Egypt

Egypt in Private: Cairo, Aswan and Luxor

A private tour with your own guide, staying in hotels rather than on a boat

Egypt

Egypt in Private: Cairo, Aswan and Luxor

Egypt in three stops and without a group: Cairo, Aswan and Luxor, with your own Egyptologist guide, private transfers, two domestic flights and the first-class train along the Nile. Nights are in 4* hotels (5* for a supplement), the days leave free time, and a dinner with a local family is planned in Luxor. Abu Simbel can be booked locally as an option, or chosen from the start in the version with Abu Simbel included (from €2,189 per person).

When

Oct to April

Price

From 1 992€ excl. flights

(based on 2 people sharing)

How long

8 nights

Ideal length

Cairo

Days 1-3

Three nights in the capital: the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum, then the lanes of the Khan el-Khalili bazaar.

Day 1

Arrival in Cairo

Flight to Cairo. Welcome on arrival by our French-speaking representative, help with visa formalities and transfer to the hotel.

Day 2

The pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx

Discover the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, then the 57-metre-long Sphinx. Lunch in a local restaurant. Free afternoon, to stay longer on the site, rest at the hotel or explore Zamalek island.

Day 3

The Grand Egyptian Museum and Khan el-Khalili

Visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum, close to the pyramids, with Tutankhamun's treasure and the monumental statues of the pharaohs. Lunch in town, then explore the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Optional, payable locally: Coptic Cairo (€45) or Saladin's citadel and Islamic Cairo (€55).

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Aswan

Days 4-5

A flight south and the pace changes: Aswan, a quiet town on the Nile, with the temple of Philae, the unfinished obelisk and the Nubian landscapes around Elephantine Island.

Day 4

Flight to Aswan – Philae and the unfinished obelisk

Flight to Aswan and check-in at the hotel. In the afternoon, visit the temple of Philae, dedicated to Isis, then the unfinished obelisk in its granite quarry. The day ends with a felucca ride around Elephantine Island.

Day 5

Aswan – optional Abu Simbel

In the morning, an optional excursion to the temples of Abu Simbel, cut into the rock to the glory of Ramesses II and Nefertari (€120 by coach or €385 by plane, per person). After lunch, free time to stroll in town or enjoy the pool.

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Luxor and Thebes

Days 6-8

Three nights in Luxor, on the banks of the Nile: Karnak, Luxor temple at sunset, then the west bank with Medinet Habu and the artisans' village of Deir el-Medina.

Day 6

By train to Luxor – Karnak and Luxor temple

Three hours by first-class train, with the banks of the Nile and villagers in the fields through the window. Check-in at the hotel, lunch, then visit Karnak temple and its hypostyle hall, and Luxor temple at sunset. Dinner with a local family.

Day 7

Medinet Habu and the Valley of the Artisans

On the west bank, visit Medinet Habu, the mortuary temple of Ramesses III, which has kept some of its colours. Then Deir el-Medina, the village of the artisans who cut and decorated the royal tombs: their own tombs, such as Sennedjem's, are covered in remarkably fresh paintings.

Day 8

Free day in Luxor

A free day, with lunch on your own. Optional, payable locally: a hot-air balloon flight (€130), a visit to Dendera and Abydos (€90) or the Karnak sound and light show (€55).

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Back to Cairo

Days 9-10

A last day in the capital, between the royal mummies of the Museum of Civilization and the Korba district in Heliopolis.

Day 9

Flight to Cairo – Museum of Civilization

Flight to Cairo and visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), home to the 22 royal mummies. Dinner in a traditional restaurant, then a look at the Korba district in Heliopolis. Transfer to the airport after dinner, or an optional night near the airport for daytime flights (€90 per person in a double room).