Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Egypt: the 2027 Total Eclipse in Luxor, with Aswan and Cairo
9 days from Cairo to Cairo, timed to the total solar eclipse over Luxor on 2 August 2027: Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, four nights in Luxor, Edfu and Kom Ombo by road, Aswan and Abu Simbel.
9 days · Round trip from Cairo · up to 12 guests
A carved column at the Temple of Kom Ombo Photo: David Berkowitz from New York, NY, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Temple_of_Kom_Ombo_-_Egypt_(4058065287).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
This is a summer trip: expect 40 C or more most afternoons, so sightseeing runs from about 6 or 7 am to late morning, then a rest, with evenings out. Two to four hours on your feet on site days, on sand, uneven stone and sloping tomb corridors. Eclipse day is about four hours outdoors at a shaded site, mostly seated. Day 8 starts at 4 am with about 7 hours in the vehicle. Any visit can be sat out in the van or the shade.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,070 (estimated price)
- Season
- Total solar eclipse, 2 August 2027
Highlights
Why this trip
- About six minutes of totality on 2 August 2027, watched from a prepared, shaded site on Luxor's West Bank
- A spare day in Luxor before the eclipse, with a rehearsal at the viewing site
- The Giza plateau at opening, then the Grand Egyptian Museum through the midday heat
- An evening walk down al-Muizz Street and through Khan el-Khalili, when Cairo comes out after dark
- The Valley of the Kings at 6 am, with Tutankhamun's tomb included
- Edfu and Kom Ombo on the road to Aswan, both before the midday heat
- Abu Simbel included, then a felucca sail around Elephantine Island at sunset
- Philae at opening on the last morning, then a short flight back to Cairo
What makes this trip different
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 1,070 (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, stay near the pyramids
Cairo International Airport to your hotel in Giza
- Meals on your own
- Stay in Giza
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Cairo International Airport (CAI). We meet you after arrivals and drive you west across the city, about an hour, to a hotel near the Giza plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum, so tomorrow's 7 am start is minutes from the door rather than an hour in traffic.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide holds a short welcome briefing: how the heat shapes every day of this trip, why we start early and rest at midday, which tickets are already booked, how the eclipse day will run, and what to carry. You also receive your certified eclipse glasses. If you land early, the afternoon is free to sleep off the flight by the pool. Dinner tonight is on you, and your guide can suggest somewhere close by.
Included
- Pick-up at Cairo International Airport (CAI)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Certified eclipse glasses for every guest
Free time: Rest of the day free
Activity: Any arrival time works on day 1. If your flight lands after the briefing, a driver still meets you and your guide catches you up at breakfast.
Giza at opening, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo by night
Giza plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum, then al-Muizz Street and Khan el-Khalili
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Giza
- Drive about 2 h
In August the plateau is bearable only early, so we are at the Giza gates when they open, which in summer is usually 7 or 8 am (we confirm the hours before you travel). Walk around the Great Pyramid of Khufu, built about 4,500 years ago, drive to the desert viewpoint where the pyramids line up, and finish at the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre by about 10. Then we move indoors to the air-conditioned Grand Egyptian Museum for the hottest hours, on a pre-booked entry: the grand staircase of royal statues, the colossal Ramesses II in the atrium, and Tutankhamun's burial treasures shown together.
Afternoon
Lunch is at the museum. The afternoon is for rest.
Evening
At about 7 pm, when Cairenes come out, we drive across the city to walk al-Muizz Street, lined with medieval mosques and madrasas, into the lanes of Khan el-Khalili, and finish with dinner nearby.
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 entry, with your guide
- Evening walk on al-Muizz Street and through Khan el-Khalili
- Dinner in Islamic Cairo
Optional experiences
- Inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu, on a separate ticket with limited numbers (price shown when you book)
Easier option: Stay in the van at the panorama point, and skip the evening walk for a quiet dinner at the hotel.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on the plateau, on sand and uneven stone, then 2 hours in the museum. The evening drive to Islamic Cairo is about an hour each way in traffic.
Fly to Luxor, Luxor Temple at dusk
Giza to Cairo airport by road, flight to Luxor, then Luxor Temple
- Breakfast
- Stay in Luxor
- Drive about 1.5 h
Afternoon
After breakfast we drive to Cairo airport and fly south to Luxor, about an hour in the air, landing in time for a late lunch near the hotel on the east bank. Settle in and rest through the afternoon heat; your hotel has a pool for exactly this. At about 5 pm, as the stone cools and the light turns gold, we walk into Luxor Temple, built mostly by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, with its seated colossi, obelisk and the columns of the processional colonnade. Stay as the floodlights come on and look north along the Avenue of Sphinxes, the restored ceremonial road that once ran nearly three kilometres to Karnak.
