Alexandria, Ancient Egypt & Red Sea - 16 days
Alexandria, Ancient Egypt & Red Sea - 16 days
Alexandria, Ancient Egypt & Red Sea - 16 days
16 Days Starting and ending in Cairo, Egypt
Visiting: Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Luxor, Hurghada
Tour operator:
Tour code:
2575/AAER
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
2 - 24
Age range:
18-
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on a captivating 16-day journey through Egypt, exploring the ancient wonders and vibrant culture of this historic land. Begin in the bustling city of Cairo, where you'll marvel at the iconic Pyramids of Giza and the treasures of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Travel to Alexandria to uncover the Roman Catacombs and the legendary site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Pay homage at the WWII battlefields of El Alamein before sailing the Nile on a traditional felucca, with an option to upgrade to a luxurious cruise. Discover the majestic temples of Luxor and the serene beauty of Aswan's Philae Temple. Conclude your adventure with a relaxing stay by the Red Sea in Hurghada, where you can swim, snorkel, and unwind. Guided by an expert in Egyptology, this small group tour offers a rich cultural experience, complete with comfortable accommodations and seamless transfers.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Cairo
Location: Cairo
Accommodation Name: hotel
Tuesday. Welcome to Egypt! On arrival at the airport you’ll be transferred to our hotel to spend the rest of today exploring Cairo at leisure.
Day 2: Alexandria
Location: Alexandria
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Cairo – Alexandria. Today we drive to the Mediterranean coast and discover the beautiful port city of Alexandria. We explore the ancient Roman Catacombs, rediscovered in 1900, they're the largest of catacombs in Egypt. As we make our way to Citadel of Qaitbay, we visit Pompey’s Pillar and see the incredible Library of Alexandria (exterior). The Qaitbay fortress was built on the site of the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the seven Wonder of the Ancient World. A powerful earthquake struck the lighthouse in 1323AD, and the stones recovered from the ruin were used to build this famous citadel. After our sightseeing there's time to freshen up at the hotel before we head out for dinner this evening.
Day 3: Alexandria
Location: Alexandria
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Alexandria – Cairo. Our morning starts with a visit the El Alamein. Known for its sobering Commonwealth War Graves, El Alamein witnessed two bloody battles during the Second World War. Approximately 13,000 allied soldiers were killed and 70,000 were wounded as they defeated the Axis powers. The victory ensured the threats to Egypt and the strategically important Suez Canal was eliminated. As we continue with our tour, we will stop to pay our respect to the fallen soldiers and learn more about the battles once fought on this ground. After our visit to the El Alamein Military museum, we return to Cairo.
Day 4: Cairo
Location: Cairo
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today is spent at leisure, you can explore Egypt’s capital as you please. Perhaps explore the lesser-known sights of the city by taking our optional Backstreet of Cairo tour. On this tour wander down El Moez street in Islamic Cairo, visit Garbage City and the famous cave church of St Simon.
Day 5: Pyramids Of Giza
Location: Giza
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We start our day with a visit to the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, Egypt’s most famous attraction. The Pyramids of Giza are the only surviving Ancient Wonder of the World. Marvel at the colossal structure of Cheops, the largest of the pyramids, which was the tallest man-made building on Earth for 3,800 years. We continue to the necropolis of Saqqara to set our sights on the famous stepped Pyramid of Zhoser, the world's earliest stone monument, which dates back to 2700BC.
Day 6: Cairo
Location: Cairo
Accommodation Name: Overnight: Sleeper Train
Meals Included: Breakfast
Cairo – Aswan. Today’s excursion takes us to the Grand Egyptian Museum. Situated just 2km from the pyramids, it houses an impressive collection of artefacts from across ancient Egypt’s diverse history. Many of its wonderful exhibits have never been on public display and many more have been recalled to the museum from across Egypt and the rest of the world. The museum is home to a full exhibition dedicated to the treasure of Tutankhamun and history comes to live with the use of modern technology including virtual reality.
Once our guided tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum ends, we make our way to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation to visit the incredible Royal Mummies’ Hall, where the mummified ancient Egyptian kings and queens are displayed. We head back to our hotel with time to relax and unwind before we board our night train to Aswan.
