Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Egypt: Pyramids, Abu Simbel and the Nile
9 days from Cairo: Giza at opening, the Grand Egyptian Museum, a night at Abu Simbel, a small boat on the Nile and a sunrise balloon over Luxor.
9 days · Round trip from Cairo · up to 12 guests
The pyramids of Khafre and Khufu from the desert at Giza Photo: Ludovic Delot Bravo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giza_Pyramids_Egypt_Camels_Desert_Landscape_Photo_by_Ludovic_Delot_Bravo.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Cairo
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Early starts most days and 3 to 4 hours on your feet at the sites, on sand, uneven stone and steep tomb ramps, often in heat, with a rest in the middle of the day.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 820
- Season
- Late October to April; best late October to early December and February to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- Walk the Giza plateau at opening, then the Grand Egyptian Museum on a booked slot
- Saqqara and Memphis as a proper half day, without the crowds
- Sleep at Abu Simbel and walk into the Great Temple at opening
- A felucca at sunset and dinner with a Nubian family in Gharb Soheil
- Sail the Nile on a small boat to Kom Ombo and Edfu
- A sunrise balloon over Luxor's West Bank, included, then the Valley of the Kings before the heat
What makes this trip different
One price, nothing to pay on the van
Everything on the itinerary is in the price, and nothing is collected on the trip.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 820.
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Cairo, stay by the pyramids
Cairo International Airport to your hotel in Giza
- Meals on your own
- Stay in Giza
Fly into Cairo International Airport (CAI). We meet you after arrivals and drive you west across the city to your hotel in Giza, close to the pyramid plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum, so tomorrow's early start is minutes from the door instead of an hour in Cairo traffic.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide hosts a short welcome briefing: how the days run and why we start early, what the included tipping pool covers, which tickets are already booked, and how to set up mobile data before the river, where wifi is patchy. If you land early, the rest of the day is free. Dinner tonight is on you, and your guide can point you to somewhere good nearby.
Included
- Pick-up at Cairo International Airport (CAI)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
Free time: Rest of the day free
Activity: Any arrival time works on day 1. The briefing is in the early evening; if your flight lands later, your guide catches you up at breakfast.
Giza at opening, then the Grand Egyptian Museum
Giza pyramid plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum
- Breakfast
- Stay in Giza
We are at the gates of the Giza plateau when it opens, around 7 am, while the light is low and before most coaches arrive. Walk around the Great Pyramid of Khufu, built about 4,500 years ago and still close to 140 metres tall, then drive out to the desert viewpoint where all nine Giza pyramids line up for the classic photo. The Great Sphinx sits below, beside the Valley Temple of Khafre.
Morning
Late morning we cross to the Grand Egyptian Museum, about ten minutes away, on a pre-booked timed entry. Climb the grand staircase lined with royal statues, stand under the colossal Ramesses II in the atrium, and see Tutankhamun's burial treasures shown together in their own galleries.
Afternoon
The afternoon is yours to rest.
Included
- Giza pyramid plateau at opening, with the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre
- Panorama viewpoint over the nine Giza pyramids
- Grand Egyptian Museum on a pre-booked timed entry, with your guide
Optional experiences
- Inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Separate ticket, limited numbers.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: Camera rules in the Tutankhamun galleries are strict (at the time of writing, phones only, no flash and no tripods). About 3 hours on foot on the plateau, on sand and uneven stone.
Saqqara and Memphis, then fly to Aswan
Saqqara and Memphis by road, then a flight from Cairo to Aswan
- Breakfast
- Stay in Aswan
- By plane
Saqqara is where pyramid building began, and it is far quieter than Giza. We arrive as it opens and walk around the Step Pyramid of Djoser, designed by the architect Imhotep around 2,670 BC and one of the oldest large stone buildings in the world. Your guide takes you into painted Old Kingdom tombs nearby, where scenes of fishing, farming and feasting still hold their colour. A short drive brings you to Memphis, the first capital of a united Egypt, where a colossal limestone statue of Ramesses II lies in its own hall among palm groves.
