9-Day Egypt Tour: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan & Nile Cruise from Cairo (Ends in Aswan)

Upon arriving at the Cairo airport, we will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel.

Full day visit where we explore the famous Pyramids of Cheops, Kefren and Micerinos (tickets to go inside the pyramids are not included), and also the impressive Sphinx, which is sculpted from rock. Visit to the Egyptian Museum with its ancient art and where the treasure of the Lost Tomb of Tutankhamen is kept. Lunch included. Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. We will take a walk through the Coptic neighborhood where we visit the Hanging Church built above a Roman fortress.

We depart Cairo early to explore Egypt's hidden gems: the stepped Pyramid of Meidum (2600 BC), Egypt's first pyramid attempt; the lush Faiyum Oasis fed by Lake Qarun, stopping at pottery village Tunis for lunch; Wadi Rayyan's salt lakes and waterfalls; and finally Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley) UNESCO site with its remarkable whale fossils and climate change exhibits. This journey reveals pyramids, oasis, desert lakes and prehistoric wonders in one extraordinary day.

Departing Minya, we first visit Zawiyyet Sultan's striking adobe mausoleums in an ancient necropolis. Next, Beni Hassan reveals 4,000-year-old cliffside tombs with vibrant daily-life scenes (lunch included). En route along the Nile, the rarely visited Tombs of Mir (Old/Middle Kingdom) offer serene historical immersion. At Deir el-Muharraq, a Coptic monastery marks where Mary and Jesus allegedly sheltered, housing what's considered the world’s oldest church. The day ends in Assiut, a provincial capital (dinner included).

We leave Assiut for Sohag, we are in one of the main Coptic areas of Egypt. We visit the White Monastery, built in the fourth century (several times destroyed) and powerfully walled, in its construction stone was used that came from pharaonic temples and some blocks still show ancient Gods and hieroglyphics, at the time housed the largest library in Egypt. After that we visit the Red Monastery, one of the most impressive Christian buildings in Egypt, its ancient chapel of the fourth century, have most of its surface covered with frescoes (restored) that give us an idea of what religious buildings were like at the end of antiquity. We continue our route to Abydos, lunch included, the most important place of worship of Osiris -God of the dead-, was a place of pilgrimage and necropolis for over 4500 years (from years 4000 BC to 600 AD), there are still many tombs unexcavated. The impressive temple of Seti stands out, one of the most complete and beautiful in Egypt. Continuation to Luxor. Arrival at the end of the day.

Early in the morning, from our hotel we will take a private boat to cross the Nile River, with its peace and impressive views early in the morning, we go to the west bank. We visited the "Valley of the Artisans" Deir el-Medina, a little-visited place, here they lived and are the tombs of great builders and craftsmen who built and decorated the royal tombs of ancient Egypt. We will visit three tombs, their paintings show scenes of daily life at that time. After that, we visit the fantastic temple of Medinet Habu, the temple of Ramses II, large and magnificently preserved, its scenes of wars will surprise us. We stopped in front of the Colossi of the Memnon, two impressive statues of Amenhotep II. We will visit the VALLEY OF THE QUEENS where the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Deir el Bahari) is located, considered the first woman to occupy the position of pharaoh. We also visit the famous VALLEY OF THE KINGS where the tombs of the main pharaohs are hidden. Among these tombs, composed of several rooms and corridors leading to the corresponding burial chambers (we include, in addition to the general admission, a ride in an electric cart to access the enclosure and tomb of Ramses -which requires additional entry-). Return to the east bank of Luxor. Free time for lunch.
In the afternoon we visit KARNAK, it housed the most important religious complex in Ancient Egypt, highlighting the immense temple of Amun-Ra, our guide will take us to the little-crowded temple of Khinsu. We will also visit the LUXOR MUSEUM, which shows us an impressive collection of objects and mummies found in this area. After dark we include the entrance to the LUXOR TEMPLE, its lighting makes it magical at this time. Time to walk in the commercial area (souk) near the temple.
Note: The order of the visits will vary based on climatological factors and procuring to visit the different locations at times of less affluence.

After breakfast we start our beautiful road stage following the Nile valley. We visit Esna, its great temple is one of the few Egyptian temples that still retains its original roof, providing a unique view of the ancient architecture and original colors. Afterwards, we continue to  Edfu and visit the Temple of Horus (God represented by a Falcon), which in the past was partially covered by lime during the periodic flooding of the river Nile. We continue to  Kom Ombo, after lunch (included) we visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, the only temple dedicated to two gods, Sobek and Haroesis, where we find a Nilometer (former system for measuring the level of the Nile River) and a mummified crocodile. We will also visit the impressive museum of Crocodiles (several of them mummified). We continue our route to Aswan, arriving at the end of the afternoon. Overnight at our excellent hotel.

Full day in Aswan, including a visit to the city and the Red Granite Quarry, where the famous Unfinished Obelisk is located. We´ll observe the ingenious procedure used by the ancient Egyptians for the extraction of granite blocks. We will visit the beautifulTemple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis and located on a small island that is only accessible by boat. After that, we´ll enjoy a felucca ride along the river, typical fishing boats. By felucca we will go to the picturesque Nubian Village, with its colorfully painted houses, its tourist and commercial life, lunch included. In the afternoon (including arrival on felucca and a stretch of about 15 minutes of camel ride!) we will visit the Monastery of Saint Simeon, it was a large monastery in Roman times, then it was transformed into a caravanserail. We also pass by the modern Coptic church and the mausoleum of the Aga Khan (not visited). Afterwards, free time in our excellent hotel, where you can enjoy its large swimming pool and its facilities.

After the breakfast, the tour will come to an end. Please arrange the transportation on your own for your next trip plan.