Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Women-only Egypt: Pyramids, Abu Simbel and the Nile
9 days for women only from Cairo: Giza at opening, a cooking evening with Egyptian women, 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 Great Temple of Ramesses II, Abu Simbel Photo: Gary Todd, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abu_Simbel_Temple_of_Ramesses_II_(9794484445).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 on five mornings 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. Day 1 and most of day 6 ask nothing of you, and any visit can be sat out in the shade.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 775 (estimated price)
- Season
- Late October to April; best late October to early December and February to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- A slow first evening in Giza: a short briefing and a light supper with the group, then an early night
- The Giza plateau at opening and the Grand Egyptian Museum, led by a woman Egyptologist where one is available
- A home-cooking evening hosted by Egyptian women in Giza
- Sleep at Abu Simbel and walk into the Great Temple at opening
- A felucca at sunset, then dinner in Gharb Soheil cooked and hosted by the women of a Nubian family
- A day sailing the Nile on a small boat to Kom Ombo and Edfu
- A sunrise balloon over Luxor's West Bank, the Valley of the Kings before the heat, and lunch at a women-run kitchen
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 775 (estimated price).
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, an easy first evening
Cairo International Airport to your hotel in Giza
- Welcome supper
- Stay in Giza
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Cairo International Airport (CAI). A driver meets you after arrivals and takes you west across the city, about an hour depending on traffic, to your hotel in Giza, close to the pyramid plateau, so tomorrow's early start is minutes from the door.
Afternoon
Nothing is planned for the afternoon: check in, sleep off the flight, or sit by the pool if the hotel has one. At about 7 pm your See Sight Tours guide, who is a woman, meets the group for a short briefing on the week: what to wear where, how the tipping pool works, which tickets are already booked, how rooms are shared and why the days start early. We stay together for a light welcome supper close to the hotel and finish early, so the first full day starts rested. Land by about 5 pm to join the supper; later arrivals are met and briefed at breakfast.
Included
- Pick-up at Cairo International Airport (CAI)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Light welcome supper near the hotel
Free time: Free until the 7 pm briefing
Activity: Any arrival time works on day 1; if you land late, you miss only the supper.
Giza at opening, the museum, a home-cooked dinner
Giza pyramid plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum, dinner in Giza
- Breakfast and dinner
- 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.
Morning
Where a licensed woman Egyptologist is free on your dates, she leads the morning. 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 the Giza pyramids line up for the classic photo, and on to the Great Sphinx beside the Valley Temple of Khafre. Late morning we cross to the Grand Egyptian Museum, about ten minutes away, on a pre-booked timed entry for the grand staircase, the colossal Ramesses II and Tutankhamun's burial treasures.
Afternoon
The afternoon is yours to rest.
Evening
In the evening, with hosts confirmed with your dates, local women welcome the group into their home or kitchen to cook and eat a family dinner together: stuffed vegetables, molokhia, fresh bread.
Included
- Giza pyramid plateau at opening, with the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre
- Panorama viewpoint over the Giza pyramids
- Grand Egyptian Museum on a pre-booked timed entry, with your guide
- Cooking evening and dinner hosted by local women in Giza (host confirmed with your dates)
Optional experiences
- Inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Separate ticket, limited numbers.
Easier option: Skip the desert viewpoint and wait in the shade by the Sphinx; the van collects you.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: Camera rules in the Tutankhamun galleries are strict (at the time of writing, phones only, no flash). 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 women appear grinding grain, baking and carrying offerings in scenes that 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, and check in on the Nile.
Evening
The evening is free on the corniche, where your guide can show you the souk at its gentlest hour before dinner.
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.
Easier option: Stay with the van at Memphis, a flat garden site, instead of the tomb steps at Saqqara.
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, a temple to a goddess who was worshipped as mother, healer and protector for centuries after the pharaohs. It 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 free 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, with a coffee stop on the way.
Evening
We spend the night at Abu Simbel itself, instead of the pre-dawn convoy day trip most tours use, and 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
Easier option: Skip the sound and light show and have an early night.
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, 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 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, one of the few Egyptian temples dedicated to a queen. 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 and a rest.
Evening
At sunset a felucca sails us past Elephantine Island to the Nubian village of Gharb Soheil, where, with a host family confirmed with your dates, the women of a Nubian family cook dinner and welcome us into their home, with time to talk about village life, henna and the Nubian crafts made in the house.
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 hosted by the women of a Nubian family in Gharb Soheil (host confirmed with your dates)
Optional experiences
- Henna design in Gharb Soheil. Paid directly to the artist.
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 swim in the boat's pool if it has one. This is the day the group usually gets to know each other best. 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
Easier option: Stay on board for the evening; Kom Ombo is a few minutes' walk from the mooring.
Free time: Most of the day free on board
Activity: Swimwear is fine on the sun deck; bring a cover-up for the walk to the temple.
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
- Drive about 2 h
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 among the best preserved temples 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, about 110 km and two hours, 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 and check in.
Evening
After a rest, walk through Luxor Temple at dusk as the lights come on along the Avenue of Sphinxes, then have the evening free.
