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The 10-Day Egypt Explorer Superior Tour is the perfect holiday option for those seeking an extended trip to enjoy the wonders of Egypt. Get first-hand experience on the Great Pyramids of Giza, ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, dating back somewhat 2500-2600 BC! Visit the numerous attractions Cairo has to offer, including the Egyptian Museum, Cairo Citadel, and Khan El Khalili bazaars as well as a full-day excursion to visit and sightseeing in Alexandria. Journey on a magical 5-day Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan and view the many historical sights and temples as you make your way along the Nile in a Superior Class Nile Cruiser. Spend your last night in Cairo and let this amazing and timeless journey sink in for a moment before flying back home.
Our 10-Day Egypt Explorer Superior Tour includes flights from Johannesburg and can be tailored with flights from Cape Town, Durban, or another major airport in South Africa.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- The Great Pyramids and Sphinx
- Egyptian Museum, Cairo Citadel & Khan El Khalili bazaars
- Full-day excursion to Alexandria
- Cruise down the Nile in a Superior Class Cruiser
- Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Valley of Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, and Colossi of Memnon in Luxor.
- Visit the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo
- High Dam, Philae Temple, and the unfinished Obelisk in Aswan
*Abu Simbel as an optional excursion - For those who wish to opt for an unforgettable tour to Abu Simbel; After an early breakfast and disembarkation, transfer to Aswan Airport for a flight to Abu Simbel. Upon arrival to Abu Simbel, you will be transferred by Egypt Air buses to the great temples of Ramses II & his beloved Nefertari where the guides will be waiting to show you around in groups. Transfer back to the airport by Egypt Airbuses to board the flight to Cairo via Aswan.
For a shorter tour of Egypt see our best-selling Best of Egypt Tour
Summary
Day 01 - Arrival Cairo
Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, a representative welcomes you and assists you through the immigration process. Modern air-conditioned coaches take you to your hotel in Cairo. Your representative will ensure a smooth hotel check-in.
Overnight at the hotel in Cairo
Day 02 - Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis and Sakkara (B, L)
Buffet breakfast at the hotel in Cairo then start a guided tour to visit one of the Seven Wonders the great Pyramids of Giza; (Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus) were reckoned by the Greeks to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A single pyramid is built with 2.300.000 blocks, each weighing an average of two and a half tons. In the face of such immensity, one cannot help but feel the wonder and awe that so many writers and artists have sought to convey over the centuries. The Cheops Pyramid is more interesting because its interior burial chambers are open for inspection by the public. Not far from the Pyramids is the Great Sphinx of Giza, which dates from the time of Chephren (2620 BC). Hewn from natural yellowish limestone and standing 65 feet high and 187 feet long, this unforgettable statue combines the head of a Pharaoh with a lion's body. A quick visit to the Papyrus Institute or a perfume shop can be arranged after the visit.
Lunch will be served at an oriental restaurant before you start an afternoon visit to the ancient capital of Memphis & Sakkara where the Step Pyramid was built for the Pharaoh Zoser, is the oldest pyramid in the world, dating back from 2700 BC.
Drive to your hotel in Cairo for refreshment.
Evening at leisure whereby an optional tour to visit the spectacular sound & light show by the pyramids or enjoy dinner while cruising the Nile or enjoy dinner in Sequoia restaurant by the Nile.
Overnight in Cairo
Day 03 - Museum, Citadel, Khan El Khalili Bazaars (B, L)
Breakfast in the hotel, then drive to the Egyptian Museum for an unforgettable tour; The Egyptian Museum; was established by the Egyptian government in 1835. The present museum building was built in 1900, in the new classical style by the French architect Marcel Dourgnon. The museum's exhibited collections now exceed 120,000 objects ranging from the pre-historic era to the Greco-Roman period. It has 107 halls, and the ground floor houses huge statues. The upper floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamen treasures and the mummies. The museum also comprises a photography section and a large library. A hall for the Royal Mummies was opened at the museum, housing eleven kings and queens.
Lunch will be served at an oriental restaurant before you start your afternoon visit to the Citadel with the towering mosque of Mohamed Ali; It is one of Cairo's most popular tourist attractions is the Citadel which houses a number of museums, ancient mosques and other sites, located on a spur of limestone that had been detached from its parent Moqattam Hills by quarrying. The Citadel is one of the world's greatest monuments to medieval warfare, as well as a highly visible landmark on Cairo's eastern skyline. Particularly when viewed from the back side (from the north), the Citadel reveals a very medieval character.
After the visit a short drive will take you to the most famous bazaars of Khan El Khalili where you have some free time to stroll around the bazaars; which is one of the most famous worldwide with its amazing narrow alleyways.
Drive to your hotel in Cairo.
Evening at leisure whereby an optional tour to visit the spectacular sound & light show by the pyramids or enjoy dinner while cruising the Nile or enjoy dinner in Sequoia restaurant by the Nile
Day 04 - Alexandria full-day tour (B, L)
Early breakfast at the hotel then drive to Alexandria via the desert road for a full-day guided tour to visit Bombay’s’ pillars, Alexandrina Bibliotheca, Qaite Bay citadel from outside & Al Montazah Gardens.
