Classic Cairo, Luxor & Aswan overland

Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Cairo. Upon arrival in Cairo, you are met at the airport by your Audley representative and driven to your hotel by your private driver. You then have the rest of the evening to settle into your hotel.

Enjoy a full-day, privately guided tour of the pyramids at Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur this morning. Visit the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur, one of the earliest examples of pyramid architecture, before working your way back to Cairo, visiting the stepped pyramid of Saqqara and the behemoths at Giza.

After breakfast, you are taken for a privately guided tour of the wonderfully disorganised Egyptian Museum, which houses a wealth of Pharaonic treasures. In the afternoon, you get the chance to try a range of Egyptian and Cairene cuisine on a food tour through the downtown. You visit around six stops and sample various food and beverages, from Egyptian classics such as ta’amiya, ful, and kosheri, to the subjective molokhia, and juices such as sugar cane and tamarind. 

After breakfast, you are driven to Cairo International Airport for a short flight to Luxor. A local Audley representative greets you at the airport and transfers you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to spend at leisure. You could enjoy the hotel’s facilities or spend some time exploring Luxor. Luxor Museum is worth a visit and is easy to explore independently. There, you will find a small but choice collection of statues and funerary goods from local temples and the Theban Necropolis.

Today, you have an early start for a full-day, privately guided tour of Luxor’s West Bank. There are a range of unforgettable sights, including the Valley of the Kings, where you can enter a tomb to see the vividly preserved hieroglyphics. You continue to visit Hatshepsut’s Temple, Colossi of Memnon and the temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu afterwards.

After a relaxing morning, you are picked up for the short drive to the imposing Temples of Karnak and Luxor, on the East Bank. Your private guide explains how the Temple of Luxor at sunset is a particularly memorable, unmistakably Egyptian sight. Karnak Temple is also impressive and boasts 134 giant sandstone columns designed in the form of papyrus stalks. The rest of the day is yours to spend at leisure.

In the morning you are picked up by your private driver and set off for your first stop: Edfu Temple. This journey takes around two and a half hours. Your private guide explains the significance of Edfu before you continue to Kom Ombo, the crocodile temple, which lies two hours south. You then continue to Aswan, your final stop, where you spend the last few nights of your trip.

Today you have a day at leisure to enjoy the laid-back charms of Aswan. You might want to visit the extraordinary Temple of Philae, browse the Nubian Museum or go shopping in the souqs. Alternatively, enjoy the facilities at your hotel and relax and unwind for your final full day in Egypt.

This morning you are collected by your private driver and transferred to Aswan Airport for your internal flight to Cairo. There, you are met by a local Audley representative who escorts you to your onward flight as you bid a sad farewell to Egypt. Your return flight will arrive the same day.