Ultimate Highlights of Egypt: Cairo, Nile Cruise & Sharm el-Sheikh - 16 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Cairo, Nile Dinner Cruise

Welcome to Egypt! Few countries have captured the world's imagination like this North African nation bordering the Middle East. Egypt has preserved much of its ancient history through landmarks, archaeological sites, and antiquities, all accessible to the public. Once you arrive in Cairo, Egypt's capital and largest city, you'll be picked up at Cairo International Airport and transferred to your hotel to relax and settle in.

You'll transfer to the Nile River in the evening for a traditional dinner cruise. Hop aboard the boat, designed to resemble a Pharaonic barge in a tribute to the ancient Egyptian god Hathor. Admire the panoramic views of the Cairo skyline from the deck, then tuck into a buffet dinner with a mix of local and international dishes and desserts. Meanwhile, you'll enjoy performances of Egyptian music, belly dancing, whirling dervish shows, or meditations led by an expert. After dinner, head back to the deck, enjoy the cool breeze, and take in the glittering sights of the Cairo skyline as you return to the harbor.

Day 3: Fly to Luxor, Tour of Temples & Tombs, Board Nile Cruise

Say goodbye to Cairo for now as your driver picks you up from your hotel in Cairo and transfers you to the airport to catch your flight to Luxor. This small city in the Nile Valley was once the capital of ancient Thebes and is considered an open-air museum due to its many landmarks. Once you land, another driver will be waiting to transfer you to the shores of the Nile, where you'll check in for your six-night river cruise.

After lunch on board, join another private Egyptologist guide to explore some of Luxor's most famous sites, starting at the Habu Temple, an important New Kingdom complex on the West Bank known for its imposing size, unusual architecture, and artistic importance. Continue to Carter House, once home to the famous British archaeologist Howard Carter, who famously discovered the famous tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun. Before returning for dinner on your cruise, tour the Nobles Tombs in the Theban Necropolis, the burial places of some of the powerful courtiers of the ancient city.

Day 4: Visit the Karnak & Luxor Temples & Luxor's East Bank

Enjoy breakfast on the boat as you take in morning views over the Nile, then rejoin your Egyptologist guide to explore the East Bank of Luxor. Start at the Karnak Temple complex, the second-largest ancient religious site in the world and once the most significant religious complex in ancient Egypt. Founded in the Middle Kingdom, it's now one of Egypt's largest surviving temples. From its massive decorated pillars to the obelisks, statues, and kiosks, the complex, which took around 2,000 years to finish, will astound you.

Then, continue to the famed Luxor Temple complex, built during the New Kingdom around 1400 BCE and dedicated to Amun Ra. Walk down the Avenue of the Sphinxes, which once connected Luxor with Karnak, guarded by the giant statues of Ramesses II. After your tour, return to the boat in time for dinner and another night moored on the river.

Day 6: Cruise to the Temples of Edfu & Kom Ombo

Your Nile journey continues as you cruise to Edfu, where you can take a horse-drawn carriage to reach the Temple of Horus, considered one of the best-preserved shrines in Egypt. Constructed between 237 BCE and 57 BCE, you can still make out many intricate inscriptions on its ancient walls and columns.

Then, return to the ship and cruise toward the Temple of Kom Ombo. Built during the Ptolemaic era, the dual design of Kom Ombo is dedicated to the crocodile god (Sobek) and the falcon god (Horus). Due to the conflict between these gods, the ancient Egyptians felt it necessary to separate their temple spaces within one temple, making this one of the most unusual temples in Egypt. You'll step ashore to admire its many intact courts, halls, wall carvings, and statues with a guide before returning to the ship for dinner and continuing your journey south.

Day 7: Cruise to Aswan, Tour the Sights of Aswan

Day 8: Day Trip to Abu Simbel

You're off on a day trip this morning as you head to the airport in Aswan for a 40-minute flight to Abu Simbel, home to an important archaeological site and two UNESCO-listed rock-cut temples. Begin your full-day tour standing in awe before these iconic landmarks, commissioned by Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BCE and carved out of sandstone cliffs. The main temple is dedicated to the gods Ra-Horakhty, Ptah, and Amun, while the smaller temple is devoted to the pharaoh's beloved wife, Queen Nefertari.

Pass the towering statues of the pharaoh sitting on his throne to explore the temple's interior halls and chambers. Admire the vibrant wall reliefs, depicting scenes from Egyptian mythology, religious rituals, and the pharaoh's military conquests. Along the way, your guide will help illuminate the history surrounding the temples and share the remarkable story of how the entire site was moved piece by piece in 1968 to protect it from the rising waters of the Aswan Dam. At the end of your tour, you'll fly back to Aswan, where your driver will be waiting to return you to the ship for one last night on the Nile.