Alexandrina Bibliotheca; the New Library of Alexandria, the New Bibliotheca Alexandrina is dedicated to recapturing the spirit of openness and scholarship of the original Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It is much more than a library as it contains 13 different departments. Besides, the New Library also hosts a number of institutions which is growing and it is becoming the nerve center of many international and regional networks.
Qaite Bay Fort has been guarding the bay for centuries; at the end of the Cornish rises the crenellated walls of the Mameluk fortress built in 1480 on the site of the Alexandria lighthouse.
Pompeii Column and Kom el-Shuqafa Catacombs Thirty meters high and built from Aswan pink granite, the Pompeii Column is thought to have been present from the people of Alexandria to Emperor Diocletian. The majority of the remains found around the column can be found at the Greco-Roman Museum. At the top of the hill lies the entrance to the Kom al-Shuqafa Catacombs dating from the first and second centuries. They were discovered by chance at the beginning of the 20th, century.
Montazah Gardens; is about a 150-hectare park surrounding the palace of Khedive Abbas with its amazing architecture worth of Walt Disney. Visitors enjoy strolling in the gardens or swimming on the nice sandy beaches.
Lunch will be served during the tour in an oriental restaurant.
Drive back to Cairo at the end of the day and overnight at the hotel in Cairo.
Day 05 - Cairo – Luxor (B, L, D)
Breakfast in the hotel, check out. Escorted transfer to Cairo Domestic Airport for your flight to Luxor. Meet & assist at Luxor airport and transfer to the Nile cruise in Luxor.
Embarkation before; Afternoon guided tour to visit the Karnak & Luxor temples on the East bank
Karnak temple: to the east bank of Luxor the greatest example of worship in history and was dedicated to the God Amon, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu. It was constructed from the beginning of the Middle Kingdom to the Greco-Roman Kingdom
Luxor temple: in the East bank during sunset it is a great temple complex in modern Luxor dedicated to Amun, a creator god often fused with the sun-god Ra into Amun-Ra, construction work on the temple began during the reign of Amenhotep III in the 14th century BC. Horemheb and Tutankhamun added columns, statues, and friezes, and Akhenaten had earlier obliterated his father's cartouches and installed a shrine to the Aten, However, the only major expansion effort took place under Ramses II some 100 years after the first stones were put in place. Luxor is thus unique among the main Egyptian temple complexes in having only two pharaohs leave their mark on its architectural structure
Dinner on boardDancing music
Overnight in Luxor
Day 06 - Luxor – Esna - Edfu (B, L, D)
Breakfast onboard. Guided tour to visit the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut temple at El Dier El Bahary and colossi of Memnon at the west bank.
Valley of Kings: was a magnificent burial ground for the pharaohs - the Valley of the Kings. This was the kingdom of Osiris, the god of the underworld. From their grand tombs filled with treasures and decorated with magnificent art, the Egyptian pharaohs believed they would embark on a journey in which they would meet the gods in the afterlife and achieve immortality.
After that visit the Hatshepsut Temple: which is one of the most dramatic situated in the world. The queen's architect, Senenmut, designed it and set it at the head of a valley, throughout the temple, statues and sphinxes of the queen proliferated. Many of them have been reconstructed, with patience and ingenuity, from the thousands of smashed fragments found by the excavators; some are now in the Cairo Museum, and others in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Colossi of Memnon: You will pass by the two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. For 3,400 years, they have sat in the Theban necropolis, across the River Nile from the city of Luxor.
Lunch onboard
Sail to Edfu via Esna
Afternoon tea
Captain’s welcome cocktail
Dinner on boardDisco & Music
Overnight
Day 07 - Edfu – Kom Embo - Aswan (B, L, D)
Breakfast on board. Guided tour to visit the temple of Horus at Edfu the town is known for the major Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 BCE and 57 BCE, during the reign of Cleopatra VII. Of all the temple remains in Egypt, the Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most completely preserved. Built from sandstone blocks, the huge Ptolemaic temple was constructed over the site of a smaller New Kingdom temple, oriented east to west, facing towards the river. The later structure faces north to south and leaves the ruined remains of the older temple pylon to be seen on the east side of the first court.
Lunch on board & sail to Kom Ombo
Visit Kom Ombo Temple actually, it is two temples consisting of a Temple to Sobek and a Temple of Haroeris. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank near here, the Temple has scant remains, due first to the changing Nile, then the Copts who once used it as a church, and finally by builders who used the stones for new buildings, everything is duplicated along the main axis. There are two entrances, two courts, two colonnades, two hypostyle halls and two sanctuaries. There were probably even two sets of priests. The left, or northern side is dedicated to Haroeris (sometimes called Harer, Horus the Elder) who was the falcon-headed sky god and the right to Sobek (the crocodile-headed god).
Afternoon tea
Dinner on board
Egyptian Galabeya Party
Sail to Aswan & overnight in Aswan
Day 08 - Aswan (B, L, D)
Breakfast on board. Guided tour to visit the High Dam, the unfinished obelisk and Philae temple.
