Discover Egypt Tour

Check-in at the Egypt Air counter 3 hours before the scheduled departure time for your flight to Egypt. The package includes return economy airfare with Egypt Air from Johannesburg to Cairo Airport (departing at 21h45 and arriving the following day at 05h35).

The package includes return economy airfare with Egypt Air from Johannesburg to Cairo Airport (departing at 21h45 and arriving at 05h45). At Cairo Airport, our representative will assist you in completing your passport control formalities and collect your luggage before your transfer to your hotel in Cairo city. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure or participate in one of the activities offered by the hotel (it will be for your account and is not included in your package). 

Stay: Kempinski Nile Hotel (Madina Deluxe room)

Meals: Breakfast

FULL-DAY TOUR: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & Egypt Museum

After a short briefing, head off on a full day exploring ancient Cairo sites. The First stop is at the Pyramids of Giza - undoubtedly one of the best highlights in Cairo. Home to the Great Pyramids of Khufu, Kafre and Menkaure and the Sphinx - carved from a single block of limestone, the half-human, half-lion statue stands guard over the pyramids. Your experience will be enhanced by your guide, who will provide a fascinating insight into the history of this magical site, erected nearly 5,000 years ago from millions of blocks of limestone. 

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant (for your account) before our adventure continues to the Egyptian Museum, home to one of the world's most significant collections of ancient artifacts.

Stay: Kempinski Nile Hotel (Madina Deluxe room)

Meals: Breakfast

Visit the East Bank: Temple of Luxor / Temple of Karnak / Avenue of Sphynxes

Transfer to the airport for an early morning flight with Egypt Air to Luxor Airport (departing at 06h45, arriving at 07h45). Meet and greet upon arrival with a transfer to your Nile cruise boat. Embark onto your cruise boat that will be our home for the next 4 nights of our journey. After settling in, enjoy lunch on board. The town of Luxor lies on the site of Thebes, the capital of Ancient Egypt, and has the highest concentration of temples and tombs in the world. 

During the afternoon, explore the East Bank of the Nile River with a first stop at the Temple of Luxor, one of the best-preserved temples of all the ancient monuments with large amounts of the structure, statuary, and relief carvings still intact, making it one of the most impressive visits in the Luxor area and all of Egypt. We also visit the Temple of Karnak, a vast open-air museum built over more than a thousand years by generations of Pharaohs. The great "Hypostyle Hall" is an incredible forest of giant pillars. The hall covers an area of 5,000 sq. Meters filled with 134 gigantic stone columns with 12 larger columns standing 24m high, lining the central aisle. As mentioned above, the Karnak & Luxor temples are separated by the Avenue of Sphynxes, a three-kilometer-long road lined with the sphynxes.

You can return to Karnak Temple for the Sound and Light Show (for your account) in the evening. Or head back to Luxor Temple to watch the sunset. 

Stay: M.S. Mayfair Nile Cruiser (cabin)

Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

Visit the West Bank: Valley of the Kings / Valley of the Queens / Temple of Hatshepsut / Colossi of Memnon

**OPTIONAL EXCURSION – Luxor Hot Air Ballooning

**OPTIONAL - Tutankhamun grave – Valley of the Kings

Enjoy breakfast on board before we head off to the West Bank of Luxor for an incredible journey back into ancient Egyptian history. Our first stop is at the Valley of the Kings, where magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rocks, decorated richly, and filled with treasures for the afterlife by generations of Pharaohs. Also, visit the Valley of the Queens, where many royal women were buried. From here, we visit the impressive Temple of Hatshepsut (Ancient Egypt's only female Pharaoh), which merges with the sheer limestone cliffs surrounding it. Afterwards, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues, before we return to the boat for lunch.

After lunch, we sail along the Nile to Esna, where we'll cross the famous Esna Lock. The lock is designed to work at an elevation difference of 8 meters, and It takes 5 to 7 minutes to fill and empty the lock. We enjoy lunch on the boat while enjoying the unique landscape of the great Nile River as we continue sailing towards Edfu, where we'll drop anchor and spend the night.

Stay: M.S. Mayfair Nile Cruiser (cabin)

Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

Visit the Edfu Temple / Kom Ombo Temple / Crocodile Museum

Our first stop for today is a visit to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt. Built in the time of Cleopatra about 2,000 years ago, it is recent by Egyptian standards and beautifully preserved. Enter through the massive gateways of the Temple, guarded by huge granite statues of Horus, and explore the halls and chambers of this colossal ode to the gods. 