Afternoon
After lunch we fly south to Aswan, about an hour and twenty minutes, instead of the overnight sleeper train.
Evening
The evening is free on the Nile corniche.
Included
- Saqqara: the Step Pyramid of Djoser and painted Old Kingdom tombs
- Memphis open-air museum and the colossus of Ramesses II
- Flight from Cairo to Aswan
- Transfers to and from the airports
Optional experiences
- The Red and Bent Pyramids at Dahshur. When flight times allow.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Saqqara is a real half day, not a drive-by: about 3 hours on site.
Philae, then the desert road to Abu Simbel
Philae by boat, then Aswan to Abu Simbel by road
- Breakfast
- Stay in Abu Simbel
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A small motorboat takes us across to Agilkia Island in the morning, with soft light on the Temple of Isis at Philae. The temple once stood on a nearby island that the old Aswan dam left flooded for much of the year, and in a UNESCO rescue completed in 1980 it was cut into blocks and rebuilt here, stone by stone.
Afternoon
Back on shore there is time for lunch and a rest before the afternoon drive south, about 280 km and three and a half hours across the Western Desert beside Lake Nasser.
Evening
We spend the night at Abu Simbel itself, instead of the pre-dawn convoy day trip most tours use. In the evening the sound and light show is projected onto the temple facades.
Included
- Boat to Philae and the Temple of Isis with your guide
- Drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel
- Abu Simbel sound and light show
Free time: Late morning free in Aswan
Activity: Nobody else's schedule sets the wake-up: no 3 am convoy start.
Abu Simbel at dawn, then a felucca and a Nubian dinner
Abu Simbel to Aswan by road, board the boat, felucca at sunset
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Aswan
- Drive about 3.5 h
Be at the Great Temple of Ramesses II as the gates open, when the low eastern light turns the four seated colossi gold, each about 20 metres high, and the coaches from Aswan are still on the road. Inside, carved halls run more than 50 metres into the rock. Next door, the smaller temple honours Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. Both were cut into the cliff about 3,200 years ago and lifted to higher ground in the 1960s, before Lake Nasser rose.
Afternoon
Mid morning we drive back to Aswan and board our small riverboat for lunch.
Evening
At sunset a felucca sails us past Elephantine Island to the Nubian village of Gharb Soheil, where we have dinner with a Nubian family in their home.
Included
- The Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Nefertari at opening
- Drive from Abu Simbel to Aswan
- Board the riverboat
- Felucca sail at sunset past Elephantine Island
- Dinner with a Nubian family in Gharb Soheil
Free time: Early afternoon free on board
Activity: Tonight the boat stays moored in Aswan.
Sailing the Nile to Kom Ombo
Aswan to Kom Ombo on the river
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Kom Ombo
- By boat
A full day on the river, and no early alarm. Our boat is small, sized for a group like ours, so the day goes to sailing rather than waiting at a crowded dock.
Morning
Breakfast on deck as we leave Aswan, then slow hours past palm groves, sugar cane fields, sandstone cliffs and fishermen working from small rowing boats.
Afternoon
Lunch is served on board, and the afternoon is yours to read, doze in the shade on deck, or simply watch the banks go by. Late in the day we moor below Kom Ombo, a temple on a bend of the river with a rare double plan, one half for Sobek the crocodile god and the other for Haroeris, a form of Horus. Walk through as the floodlights come on, then see the mummified crocodiles in the small museum next door.
Included
- A day of sailing from Aswan to Kom Ombo
- Temple of Kom Ombo at dusk, with your guide
- Crocodile Museum, Kom Ombo
Free time: Most of the day free on board
Activity: Golden hour on deck as the boat moves north is the photo of the day.
