This tour encompasses the major highlights of Egypt. Uncover the treasures of Egypt at the Grand Egyptian Museum, explore the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings, take in the sights & smells wandering through the Khan el Khalili Bazaar, gaze in awe at the mighty pyramids & sphinx & discover the Temples of Hathor, Queen Hatshepsut & Karnak in 6 incredible days.
Trip Highlights
Included
Not Included
Itinerary
Cairo
Sunday. Welcome to Egypt! Upon arrival at Cairo Airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax by the hotel pool, or those arriving early, opt to join our unique Backstreets tour of Cairo which departs the hotel at 10am today. This optional tour takes you off the beaten track in Egypt's bustling capital, visiting Downtown Cairo, the exquisite mosques and monuments of El Moez Street in Islamic Cairo, Garbage City and the incredible Cave Church of St. Simon.
At 7pm this evening meet your guide and the rest of the group at a Welcome Meeting.
Note: If you would like to extend your stay we offer an Alexandria Day Trip on the Saturday before your tour starts, and we can arrange pre tour accommodation as well, please enquire.
Overnight: Cairo
Pyramids of Giza
After a good night's rest, we enjoy a full day of touring. Our first stop this morning is the famous pyramids and the iconic Sphinx at the Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek, listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction. Known as Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus, the pyramids were already more than 2,000 years old when Herodotus the Greek historian visited them (in 5th century BC). A highly skilled corps of mathematicians, masons, surveyors and stone cutters carried out the job of building the pyramids. 100,000 workers were used to carry out the back-breaking task of moving and laying the stones of the largest pyramid - Cheops and about 2.5 million limestone blocks, quarried locally and weighing in excess of 6 million tonnes were used to construct it. Leaving the Pyramids of Giza, we stop at a government supervised papyrus emporium where you can buy genuine papyrus at quite reasonable prices.
Continuing to the necropolis of Saqqara, we explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s Step Pyramid which constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC. The remainder of today is free to relax or explore Egypt’s capital at leisure. Perhaps head to Khan el Khalili Bazaar, the ideal place for souvenir shopping.
Overnight: Cairo | Breakfast
Grand Egyptian Museum
Cairo - Luxor. We take a guided tour of the vast new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza this morning. In this incredible 490,000 square meter complex, we'll discover a mind-boggling array of relics and antiquities from almost every period of ancient Egyptian history, including the treasures of King Tutankhamun. Then we head over to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to visit the fascinating Royal Mummies' Hall, where the mummies of ancient Egyptian kings and queens are now on display. This incredible hall contains 20 mummies in total and some are so well preserved that they still have thick locks of hair, visible finger nails and smooth blackened skin! The rest of the afternoon is free to relax by the pool at the hotel before we board the overnight sleeper train to Luxor this evening.
Please Note: the Grand Egyptian Museum is scheduled to open in summer 2022, 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.
Overnight: Sleeper Train | Breakfast
Luxor & Dendera
We arrive into Luxor this morning and drive to Dendera which is one of Egypt's best preserved temple complexes, located 60km north of Luxor. This vast complex covers 40,000 square metres and its temples, chapels and shrines were gradually built over thousands of years. Dendera's crowning glory is the 2000 year old Temple of Hathor, with its exquisitely decorated ceiling. After our guided tour of this incredible site we return to Luxor where the afternoon is free to spend at leisure. Take a stroll around town or enjoy a refreshing swim in the pool.
This evening there is an optional visit to view the beautiful Temple of Luxor, beautifully illuminated at night (book locally).
Overnight: Luxor | Breakfast
Valley of the Kings
4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its very best. This morning we visit Luxor’s famous West Bank. Our first stop is the famous Valley of the Kings which is studded with beautifully decorated tombs, including the tombs of Ramses II, Seti I, Amenhotep II and of course, King Tutankhamen. After exploring this incredible site we travel to visit the Valley of the Queens and the beautiful limestone, colonnaded Temple of Hatshepsut, who was one of only three Egyptian ruling queens. Our final stop on the West Bank is to see the imposing 18m-high Colossi of Memnon, which is all that remains of the temple of the hedonistic Amenophis III.
Returning to the hotel at around midday, there's time to have lunch and relax by the pool before we visit the colossal Temple of Karnak later this afternoon. More than a temple, Karnak is a spectacular complex of sanctuaries, pylons, chapels, halls and obelisks, all dedicated to the Theban gods and to the greater glory of Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdom rulers.
Overnight: Luxor | Breakfast
Luxor
Friday. Our tour comes to an end today with a transfer to Luxor Airport to meet your onward flight. Alternatively we can book post tour accommodation, so you can further explore Luxor’s abundance of antiquity’s.
For information about visas, top travel tips and much more, take a look through our travel guide.
Breakfast
Prices & Dates
Departure dates are guaranteed with a minimum of 4 persons. 'Twin Share' prices are per person when there are 2 people sharing a room. 'Single Room' prices are applicable to those who don’t have anyone to share a room with or anyone wanting the privacy of a single room.
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Extra Prices
Hotels
The hotels listed below are ones which we frequently use on this tour. We reserve the right to substitute these hotels to ones of a similar standard.
