Ancient Egypt, Open Water
Cairo, a Nile cruise, then the Red Sea.
The classic Egypt holiday: pyramids, three nights on the Nile between Aswan and Luxor, and three easy days by the Red Sea to finish.
How the days
usually unfold.
Two nights in Cairo, three on a cruise, three by the sea. The cruise sails north with the current, so the trip ends close to the beach.
Arrive in Cairo
Meet-and-assist at the airport and a private transfer to your hotel. The evening is free.
Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum
The pyramids and the Sphinx early in the morning, then the Grand Egyptian Museum with your Egyptologist after lunch.
Fly to Aswan and board your cruise
A morning flight to Aswan. Visit the temple of Philae on its island, then board the cruise ship in time for lunch. Late afternoon, a felucca sail around Elephantine Island.
Kom Ombo and Edfu
The ship sails north. You stop at Kom Ombo, the double temple of Sobek and Horus, and at Edfu, the best-preserved temple in Egypt.
Through the Esna lock to Luxor
A slow day on deck as the ship passes the lock at Esna. Arrive in Luxor for an evening visit to Luxor Temple.
Luxor's west bank, then the coast
Valley of the Kings and the temple of Hatshepsut in the early morning. After lunch you leave the ship and drive about four hours to your Red Sea hotel.
Red Sea, no fixed plan
Beach, pool, or a boat to the Giftun islands for snorkelling. We can book it locally once you know how you feel.
Another day by the water
Free. Diving, a desert quad ride or simply nothing at all.
Departure
Transfer to Hurghada airport for your flight home, usually via Cairo.
History first,
then the sea.
This is the route we recommend most often, because it answers the question most people have: how do I see the ancient sites and still come home rested? The first five days are full. The last three are not.
The Nile cruise is the centre of the trip. Cruising from Aswan north to Luxor means the boat moves with the current, and the order of the temples makes sense: Philae, Kom Ombo and Edfu first, then the great sites of Luxor. Ending in Luxor also puts you about four hours by road from the Red Sea coast, so there is no extra flight.
On the coast we usually suggest Hurghada or El Gouna for their range of hotels and easy boat trips. If you would prefer somewhere quieter, Marsa Alam is a similar drive from Luxor.
Making it longer or shorter
With a day less, we shorten the Red Sea stay. With two or three days more, add a night in Aswan for Abu Simbel, or a third Cairo day for Saqqara and the old city. Both turn this into something close to Egypt, In Depth.
What is included,
and what is not.
Every journey is private and priced for your dates. This is what a quote from us normally covers, and what we price or leave separately.
A few clear
answers first.
Which cruise ship do you use?
We choose the ship once we know your dates and budget. We use well-run five-star ships on the Aswan–Luxor stretch, and we tell you the ship's name in the quote so you can look it up before you commit.
Can we do the cruise from Luxor to Aswan instead?
Yes, though it means ending in Aswan, which is a long drive from the coast. If the Red Sea matters, the Aswan-to-Luxor direction works better.
Is Hurghada suitable for snorkelling beginners?
Yes. Boat trips to the Giftun islands stop on shallow reefs with calm water, and crews supply masks and life vests.
Are meals included on the cruise?
Nile cruises are normally full board, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are included on the ship. Hotels in Cairo and on the coast include breakfast; all-inclusive is possible on the Red Sea.
Compare it with
a different pace.
Not sure this is the right shape? These routes start from similar places but give the days a different balance.
Egypt Essentials
Six days for a first visit: Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, old Cairo, then two full days in Luxor on both banks of the Nile.
See this journey →
Egypt, In Depth
Three full days in Cairo, Aswan and Abu Simbel, a four-night Nile cruise to Luxor, then two days on the Red Sea.
See this journey →
Nile Honeymoon, Red Sea Finish
Cairo, Aswan, a three-night Nile cruise and a dawn balloon flight over Luxor, then two nights in a quiet Red Sea hotel.
See this journey →Change the order,
keep what matters.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will send a day-by-day plan with hotels and a full price, then adjust it with you on WhatsApp until it fits.