15 Day Egypt Vacation Packages

No, and this is worth knowing before you book. Most of our fifteen-day itineraries include a three or four-night cruise between Luxor and Aswan. One uses a dahabiya, a small sailing boat with far fewer passengers. And our Hidden Gems itinerary travels the country entirely overland, which is what makes Middle Egypt possible — Meidum, Bani Hassan, Tell el-Amarna, Abydos and Dendera are not reachable from a cruise ship. The comparison table above shows which is which.

Every itinerary includes airport meet and assist inside the arrivals hall, all transport by air-conditioned vehicle, a licensed Egyptologist guide, entrance fees to all sites listed in the itinerary, daily breakfast, and hotels throughout. Cruise itineraries include full board while you are aboard. Several include a domestic flight; the tour page for each says so.

Not included: international flights, the Egypt entry visa ($30 on arrival, cash), gratuities, travel insurance, and optional extras such as going inside the Great Pyramid, the tombs of Seti I or Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, and hot air ballooning over Luxor where it is not already part of the itinerary.

That depends on the itinerary and on what you choose. We publish two ratings for every hotel — the Egyptian licence and an honest Western equivalent — because Egyptian star ratings run about one and a half stars higher than the European or North American scale. A property licensed here as “5-star standard” is closer to a Western three-and-a-half star; “5-star deluxe” is closer to a Western four. Every itinerary can be upgraded; ask us for the current list and the difference in price.

Most run as small groups capped at sixteen travellers, with private departures available at a supplement. Some are private as standard — the comparison table above shows which. Private means your own Egyptologist guide, your own driver and your own vehicle, and an itinerary that can be rearranged around your pace.

Two scales, depending on the itinerary. On packages that include a domestic flight — which most fifteen-day itineraries do — children aged 0–2 pay 30% of the adult price, 3–5 pay 40%, 6–11 pay 50%, and 12 and over pay the adult rate. On itineraries with no domestic flight, under-sixes travel free, 6–11 pay 50%, and 12 and over pay the adult rate. The airline charges for a child regardless of age, which is the whole reason for the difference.

The Red Sea if you want the trip to end slowly: reef diving and snorkelling at Hurghada or Sharm El-Sheikh, and several days of not much. It is also the easiest ending with children.

The White Desert if you want one more extraordinary thing rather than a rest — chalk formations and a night camped among them.

Siwa if you want somewhere genuinely remote. It is eight hours from the coast, has its own language and culture, and holds the ruined Oracle of Amun where Alexander the Great was told in 331 BC that he was the son of a god. It costs a full day of driving in each direction, and it is worth it.

Tell us how you like to travel and we will tell you honestly which of the three suits you.

It works well. The usual shape is a few days in Cairo, a Nile cruise or dahabiya with a private sundeck dinner arranged aboard, and a Red Sea finale. Upgraded hotels and a private departure are both available. Tell us it is a honeymoon when you enquire and we will build the itinerary around that rather than adding it as an afterthought.

Yes, and the length helps rather than hurts — there is room for rest days, and no need to compress sites into marathon mornings. The Red Sea finale is the usual choice with children. Private family departures are available on every itinerary, which lets the pace follow your youngest traveller. Tell us your children’s ages when you enquire and we will tell you honestly what we would change.

Yes. The routes these itineraries follow — Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, the Nile Valley, the Red Sea and the desert oases — are well policed and heavily travelled. We use licensed drivers, vetted guides and insured vehicles. As anywhere, check your own government’s current travel advice before booking.

October to April, when daytime temperatures across most of the country sit in the low to mid twenties Celsius. June to August is genuinely hot — 35–40°C is normal in the Nile Valley — but the itineraries still run, with earlier starts and outdoor sites in the morning, and the Red Sea finale is arguably better in summer. Christmas, New Year and Easter are the busiest and most expensive weeks; our tour pages publish those rates separately so you can see the difference before you commit.

Most nationalities can buy a 30-day tourist visa on arrival at Cairo Airport for $30, payable in cash, or apply for an e-visa in advance. Some nationalities must apply before travelling. Check your own requirements, and make sure every passport has at least six months’ validity left. Our representative meets you inside the arrivals hall and walks you through the formalities.

Yes, on any itinerary that overnights in Luxor. It flies at sunrise over the west bank and the Valley of the Kings, and costs roughly $80–130 per person depending on season. One itinerary, Hidden Gems By Land, already includes it. Tell your consultant when you request a quote and we will pre-book it.

A good number of our fifteen-day guests are over sixty. The itineraries involve daily walking on uneven ground at temple sites, and some steps. A private departure is the usual answer — slower pacing, more rest breaks, and stops arranged around what you want to see rather than a group’s schedule. Tell us about any mobility needs when you enquire and we will say plainly which itineraries suit and which do not.

Pick the itinerary closest to what you want and send the enquiry form on that tour page. We reply within about two hours with a day-by-day itinerary, full seasonal pricing, and a secure payment link. If you are torn between two, say so — we will compare them for you, including group against private.