Evening
The evening is free on the Corniche, with the West Bank hills across the river where we will watch the eclipse.
Included
- Transfer from Giza to Cairo airport
- Flight from Cairo to Luxor
- Transfer from Luxor airport to your hotel
- Luxor Temple at dusk, with your guide
Free time: Afternoon and late evening free
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot at Luxor Temple, on flat paving.
The Valley of the Kings, and a rehearsal for tomorrow
Luxor across the Nile to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the eclipse site, then back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Luxor
- Drive about 1.5 h
We leave at about 5:30 am to reach the Valley of the Kings as it opens at 6, ahead of the heat and the coaches. Your ticket covers three royal tombs, chosen on the day from those open, and we add Tutankhamun's tomb, where the young king still lies in his burial chamber. Then Hatshepsut's terraced temple at Deir el-Bahari, set against the cliffs, and the Colossi of Memnon on the way back.
Afternoon
Before the midday sun we stop at our eclipse viewing site on the West Bank for a short rehearsal: where the shade and chairs will be, which way to look, when to take your glasses off and how to set a camera or phone. Lunch is a sit-down meal on the West Bank, and we are back by about 1:30.
Evening
In the evening your guide gives a short talk on what to watch for during totality.
Included
- Valley of the Kings at opening: three tombs on the standard ticket
- Tutankhamun's tomb
- Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari
- Colossi of Memnon
- Rehearsal at the eclipse viewing site
- Evening eclipse talk with your guide
Optional experiences
- Tomb of Seti I or the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens, on separate premium tickets (price shown when you book)
Easier option: Visit two tombs instead of three and wait in the shade at the visitor centre; take the electric shuttle at Hatshepsut's temple.
Free time: Afternoon free
Activity: This day is also our buffer: if a flight or bag was delayed, there is still a full day before the eclipse. About 3 hours on foot, with sloping corridors and steps down into the tombs.
Totality over Luxor
Luxor to the eclipse viewing site on the West Bank and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Luxor
- Drive about 1 h
This is the day.
Morning
After a slow breakfast we cross to the West Bank at about 9:30, early enough to beat eclipse-day traffic, and settle in at our viewing site under shade, with reclining chairs, because at totality the sun is almost straight overhead. The partial phase begins at about 11:40 am: through your glasses, the Moon takes a growing bite out of the Sun. In the last minutes the light turns strange and metallic, the heat eases and shadows sharpen.
Evening
At about 1 pm totality begins: glasses off, the corona around a black disc, planets in a dark midday sky, and a sunset glow on every horizon. It lasts a little over six minutes, among the longest totality anyone on land will see this century. Lunch is served once the Sun returns, and after the partial phase ends at about 2:25 we drive back to rest. Dinner tonight is together, by the Nile.
Included
- Prepared eclipse viewing site on the West Bank with shade, reclining chairs, cold water and toilets
- Certified eclipse glasses and your guide's call-outs through each phase
- Lunch at the site
- Eclipse dinner by the Nile
Easier option: Spend the partial phases in the air-conditioned van parked at the site, and step out about 15 minutes before totality.
Free time: Late afternoon free
Activity: About four hours outdoors in shade, mostly seated, in heat that can pass 40 C. Times are approximate and confirmed for the exact site; drink often and keep your hat on.
Karnak in the early light
Luxor: Karnak, then a free afternoon
- Breakfast
- Stay in Luxor
A slower day after the eclipse.
Morning
If you have booked the optional balloon, you lift off over the West Bank at sunrise, when the wind and heat allow, and the group meets again at Karnak at about 7:30; everyone else sleeps in a little and joins by van. Karnak is the largest temple complex in Egypt, built and rebuilt over some 2,000 years. Your guide leads you through the Great Hypostyle Hall, a forest of 134 columns, the tallest about 21 metres, while the sun still slants between them, then past the obelisks of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut to the Sacred Lake. We are back at the hotel before the worst of the heat, by about 10:30.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free: swim, sleep, or take a horse-drawn carriage along the Corniche once the sun drops.
Included
- Karnak temple complex in the early morning, with your guide
Optional experiences
- Sunrise hot air balloon over the West Bank, weather and heat permitting (price shown when you book)
- Luxor Museum in the late afternoon
Easier option: See the Hypostyle Hall and the obelisks, then wait in the shade of the visitor centre.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 2.5 hours on foot at Karnak, on flat but uneven paving.
