plan. This is your day for Alexandria's Mediterranean charm: sea air, broad streets and a history that differs sharply from Cairo's desert setting.

• Wear shoes suitable for steps and uneven surfaces in the catacombs.
• Road conditions affect the return time to Cairo, so the evening remains flexible.
• Bring a light layer for the coast, where conditions can feel cooler than inland Cairo.

Leave Cairo by road for Bahariya Oasis, passing from the crowded capital into open desert. The transfer takes much of the day, with stops arranged for comfort and refreshments. At the oasis, you will see palm groves, low desert hills and the contrast between cultivated land and surrounding sand. Your local desert team then prepares the onward drive in a suitable four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Continue into the Snow-White Desert Landscape, where wind-shaped chalk formations rise from the pale ground. The shapes and shadows change as the light moves, and your guide explains how wind erosion created the limestone outcrops. After sunset, settle into the desert camp or designated desert accommodation, depending on the selected arrangement. Conditions are simple, with limited facilities and a wide difference between daytime and night temperatures.

• Pack an overnight bag, warm layer, sun protection and a refillable water bottle.
• The desert route is unpaved and can be bumpy.
• Food and camp arrangements follow the confirmed tour plan.

After breakfast, leave Bahariya for the Fayoum area and continue to Wadi el Hitan's Fossil Valley. The route is long and crosses open desert, but it leads to one of Egypt's clearest records of prehistoric marine life. At the protected site, walk between fossil displays and exposed whale remains, including evidence of how early whales gradually adapted from land to water.

Your guide explains the geological story in straightforward terms and points out the difference between prepared exhibits and fossils that remain in the ground. The visit is outdoors, with little shade, so a hat, water and sturdy footwear matter. After the valley, continue by road towards Cairo. Arrival time depends on road conditions, and the evening is left free for rest rather than another scheduled visit.

• Wadi el Hitan is reached on a desert route, usually with a local vehicle suitable for the terrain.
• Do not touch or remove fossil material from the protected area.
• A packed meal or roadside stop may be used according to the day's logistics.

Transfer to Cairo airport for the flight south to Luxor, then continue to the cruise vessel. After check-in, take time to settle into your cabin and learn where the dining room, deck and common areas are located. The five-day sailing programme runs between Luxor and Aswan, with sightseeing arranged around the vessel's navigation schedule.

Begin with Luxor's east bank and visit Karnak's Vast Temple Complex, a broad collection of sanctuaries, pylons, columns and processional spaces built over many centuries. Your guide helps you read the site in layers, from the great entrance to the columned halls and sacred precincts. Later, see Luxor's Grand Temple, where statues, courtyards and the avenue leading towards Karnak show how the two temples were connected.

• Cabins and meal arrangements depend on the selected cruise category.
• Deck surfaces can be uneven, so comfortable shoes are useful.
• The vessel may sail later in the day after scheduled visits and local navigation procedures.

Cross the Nile by road to Luxor's west bank, where the landscape changes from city streets to cultivated fields and desert foothills. Enter the Valley of the Kings Royal Tombs and visit the tombs included in your entry arrangement. Painted scenes of gods, rituals and the pharaoh's passage into the afterlife cover the underground chambers, although the colours and preservation differ from tomb to tomb.

Continue to Hatshepsut's Mortuary Sanctuary, built in terraces against the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari. The approach reveals the temple in stages, with broad ramps, colonnades and reliefs describing royal ceremonies and trade expeditions. After the visit, return to the cruise vessel for lunch or rest, depending on the sailing schedule. Much of this morning is exposed to the sun, and the tombs involve steps and narrow passages.

• Several tombs are reached through uneven ground and may have steep internal steps.
• Photography rules vary inside tombs and must be followed.
• Carry water, cover shoulders and knees when visiting the monuments.

The vessel leaves Luxor and begins the slower southbound journey along the Nile. Watch fields, irrigation channels and villages pass from the upper deck, or use the quiet time to rest after the previous day's walking. Sailing times depend on locks, river traffic and local navigation, so the guide confirms the shore visit once the vessel's schedule is clear.

At Edfu, transfer from the river to the temple area and enter the well-preserved Temple of Horus. The massive pylons, relief-covered walls and long processional axis make the scale easy to understand, while the inner rooms show how priests used the sanctuary. A short horse-carriage or local transfer may be used where permitted, followed by a return to the vessel. The ship then continues south, giving you time to enjoy the river at a calmer pace.

• Temple access includes outdoor walking in strong sunlight.
• Keep your boarding time in mind; the vessel cannot wait for late-returning travellers.
• Meals and overnight stay are on board according to the cruise plan.