Holiday Inn Cairo Maadi, Cairo
Overlooking the Nile and offering distant views of the Great Pyramids of Giza, this Holiday Inn provides the perfect location for your stay in Cairo. Each guestroom features a balcony (not Nile View as standard) and is well-equipped with modern amenities including free WiFi. Evenings can be spent enjoying international or Egyptian cuisine and unwinding with a cocktail at one of the hotel’s bars. Thanks to the friendly hotel staff, you’ll soon feel at home. And with panoramic views of the city from the rooftop lounge and pool, there’s no better place to base yourself for exploring Egypt’s ancient wonders.
Sleeper Train, Cairo
When travelling on an overnight train in Egypt, sleeper carriages offer the highest level of comfort. Cabins are equipped with two beds (one above the other), a basin, electric points and air conditioning. Freshly laundered bedding is provided and in the early evening an attendant will come round and make up your bed for you. The carriages have toilets at each end and there is a club car which serves snacks and beverages. In the morning a very basic breakfast is provided.
Steigenberger Nile Palace, Luxor
The Steigenburger Nile Palace is a grand hotel and stylishly furnished, with many rooms overlooking the Nile River. The hotel has a health club with massage rooms, sauna, steam room and fitness room, and a tennis court on the roof, not to mention a riverside pool. Its four restaurants offer a choice between Nubian, Lebanese, Italian, and Thai cuisine.
Sonesta St. George Hotel, Luxor
An elegant and luxurious classical hotel, the Sonesta's sophistication will ensure you a comfortable stay. The hotel has a sweeping terrace with fantastic views of the Nile, a grand entrance of polished marble and handsomely appointed furnishings with exquisite detail and a beautiful health spa. All its rooms offer views of the city or the river, complemented by a wide range of restaurants and cafes. Just minutes away you will find the temples at Luxor and Karnak, home to two of ancient Egypt's most famed sanctuaries.
Reviews
Travellers have rated this tour as 4.83 out of 5 based on 6 recent reviews
Momo is a star, his knowledge, enthusiasm and passion shone through in everything he did. This trip was only short, and probably long enough as the information Momo gave about Egypt’s culture, history, monuments and treasures was immense. He is very experienced and dedicated, which was always apparent through his passion for his country and it’s amazing history.
Egypt is wonderful and On the Go Tours are splendid. It’s such a shame Egypt has been affected by bad publicity and journalism, most being untrue and sensationalised by the media - this country relies on tourism, especially when it produces such great Egyptologists as Momo.
I travelled as a single woman and never once felt unsafe. Everyone is helpful and friendly, to visit this country is a must.”
Our guide, Waleed, was the best! He guided us every step of the way and even took extra steps to make sure we had a great experience. He was also more like a friend than someone just doing a job. I definitely got to experience the highlights of Cairo and Luxor and got up close to the history that I’ve read about!
We were also lucky enough to have great people in our tour group from all over the world. They added to the experience.
The only downside was the constant hassling from people to buy things. As a tourist, I definitely plan to do some shopping, but I actually bought less because of the hassling. But, I appreciate On The Go for a memorable vacation.”
This was the first time that I had taken a tour. I was hesitant in the past. But I am sure glad I did! What a wonderful experience! Not only was Egypt beyond my expectations but the group leader was so well educated and very informative. I learned so much from him. ”
This trip was a childhood dream come true. My guide Ahmed Halel was amazing he was very patient with our group, exceedingly knowledgeable, eager teacher, extremely professional and overall an incredible human being. The experience could only be described as once-in-a-lifetime. I will definitely be returning to Egypt again.”
The Tour guide was excellent. He was perfectly organised and his knowledge of Egyptology is very impressive, and the way he spoke of Egypt so passionately, it was engaging and made the experience all the more enjoyable.
We felt very comfortable and easy to approach for any type of question. ”
I wanted to thank On the Go Tours for providing me the best of services I could have ever expected for my money. I had an amazing trip to Egypt and thanks to On the Go Tours for arranging and taking special care of every little detail of my trip. To begin with, there was not a time in the trip where I felt unsafe, there was always someone from On the Go Tours with me and my sister who had accompanied me on this trip.
Ahmed was our tour guide, we were honoured to have him with us, he had exceptional knowledge about Egypt culture and its rich history. Taking care of every little detail and making sure we were comfortable. He always took his time to explain us every little detail and history behind the Pyramids, Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Luxor temple and each site visited. He took us to the best Egyptian places to eat, our whole group including my sister, could not thank Ahmed enough for giving us the most memorable trip. Going forward I always plan to travel with On the Go Tours, and want to thank Ahmed again for this memorable trip. Please keep up the great work On the Go Tours,”
In Brief
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Momo is a star, his knowledge, enthusiasm and passion shone through in everything he did. This trip was only short, and probably long enough as the information Momo gave about Egypt’s culture, history, monuments and treasures was immense. He is very experienced and dedicated, which was always apparent through his passion for his country and it’s amazing history.
Egypt is wonderful and On the Go Tours are splendid. It’s such a shame Egypt has been affected by bad publicity and journalism, most being untrue and sensationalised by the media - this country relies on tourism, especially when it produces such great Egyptologists as Momo.
I travelled as a single woman and never once felt unsafe. Everyone is helpful and friendly, to visit this country is a must.”
