Description

7 Days Egypt Tour Cairo and Luxor

 

 Day 1 Arrival and check-in

For your Egypt round trip Cairo and Luxor you fly to Cairo today. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide and assisted with immigration and visa formalities. During the subsequent transfer to your 5-star hotel, you will get a first impression of the lively life of the metropolis, the largest city in Africa. Upon arrival at the hotel, your guide will help you check in. The rest of the day is at leisure.

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 Day 2 Saqqara / Memphis / Dahshur

Today you will go in search of traces of the Old Kingdom of Egypt and explore the oldest pyramids in the country. After breakfast at the hotel, you will be picked up by your English-speaking guide in a private comfortable vehicle and you will first make your way to

Saqqara
Saqqara is one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in Egypt. There you can see the first pyramid in Egypt, the Step Pyramid of King Djoser from the 3rd Dynasty around 2650 BC. It consists of 6 steps with a height of 62 m. This structure marked the beginning of the first phase of pyramid construction in Egypt. However, the pyramid was not originally planned by Imhotep as a pyramid, but initially as a square mastaba. It has recently become possible to visit the step pyramid from the inside.
You can also admire the beautiful tombs of the Old Kingdom with their special paintings.
After this impressive visit, you will continue to

Memphis
Memphis is the ancient capital of Egypt. Here you will find the ruins of the Temple of Ptah, the huge statue of King Ramses II and an alabaster sphinx. Today’s name “Memphis” goes back to the ancient Egyptian word “Men-nefer” and roughly means permanent and perfect.

An oriental lunch will be served at a local restaurant. Strengthened, you will head to your next destination, the pyramid and burial ground of

Dahshur:
In Dahshur, you can visit the Red Pyramid and the Pyramid of King Snofru from the 4th Dynasty. The Red Pyramid is the third largest of the ancient Egyptian pyramids and even surpasses the Pyramid of Khafre in basic dimensions. You can visit the Red Pyramid from the inside.

After the last item on the agenda of this impressive day, you will be taken back to your hotel.

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 Day 3: The Pyramids of Giza / Egyptian Museum

This day begins with a visit to the greatest highlight of Cairo – after breakfast, you will drive with your guide to the fabulous

Pyramids of Giza
The 3 famous Pyramids of Giza are the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. They were built around 2600 BC on a large limestone plateau.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids and is therefore also known as the “Great Pyramid”. It is the highest pyramid in the world, 147 m high and was built as a tomb for the Egyptian King Cheops.
This largest pyramid in the world is the first thing we will admire. This is followed by a visit to the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Mykerinos.

We will then drive to a plateau where you will have a beautiful panoramic view of the three pyramids of Giza.

The Sphinx
The Sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of a man and is located in front of the Pyramid of Khafre with a length of about 73 m and a height of about 20 m.

After visiting the pyramids and the Sphinx, you will be served an oriental lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon is again dedicated to the pharaohs. You will visit the impressive

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) – Egyptian Museum
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza, near the pyramids, impresses with its modern architecture, including an 800-metre-long translucent stone wall and a monumental staircase, and offers a fascinating insight into Egyptian history. It houses a unique collection of finds from 5000 years of Egyptian history. Particularly impressive are the famous golden treasures of Tut-Ankh-Amun.

Afterwards, this informative day of sightseeing ends and you will be dropped off back at your hotel.

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 Day 4 Citadel of Saladin / Old Cairo / Flight to Luxor

Today you will get an insight into the Islamic and Christian history of Cairo. After breakfast at the hotel, you will be picked up by your guide and the first item on the agenda will be a visit to the majestic

Citadel of Saladin
The Citadel of Saladin is one of the few surviving fortifications in the city of Cairo. The citadel complex was built by Saladin between 1176 and 1183 AD to better defend the city of Cairo against the attacks of the Crusaders. From the citadel, which is located on a small hill, you have a wonderful view over the capital Cairo. This medieval relic from the Crusader era will leave you in awe.

In the Citadel of Saladin there is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city that never sleeps:

The Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali
The Albaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali is one of the largest mosques in Egypt. It was built between 1830 and 1880. The minarets are 82 m high and the dome is 52 m high. The interior walls are clad in alabaster and the columns are made of solid alabaster. The entire mosque offers the perfect combination of majesty and beauty.

After detailed explanations from your guide, head to Old Cairo. As you make your way through Old Cairo, you’ll explore

The Coptic Quarter The Coptic Quarter
in Cairo was built on top of an ancient Roman fortress. You will visit magnificent historical buildings such as the St. Sergius Church,the Hanging Churchand theBen Ezra Synagogue

Afterwards you will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the city center, after which your stay in the immortal city of Cairo will end and you will have transfer to Cairo airport and fly to Luxor, your next destination on this Egypt tour. At Luxor Airport, you will be picked up by our guide and taken to your 5 star hotel where you will check in.