Continue south by cruise towards Kom Ombo, with the river forming the day's main view. The banks become more open in places, while strips of farmland remain close to the water. This is a useful pause in the programme: you can have breakfast, sit on deck, and watch the landscape without a long road transfer between every sight.

Visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, built on a rise beside the river and dedicated to two separate divine traditions, one linked with Sobek and the other with Horus. Its symmetrical plan, carved medical instruments and reliefs of ritual equipment give your guide plenty to explain. Return to the vessel after the visit and continue towards Aswan. The rest of the evening is free for the deck, a meal or quiet time in your cabin.

• The temple approach includes uneven paving and some steps.
• River visits are scheduled around docking and sailing conditions.
• Keep sun protection and water with you during the shore excursion.

Arrive in Aswan and visit Philae Sacred Shrine, reached by boat across the water to its island setting. The temple complex was moved to higher ground during the construction of the High Dam, and your guide explains that relocation before leading you through its courtyards, columns and reliefs. The boat crossing adds a short, practical part to the visit, so keep belongings secure and follow the local boarding instructions.

Continue by road to Abu Simbel's Grand Temples, usually as an early excursion because the journey from Aswan takes several hours each way. The four colossal figures at the main temple face the approach, while the smaller temple nearby honours Queen Nefertari. Inside, reliefs record royal ceremonies and military victories. After exploring with your guide, return to Aswan for the overnight arrangement. The day is long, but the route is carefully structured around rest stops.

• Bring breakfast or refreshments if your confirmed schedule requires an early departure.
• Expect heat, open ground and limited shade at Abu Simbel.
• Disembarkation details are confirmed before leaving the cruise vessel.

After breakfast, complete the transfer from Aswan to the airport for your onward flight to Sharm El Sheikh. Flight routing may require a connection, and the exact timing depends on the confirmed booking, so our team coordinates the airport transfers around your itinerary. Keep essential medication, documents and swimwear in your hand luggage in case checked bags arrive later than you do.

On arrival, transfer to your hotel and settle into the Red Sea resort area. The afternoon is intentionally unhurried after the Nile programme. You can rest, walk along the shore or use the hotel facilities, subject to the accommodation arrangements. Your guide or local representative will explain the next day's meeting point and any optional sea activities without making promises about conditions or availability.

• Airport assistance and hotel transfer are arranged for the confirmed flight plan.
• Sea excursions depend on weather, sea conditions and local operating decisions.
• Keep your passport and travel documents safely stored at the hotel.

Spend the day at Sharm El Sheikh Beach Paradise with time set aside for swimming, sunbathing or a quiet walk along the coast. The resort shoreline has clear water in many areas, but access, reefs and swimming conditions vary by beach. Follow local safety signs and use designated swimming areas rather than entering the sea from unmarked points.

If you choose an optional snorkelling or boat excursion, the local team explains the route, equipment and meeting arrangements before departure. Sea activities are not compulsory, and travellers who prefer a slower day can remain at the hotel or explore nearby shops and cafés. Our team can help with practical arrangements, while the final decision to operate any boat trip rests with the local provider and sea conditions.

• Bring reef-safe sun protection, a hat and water.
• Snorkelling equipment may be available through an optional excursion or hotel service.
• Families should follow lifeguard guidance and keep children within their swimming ability.

Your final full day is free for another relaxed stay in Sharm El Sheikh. Use it for the beach, a pool, a spa treatment or a gentle visit to the resort's nearby areas. Keeping this day open gives you room to choose the pace that suits you after two weeks of archaeological visits, desert driving and river travel.

Travellers who want more activity can ask about a desert safari, a glass-bottom boat or a guided snorkelling outing. These are optional and should be selected according to your interests, mobility and comfort in the heat. Check the next day's departure information with our team and pack gradually, keeping travel documents, valuables and any flight essentials together rather than leaving everything until the morning.

• Optional activities are subject to local conditions and operating arrangements.
• Use hotel or designated beach facilities for changing and storing belongings.
• Allow time to settle any hotel charges before departure, as these are handled separately by the accommodation.

After breakfast, check out and meet our team for the transfer to Sharm El Sheikh airport. The recommended departure time depends on your flight, so we arrange pickup with enough allowance for the road, airport procedures and baggage check-in. Confirm that you have your passport, phone, medication and personal items before leaving the hotel.

Your fifteen-day route ends with the airport drop-off. If your flight is later in the day, luggage storage and extra hotel time may be possible subject to the accommodation's arrangements, but these services are not assumed. We can also explain onward transfer options if you are continuing elsewhere in Egypt. Keep your travel documents accessible until you have completed departure formalities.

• Airport transfer timing follows the confirmed flight details.
• Any extra room time, meals or luggage services are arranged separately when available.
• Our team remains available for practical departure assistance until airport drop-off.