Tours
20 nights Classic 4 domestic flights
The Complete Egypt
Three weeks, from the Nile to the Red Sea to the White Desert
from$3,280per person Ask about this tour
Nights20
Places14
Flights4
Group1 to 6, or more
Best monthsOctober to April
Grand Egypt and then the desert: a free day in Cairo, a 4x4 to Bahariya, two nights camping in the White and Black Deserts with our Bedouin hosts, all meals around the fire.
Day by day
The route
Every day below can be moved or swapped. Tell us what matters to you.
- Day 1 · Giza & the Pyramids
Arrival in Cairo
- Pickup at Cairo airport and transfer to the guest house or your hotel
- Welcome drink at a local café: coffee, tea or iced lemon, shisha if you like, and a chat about the days ahead
- Day 2 · Giza & the Pyramids
The pyramids, and the show at night
- The Sphinx and the three pyramids, with a camel or horse ride around them
- Inside the third pyramid, the Queen’s pyramid and two tombs of the pyramid engineers
- The Giza dunes for the panoramic view of all nine pyramids
- Lunch with the family
- Sound and light show from the guest-house rooftop, or a seated ticket if you prefer
- Day 3 · Cairo
Museum, mosques and the bazaar
- The Egyptian Museum
- Islamic Cairo: Amr ibn al-As, Al-Azhar, Muhammad Ali Mosque at the Citadel and Al-Hussein
- Khan el-Khalili bazaar after dark
- Sufi dance show (tanoura) in the evening
- Day 4 · Saqqara, Dahshur & Memphis
Dahshur, Saqqara and Memphis
- Dahshur: the Red Pyramid (you can go inside) and Sneferu’s Bent Pyramid
- Saqqara: the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the tombs
- The open-air museum at Memphis, the old capital
- Day 5 · Cairo
Coptic Cairo and the Nile at sunset
- A walk through Islamic Cairo
- Coptic Cairo: the Church in the Cave (St Simeon), the Coptic Museum and the Hanging Church
- Picnic in Al-Azhar Park with the view over the old city
- Nile dinner cruise with an open buffet and belly dancing
- Day 6 · Aswan & Nubia
Fly to Aswan
- Morning flight Cairo to Aswan
- Philae, the temple of Isis, by boat
- The High Dam and a Nile crossing
- A Nubian village by boat
- Day 7 · Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel at sunrise
- Abu Simbel before dawn: the great temple of Ramses II and the temple of Nefertari
- Back to Aswan; afternoon on the river
- Day 8 · Edfu
Kom Ombo and Edfu
- The double temple of Sobek and Horus at Kom Ombo
- The temple of Horus at Edfu
- Day 9 · Luxor
Luxor, west bank
- The Valley of the Kings and Tutankhamun’s tomb
- The Valley of the Queens and Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahari
- Day 10 · Dendera
Dendera and Abydos
- Hathor’s temple at Dendera
- Seti I’s temple at Abydos
- Day 11 · Luxor
Karnak, Luxor Temple, fly to Cairo
- Karnak Temple in the morning light
- Luxor Temple and a crossing of the Nile by boat
- Evening flight Luxor to Cairo
- Day 12 · Sharm El Sheikh & Ras Mohamed
Fly to Sharm, Tiran Island
- Flight Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh
- Boat trip to Tiran Island: snorkelling at three reefs, lunch on board
- Day 13 · Sharm El Sheikh & Ras Mohamed
Ras Mohamed and a Bedouin dinner
- Ras Mohamed National Park, swimming at two bays
- Bedouin dinner in the desert by camel or beach buggy
- Day 14 · Dahab & the Blue Hole
Dahab and the Blue Hole
- Drive to Dahab; full day snorkelling at the Blue Hole
- Day 15 · Dahab & the Blue Hole
A day at sea
- Full day Red Sea boat excursion, snorkelling or scuba diving
- Day 16 · Dahab & the Blue Hole
Dahab, slowly
- A free day in Dahab
- Day 17 · Giza & the Pyramids
Back to Cairo
- Flight Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo and transfer
- Day 18 · Cairo
A free day in Cairo
- Rest, shop, or ask us for something you have not seen yet
- Day 19 · Bahariya Oasis
Into the Western Desert
- Drive to Bahariya Oasis, 4x4 into the Black Desert
- Camp in the White Desert, dinner around the fire
- Day 20 · White & Black Deserts
The White Desert
- Crystal Mountain, the chalk formations, Agabat valley
- A second night under the stars
- Day 21 · Giza & the Pyramids
Back to Cairo, departure
- Hot spring at Bahariya, private transfer back to Cairo
- Last night at the guest house or transfer to the airport
Included
- Accommodation in a 3-star hotel or at our guest house
- Entrance tickets and fees for every activity
- Breakfast and lunch, and all meals while camping
- All tips at the sites, so nobody asks you for money
- All ground transport, private
- Domestic flights where the itinerary lists them
Not included
- Egyptian entry visa (on arrival, about $25)
- Dinner, except the dinners named in the itinerary
- International flights
- Drinks
- Tips for the tour team
Optional extras
- Abu Simbel Sun Festival · $125 · Only on 22 February and 22 October
- Beach buggy in the Sinai mountains and/or mountain dinner · Priced at the time of booking
Where you sleep
Where you sleep
In Cairo you stay at Pyramids Temple Guest House unless you prefer a hotel. Elsewhere, 3-star hotels we have used for years, or as listed.
8 nights
Pyramids Temple Guest House
Giza · 800 m to the Sphinx
See the guest house 2 nights
3-star hotel
Aswan and Luxor
3 nights
Nile cruise
Aswan to Luxor
5 nights
3-star hotel
Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab
2 nights
Desert camp
White Desert
Prices
per person, USD
| Adult | Student | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 travellers | $4,185 | $3,885 |
| 4 or more | $3,280 | $3,050 |
Children: Under 5: 50% off · Over 5: 25% off
Accommodation in a 3-star hotel or at our guest house. Entrance tickets and fees for every activity.
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