Edfu and Esna, on to Luxor
Kom Ombo to Edfu by boat, then Edfu to Luxor by road with a stop at Esna
- Breakfast
- Stay in Luxor
- By boat
Morning
The boat sails north early, past the old sandstone quarries of Gebel el-Silsila, and after breakfast we leave it at Edfu. The Temple of Horus here is the best preserved temple in Egypt, built between 237 and 57 BC, with its roof, towering pylon and inner sanctuary still in place and the story of Horus and Seth carved along the outer walls. Then we drive north and stop at Esna, where the Temple of Khnum sits well below street level in the middle of town, and a recent cleaning has brought back the blues, reds and yellows of its painted ceiling.
Afternoon
We reach Luxor in the early afternoon.
Evening
After a rest, walk through Luxor Temple at dusk as the lights come on along the Avenue of Sphinxes.
Included
- Sail from Kom Ombo to Edfu
- Temple of Horus, Edfu
- Temple of Khnum, Esna
- Drive from Edfu to Luxor
- Luxor Temple at dusk, with your guide
Free time: Mid afternoon free
Activity: How far the boat sails before Edfu depends on the vessel and the river; if needed, the last stretch is by road, about an hour.
Balloon at sunrise, then the Valley of the Kings
Luxor West Bank
- Breakfast
- Stay in Luxor
An early start, and one worth it.
Morning
We collect you before dawn, about 4 am depending on the month, for the hot air balloon flight over the West Bank, included in your trip. You rise with the sun over the Theban hills, the Ramesseum and the green fields along the Nile. If the aviation authority grounds flights for wind, which does happen, we cross to the West Bank by road and watch sunrise from the ground instead. After landing we go straight to the Valley of the Kings, arriving while it is still cool, and enter three royal tombs whose painted corridors run deep into the hillside. Then Hatshepsut's terraced temple at Deir el-Bahari, and the Colossi of Memnon, two 18 metre statues of Amenhotep III.
Afternoon
Back at the hotel by early afternoon.
Included
- Sunrise hot air balloon flight over the West Bank
- Valley of the Kings, entry to three tombs
- Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari
- Colossi of Memnon
Your choice: Sunrise hot air balloon over the West Bank / Sleep in, join the group for the Valley of the Kings Included in the price.
Optional experiences
- Tomb of Tutankhamun or the tomb of Seti I. Separate tickets.
Easier option: Skip the balloon and sleep in; your guide collects you later for the Valley of the Kings.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: Rest through the hottest hours; the Valley of the Kings is crowded and hot by mid morning, which is why we are there first.
Karnak at opening, fly to Cairo
Karnak, then a flight from Luxor to Cairo
- Breakfast
- By plane
Morning
Last morning, and the biggest temple complex of all. Karnak opens at 6 am and we are there for it, walking into the Great Hypostyle Hall while low sun slants between its 134 columns, the tallest about 21 metres, before the heat and the tour groups arrive. Your guide leads you on past the standing obelisks of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut to the Sacred Lake, where priests once purified themselves before rituals. Back at the hotel for a late breakfast and time to pack, then we fly from Luxor to Cairo, about an hour, and take you to Cairo International Airport for your flight home, or to a hotel if you are staying on.
Evening
Plan an evening departure, or ask us to add nights in Luxor or Cairo.