You can really enjoy the first evening in Luxor, ancient Thebes, the “City of Palaces” with a view of the Nile.

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 Day 5 Thebes-West

Your day begins with a hearty breakfast at the hotel, after which your German-speaking Egyptologist will pick you up and drive with you in a comfortable private vehicle to the other bank of the Nile to Thebes-West.

As a first highlight, you will explore

The Valley of the Kings
Let yourself be enchanted by the over 3000-year-old, wonderful murals in the tombs of the pharaohs. So far, 64 tombs have been found in the Valley of the Kings, three of which you can visit. In the Valley of the Kings are the tombs of the kings of the New Kingdom (ca. 1550 to 1069 BC, 18th to 20th dynasty). In 1922, the Englishman Howard Carter discovered the tomb of TutAnkhAmun with the golden treasures.

We leave this unique valley and the magical atmosphere and go to another magical place –

The Hatshepsut Temple
The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut dates back to the 18th dynasty, 1470 BC. She had her impressive terrace temple built by the architect Senenmut. She was always depicted as a man, which can be clearly seen in the very well-preserved statues in the temple. In Christian times, a monastery was built on the temple, which was used until the 11th century. In the 19th century, the monastery ruins were demolished.

Enjoy the view of Luxor and the Nile Valley from the temple’s terraces, then continue with the drive and a stop. You will visit

The Colossi
of Memnon The Colossiof Memnon are two ancient Egyptian colossal statues sitting next to each other, about 18 m. high from the 14th century BC. Both statues represent Amenhotep III and were located at the entrance to his temple

After the sightseeing program, a delicious lunch awaits you in a nice local restaurant, after which you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Tip of the day:Today you have the opportunity to enjoy the unique view of the ancient treasures of Luxor during a hot air balloon ride at sunrise over Thebes-West. ( optional )

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 Day 6 Thebes-East

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be picked up by your Egyptologist, then explore the largest preserved temple complex in Egypt, a UNESCO World Heritage Site –

The Karnak Temple
It is the largest temple complex ever built. It was here that the ancient Egyptians immortalized the Holy Family of Thebes, Amun-Re, his wife Mut and son Chonsu. The complete construction time of the temple took over 2000 years. One of the most important areas of the temple is the large hall of columns with 134 papyrus columns, built by Seti and completed by Ramses II.

After this journey through time through the thousand-year history of the pharaohs, you will return to the banks of the Nile and visit

The Luxor Temple
In the heart of the city of Luxor, you will find the Luxor Temple, built by Amenhotep III and Ramses II. Alexander the Great also built a chapel for the ancient Egyptian gods. At that time, the ancient Egyptians celebrated the most important festival in Thebes, the Opetfest, here. In 1989, archaeologists accidentally found an underground chamber with very well-preserved statues, which are now on display at the Luxor Museum. At the Luxor Temple you can see a part of the Sphinx Avenue, which connected the Luxor Temple with the Karnak Temple at that time.

After your program you will get an oriental lunch, after which your day of excursion in Luxor ends and you have free time. You can take a leisurely stroll along the banks of the Nile or explore the old town and bazaar of Luxor on your own.

Tip of the day: In the evening, you will have the opportunity to experience the fascinating sound and light show at Karnak Temple. ( optional )

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 Day 7: Medinet Habu / Ramesseum / Deir El Medina

After breakfast and hotel pick-up, you will drive back to Thebes West with your guide for the imposing

Habu Temple
The mortuary temple of Ramses III was built in the 12th century BC and is one of the best-preserved temples in Thebes-West. Particularly noteworthy are the very well-preserved colors and the deep reliefs.

Then it’s on to the

Ramesseum Temple
The largest statue of Ramses II once stood here, the remains of which can still be seen today. Particularly worth seeing are the reliefs of the Battle of Kadesh, which was led by Ramses II.

Today’s conclusion is the ruins of a workers’ settlement in ancient Thebes in Egypt. You will visit the

Deir El Medina
In Deir El Medina there are the tombs of the artists with their wonderfully preserved colors, which are the most beautiful in the whole of Thebes-West. You can also visit the ruins of the artists’ houses. In its heyday, the workers’ settlement, surrounded by a closed wall, comprised around 70 houses on an area of 6000 m².

After the last item on the program, you will leave Thebes West and enjoy your last lunch in Luxor. You will then be escorted back to your hotel.

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 Day 8 Flight back home

Unfortunately, today it’s time to say goodbye! You will have transfer to the airport-Luxor and fly back home.

 

 Route Summary

Cairo → Saqqara → Memphis → Dahshur → Giza → Islamic & Coptic Cairo → Luxor (West Bank + East Bank) → Departure