Please Note: The Grand Egyptian Museum is scheduled to open in late 2024, though an official opening date has yet to be released. If travelling prior to the opening of the new facility, we'll visit the Egyptian Museum instead.
Day 7: Aswan
Location: Aswan
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We arrive into Aswan this morning and our sightseeing begins with a visit to the breath-takingly beautiful Philae Temple. A boat will transfer us to Agilika Island to explore the site. In 1960 UNESCO started a project to preserve the temple from the ever-increasing waters of the Nile, the intact ancient building was carefully relocated from its original location to Agilika. Our final stop today is a fragrant one, as we stop at a perfume oil emporium. This evening is free to spend exploring Aswan – why not head over to experience the hustle and bustle of the vibrant market.
Day 8: Aswan
Location: Aswan
Accommodation Name: felucca
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Aswan - Nile felucca cruise. This morning there's an optional excursion to the spectacular temple of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II and famously guarded by 4 colossal statues of the pharaoh himself. Later, we continue our journey onboard a traditional felucca for a relaxing 2-night cruise down the Nile. Alternatively consider upgrading to a 5-star luxury Nile cruise, please see the tab above for prices. For more information about Nile Cruising please click here.
Day 9: Felucca Sailing & Kom Ombo
Location: Kom Ombo
Accommodation Name: felucca
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Nile felucca cruise – Kom Ombo. Relax onboard the felucca as we make our way to next destination. This afternoon we disembark near Kom Ombo and visit its perfectly symmetrical temple, which is dedicated to two gods; the falcon god Horus and the Crocodile god Sobek. We then return to our felucca for our final night on board, sleeping on deck under a blanket of stars.
Day 10: Luxor
Location: Luxor
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Kom Ombo – Luxor. This morning we disembark the felucca and make our way to Luxor, home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak. The rest of the day is free to spend at leisure, relaxing by the hotel pool. This evening there's an optional excursion to Luxor Temple, where hundreds of lights bring this spectacular temple to life.
Day 11: Luxor
Location: Luxor
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Luxor- Cairo. This morning our journey takes us to the West Bank and the incredible Valley of the Kings, where we visit the tombs of famous pharaohs and take in the beauty of the well-preserved vibrant colours. The best known tombs are those of Ramses II, Seti I, Amenhotep II and of course, the tomb of King Tutankhamun. If open, an additional entrance fee applies to visit King Tuts' tomb.
We also set our sights on the Colossi of Memnon and explore the beautiful temple of Egypt’s second female pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut before returning to our hotel at midday.
Later this afternoon we discover the majestic Karnak Temple, dominated by the great Temple of Amun-ra, one of the largest religious buildings in the world. The construction of this temple took over 1,500 years and showcases contributions from around 30 different pharaohs. All dedicated to the Theban gods and to the greater glory of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdom rulers. The evening is free to spent at leisure.
Day 12: Cairo
Location: Hurghada
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Luxor - Hurghada. Today we depart Luxor and drive east to Hurghada, part of the beautiful Red Sea Riviera, for 3 days by the beach!
Day 13-14: Hurghada
Location: Hurghada
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
We are in Hurghada for the next two days, simply relax and take in the beautiful scenery. There will also be the opportunity to join an optional excursion to Giftun Island for swimming and snorkelling.
Hurghada is one of the most popular Red Sea resorts, extending across 36kms with beautiful beaches and azure water, it’s the perfect spot for a relaxing stay There's excellent aquatic facilities for sail boarding, yachting, deep-sea fishing, SCUBA diving and snorkelling, with some of the world's finest offshore reefs. Hurghada also has plenty of restaurants and late-night bars for evening entertainment. Just outside Hurghada is an ancient Roman quarry called Mons Porphyritis and Port Safarga – a famously windy place which is ideal for windsurfing.
Day 15: Hurghada - Cairo
Location: Cairo
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Hurghada – Cairo. This morning we make our way back to Cairo. The rest of today is free to relax and explore Cairo at leisure, or there's an optional visit to Khan El Khalili bazaar, where you can shop for any last-minute souvenirs.
