Budget holiday in Egypt
| country: | Egypt |
| location: | Nile Cruises, Pyramids, Luxor |
| departures: | This tour departs throughout the year and can be tailormade to suit your budget, interests and requirements |
| price: | From US $1075 (12 days) excluding flights. Single supplement charge US $420 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 7 travellers reviews
the amazing things you'll be doing
A once in a lifetime journey - from Alexandria’s Royal Library to the Great Pyramids to a 5 star Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor stopping at Edfu, Kom Ombo, Karnak, and more!
Tour price includes: Transfers from/to the airport/s, at any time 24/7, depending on your flights' schedule, all accommodations in a 3-star hotel in Cairo, Aswan and Alexandria, including buffet breakfast, all fully-guided tours (as per the itinerary) in air-conditioned buses, fluent English-speaking tour guides throughout the program, first-class train tickets from Cairo/Aswan and Luxor/Cairo on air-conditioned Spanish trains, with reclining seats, three nights on a 5-star Nile Cruise ship with all meals included, in Cairo, a Nile Dinner Cruise on a 5-star ship. Delight in an open buffet style dinner while enjoying the Sufi (“whirling dervish”) and belly dancing show, all meals as described in the tour itinerary, all transfer and pick-up services and all service charges and taxes.
Tour price excludes: International flights, entry visa, all the entrance fees of the mentioned sites, any meals other than the ones noted on the above detailed tour itinerary, any items of personal nature, such as drinks, phone calls, laundry, tips…etc.
Tour price includes: Transfers from/to the airport/s, at any time 24/7, depending on your flights' schedule, all accommodations in a 3-star hotel in Cairo, Aswan and Alexandria, including buffet breakfast, all fully-guided tours (as per the itinerary) in air-conditioned buses, fluent English-speaking tour guides throughout the program, first-class train tickets from Cairo/Aswan and Luxor/Cairo on air-conditioned Spanish trains, with reclining seats, three nights on a 5-star Nile Cruise ship with all meals included, in Cairo, a Nile Dinner Cruise on a 5-star ship. Delight in an open buffet style dinner while enjoying the Sufi (“whirling dervish”) and belly dancing show, all meals as described in the tour itinerary, all transfer and pick-up services and all service charges and taxes.
Tour price excludes: International flights, entry visa, all the entrance fees of the mentioned sites, any meals other than the ones noted on the above detailed tour itinerary, any items of personal nature, such as drinks, phone calls, laundry, tips…etc.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive Cairo. Welcome to Egypt! Our representative will meet you to ensure a smooth path through immigration and customs. You have time to explore at your leisure before meeting your tour escort and fellow travelers for a welcome drink at your hotel. Overnight in Cairo. |
| Day 2: | Cairo/Desert Tour. Full-day outing to Sakkara, the vast Necropolis of ancient Memphis. Sakkara has the first Pyramid and the world’s oldest stone structure. Later we drive to Memphis the capital of the ancient kingdom and one of the most important cities throughout the history of ancient Egypt. Break for lunch, and then we drive to the most famous wonderland in the whole world - the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx. Free evening at leisure and overnight we will travel by train to Aswan. (B) |
| Day 3: | Aswan. Arrive Aswan, meet and transfer to your hotel. Following to check-in, we will start our full-day excursion around the city visiting the Temple of Philae, the Aswan High Dam, and the Unfinished Obelisk. Free evening at leisure and overnight in Aswan hotel. |
| Day 4: | Aswan/Nile Cruise. Today we will join an orientation cruise around Kitchener and Elephantine Islands. Transfer to your Nile cruise ship for check-in. Free evening on cruise and overnight sailing to Kom-Ombu. (B,L,D) |
| Day 5: | Kom Ombo/Edfu/Nile Cruise. Visit the dual temple of Sobek and Haroeris in Kom-Ombu, and then back to the cruise to continue sailing on the way to Edfu to visit the most well-preserved temple in all of Egypt - dedicated to Horus, the Falcon God. Overnight on cruise, sailing on the way to Luxor. (B,L,D) |
| Day 6: | Nile Cruise/Luxor (Easy Bank). Arrive Luxor. This afternoon we will be touring the East Bank of Luxor: Luxor Temple & Karnak Temple. Free evening at leisure and overnight on cruise ship. (B,L,D) |
