13-Day Royal Classic Tour

Your facilitator will meet you at Cairo International Airport and assist with airport procedures and hotel transfer. Enjoy a private driver and air-conditioned ride to your hotel. You will check in to your five-star hotel and enjoy the evening at your leisure. 

After breakfast, your driver and your guide will pick you up at your Cairo hotel and travel with you throughout your day.

Tour the Grand Egyptian Museum

Enjoy a guided visit of Egypt’s history with an expert eye at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the largest museum ever made to focus on a single civilization - from pre-dynastic antiquity to the present. During your visit, you’ll see the grand treasure of King Tutankhamun, on display for the first time in its entirety since 1922, and come face to face with the gilded mask of a king. 

Return to your hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, your driver and your guide will pick you up at your Cairo hotel and travel with you throughout your day.

Visit the Great Pyramids of Giza

Drive to Giza Plateau to see the last remaining wonder of the ancient world: the Great Pyramid. You will hear stories about the people and Pharaohs who built the pyramids over 4,500 years ago, and have the chance to explore these ancient structures with your expert Egyptologist guide.

Private visit to the King’s Burial Chamber at the Great Pyramid

See the Great Sphinx of Giza

The Great Sphinx of Giza has stood watch over the Great Pyramids for thousands of years. It is made from the limestone of Giza Plateau itself, and is one of the largest carved statues in the world.

Guest lecture by one of Egypt’s greatest Egyptologists

Visit the Saqqara necropolis 

You will have the chance to visit some of the most beautifully decorated Old Kingdom tombs and view the pyramid texts inscribed inside. This visit will give you insight into the tremendous skill of ancient craftsmen, and glimpses of daily and religious life thousands of years ago.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser

Saqqara is home to the oldest stone building in history: the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Here you will learn about the architect-engineer Imhotep, later deified by ancient worshippers. 

Visit the Serapeum of Saqqara

The Serapeum holds the remains of many sacred Apis bulls, which were used by worshippers to symbolize the god Ptah. This site was used throughout antiquity, with numerous shrines and workshops supporting the sacred site. 

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Visit to Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan

The Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hasan was built during the Mamluk period. It remains as one of the most impressive buildings in historic Cairo, with a mosque complex containing four madrasas (schools), a central courtyard, and two minarets flanking the main structure.

Fly to Luxor; your guide will assist with the airport transfers and travel to Luxor.

Once you arrive in Luxor, your driver will take you to your luxurious 5-star hotel for your overnight stay.

Visit Karnak Temple

Karnak Temple is the largest religious complex ever constructed, with numerous temples, pylons, statues and obelisks added by generations of pharaohs. Beginning in the reign of Senusret I, the most powerful rulers of Egypt - including Ramses the Great, Hatshepsut, and Thutmose III - built additions to the temple complex, with construction continuing for nearly two thousand years through the Ptolemaic period. 

Lunch 

Luxor Temple and Avenue of the Sphinxes

Luxor Temple is the second significant temple of the East Bank of Luxor. It is faced by two massive seated statues of Ramses II (Ramses the Great), and four standing statues. Like Karnak Temple, additions to Luxor Temple were undertaken by many pharaohs, including Amenhotep III and his grandson Tutankhamun. 

In front of Luxor Temple, and stretching all the way to Karnak Temple, is the Avenue of the Sphinxes. This ancient road is lined with over a thousand sphinx and ram statues. 

Return to your Luxor hotel for overnight

After breakfast, your driver and your guide will pick you up from your Luxor hotel. Alternatively, we can arrange a hot air balloon ride, to enjoy the iconic views of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings.

Visit the Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens is the resting place of many royal wives and children, near to the pharaonic burial site of the Valley of the Kings. The tombs are cut into the rock and sumptuously decorated with inscriptions, paintings and reliefs. 

Tour Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut is one of Egypt’s most well-known pharaohs, and one of the few female pharaohs that we know of. She ruled for more than twenty years in a period of notable prosperity and peace. Among her many significant architectural projects is the Temple of Hatshepsut, facing Luxor and the Temple of Karnak.

Check in to your luxury 5-star boat for your Nile cruise and enjoy lunch aboard

In the afternoon, enjoy exclusive, private entry to the Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings, located on the west bank of Luxor, is the home to many royal tombs from the new kingdom. The discovery of the nearly-intact tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922 completely transformed Egyptian archeology and led to the Valley of the Kings becoming one of the most famous archeological sites in the world. More than 65 known tombs are located in the Valley and have been cut directly into the rock. Many of these tombs are still adorned with beautiful carvings and paintings as befit their royal occupants. 

In the morning, your driver and guide will drive you to the Dendera Temple of Hathor (approximately 3 hours)

Tour the Dendera Temple of Hathor

Dendera is home to the Ptolemaic-era Temple of Hathor. It had long been a site dedicated to the goddess, and was frequented by pilgrims throughout antiquity. The rear of the temple includes a relief of Cleopatra, the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, and her son fathered by Julius Caesar.  

Return to Luxor and back on your boat for sailing overnight

In the morning, enjoy breakfast on the boat while you admire the scenic view of the Nile Valley

Visit Edfu Temple

Edfu Temple is exquisitely preserved, thanks to having been buried for many years under the silt and mud from the Nile. It is dedicated to the god Horus and has beautiful friezes of the god’s journeys and relationship with his wife, Hathor.

Sail to Kom Ombo temple for sunset visit

The temple of Kom Ombo is dedicated to both Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus the Elder. Next to Kom Ombo is the Crocodile Museum, which holds numerous mummified crocodiles brought as offerings to the temple.

Return to the ship for dinner and overnight stay

In the morning, you will head to Aswan Airport to make the short flight to Abu Simbel

Tour Abu Simbel Temples

The magnificent temples of Abu Simbel were carved by Ramses the Great to celebrate his victories in battle and to honor his wife, Nefertari. Between 1964 and 1968 a multinational project was undertaken to save the temples from the rising waters from the construction of the High Dam. Archeologists and engineers from around the world worked to carefully cut the temples apart, transport them and then reconstruct them on higher ground.

Fly back to Aswan

Enjoy an afternoon journey on a traditional felucca boat

Return to your cruise ship for overnight

After you check out from the cruise, you will head to the Philae Temple Complex

Philae Temple was dedicated to goddess Isis, and was a site of worship for visitors from the 26th dynasty through the Ptolemaic periods. This beautifully-constructed temple was admired by many ancient writers including Seneca and Pliny the Elder.

Visit the Unfinished Obelisk

Aswan was home to the granite quarries that supplied stone for the pharaoh's architectural projects, including the massive obelisks that decorate Karnak Temple and other sites. This quarry gives a unique look into how the ancient Egyptians were able to carve stone using only non-metal hand tools.

Fly back to Cairo

Your driver will pick you up to take you to Luxor Airport, and you will fly back to Cairo with your guide

Today is a free day, for your choice of optional tours. Check out our one-day Cairo tour itinerary here, or build a custom itinerary with the help of our expert guides.

After checking out of your hotel, a private driver will transport you to the airport for your departure flight.