Egypt's finest 15-day journey through ancient wonders

Our representative will greet you at Cairo airport, processing immigration paperwork and baggage retrieval. Your private transfer then takes you to your hotel where your knowledgeable Egyptologist will be waiting to begin your tour. Settle in for the evening. Overnight stay in Cairo.

Meet your guide at 8 AM for an expedition to Giza's legendary pyramid trio: Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. Marvel at the Valley Temple and the Great Sphinx—the limestone sentinel guarding the royal necropolis with leonine form and a pharaoh's countenance. Optional interior pyramid or boat museum access available (additional cost). Continue to the Egyptian Antiquities Museum , housing over 250,000 artifacts spanning millennia, with an exclusive Tutankhamen treasury section featuring tomb treasures sealed for 3,500 years before 1920's discovery. Note: Mummy Chamber entry separate. Pass through Tahrir Square, birthplace of the 2011 revolution, before returning to your hotel.

Your guide escorts you to the Step Pyramid at Saqqara—humanity's oldest major limestone edifice, erected for King Djoser during Dynasty III. Following lunch at a local dining venue, transfer to Memphis, founded by King Menes and Egypt's ancient capital for over 3 millennia, to witness Ramses II's statue and Memphis's Alabaster Sphinx. Journey onward to Dahshur, where two early pyramids stand brilliantly preserved: the Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid, commissioned by King Sneferu (2613–2589 BC), fourth dynasty founder. These structures exemplify architectural progression culminating in Giza's Great Pyramid. Later pyramids here, including the 12th Dynasty Black Pyramid, suffered from millennia of weathering. Return to your hotel afterward.

Depart Cairo at dawn in an air-conditioned coach, traveling 80 km southwest to El Fayoum Oasis within the Western Desert. At 10 AM, transfer to a rugged Toyota 4x4 for the 69.2 km expedition to Wadi Al Hitan (Whale Valley). This UNESCO World Heritage Site and Protected Natural Area, designated in 2005, was discovered by scientists in 1936. Located 35 km west of Wadi El-Ryan, it houses an open-air museum of petrified cetacean skeletons, fossilized shark teeth, shells, and mangrove roots dating to 45 million years ago. At 12:30 enjoy lunch, then visit the Fossil & Climate Change Museum exhibiting whale fossils and stone-preserved ecosystems indoors. Return to Cairo, arriving at 7 PM. Overnight in Cairo.

After breakfast, travel to Alexandria for a day immersed in Greco-Roman antiquity. Explore the Roman Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, constructed during the 2nd century AD and utilized for burials across two centuries—a time when Alexandria blended Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures. Witness Pompey's Pillar, a red granite monolith likely honoring Emperor Diocletian (though tradition misattributes it to the Roman general Pompey); it rises 25 meters as Alexandria's tallest ancient monument. Next, visit the 15th-century Citadel of Sultan Qaitbay, a Mamluk fortress erected using remnants of Ptolemy II's ancient lighthouse (damaged in the 1303 AD earthquake). Lunch follows at an Egyptian restaurant. Then tour the resurrected Library of Alexandria, reopened in October 2002 as a beacon for arts, sciences, and philosophy. Conclude at Al Montaza Palace gardens sprawling across 360 acres on the eastern shore, featuring five swimming beaches and water sports. Return to Cairo for overnight accommodation.

6:00 AM pickup from your hotel for a 350 km eastbound drive (approximately 4 hours) to Bahariya Oasis in the Western Desert, with stops for restrooms and refreshment. At 10:00 AM, board a 4x4 Jeep and drive into the Black Desert landscape. 12:00 noon: Lunch is served in El Haize oasis. 1:00 PM: Journey toward the Valley of Ashgabat. 3:00 PM: Arrive at the Valley of Agabat, nestled within the white desert National Park. The otherworldly beauty stems from 45-million-year-old limestone and chalk formations shaped when this region lay beneath ancient seas. 4:30 PM: Explore the chalk-white landscape and unique rock sculptures. 5:30 PM: Set up camp tents and watch the sunset transform the sky. 6:30 PM: Enjoy dinner under the stars prepared by Bedouin staff, dining on simple yet delicious fare of grilled chicken, rice, and fresh vegetables beside a crackling fire. Desert camping overnight.