Day 10: Discover the National Museum, Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo & Khan el-Khalili

Your guide will pick you up from the hotel this morning for a full-day tour of Cairo's historic sites and cultural landmarks. Your first stop is at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Old Cairo, which showcases 50,000 artifacts that tell the story of Egyptian heritage and culture.

Continue to Old Cairo, the city's historic heart, home to many ancient Coptic sites. You'll start at the remains of the Fortress of Babylon, Cairo's oldest original structure. First built by the Persians around the sixth century BCE, you'll find the famous Hanging Church on-site. Finish at the oldest synagogue in Egypt, Ben Ezra, where the famous "Geniza Documents" were found.

Next, you'll learn about Islamic Cairo at the Citadel of Saladin, a beautiful example of military architecture from the Middle Ages, and the Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, a monumental mosque built during the 1300s. Continue to the mosque of Mohamed Ali, known as the Alabaster Mosque. Finally, follow your guide through the teeming streets of Khan el-Khalili, Cairo's old bazaar, packed with legendary shops that sell everything from fine brassware to perfumes to antiques. 

Day 12: Fly to Sharm el-Sheikh, Overnight Trek to Mount Sinai

Leave the winding streets of Cairo today and meet your driver for your transfer to Cairo International Airport, where you'll hop aboard a one-hour flight to Sharm el-Sheikh. Located between the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea, this resort town is known for its beautiful beaches, offshore coral reefs surrounded by clear water, and history. Upon arrival, a driver will be waiting to whisk you off to your hotel, where you can drop your bags off and make a quick beeline for the beach. Spend the afternoon relaxing and taking a nap because you're in for an incredible treat this evening. 

Around 8:00 pm, your guide will drive you three hours out of the city to St. Catherine's Monastery. Take a brief nap before getting your heart pumping on the trek up Mount Sinai. Sitting at 7,497 feet (2,285 m), Mount Sinai (also known as Mount Moses) is a location of great importance to the Christian, Islamic, and Jewish faiths. The hike begins at 2:00 am, and you'll reach the summit just before the sun rises over the desert. Head back down the mountain at 7:00 am for a visit to the monastery itself and a history lesson on this famous martyr. You can catch up on some well-deserved sleep on the drive back to your hotel.

Day 13: Bedouin Safari & Stargazing Tour

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, and spend a leisurely morning at the beach. Walk along the pedestrian promenade in laid-back Naama Bay, have lunch in a beachfront café, and relax by the water. In the afternoon, you'll escape the city for the serenity of the desert. 

Your driver will meet you at your hotel for a quick transfer to the edge of the dunes. Meet a local who will lead you on a guided, 20-minute camel ride to a nearby Bedouin camp. Once you arrive, enjoy a cup of locally sourced habak (herbal mint) tea and help make traditional arbood (unleavened Bedouin) bread.

After a glorious desert sunset, enjoy dinner buffet-style by candlelight, along with a fire show accompanied by traditional shisha (apple-flavored tobacco). Then, meet an astronomy guide at the telescope area to watch the stars like you've never seen them before, scattered across the clear desert sky. You'll be transferred back to your hotel at night's end.

Day 14: Snorkeling Tour of White Island & Ras Mohamed National Park 

Grab your swimsuit and sunscreen this morning and join a morning snorkeling tour from Sharm el-Sheikh to Ras Mohammed National Park. Known for world-class diving and snorkeling, this protected site has more than 130 coral reefs and 1,000 different types of colorful fish. The boat will take you to several other stops around the famous White Island, a unique plateau where the gulfs of Suez and Aqaba meet, with the whitest, softest sand in South Sinai.

Snorkel off the shores of the island and in the gorgeous Yolanda Reef. Relax on the deck in between while enjoying the beautiful Red Sea scenery and sunshine. Eat a traditional barbecue on the boat before sailing back to the jetty, where you'll climb aboard a van for transfer back to your hotel. 

While on the island, don't miss the famous Nilometer. Priests and kings used this device (dating to 861 CE), made of a marble column and a well, to monitor the water levels of the Nile. Then, visit the Cairo Tower (El-Gezira Tower or Burj el-Qahari) to savor the panoramic Nile views. One of the most prominent features of the Egyptian capital, the tower's partially open latticework design is intended to evoke a lotus plant. Eat dinner at the top of the 613-foot (187 m) tower in the revolving restaurant so that you can catch every piece of the view, including, on a clear day, the famous Pyramids in the distance.

Day 16: Depart Cairo

Your grand tour of Egypt concludes this morning. After checking out of your hotel, meet your driver, who will whisk you off to Cairo International Airport to catch your departing flight. Ma'a salama!