We continue our journey along the Nile to arrive at the Kom Ombo Temple at midday. This Temple, unlike many others in Egypt, was dedicated to two gods; the Southern section is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god, and the Northern section to the Falcon-headed god Horus. The Temple also has a nilometer used to monitor the Nile River's height and to bring fresh water to the Temple. Next to the Temple is the Crocodile Museum, where you can see the mummies of crocodiles discovered around the Temple (it is estimated that 300 crocodile mummies were found in this area). There is a local market where you can haggle for bargains.

Enjoy a leisurely afternoon on board as we head towards Aswan.

Stay: M.S. Mayfair Nile Cruiser (cabin)

Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

Breakfast will be served on board before you disembark to explore some of Aswan’s most prominent sites. Visit the High Dam, built across the Nile River in 1970. Continue the tour to the Temple of Isis on Philae Island. Dedicated to Isis, this Temple was moved to its current location on Agilkia Island after the High Dam's completion. Philae was one of the last pagan temples to operate after the advent of Christianity in Egypt, and in some places, you can see where crosses were etched into walls and where the gods’ images were defaced. 

During the afternoon, we enjoy a relaxing sailboat ride along the Nile River on a felucca (a typical Egyptian sailboat) around Elephantine Island and the Agha Khan Mausoleum, stopping at Lord Kitchener’s Botanical Gardens. 

We end our day with a highly recommended visit to the local spice market. A truly local experience where you can buy aromatic spice, traditional galebeyas (robes) and fabrics, silverware, and treasures of all kinds.

Stay: M.S. Mayfair Nile Cruiser (cabin)

Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast

After breakfast, disembark from your Nile cruise boat. Travel to Abu Simbel to experience one of the most magnificent monuments of Egypt. A UNESCO-designated site was dismantled and rebuilt, saving the 3,500-year-old temples from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. Once we arrive at Abu Simbel, we'll enjoy a tour of the temples, accompanied by a local guide telling us the fascinating history of the complex. Four colossal figures are hewn from solid rock guard the massive 31-meter-high facade of the Temple. Seated on thrones, they are 20 meters high and measure more than 4 meters from ear to ear, representing Ramses II. Enjoy lunch (for your account) at Abu Simbel before we return to Aswan, where we spend the night.

Stay: Mövenpick Resort Aswan (Nile View room)

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a morning leisure with lunch at the hotel before your transfer to the airport for your flight with Egypt Air from Luxor to Cairo Airport (departing at 15h25, arriving at 16h50). Transfer to your hotel.

Stay: Kempinski Nile Hotel (Madina Deluxe room)

Meals: reakfast

Embark on a full-day tour exploring all the historical sites of Alexandria - Egypt's second-largest city. The city was founded by Alexander the Great during the 4th century B.C. Alexandria is located three hours from Cairo and is considered one of the most important historical cities on the Southern Coast of the Mediterranean.

Sights To Visit:

Alexandria National Museum – The museum is considered one of Egypt's best museums. The 1800 pieces of iniquities showcase Alexandria's rich history and open chapters related to the Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic ages. The underwater archaeological finds are fascinating, as are the Greco-Roman discoveries, while ancient Egyptian treasures come from around the country.

Fort of Qaitbay is a 15th-century defensive fortress built to protect the city from invading Crusaders. The Fort is situated on the eastern side of the northern tip of Pharos Island, on the exact spot once home to the famous lighthouse of Alexandra (listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). Qaitbey is built with some of the stones from the ruins of the lighthouse.

Alexandria Library – From an architectural point of view, it is a masterpiece and worth a visit even if you have no interest in reading books. It is the biggest library in the world and holds around eight million books, which includes a stylish reading area with two thousand seats. This makes the library one of the greatest literary sites in the world.

El Montazah Gardens: This extensive complex is home to two historical palaces. The Salamlek Palace was built in 1892 by the last ruler of the Mohammad Ali Dynasty. The Al-Haramlik Palace was built in 1932 by King Fuad, along with the gardens known today as the Montazah Royal Gardens. The complex was built on a low plateau east of central Alexandria overlooking a beach on the Mediterranean Sea. The gardens contain a vast selection of trees and plants, some quite rare. This is a beautiful spot to enjoy Alexandria.

Our tour includes a seafood lunch on the Bay of Abukir, where the naval battle between Nelson and Napoleon took place.

Lunch in Alexandria included.

At the end of the tour, return to Cairo Airport for your onward for your flight home (departing at 23h05 Egypt time, arriving at 07h05 South African time).

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