See Egypt’s three great historic cities in one private 6-day luxury Egypt tour. Stand before the Great Pyramids of Giza and Tutankhamun’s treasures at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Spend a day in Greco-Roman Alexandria, then fly to Luxor for Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. Your own Egyptologist guide, private air-conditioned transfers, domestic flights, and 5-star hotels are all arranged for you. Tours start every day from Cairo Airport, with prices from $1,830 per person.
This 6 day Egypt itinerary is for travellers who want the essential sites in a short time, without losing comfort. It suits a first visit or a short break, and it works well if you would rather skip a Nile cruise and keep your hotel base in Cairo. It is one of our most popular luxury Egypt tours.
You begin in Cairo with a full day on the Giza Plateau. Visit the Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure and the Great Sphinx, then spend the afternoon at the Grand Egyptian Museum. The next day a private car takes you to Alexandria. You see the Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa, Pompey’s Pillar, the Citadel of Qaitbay on the Mediterranean shore and the modern Library of Alexandria.
Fly to Luxor, ancient Thebes, for Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. You spend the night in a 5-star Luxor hotel. The next morning you cross to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon, then fly back to Cairo. Your last day covers Islamic and Coptic Cairo: Saladin’s Citadel, the Hanging Church and Khan El-Khalili Bazaar. Then you transfer to the airport.
The tour is private, so the guide, the vehicle, and the pace are yours alone. You can start on any day of the year, and we can adjust the plan to your flight times. Choose our standard 6-day tour with gold and platinum tiers. Travelling on a tighter budget? See the 6-day Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor budget tour.
Our Egypt Best Vacations representative meets you at Cairo International Airport. They help you with arrival formalities and your visa, then accompany you on a private Cairo airport transfer to your 5-star hotel. The rest of the day is free to rest after your flight. Dinner is at the hotel, where you stay overnight in Cairo.
Meals: Lunch and dinner | Overnight: Cairo
Morning: the Giza Plateau. Your private Egyptologist guide meets you at your hotel for a full day on the Giza Plateau. Walk around the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. The Great Pyramid is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Then meet the Great Sphinx. Your guide explains who built the pyramids, how they were built and why. If you would like to go inside the Great Pyramid, you can buy an extra ticket on the day.
Afternoon: the Grand Egyptian Museum. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) beside the pyramids. This modern museum displays the complete treasure of King Tutankhamun together with thousands of other artefacts from 5,000 years of Egyptian history. You then return to your hotel for dinner and the night in Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner | Overnight: Cairo
Catacombs and Pompey’s Pillar. After breakfast, travel by private car to Alexandria, the Mediterranean city founded by Alexander the Great. Start at the Catacombs of Kom El-Shoqafa, one of the largest Roman burial sites in Egypt. They began as a family tomb and became a public cemetery with more than 300 tombs, carved in a mix of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman styles. Nearby stands Pompey’s Pillar, on the hill where the ancient Serapeum temple of Rhakotis once stood.
Qaitbay and the Library of Alexandria. Continue to the Citadel of Qaitbay, a 15th-century fortress built by Sultan Al-Ashraf Qaitbay on the site of the ancient Pharos Lighthouse. Finish at the Library of Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), the modern library built in honour of the ancient world’s great centre of learning. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive back to Cairo for dinner at your hotel. Want more time in the city? See our Alexandria day tours.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner | Overnight: Cairo
Morning flight to Luxor. A private transfer takes you to Cairo Airport for your domestic flight to Luxor, ancient Thebes. Your Luxor guide meets you outside the arrivals hall.
Karnak and Luxor Temples. Begin at Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever built. It grew over about 1,700 years and covers some 300 acres. Then visit Luxor Temple, about 3 km to the south. Amenhotep III built it and Ramses II enlarged it, and later rulers including Tutankhamun and Alexander the Great added to it. After lunch at a local restaurant, check in to your 5-star Luxor hotel for dinner and a free evening.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner | Overnight: Luxor
Luxor West Bank. Cross to the West Bank to visit the Valley of the Kings, where New Kingdom pharaohs cut their tombs deep into the mountain to hide them from robbers. Your guide will choose three of the best tombs open that day. Continue to the terraced Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahari, built for the woman who ruled Egypt as pharaoh for about 20 years. Your last stop is the Colossi of Memnon, two huge statues of Amenhotep III.
Return flight to Cairo. After lunch at a local restaurant, transfer to Luxor Airport for your flight back to Cairo. A private transfer takes you to your hotel for dinner and your last night in Egypt.
Optional tour: Sunrise Hot Air Ballooning over Luxor
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner | Overnight: Cairo
Islamic Cairo. After breakfast, visit the Citadel of Saladin, built in 1176 to defend Cairo against the Crusaders. Inside is the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, often called the Alabaster Mosque, with wide views over the city.
Coptic Cairo and the bazaar. Continue to Coptic Cairo. Here you visit the Hanging Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Church of Abu Serga (St Sergius), also called the Cavern Church, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue. After lunch, shop for souvenirs in Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, Cairo’s historic market. Your tour ends with a private transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight home.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
