Highlights of Egypt: Cairo & Nile cruise

This morning, your private guide and driver will meet you at your hotel for a full-day tour of the pyramids at Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur. At Dahshur, you visit its Bent Pyramid, one of the earliest attempts at pyramid architecture. You then venture inside the Red Pyramid before moving on to see the stepped pyramid of Saqqara. Finish with the most iconic and largest pyramids at Giza, where you will also see the Sphinx.

Enjoy a day at leisure to explore Cairo under your own steam. Cairo Museum is a definite highlight and hosts over 160,000 artefacts, from ancient Egyptian leather sandals to King Tutankhamun’s iconic death mask. Alternatively, you could head to downtown Cairo and Khan el-Khalili and explore the chaotic souqs selling a range of trinkets and Egyptian memorabilia.

Today, you have an early start and are taken to the airport by your private driver before boarding your short internal flight to Aswan. There, you embark on your Nile cruise ship. After settling into your cabin and getting acquainted with the boat, you disembark for a small group guided tour of the High Dam and the Temple of Philae. The rest of the evening is yours to spend at leisure.

You sail north to Kom Ombo this morning and visit the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris in a small guided group. After lunch, visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu, where your guide takes you through the different halls and antechambers, explaining their significance, before you reach the inner Sanctuary of Horus. You then rejoin the boat and sail to Esna, where you will moor overnight.

This morning the boat crosses the famous Esna lock before sailing to Luxor. On arrival, you visit the West Bank. In the Valley of the Kings, take the opportunity to go inside a tomb and see the vividly preserved hieroglyphics. The tombs you can enter change daily to avoid an excess of moisture damaging the interiors, so your guide will confirm on the day which ones you will visit. You also visit the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.

After spending your final night on board, you visit the Temples of Karnak and Luxor on Luxor's East Bank on your last morning in Egypt. Karnak Temple is particularly impressive and boasts 134 giant sandstone columns designed in the form of papyrus stalks. Sadly, it’s now time to depart Egypt, so your local representative and driver take you to Luxor airport for your flight to Cairo. From there, you will continue your onward journey. Your return flight will arrive the same day.