Day 16: Cairo
Location: Cairo
Accommodation Name: hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Our ancient exploration of Egypt tour comes to an end after breakfast and a hotel check-out, you’ll be transferred to Cairo airport.
What's Included
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Accommodation
4 - 5 star -
Breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 3 dinners
Enjoy daily breakfast along with 3 lunches and 3 dinners during your tour.
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12 nights 4-5 star hotels, 2 nights aboard felucca (open deck)
Stay in 4-5 star hotels for 12 nights and spend 2 nights aboard a traditional felucca on an open deck.
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Escorted by an Egyptian tour guide degree qualified in Egyptology
The tour is escorted by a knowledgeable Egyptian tour guide with a degree in Egyptology.
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Touring - Alexandria, the El Alamein Battlefields, Cairo, Giza, Saqqara, Aswan, Luxor, and Hurghada
Experience guided tours in Alexandria, El Alamein Battlefields, Cairo, Giza, Saqqara, Aswan, Luxor, and Hurghada.
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Hurghada by the Red Sea stay - Swim, snorkel and relax
Enjoy a stay in Hurghada by the Red Sea with opportunities to swim, snorkel, and relax.
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Overnight trains from Cairo to Aswan
Travel overnight by train from Cairo to Aswan.
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Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 and day 16
Receive airport transfers upon arrival on day 1 and departure on day 16.
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All relevant transfers and transportation in private modern air-conditioned vehicles
All transfers and transportation during the tour are provided in private modern air-conditioned vehicles.
What's Not Included
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International flights and visa
International flights and visa fees are not included in the tour package.
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Tip for your tour guide
Tips for your tour guide are not included.
It is recommended to allow USD$8 per day, per traveller. -
Entrance Fees
Entrance fees ranging from USD$110-130 per person, paid in local currency, are not included.
Age Policy
15+ if accompanied by an adult. 15+ for all tours that include a Nile Cruiser. Where a tour includes an overnight felucca the Min age is 18 yrs, except 'with teens' tours as life jackets are worn'.
Mode of Transport
Travel in comfort with private modern air-conditioned vehicles for all relevant transfers, including airport transfers on day 1 and day 16. Experience overnight trains from Cairo to Aswan and a traditional felucca cruise on the Nile.
Accommodation
Enjoy 12 nights in 4-5 star hotels and 2 nights aboard a traditional felucca under the stars. Alternatively, upgrade to a 5-star Nile Cruise for 11 nights in hotels and 3 nights in an en suite cabin.
Check out our Q&As
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What type of accommodation is provided during the tour?
The tour includes 12 nights in 4-5 star hotels and 2 nights aboard a felucca with an open deck. If you choose the Nile Cruise Upgrade, it includes 11 nights in 4-5 star hotels and 3 nights on a Nile Cruiser with an en suite cabin.
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Is there a guide provided during the tour?
Yes, the tour is escorted by an Egyptian tour guide who is degree qualified in Egyptology.
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What meals are included in the tour package?
The tour package includes breakfast daily, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners.
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Are airport transfers included in the tour?
Yes, airport arrival and departure transfers are included on day 1 and day 16 of the tour.
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What transportation is used during the tour?
All relevant transfers and transportation are provided in private modern air-conditioned vehicles. Additionally, there are overnight trains from Cairo to Aswan.
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What is the minimum age requirement for this tour?
The minimum age is 15 if accompanied by an adult. For tours that include a Nile Cruiser, the minimum age is also 15. If the tour includes an overnight felucca, the minimum age is 18, except for 'with teens' tours where life jackets are worn.
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What activities are available in Hurghada during the tour?
In Hurghada, you can relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery, with opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, and other aquatic activities such as sailboarding, yachting, deep-sea fishing, SCUBA diving, and windsurfing.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Ensuring our footprint is light and that the benefits of travelling reach the local communities you visit is paramount to us. We’re proud to say that when travelling with us, the large majority of your holiday funds remain within the countries you visit, supporting local economies at a grass roots level.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 1998
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
With English-speaking tours, it's not a huge surprise that most on our travellers are from English-speaking countries or have English as their second language. Our group tours cater for everyone from 18 years old to 70+
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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Low Deposit
On The Go Tours requires a minimum deposit of 600 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of on the go tours charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.