Edfu and Kom Ombo on the road to Aswan
Luxor to Edfu, then Kom Ombo, then Aswan
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Aswan
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Luxor at about 6:30 am and drive south up the Nile valley, past sugar cane fields and mud-brick villages, with your guide talking you through what we pass. After about 1.75 hours we reach Edfu, where the Temple of Horus, built between 237 and 57 BC, still has its roof, its towering pylon and its dark inner sanctuary; we are there before the heat builds. Another hour south, Kom Ombo stands 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. The small Crocodile Museum next door shows mummified crocodiles found nearby.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal near Kom Ombo, and we reach Aswan, a further hour south, by about 2 pm. The rest of the day is free on the Corniche.
Included
- Temple of Horus, Edfu
- Temple of Kom Ombo and the Crocodile Museum
- Drive from Luxor to Aswan with your guide
Easier option: See the courtyard and hypostyle hall at each temple, then wait in the air-conditioned van.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3.5 hours of driving in three stretches, broken by two temples and lunch. About 1 hour on foot at each temple.
Abu Simbel at first light, a felucca at sunset
Aswan to Abu Simbel and back by road, then a felucca on the Nile
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Aswan
- Drive about 7 h
The longest day, and the one exception to our four-hour driving rule: Abu Simbel is 280 km south of Aswan, about 3.5 hours each way, and in August the only sensible time to be there is early.
Morning
We leave at 4 am with breakfast boxes, watch the sun come up over the Western Desert, stop halfway each way for a break, and reach the temples by about 7:30. The four seated colossi of Ramesses II, each about 20 metres high, front the Great Temple, and next door the smaller temple honours Queen Nefertari and Hathor. Both were cut into the cliff about 3,200 years ago and moved to higher ground in the 1960s before Lake Nasser rose.
Afternoon
After two hours on site we drive back for a late lunch in Aswan and a rest.
Evening
At about 5:30 pm a felucca sails us around Elephantine Island, then farewell dinner.
Included
- The Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Nefertari at Abu Simbel, with your guide
- Drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel and back
- Felucca sail around Elephantine Island at sunset
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Fly from Aswan to Abu Simbel and back instead of driving, where flights operate (price shown when you book)
Easier option: Skip Abu Simbel, sleep in and spend a free day in Aswan, then join the felucca at sunset.
Free time: Mid afternoon free
Activity: About 7 hours in the vehicle in two halves, each broken by a rest stop. About 1.5 hours on foot at the temples, mostly on flat paving.
Philae at opening, fly to Cairo
Aswan to Philae by boat, then a flight from Aswan to Cairo
- Breakfast
- Drive about 45 min
One last early start. A short drive takes us to the landing above the old Aswan dam, and a small motorboat crosses to Agilkia Island as Philae opens, at about 7 am. The Temple of Isis stood on a nearby island until the old dam left it flooded for much of each year; in a UNESCO rescue finished in 1980 it was cut into blocks and rebuilt here, stone by stone. Walk the colonnade and the first pylon while the island is still quiet and the light is soft on the water.
Morning
We are back at the hotel by about 9:30 for a late breakfast and time to pack, then we take you to Aswan airport for the flight to Cairo, about an hour and a half. Your guide sees you through to your connection at Cairo International Airport. Book flights home leaving after about 7 pm.
Included
- Boat to Philae and the Temple of Isis at opening, with your guide
- Flight from Aswan to Cairo
- Transfer at Cairo International Airport (CAI)
Free time: Late morning free to pack
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot at Philae. If you are staying on in Cairo, we can book a hotel for you.