6:00 AM: Rise early and witness a stunning sunrise over the desert landscape. 7:00 AM: Savor breakfast served in the open desert air before departing Bahariya Oasis. 9:00 AM: En route back, stop at Crystal Mountain (locally Gebel al-Izzaz)—a quartzite-crystal hill jeweling the desert. Its radiant crystalline façade shimmers magnificently beneath sunlight; discovered accidentally decades ago, it has become a geological marvel. 11:00 AM: Arrive at Bahariya Oasis and relax in the therapeutic warmth of Bir Sigam hot spring, located 7 km east on the Cairo road, renowned for its optimal mineral-rich temperature. 12:00 noon: Begin the return drive to Cairo. 4:30 PM: Arrive back in Cairo. Overnight in Cairo.

Transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight to Luxor . A tour representative meets you at Luxor airport and escorts you to your luxury Nile cruise vessel. Your Egyptologist guide leads a journey back through time along the Nile's East Bank, exploring Luxor 's Karnak Temple complex and the graceful Luxor Temple, then board the cruise for embarkation and lunch. Afternoon tea and dinner served on board. Optional evening Sound and Light show at Karnak or optional city and market exploration available. Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast aboard your cruise as your Egyptologist guide escorts you across the Nile's West Bank for an exploration of Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut 's mortuary temple nestled at El Deir El Bahari, and the twin colossal statues of Memnon guarding the landscape. Return to the cruise for onward sailing toward Edfu, passing through Esna Lock with dinner and overnight rest. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Breakfast on board, then your learned guide accompanies you to Horus Temple at Edfu, an architectural masterpiece. Return to the cruise for lunch as you sail toward Kom Ombo. Upon arrival, your guide escorts you to the dual-deity Temple of Kom Ombo, consecrated jointly to Sobek and Haroeris. Continue sailing to Aswan with dinner and an overnight stay aboard the Nile cruise. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Pre-dawn pickup at 3:15 AM from your Aswan hotel, traveling by air-conditioned coach through desert darkness toward Abu Simbel's temples. Constructed during Pharaoh Ramesses II's reign (13th century BC) and relocated en masse in 1968 atop an artificial plateau above the Aswan High Dam, these monuments endure as triumphs of pharaonic ambition. Your Egyptologist guide illuminates one of history's most magnificent and eccentric pharaohs. Observe the colossal front façade of the Great Temple to Ramesses II, crowned by four seated statues of the pharaoh, symbolizing his advancing years and dominion. Theoretically dedicated to Amon-Re Horakhty and Ptah, the temple actually glorifies its builder—Ramses the Great. Visit the adjoining smaller temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari, Ramesses' principal consort, featuring an impressive rock-carved façade depicting both sovereign and queen. Reboard your coach at 9:00 AM for return to Aswan before the desert heat intensifies.

Disembark after breakfast aboard the cruise vessel. Your Egyptologist guide escorts you through Aswan's highlights: the Aswan High Dam—a modern engineering marvel controlling Nile floods; the Granite Quarries, where pharaonic artisans extracted massive stone blocks; and Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, perched on its sacred island. Embark your Nile cruise again for lunch, then transfer to Aswan airport. Fly to Cairo, then onward to Sharm el Sheikh. Overnight in Sharm el Sheikh hotel.

Unwind and rejuvenate on the Red Sea's pristine shores of Sharm el Sheikh

Enjoy a complete day of freedom at Sharm el Shiekh

Breakfast at your hotel, check out from your Sharm accommodation and head toward Cairo.
International flight departure