8-Day Cairo, Aswan & Luxor Tour with a 3-Night Nile Cruise

Your trip starts in the arrivals hall at Cairo International Airport. A member of our team meets you there and drives you to your hotel, so you do not have to arrange a taxi after a long flight.

Nothing is scheduled for today. Check in, rest and get used to the time difference. Cairo is a city of more than 20 million people in its wider metropolitan area, and the first evening is a good moment to take in the scale of it from the hotel before the touring begins.

No meals are included today. Set up a local SIM card or an eSIM before you land so you can reach our team from the first evening, and have an early night, because tomorrow is a full day on the Giza Plateau.

After breakfast you meet your English-speaking Egyptologist guide and drive to the Giza Plateau. The visit is planned as a proper tour, not a photo stop. You walk around the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, then continue down to the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple beside it.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu stood about 481 feet (147 meters) tall when it was completed some 4,500 years ago, and it is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world still standing. Your guide explains how the pyramids, temples and causeways worked together as a burial landscape for the kings of the Old Kingdom. Lunch is included.

Later in the day you return to the city with free time, for example for one of Cairo's markets. An evening activity can be added as an optional extra at additional cost. Wear closed shoes and a hat for the plateau, where there is very little shade.

Today you leave Cairo for the far south of Egypt. After breakfast a driver takes you to Cairo Airport for the domestic flight to Aswan, which is included in the price and takes about an hour and a half. On arrival you are met and driven to your hotel.

Aswan sits on the Nile just below the First Cataract, where granite islands break up the river. For centuries it was Egypt's southern frontier, and the granite for many obelisks and statues was quarried here. There is no guided sightseeing today, so the rest of the day is yours to settle in.

Dinner is included this evening. Aswan is noticeably warmer and drier than Cairo, so drink plenty of water and keep sunscreen within reach. Pack your bag tonight so that it is ready for the cruise ship tomorrow.

After breakfast you check out and start the Aswan tour with your guide. A short motorboat ride takes you to Philae, the island temple of the goddess Isis. You then drive to the Aswan High Dam before you board your Nile cruise ship in Aswan, your home for the next three nights.

Philae does not stand where it was built. When the dams at Aswan raised the water level, the temple was taken apart and rebuilt block by block on nearby Agilkia Island. The High Dam itself was built between 1960 and 1970 and is more than two miles long. From the top you look out over Lake Nasser on one side and the Nile on the other.

From today until you leave the ship, breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on board. Once you have your cabin, take a walk around the sun deck to get your bearings. Keep a light layer handy, because evenings on the river can feel cool after a hot day.

The ship sails north from Aswan, and you step ashore at Kom Ombo with your guide. The temple stands right above the riverbank, only a short walk from the dock. After the visit you return on board, and the ship continues toward Edfu.

Kom Ombo is unusual because it is a double temple. One half is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other to Horus the Elder, so the building has two entrances, two halls and two sanctuaries side by side. Your guide points out how the plan mirrors itself along the central axis.

All three meals are served on board today. Between the visit and dinner there are long, quiet hours on deck, with farmland, palm groves and villages passing on both banks. Bring a hat and sunglasses for the deck, and a camera for the late afternoon light.

This morning you go ashore at Edfu to visit the Temple of Horus with your guide. Back on board, the ship sails on toward Luxor, usually by way of Esna. Sailing times follow the ship's schedule, so the exact hours can change from one departure to the next.

Edfu is one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. It was built between 237 and 57 BC, and its towering entrance gateway, roof and inner sanctuary are still largely complete. Walking through it gives you a clear picture of how a working Egyptian temple was laid out, from the open court to the dark sanctuary at the back.

All meals are served on board, and this is your last night on the ship. Much of the day is spent on the river, so it is a good time to rest before a full day in Luxor. Settle any onboard bills this evening and keep small notes ready for the crew tip, which is not included in the price.

After breakfast you leave the ship and spend the day in Luxor with your Egyptologist guide. The tour covers both sides of the river: the temples of Karnak and Luxor on the East Bank and the royal tombs on the West Bank. Lunch is included, and you check in to your Luxor hotel at the end of the day.

Karnak grew over many centuries into one of the largest temple complexes in the world, and its Great Hypostyle Hall holds 134 huge stone columns. On the West Bank, the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried in rock-cut tombs in the Valley of the Kings, where the painted corridors show the king's journey into the afterlife.

This is the longest sightseeing day of the trip, with a lot of walking on sand and stone and steps down into the tombs. Start with a full water bottle, wear closed shoes and cover your shoulders against the sun. Entrance fees are paid separately, so carry cash or a card for the ticket offices.

Have breakfast at the hotel and check out at the time agreed with our team. A driver then takes you to Luxor International Airport, with the transfer timed around your flight.

The tour ends in Luxor, not in Cairo. Your onward flight from Luxor is not part of the package, so plan it before you travel. If you need to return to Cairo for your international flight, ask us when you book and we can add a Luxor to Cairo flight to your arrangements at extra cost.

Allow enough time between a domestic flight and an international connection in Cairo, because you may need to change terminals and pass security again. Keep some Egyptian pounds for tips and small purchases at the airport.