- Cairostart
- Giza2 nights
- Luxor4 nights
- Aswan2 nights
- Cairoend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: August is the hottest month in Upper Egypt, with afternoons above 40 C, which is why every visit starts early. It is also one of the clearest: cloud is rare over Luxor in summer, though dust haze can soften the sky. Balloon flights depend on wind and heat and may not fly.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want to see a long total eclipse and Egypt's great sites on the same trip
- Anyone who would rather watch totality from fixed, shaded ground than a ship's deck
- First-timers in Egypt who are happy with early starts and midday rests
- People who travel in summer and can handle dry heat with planning
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who struggle in heat: afternoons pass 40 C and the eclipse is watched outdoors
- Anyone who needs flexible dates: the eclipse fixes them
- Step-free access: tombs have sloping corridors and the sites are on sand and stone
- Travellers who want a Nile cruise: see our Egypt: Pyramids, Abu Simbel and the Nile trip
- A cooler-season visit: our Upper Egypt trip runs from October to April
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Giza2 nights
- Luxor4 nights
- Aswan2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights in central hotels with air conditioning: 2 in Giza near the pyramids, 4 in Luxor on the east bank, 2 in Aswan on the Corniche
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Cairo International Airport (CAI) on arrival and transfer there at the end
- Flights from Cairo to Luxor and from Aswan to Cairo
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group, including Luxor to Aswan and Aswan to Abu Simbel and back
- Boat to Philae
- Felucca sail in Aswan
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, from arrival at Cairo airport to departure, with licensed local Egyptologists at the sites
Activities
- Giza: the pyramid plateau, panorama viewpoint and the Great Sphinx
- Giza: the Grand Egyptian Museum on a pre-booked entry
- Cairo: an evening walk on al-Muizz Street and in Khan el-Khalili
- Luxor: Luxor Temple at dusk
- Luxor: the Valley of the Kings (three tombs) and Tutankhamun's tomb
- Luxor: Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- Luxor: the total solar eclipse on 2 August 2027 from a prepared West Bank site with shade, chairs, water and toilets, a rehearsal the day before and certified eclipse glasses
- Luxor: Karnak
- Edfu: the Temple of Horus
- Kom Ombo: the temple and the Crocodile Museum
- Abu Simbel: both temples
- Aswan: Philae and a felucca sail
Meals
- Breakfast daily (8)
- Lunches on days 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 (5)
- Dinner in Islamic Cairo, the eclipse dinner and a farewell dinner (3)
Not included
- International flights to and from Cairo
- Egyptian visa
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 1, 3, 6 and 9, and dinners on days 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 9
- Drinks
- Tips for drivers, boat crews and site staff, and for your guide
- The sunrise balloon, inside the Great Pyramid and premium tomb tickets (Seti I, Nefertari)
- Camera solar filters
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,070 (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: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 4,550 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 4,920. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 5,350.
When and how long is the eclipse in Luxor?
The total solar eclipse is on Monday 2 August 2027. In Luxor the partial phase begins at about 11:40 am, totality starts at about 1 pm local time and lasts a little over six minutes, and the partial phase ends at about 2:25 pm. We confirm exact times for our site before you travel.
Where will we watch the eclipse?
From a fixed West Bank site we confirm and check before the trip, and visited the day before for a rehearsal. It has shade, reclining chairs, cold water and toilets, and we bring certified eclipse glasses for everyone. We name the site when it is confirmed.
When is the best time to go to Egypt?
October to April is the cooler and easier season for most Egypt trips. This one is a one-off: it runs in August 2027 because that is when the total eclipse crosses Luxor, and August is very hot. Cloud is rare over Luxor then, and if the forecast turned poor we would move to a backup site nearby.
How hot will it be?
Very hot. Afternoons in Luxor and Aswan in August are about 40 to 42 C and can be higher, with warm nights. We visit every site at or near opening, rest through midday, go out again in the evening, and carry cold water. If heat is a real problem for you, choose our cooler-season trips instead.
What does the price include?
Eight nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, five lunches and three dinners, airport transfers, flights from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, the eclipse site with glasses, and every entry in the plan, including Abu Simbel, Tutankhamun's tomb and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
How big is the group and who leads it?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. A See Sight Tours guide stays with you from Cairo arrivals to your departure, including every transfer and the eclipse, and licensed local Egyptologists join us at the sites. Small enough to hear in a tomb and to sit at one table.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate, with heat as the main challenge. Expect 2 to 4 hours on your feet on site days, on sand, uneven stone and sloping tomb corridors, and several starts before 6 am. Eclipse day is mostly seated in shade. Day 8 has about 7 hours in the vehicle, and you can skip it.
I am travelling solo. What will it cost?
Solo travellers are welcome and treated like everyone else. A room of your own is a supplement of CAD 1,070 on the small-group trip, shown at booking with no surprises later. Luxor rooms are scarce in eclipse week, so we cannot promise to match you with a roommate.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
The eclipse date is fixed, but you can book a private version for your party only, with your own guide and vehicle, shaped around 2 August 2027. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section for a quote for hotels, transfers and eclipse-day arrangements.
Do I need a visa for Egypt?
Most visitors need a tourist visa. Many passports, including Canadian, US and UK, can get one online before travel or on arrival at Cairo airport for a fee. Rules change, so we confirm what applies to your passport when you book.
Why not watch the eclipse from a Nile cruise?
Many eclipse trips do, and a moving or moored ship works. We chose land for steady ground for cameras and tripods, shade and chairs planned for a near-overhead Sun, toilets and a quick drive back to a hotel room. For a trip with a riverboat, see our Egypt: Pyramids, Abu Simbel and the Nile.
How does booking work?
Send your preferred dates as an enquiry. 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 5,350 per person sharing, taxes included. Eclipse-week rooms and flights in Luxor are limited, so places are held in order of request.
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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