Included
- Karnak at opening, with your guide
- Flight from Luxor to Cairo
- Transfer to Cairo International Airport (CAI)
Free time: Late morning free
- Cairostart
- Giza2 nights
- Aswan1 night
- Abu Simbel1 night
- Aswan1 night
- Kom Ombo1 night
- Luxor2 nights
- Cairoend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Balloon flights depend on the wind and can be grounded on the day; we then watch sunrise from the West Bank by road.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Early starts that beat the heat and the crowds
- History told on site, not from a coach
- A slower day on the river in the middle of the trip
Not for you if you want
- Late mornings every day
- Step-free access: tombs have steep ramps and the sites are on sand and stone
- Travellers who want a long cruise on a large ship
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Giza2 nights
- Aswan1 night
- Abu Simbel1 night
- Aswan1 night
- Kom Ombo1 night
- Luxor2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights: 2 in Giza near the pyramids, 1 in Aswan, 1 at Abu Simbel, 2 on a small riverboat, 2 in Luxor
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Airport pick-up in Cairo and drop-off at Cairo International Airport
- Flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Luxor to Cairo
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group
- Two nights sailing from Aswan towards Edfu
- Felucca sail at sunset in Aswan
- Boat to Philae
Activities
- Giza pyramid plateau and panorama viewpoint
- Grand Egyptian Museum on a pre-booked timed entry
- Saqqara and Memphis
- Philae
- Abu Simbel temples and the sound and light show
- Kom Ombo and the Crocodile Museum
- Edfu and Esna
- Luxor Temple at dusk
- Sunrise hot air balloon over the West Bank
- Valley of the Kings (three tombs), Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- Karnak at opening
Meals
- Breakfast daily
- All meals on the boat
- Dinner with a Nubian family in Gharb Soheil
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, with licensed local Egyptologists at the sites
other
- A tipping pool for drivers, boat crew, felucca sailors and site staff
- No shopping stops
Not included
- International flights to and from Cairo
- Egypt visa
- Travel insurance
- Lunches and dinners off the boat, except the Nubian family dinner
- Drinks
- Separate tickets: inside the Great Pyramid, the tomb of Tutankhamun, the tomb of Seti I
- A tip for your See Sight Tours guide (optional)
Local fees: none. Nothing is collected on the trip.
Tips for your guide are included.
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 820
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We confirm your departure within 24 hours.
Want your own dates? We can book the same hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your confirmation.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eight nights in hotels and on a small riverboat, breakfast daily and all meals on the boat, a Nubian family dinner, flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Luxor to Cairo, a private vehicle with driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, entry to every site in the day plan, a pre-booked Grand Egyptian Museum slot, the felucca, the Abu Simbel night and the sunrise balloon flight.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, and the boat is sized for a group like ours rather than a ship of a hundred or more.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section: we can book the same hotels, boat, flights and site guides for you.
Why do you fly to Aswan instead of taking the overnight train?
The sleeper train costs a night of sleep and gets mixed reviews for cleanliness. The flight takes about an hour and twenty minutes, so we can do Saqqara properly the same morning and still sleep in a hotel bed in Aswan.
Why stay the night at Abu Simbel?
Most tours leave Aswan around 3 to 4 am and reach the temples with every other coach. Sleeping at Abu Simbel means you walk in at opening, in the best light, with the evening sound and light show the night before.
What happens if the balloon is cancelled?
Balloon flights in Luxor depend on the wind and are grounded by the aviation authority when it is unsafe. If that happens we cross to the West Bank by road for sunrise and keep the rest of the day as planned. If you would rather not fly, you can skip it and sleep in.
How does tipping work?
Tips for drivers, boat crew, felucca sailors and site staff come from a tipping pool included in your price, so you are not reaching for small notes all day. A tip for your See Sight Tours guide is up to you and never expected.
Are there shopping stops?
No. We do not take commissions, and there are no papyrus, perfume or alabaster stops in the day plan. If you want to shop, your guide will point you to the right places in your free time.
When is the best time to go?
Late October to April is cool and dry. Late October to early December and February to March are the sweet spots; December and January are busiest and desert nights can be cold. June to August is very hot but quiet.
Will my phone work?
Wifi on the river and at Abu Simbel is patchy. Buy an Egyptian eSIM or local SIM before or on arrival; your guide helps you set it up at the welcome briefing.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Early starts most days and 3 to 4 hours on your feet at the sites, on sand, uneven stone and steep tomb ramps, often in heat. We rest through the middle of the day where we can.
How much does it cost?
Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, and differ by style: small group or private. The small group starts from CAD 4,100 per person, and a room of your own is from CAD 820 more. Pick your start date when you request to book, and we confirm your trip within 24 hours. Nothing is charged until then.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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