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
Easier option: Skip Luxor Temple tonight and rest; it is a short walk from most central hotels for another evening.
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, the Valley of the Kings, a West Bank lunch
Luxor West Bank
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Luxor
- By boat
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 and the green fields along the Nile. If the aviation authority grounds flights for wind, which does happen, we cross by road and watch sunrise from the ground instead. After landing we go straight to the Valley of the Kings while it is still cool and enter three royal tombs whose painted corridors run deep into the hillside. Then the terraced temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, built for one of the few women to rule Egypt as pharaoh, and the Colossi of Memnon.
Evening
Lunch is at a women-run kitchen on the West Bank, confirmed with your dates, then back across the river by early afternoon for a free afternoon and evening.
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
- Lunch at a women-run kitchen on the West Bank (confirmed with your dates)
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 to the obelisk raised by Hatshepsut, the woman pharaoh whose temple you saw yesterday, and to the Sacred Lake, where priests once purified themselves before rituals. Back at the hotel for a late breakfast, goodbyes 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. Plan a flight leaving Cairo after about 6 pm, or ask us to add nights in Luxor or Cairo before you book.
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: Late October and April can still be very hot at midday, which is why the touring happens early. January nights in the desert are cold. Balloon flights depend on the wind and can be grounded on the day; we then watch sunrise from the West Bank by road.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Women travelling solo who want company without being paired up by default
- Mothers and daughters, sisters and friends travelling together
- Women who want time with Egyptian women, not only with temples
- Early starts that beat the heat and the crowds, with afternoons to rest
Not for you if you want
- Mixed groups or couples: the dated small group is for women only
- Step-free access: tombs have steep ramps and the sites are on sand and stone
- Late mornings every day
- 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
- Twin rooms shared with another guest, roommate matching on request, or your own room 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 on a small riverboat
- Felucca sail at sunset in Aswan
- Boat to Philae
Your guide
- A female See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip
- Licensed local Egyptologists at the sites, women where available
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 (8)
- Lunches (3): two on the boat and one at a women-run kitchen on Luxor's West Bank, confirmed with your dates
- Dinners (4): a welcome supper in Giza, a cooking evening hosted by local women in Giza, dinner hosted by the women of a Nubian family in Gharb Soheil, and one on the boat; the women-hosted meals are confirmed with your dates
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
- Meals not listed
- Drinks
- Separate tickets: inside the Great Pyramid, the tomb of Tutankhamun, the tomb of Seti I
- Optional activities, such as henna in Gharb Soheil
- A tip for your See Sight Tours guide (optional)
- Personal expenses
Local fees: none. Nothing is collected on the trip.
Tips for your guide are included.
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 775 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging 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 quote, before you accept.
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
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 11% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 3,830 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 4,045. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 4,305.
What does the price include?
Eight nights in hotels and on a small riverboat, breakfast daily, three lunches and four dinners including the cooking evening and the Nubian family dinner, flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Luxor to Cairo, a private vehicle with driver, your female See Sight Tours guide, every site entry in the day plan, the Abu Simbel night, the felucca, the sunrise balloon and a tipping pool.
Who can join a women-only trip?
Any woman aged 18 or over, travelling alone, with friends, or with her mother or daughter. The dated small group is for women only, guests and lead guide alike. Drivers, boat crew and some site staff will be men, as almost everywhere in Egypt.
How big is the group?
The small group runs with 7 to 12 women, and the riverboat is sized for a group like ours rather than a ship of a hundred or more.
I'm travelling solo. Do I have to pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, from CAD 775. If you would rather share, ask for roommate matching and we pair you with another solo woman in the group where one is booked. If no match is found we tell you before you pay, and you choose a single room or a shared booking.
What should I wear in Egypt as a woman?
Cover shoulders and knees in towns and at the sites: loose trousers or a long skirt and a light long-sleeved top, which also keep the sun off. A headscarf is only needed inside a mosque. Swimwear is fine on the boat's sun deck and at hotel pools. Bring a warm layer for dawn starts in winter.
Is Egypt safe for women travellers?
Most women travel Egypt without trouble, but touts and unwanted comments from men are common, most of all in Cairo and at busy sites. A firm no thank you and walking on usually ends it. Your guide is with you at every site, transfers are in our own vehicle, and we brief you on day 1.
Who leads the trip?
A female See Sight Tours guide travels with you from the airport pick-up to the last drop-off. Licensed local Egyptologists lead the site visits, as Egyptian rules require, and we ask for women Egyptologists wherever one is available on your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Early starts on five mornings and 3 to 4 hours on your feet at the sites, on sand, uneven stone and steep tomb ramps, often in heat. Afternoons are for rest, and you can sit any visit out in the shade.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the women-only small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 7,750 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we quote it separately.
Do I need a visa for Egypt?
Most visitors do. Canadian, US, UK and EU passport holders can usually buy a tourist visa on arrival at Cairo airport or an e-visa online before travel. Rules and fees change, so we confirm the current requirement for your passport when you book.
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 are cold. June to August is very hot, and we do not run this departure then.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 4,305 per person sharing, taxes included.
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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