The High dam is an engineering miracle built in 1960 to protect Egypt from annual floods from the Nile
Proceed to visit the majestic Philae Temple because of the location of the Temple on an island, we have to take a boat to get to the site, since the early century, the site of Philae was flooded for six months each year, an incredible restoration program was undertaken in the 1960s, and the Temple was moved stone by stone to a higher elevation.
The unfinished Obelisk: is the largest known ancient obelisk and is located in the northern region of the stone quarries of ancient Egypt in Aswan, Egypt. It was ordered by Hatshepsut (1508–1458 BC), possibly to complement the Lateran Obelisk (which was originally at Karnak and was later brought to the Lateran Palace in Rome). It is nearly one-third larger than any ancient Egyptian obelisk ever erected. If finished it would have measured around 42 m (approximately 137 feet) and would have weighed nearly 1,200 tons
Lunch on board
Sail on the Nile by felucca around Kitchener’s Island and view the Agha Khan mausoleum
Dinner on board - Night entertainment (Nubian Show)
Overnight in Aswan
Day 09 - Aswan – Cairo (B, L, D)
Disembarkation after breakfast, and transfer to Aswan airport for a flight to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport, a representative will welcome you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure
Alternatively – for those who wish to opt for an unforgettable tour to Abu Simble; Early breakfast and disembarkation, and then transfer to Aswan airport for a flight to Abu Simble upon arrival to Abu Simble you will be transferred by Egypt Airbuses to the great temples of Ramses II & his beloved Nefertari whereby the guides will be waiting to show you around in groups. Transfer back to the airport by Egypt Airbuses to board the flight to Cairo via Aswan.
A Farewell dinner can be offered at a special restaurant or in the hotel
Overnight at the hotel in Cairo
Day 10- Final departure (B)
Final departure transfer after breakfast from the hotel; a representative will escort you, and check you in your flight.
10 Day Egypt Explorer Superior Tour |
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Rates in SA Rand | Rates are per adult, depending on the size of your group |
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Group Size |
2 Adults | 4 Adults | 6 Adults |
Jun - Jul'24 | R 47,465 pp sharing |
R 46,990 pp sharing |
R 39,285 pp sharing |
Aug'24 | R 50,200 pp sharing |
R 49,725 pp sharing |
R 42,020 pp sharing |
01 - 26 Sep'24 | R 48,990 pp sharing |
R 48,515 pp sharing |
R 40,810 pp sharing |
Oct - 20 Dec'24 | R 53,020 pp sharing |
R 45,665 pp sharing |
R 43,250 pp sharing |
Christmas/NY | R 65,950 pp sharing |
R 58,665 pp sharing |
R 56,205 pp sharing |
Jan - 14 Apr'25 | R 53,020 pp sharing |
R 45,665 pp sharing |
R 43,250 pp sharing |
15 - 30 Apr'25 | R 60,550 pp sharing |
R 53,200 pp sharing |
R 50,805 pp sharing |
Child (4-12yrs) | Approx. 70% of Adult Rate (subject to flight fares) | ||
Upgrade to 5-star Hotel & Superior Cruise from R 10,350 pp more Please note that the above rates do not apply to single travellers. Single Travellers will be charged an additional surcharge. |
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Book Now*Rates are based on the size of the group and can vary |
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Package rates include:
Package rates exclude:
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Prices are subject to change due to airfare increases, currency exchange, fluctuations, and any unforeseen circumstances, without prior notice. |
Below are a few optional extra tours that can be added to your itinerary:|
*Rates vary as per size of group
- Coptic region, Coptic Museum & Bazaars - R1,730 pp
- Cairo Tower - R 1,710 pp
- Pharonic Village - R 1,785 pp
- Memphis & Sakkara - R 2,650 pp
- Dahshure Pyramid - R 2,300 pp
- Sound & light Show at the Pyramids - R 1,400 pp
- Dinner Cruise (5* like Pharos or Maxim) - R1,8,60 pp
- Botanical Island & Agh Khan by felucca - R 940 pp
- Elephantine Island & Aswan Museum - R 1,250 pp
- Nubian Museum - R 1,415 pp
- Kalabsha, Kertasi & Beit El Wali - R 2,025 pp
- Abu Simble by bus - R 8,960 pp
- Abu Simble by flight - R 14,185 pp
- Denderah & Abydous - R 3,940 pp
- Luxor Hot Air Balloon Ride - On request
Tipping in Egypt
Please take note that tipping is a custom in Egypt. Many of the locals may expect a tip for their services from carrying your luggage, taking a photo or transport by horse carriage of motorboat. Generally, a 10 to 20 Egyptian Pound tip is sufficient for most services. We recommend you keep some small notes on you while travelling for this (preferably Egyptian Pounds).
Post-Covid-19
Any traveller arriving in Cairo will need to present the following.
Please contact us for more information on new regulations in Egypt.
- Declaration form.
- We want you super fit for an enjoyable stay in Egypt. Please make sure you have a negative PCR test done within 72 hours before arrival.
- Travel Medical Insurance covering COVID-19.
Download Document - Covid Regulations for Travel to Egypt