Highlights of Egypt

Nine pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and a collection of smaller tombs sit on the Giza Plateau, also called the Necropolis of Giza. The Pyramid of Khufu, with its two neighbors, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure, form one of the most iconic sights in Egypt, if not the entire world.

Top things to do on the Giza Plateau include a camel ride around the pyramids, seeing the Great Sphinx, going inside one of the pyramids, visiting the photographic viewpoints, and seeing the solar boat.

Spend the afternoon at the Egyptian Museum, which contains the world’s largest collection of Egyptian artifacts. Highlights of a visit include seeing the solid gold mask and the golden sarcophagi of Tutankhamun, the Royal Mummies room, and an astonishing number of statues, jewelry, and treasures.

You can end your day after your visit to the Egyptian Museum, but if you have a little more energy to spare, we have one more worthwhile place to visit.

From the top of the Cairo Tower, you get a bird’s eye view over the city. On a clear day, you can see the Pyramids of Giza. If you want dinner with a view, there is a revolving restaurant on top of the tower that serves good food and drinks.

Today, you will leave the congested city streets and head out to Dahshur and Saqqara, to see some of the oldest pyramids in Egypt.

Dahshur contains two of the oldest and best-preserved pyramids in Egypt. These were built between 2613 and 2589 BC, so these pyramids are older than those in Giza.

The Bent Pyramid was the first attempt at building a smooth-sided pyramid, but they didn’t quite get it right, which accounts for its different angles. The Red Pyramid was the second attempt and it was a success, the first smooth sided pyramid. This pyramid gets its name from the red limestone, the material that was used to construct this pyramid. You have the option to go inside of both pyramids.

Memphis was the first capital city of Egypt but what remains today are the foundations, the stumps of pillars, and some statues, which you can visit in the open air museum. Highlights of a visit here include the alabaster sphinx and massive statue of Ramesses II.

Saqqara was the necropolis for the Egyptian capital city of Memphis. It is here that you can see the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser and the oldest complete stone building complex in the world.

After a day of sightseeing, take an evening flight to Aswan. Once in Aswan, check into your hotel.

Today is a nice, relaxing day with just a few places to visit. See the Unfinished Obelisk, the largest known obelisk in the world. It still sits in a stone quarry in Aswan since it cracked during excavation.

The Philae Temple is one of the most beautiful temples in Egypt, and to get here, it’s a pleasant ride by boat on the Nile River. In the afternoon, visit the Nubian Museum and then spend the rest of your day on the Nile River.

End the day with a visit to the Nubian Village. It is fun to travel by boat, shop, and see the camels that walk through the city streets.

Abu Simbel can be visited on a day trip from Aswan. Sitting on the bank of Lake Nasser, not far from Egypt’s border with Sudan, sit the twin temples of Abu Simbel. These temples were built by Ramesses II over 3,000 years ago, to display the might of ancient Egypt. When the Aswan High Dam was constructed in the 1960s, the rising water levels threatened to flood the temples. Both temples were painstakingly dismantled and then reassembled on higher ground.

Arrive back into Aswan by mid-afternoon. Spend a leisurely afternoon and evening at your hotel.

Today, you will travel to Luxor by land. There are three important temples and historical sites to visit on the way – at Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Esna. With these three stops, it takes about 9.5 hours to travel from Aswan to Luxor.

The Temple of Kom Ombo is a double temple that was constructed for two sets of gods. One half of the complex is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god who is associated with fertility of the land along the Nile River. The other half is dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god.

Next to the Temple of Kom Ombo is the Crocodile Museum, where you can see the mummies of different sized crocodiles that were discovered around the temple.

The Temple of Edfu is the largest temple dedicated to the god Horus. It was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.

The Temple of Esna is dedicated to the god Khnum, his consorts Menhit and Nebtu, their son, Heka, and the goddess Neith.

Once in Luxor, check into your hotel and have dinner.

The West Bank of Luxor is literally packed with tombs, temples, and historical sites. The Valley of the Kings is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. This is a royal burial ground, with exquisitely decorated tombs for the pharaohs who ruled Egypt between 1539 and 1075 BC. There are over 60 tombs in this small area, although only a handful are open to public. Your entrance ticket includes a visit to three tombs. You have the option to add on three extra tombs at an additional cost: Seti I, Tutankhamun, and the tombs of Ramesses V and VI.

Located in the Valley of the Queens, Tomb of Queen Nefertari is the most spectacular tomb in Egypt.

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, with its three terraces and location in the cliffs of Deir el-Bahri, has a much different appearance than many other temples in Egypt. It is dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut, one of the most powerful female rulers of ancient Egypt.

Ramesseum is a mortuary temple that usually does not make it on the must-visit list of the West Bank of Luxor, but it is a beautiful temple, another one of many temples dedicated to the great Ramesses II.

There are four major sites to visit on the East Bank of Luxor, so today is a shorter day than yesterday.

Start at the Karnak Temple. This is the second largest temple complex in the world. Enter through an avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, gaze up at the massive columns in the famous Hypostyle Hall, and visit the Karnak Open Air Museum. It’s very easy to spend several hours here, exploring the various sections of the complex.

Luxor Temple looks and feels like a smaller version of Karnak Temple, although this temple served a different purpose than many found in and around Luxor. This temple is not dedicated to one particular god or pharaoh. When you first approach Luxor Temple, you will see only one obelisk in front of the first pylon. The other obelisk can be found at Place de la Concorde in Paris, France.

Luxor museum contains artifacts that were found in the Luxor area, as well as artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

Mummification Museum is a small, somewhat interesting museum about the mummification process. Not only can you see mummified people but there are also mummified cats, birds, and crocodiles.

In the morning, take an early flight to Cairo and spend the day touring the city. Visit the Coptic area of Cairo, take a walking tour through Old Cairo with a visit to the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, or visit the mosques in central Cairo. Spend the night either in Giza, for one last view of the pyramids, or near the airport, to minimize travel time tomorrow.

Today you’ll be busy packing your bags and getting ready to head back home. Transfer provided in a private vehicle between your hotel and Cairo airport.