Egypt 8-Day Luxury Private Tour

Welcome to Egypt. Your representative meets you at Cairo Airport and your private driver takes you to your hotel, where you can settle in and rest after the flight. There is no sightseeing planned today, so take it slowly. If you arrive with time to spare, an early dinner overlooking the Nile is an easy way to begin. Your local team is on hand for anything you need, and your guide will be in touch to go over tomorrow’s plans.

Meet your private guide and begin with the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, ideally in the cooler morning light. Your guide shares the stories behind the monuments and finds the quieter viewpoints. After lunch, visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, close to the plateau, where the treasures of Tutankhamun are displayed, or another museum chosen for your interests. Return to your hotel with time to rest and pack lightly for the next few days on the Nile.

After an early breakfast, your driver takes you to the airport for the morning flight to Aswan, a little over an hour in the air. Your local guide meets you on arrival and takes you to your Nile cruise; boarding times follow the ship’s schedule. Take a small boat to Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis and set on its own island. If timing and the wind allow, enjoy a felucca outing around the granite islands as the light softens. Dinner is on board, with the ship moored in Aswan.

Today the river sets the pace. Your cruise sails north past fields, palm groves and villages that have changed little in centuries. Visit the twin temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus and set on a bend of the Nile. Later, explore the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. Between visits, relax on the sun deck with a cool drink and watch the riverbanks go by. Visits follow the ship’s sailing schedule.

Your cruise reaches Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes. With your guide, walk through the great hypostyle hall at Karnak, a forest of 134 giant columns, then visit Luxor Temple, once linked to Karnak by an avenue of sphinxes. Late afternoon is a lovely time to be there, as the statues and obelisk glow in the low light. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy on board, or your guide can suggest a short walk through the local souk. Visits follow the cruise program.

Disembark after breakfast and cross to the west bank with your guide. Visit the Valley of the Kings, where painted royal tombs lie deep in the hillside, the terraced Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Your ticket covers several royal tombs, and all entrance tickets are included. Take a slow lunch by the river and a quiet afternoon in Luxor, then transfer to the airport for the evening flight to Cairo, about an hour. Your driver meets you on arrival and takes you to your hotel for a restful night.

A gentler day to end your time in Egypt. In the morning, your guide takes you to Coptic Cairo, home to the Hanging Church and some of the oldest Christian sites in the world, then up to the Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali for wide views over the city. The afternoon is free: rest by the pool, book a spa treatment or, as the lanterns come on, wander the lanes of Khan el-Khalili for spices, brass lamps and a mint tea at one of its old cafés. A private day trip to Alexandria can replace the morning if arranged in advance.

Enjoy a final breakfast and, if your flight allows, a last stroll or coffee overlooking the Nile. Your private driver collects you at the right time for your flight, allowing for Cairo’s traffic, and your local team stays in touch until you leave. If you would like more time in Egypt, extra nights in Cairo or a few days on the Red Sea coast can easily be added before you fly home. Safe travels, and we hope to welcome you back one day.