Description

8 Days Egypt Luxury Tour Cairo, Aswan & Luxor

 Day 1 Arrival and check-in

For your Egypt luxury tour Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, 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 the Mena House 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, after which you can enjoy your first evening in Cairo in the luxurious ambience of your hotel.

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 Day 2: The Pyramids of Giza / Saqqara

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. Strengthened, you will head to your next destination, the necropolis of

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

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 Day 3: Egyptian Museum / Citadel of Saladin / Alabaster Mosque

Today the morning is again under the sign of the pharaohs. After breakfast at the hotel, you will be picked up and 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.

After visiting the museum, you will get an insight into Cairo’s Islamic culture. You will visit 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.

Afterwards, this informative day of sightseeing ends and you leave the immortal city of Cairo. After your transfer to Cairo Airport, you will fly to your next destination of this Egypt luxury tour – Aswan.

At Aswan Airport, you will be met by our guide and transferred to your 5 star hotel where you will check in. Enjoy the first evening in Upper Egypt under the starry sky of Aswan, the southernmost city of Egypt, and look forward to the next few days.

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 Day 4 Aswan Program

After your breakfast at the hotel, where you can enjoy the view of the beauty and atmosphere of the city of Aswan with its green islands and red granite rocks, you will take a trip to the surroundings of the city. The first item on the program is a boat trip to the Nile island of Agilika. There you will find the last great sanctuary of the ancient Egyptian religion, the enchanting

Philae Temple
The Philae or Isis Temple stood on Philae Island south of Aswan and after the construction of the high dam, the temple was under water for several months of the year. For this reason, the temple was moved to the neighboring island of Agilika from 1977 to 1980. In 553 AD, the temple served as a church, so large parts of the relief in the temple were destroyed.

Afterwards you will visit the imposing dam, which dams the Nile to Lake Nasser, and whose construction had many positive but also negative effects.

The construction of the high dam
was initiated by President Nasser and lasted from 1960 to 1971, creating one of the largest reservoirs in the world, 500 km long and 32 km wide, at its widest point. The dam is more than 3800 meters long and 111 meters high, 980 meters wide at the bottom and about 40 meters wide at the crown.

Tip of the day:This afternoon you will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful botanical garden on Kitchener Island and a Nubian village and get to know the hospitality of the locals. ( optional )

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 Day 5: Optional excursion to Abu Simbel / train ride Aswan – Luxor

Today you have the unique opportunity to take an unforgettable private excursion to Abu Simbel – or you have a free day in Aswan.

The two temples of Abu Simbel were built by Ramses II in 1260 BC and were under the sand until 1817, when the Italian Belzoni freed the two temples from the sand. The Ramses Temple reaches 60 m directly into the rock and has a height of 30 m. The temple of Nefertari is 21 m deep and 12 m high. After the construction of the dam, both temples were moved about 62 m higher between 1964 and 1968 to protect them from flooding by the reservoir.

The excursion to Abu Simbel starts early in the morning. You will travel through the desert in a private vehicle and your private English-speaking guide and experience the sunrise during the outward journey – on the way back from Abu Simbel you will be able to admire the mirage.

After the excursion, you will be served a delicious lunch in a local restaurant, then it is time to say goodbye to Aswan. You will have transfer to Aswan Railway Station and take the 1st class train to Luxor. On the way you will cross the typical Upper Egyptian landscape with its sugar cane and corn fields and many small villages where time seems to have stood still.

Once you arrive in Luxor, you will be met at the train station by our guide and transferred to the legendary Sofitel Winter Palace Hotel, where you will check in.

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 Day 6 Thebes-East

After a leisurely breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up and together with your Egyptologists, you will first visit the enormous

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.

You will then visit

The Luxor Temple
In the heart of the city of Luxor, you will find the Luxor Temple, which was built by Amemophis 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 visiting these imposing temple buildings, you can look forward to lunch in a nice local restaurant. Afterwards, this sightseeing day ends and you will be transferred back to your hotel.

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 Thebes-West

After breakfast, your Egyptologist will pick you up from your hotel and drive to Thebes West. The first highlight of the day awaits you

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 last item on the program, you will have lunch, then you will have free time to explore Luxor on your own. stroll along the Corniche along the Nile, discover the old town and the bazaar and let yourself be enchanted by the oriental atmosphere.

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 8 Flight back home

Today, unfortunately, it’s time to say goodbye to the immortal Nile and the treasures of the pharaohs. You have transfer to Luxor airport, then fly back home via Cairo.

It is possible to combine this Egypt luxury round trip with a beach holiday on the Red Sea.

Route Summary

Cairo → Giza → Saqqara → Aswan → (Optional Abu Simbel) → Luxor → Departure