This luxury Cairo and Nile cruise package fits the highlights of Egypt into 6 days, with 5-star comfort, private guides, and no long drives or rushed days.
You start and finish in Cairo. On your first day, a private Egyptologist takes you to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. On your last day, you see the treasures of Tutankhamun at the Grand Egyptian Museum before your flight home.
In between, you fly to Aswan and sail north to Luxor on a 5-star Nile cruise. Over 3 nights, you visit Philae Temple, the twin temple of Kom Ombo, the Temple of Horus at Edfu, Karnak and Luxor Temple, and the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. The ship does the travelling while you eat, rest and watch the Nile go by.
Both domestic flights, all transfers, entrance fees and most meals are included, so you know the full cost before you leave. This package suits first-time visitors, couples and families who want comfort and a private guide but only have a week. If you have more time, see our other Egypt luxury tours.
The last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, with the Great Pyramid of Khufu at its centre.
The world’s largest archaeological museum, home to the full treasure of Tutankhamun shown together for the first time.
The island temple of Isis, moved stone by stone to higher ground when the Aswan dams were built.
A rare double temple for two gods, and the Temple of Horus, the most complete temple left in Egypt.
The huge temples of ancient Thebes, linked by an avenue of sphinxes almost 3 kilometres long.
The hidden burial valley of the New Kingdom pharaohs, with painted tombs still bright after 3,000 years.
Our representative meets you inside Cairo International Airport and helps with your visa and arrival. Outside the terminal, your Egyptologist guide takes you to the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, and explains how and why the pharaohs built them. After lunch at a local restaurant, you check in to your 5-star hotel for dinner and the night.
Meals Plan: Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, you fly from Cairo to Aswan, where your guide meets you at the airport. You visit the High Dam, built in the 1960s to control the Nile floods, and then take a boat to Philae Temple, the island temple of the goddess Isis that UNESCO moved to save it from the rising water. Your last stop is the Unfinished Obelisk in the ancient granite quarry. In the afternoon, you board your cruise ship for the first of 3 nights on the Nile.
Optional tour: Nubian Village in Aswan
Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy a free morning on board, or take the optional early trip to the great temples of Abu Simbel. Around lunchtime, the ship sails north to Kom Ombo. Here you visit the twin temple shared by Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon god, and the small Crocodile Museum next to it. The ship then continues to Edfu for the night.
Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Early in the morning, a horse-drawn carriage takes you to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best-preserved temple in Egypt, with its walls still covered in carvings. Back on board, you sail through the Esna lock to Luxor. In the afternoon, you explore Karnak, the largest temple complex ever built, and walk to Luxor Temple, which is joined to Karnak by the restored Avenue of Sphinxes.
Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, you leave the ship and cross to the West Bank of Luxor. In the Valley of the Kings, your ticket includes 3 royal tombs, and your guide will suggest the best ones open that day. Next, you visit the terraced Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s famous female pharaoh, and the Colossi of Memnon. After lunch at a local restaurant, you fly back to Cairo for dinner and your last night at the hotel.
Optional tour: Sunrise Hot Air Ballooning Over Luxor
Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
On your final morning, your guide takes you to the Grand Egyptian Museum near the pyramids. You see the colossal statue of Ramesses II, the Grand Staircase, and the complete treasure of Tutankhamun, including his golden mask. After lunch at a local restaurant, you transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight home.
Meals Plan: Breakfast & Lunch
Essam owns Egypt Best Vacations and is an Egyptologist who still leads groups himself, from the Pyramids of Giza to the temples and tombs of Luxor. He designed this luxury Cairo and Nile cruise package and chooses the Diamond and Elite hotels and Nile cruise ships himself.
When you book, your trip is handled by our team in Luxor (Standard Tours, tourism licence no. 1082). If you have a question about the itinerary, the ships or the best time to go, you can ask Essam and the team directly.
