9-Day Pyramids, Nile Cruise & Red Sea Tour with the GEM

Your tour starts when you land at Cairo International Airport. A member of our team meets you in the arrivals area, helps you through the airport formalities and drives you to your hotel.

Nothing else is planned today, so you can check in and rest after the flight. The rest of your group arrives during the day, and you meet your guide before tomorrow's touring begins.

No meals are included today. Keep a small amount of cash on hand for dinner near the hotel, and try to get an early night, because tomorrow is a full day at Giza and the museum.

After breakfast your Egyptologist guide takes the group to the Giza Plateau. The Great Pyramid of Khufu stood about 481 feet (147 m) tall when it was finished, and it shares the plateau with the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure. You then walk down to the Great Sphinx for a closer look and photos.

The day also includes a short stop at a papyrus workshop, where you see how the sheets are made by hand, and lunch. In the afternoon you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum with your guide, who picks out the main pieces and explains where they fit in Egypt's long history.

You return to your Cairo hotel in the evening. Wear closed shoes and bring a hat and water for the plateau, where there is almost no shade. Entrance fees for Giza and the museum are paid separately.

After breakfast you transfer to Cairo Airport for the included flight to Aswan, which takes about an hour and a half. Your guide meets the group on arrival and the touring starts right away.

The first visit is Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis and reached by a short motorboat ride. When the Aswan dams raised the water level, the whole temple was taken apart and rebuilt on nearby Agilkia Island, where it stands today. Afterward there is a short stop at a local perfume shop that sells traditional essences and oils.

You then board your Nile cruise ship in Aswan in time for lunch. The rest of the day is free on board, and dinner is served on the ship. Pack a small day bag for the flight with sunscreen and a hat, since you go straight from the airport to the temple.

The morning is free. Travelers who want to see Abu Simbel can add an optional trip at extra cost, which leaves Aswan very early and returns to the ship before it sails. If you stay on board, you have a slow morning with breakfast and time on the sun deck.

The ship then sails north to Kom Ombo. The temple here is unusual because it is shared by two gods: one half belongs to Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other to Horus the Elder. Your guide shows you how the halls and sanctuaries are doubled along the central axis.

After the visit the ship continues to Edfu, where it stays overnight. All three meals are served on board. If you plan to join the Abu Simbel trip, tell our team when you book so that your place can be arranged in advance.

You visit the Temple of Edfu early, before breakfast. It is dedicated to the falcon god Horus and is one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, with its entrance pylon, courtyard and roofed halls still standing.

Back on board you have breakfast while the ship sails toward Luxor and passes through the Esna Lock. Lunch is served during the sailing. This is the longest stretch on the river, so it is a good time to sit on deck and watch the farms and villages along the banks.

After the ship arrives in Luxor you tour the East Bank with your guide. Karnak is the largest temple complex in Egypt, and its Great Hypostyle Hall holds 134 carved columns. You finish at Luxor Temple, then return to the ship for dinner and the night in Luxor.

After breakfast you check out of your cabin and cross to Luxor's West Bank. In the Valley of the Kings, the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried in tombs cut deep into the rock, and your guide explains the painted scenes before you go in.

Next is the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, built in broad terraces against the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari. On the way back you stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two seated stone statues of Amenhotep III that once stood in front of his mortuary temple.

After lunch you travel by air-conditioned bus across the Eastern Desert to Hurghada, a drive of about four hours. You check in at your Red Sea resort, where your stay is all-inclusive, and have dinner there. Keep a book or headphones and a bottle of water with you for the road.

Today has no scheduled touring. After five busy days of temples and tombs, you can spend the whole day at the beach or the pool, and breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served at the resort.

Hurghada sits on a stretch of the Red Sea known for coral reefs and clear, warm water. If you want to be more active, optional trips are available at extra cost: a boat trip to Giftun Island, snorkeling, diving, a desert safari or a glass-bottom boat tour.

Book optional trips a day ahead through our team so the pickup time is confirmed. If you plan to snorkel, bring a swim shirt and plenty of sunscreen, because the sun on the water is strong even in winter.

After breakfast you check out of the resort and transfer to Hurghada Airport for the included flight back to Cairo, which takes about an hour. A driver meets you on arrival and takes you to your hotel.

The rest of the day is free. If you still have energy, you can add an optional evening at extra cost, such as a dinner cruise on the Nile or a walk through the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, the old market district of Islamic Cairo.

Only breakfast is included today, so plan lunch and dinner on your own. This is also a good evening to repack for the flight home and to buy any last gifts.

Have breakfast at the hotel and check out. At the time agreed with our team, a driver takes you to Cairo International Airport for your flight home.

The transfer is timed around your departure, so share your flight details with us when you book. If your flight leaves late in the day, ask us about a late checkout or an extra night in Cairo, which can be arranged at additional cost when rooms are available.

Allow plenty of time at the airport, where there are security checks at the terminal entrance and again before the gate. Keep your passport and booking confirmation within easy reach.