| Day 7: | Luxor (West Bank). Disembarkation after breakfast. Today we'll be out for a tour around the West Bank of Luxor, visiting: Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut & Colossi of Memnon. Free evening and overnight we will travel by train back to Cairo. (B) |
| Day 8: | Cairo/City Tour. Arrive Cairo, meet and transfer to your hotel. Following to check-in today, we will be off to Islamic Cairo where the 12th Century Citadel of Salah El-Din stands, within the walls of the medieval fortress is the Alabaster Mosque and El-Gawhara Palace built by Mohamed Ali, followed by a visit to Christian Old Cairo where the Romans constructed the fortress of Babylon. Built over the ruins of the two towers of this fortress, the Church of Saint Mary known by the Hanging Church. Break for lunch, and then we drive to the Egyptian Museum where the treasures of King Tut Ankh-Amun and most of the pharaohs, are kept. Free evening at leisure and overnight in Cairo hotel. |
| Day 9: | Alexandria. Early morning pick-up to drive on the way to Alexandria, the city on the Mediterranean founded by Alexander the Great. After check-in we will start our tour in Alexandria with visits to the catacombs of Kom El Shokafa and Pompeii's Pillar – followed by an outing to the Roman Amphitheater and the Fort of Qait-Bay. Free evening at leisure to explore this beautiful waterfront city. Perhaps wet your feet in the lapping Mediterranean waves or enjoy a freshly-grilled fish dinner at one of many open-air restaurants. Overnight in Alexandria hotel. (B) |
| Day 10: | Alexandria/Cairo. Today the newly-reborn Royal Library of Alexandria, with its amazing architecture, awaits your visit, before we continue on to explore the Royal Palace of El Montazah with a chance to take a dip in the Mediterranean and turn a golden brown in the warm Egyptian sunshine. Later we will drive back to our hotel in Cairo to check-in. Free evening at leisure and overnight in Cairo. (B) |
| Day 11: | Cairo. Free morning and in the afternoon we will visit Khan El-Khalily, the 14th century Bazaar, famous for its unusual, typical oriental souvenirs and handmade crafts. The Medieval atmospheres of this traditional market together with the labyrinth layout of the streets, gives visitors great pleasure and glimpse into what medieval markets were like. In the evening we will embark on a Nile River Steamer for an open buffet dinner accompanied by a folkloric Sufi Dancing show (whirling dervish know by raqs el-tanourah) and belly-dancing show. Overnight in Cairo hotel. (B,D) |
| Day 12: | Depart Cairo. Free morning at leisure. Our tour ends today with the transfer to Cairo Airport for departure. (B) |
travellers' tales
Absolutely fantastic. Despite having my flight tickets stolen before reaching Cairo, my tour guide (Salam) made it possible to get my tickets reissued in Cairo by obtaining a police report with an amazing efficiency and ingenuity. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
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Make your holiday in Egypt something to always remember – but not at the expense of the environment or the local peoples. You will stay in locally-owned and operated hotels throughout this tour – not multinational chains which grossly over consume the local resources (electricity, water, and so on), waste food, and do not pay wages in any way relative to the exorbitant prices they charge their guests.
Likewise, you will have only local guides in Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, and Alexandria. All of the guides on this trip are university graduates with whom we have long-established relationships. They are all eager to share the richness of their own local traditions and culture as well as delight you with comprehensive details on the history and the role of the sites you visit. You are on traditional public transportation whenever possible – including feluccas (owned and “captained” by a local boatsman), camels, and trains. When using private transportation the size of the vehicle is always relative to the number of people in the group. We do not use vehicles which accommodate more guests than are on the trip. All private vehicles are locally-owned and operated. By making the most of local accommodation, transportation, and guides, communities and native peoples derive a greater financial benefit from tourism. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |