9-Day Egypt Tour: Cairo, Nile Cruise, Abu Simbel & Luxor

The Nile cruise is included, not an add-on, so the temples and the river unfold as one journey.

This 9-day guided tour of Egypt starts in Cairo and moves through the country's major sites: the Giza Pyramids, Alexandria's Roman ruins, a 5-star Nile cruise with all meals, Abu Simbel's rock-cut temples, and the Valley of the Kings. You travel by hotel transfer, overnight train, cruise ship and domestic flight, with an Egyptology guide in your chosen language and a hot air balloon flight over Luxor included. The itinerary holds together: transport, entry fees, meals on the cruise and guide services are arranged, so the day unfolds without building it yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Cairo

• Arrive at Cairo International Airport
• Meet and greet by tour representative
• Transfer to hotel and check-in
• Information meeting
• Leisure time

Day 2: Cairo – Giza Pyramids – Saqqara

• Breakfast
• Visit Giza Plateau and Great Sphinx
• See pyramids of Menkaure, Cheops, Chefren
• Visit Saqqara Plateau and Step Pyramid of Djoser

Day 3: Alexandria – Amphitheater – Pompey's Pillar

• Breakfast
• Drive to Alexandria
• Visit Bibliotheca Alexandrina grounds
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit Roman Amphitheater
• Stop at Pompey's Pillar
• Tour Citadel of Qaitbay
• Return to Cairo

Day 4: Museum, Citadel & Khan el Khalili

• Breakfast
• Visit Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
• Lunch at authentic restaurant
• Visit Saladin Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque
• Shop at Khan el Khalili Bazaar
• Overnight on sleeping train to Aswan

Day 5: Nile Cruise & Aswan Tours

• Meet guide at Aswan station or hotel
• Transfer to 5-star Nile Cruise and check-in
• Lunch on board
• Visit Aswan High Dam
• Visit Temple of Isis by motorboat
• Dinner and folkloric show on cruise

Day 6: Abu Simbel & Kom Ombo Temple

• Early pick up for Abu Simbel trip
• Visit Abu Simbel rock-cut temples
• Return to cruise for lunch
• Sail to Kom Ombo
• Visit Kom Ombo dual temple
• Dinner on cruise
• Sail to Edfu for overnight

Day 7: Edfu Temple & Luxor Arrival

• Breakfast on cruise
• Horse carriage ride to Edfu Temple
• Return to cruise and relax on deck
• Sail to Luxor crossing Esna Lock
• Lunch and afternoon tea on board
• Arrive Luxor and visit Luxor Temple
• Dinner with belly dancing show

Day 8: Balloon Ride & Luxor Tour

• Early morning hot air balloon flight
• Breakfast
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
• Photo stop at Memnon statues
• Lunch at local restaurant (optional)
• Visit Karnak Temple
• Transfer to Luxor Airport
• Fly to Cairo and overnight at hotel

Day 9: Final Departure

• Early breakfast
• Transfer to Cairo International Airport
• Flight back home

The experience

The tour opens with arrival at Cairo International Airport, where a Mody Egypt Tours representative meets you and transfers you to your hotel. The next morning, breakfast and pickup take you to the Giza Plateau to see the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Menkaure, Cheops and Chefren, built around 2580–2560 BC. From there you move to Saqqara, a UNESCO site, to visit the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first successful fully functional pyramid. You return to Cairo for the night.

Day three takes you to Alexandria by car. You visit the grounds of the ancient Bibliotheca Alexandrina, then lunch at a local restaurant before touring the Roman Amphitheater: its 13 rows of white European marble and granite columns from Aswan are still intact. You continue to Pompey's Pillar, a massive Corinthian column, and the Citadel of Qaitbay, a 15th-century fortification in the harbor. That evening you return to Cairo. The next day covers the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, where you have both a guided tour and time to wander among artifacts from tombs, temples and palaces across Egypt's dynasties. After lunch you visit the Saladin Citadel and the Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque in Islamic Cairo, then browse the Khan el Khalili Bazaar before boarding an overnight sleeping train to Aswan.

At Aswan, a guide meets you and transfers you to a 5-star Nile cruise. Lunch is on board, then you visit the High Dam, built in 1960 to protect Egypt from flooding and generate electricity. A motorboat takes you to the Graeco-Roman Temple of Isis before dinner and a folkloric show on the cruise. The next morning, around 4:30 am, your guide picks you up for the trip to Abu Simbel. The rock-cut temples of King Ramses II and Queen Nefertari, among the most impressive sites in Egypt. You return to the cruise by noon, have lunch, and sail toward Kom Ombo to visit the dual temple of Sobek and Horus before continuing to Edfu for the night. Day seven includes a horse carriage ride to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, then sailing to Luxor with lunch and afternoon tea on deck. Late afternoon, you visit Luxor Temple on the east bank, where ancient Egyptian, Christian and Islamic features stand together. Dinner includes a belly dancing show.

On day eight, a 5:00 am pickup takes you on a 30- to 45-minute hot air balloon flight over the west bank of Luxor, watching the sunrise illuminate the temples and mountains below. After breakfast, you drive to the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs carved their tombs into the mountains. You visit the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at El Deir El Bahari, stop for photos at the Colossi of Memnon, then return to the east bank to see Karnak Temple, the largest temple ever built, covering 63 acres with massive pillars and obelisks. A transfer takes you to Luxor Airport for a flight to Cairo and an overnight stay. On the final morning, you're brought to Cairo International Airport for your departure flight home.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off at Cairo International Airport.
• four nights at a 3-star hotel in Cairo with breakfast (upgradeable).
• overnight sleeping train from Cairo to Aswan.
• three nights on a 5-star Nile cruise with all meals from lunch on arrival to breakfast on departure.
• guided entry to the Giza Pyramids, Saqqara, Alexandria's Roman Amphitheater and Pompey's Pillar, the Citadel of Qaitbay, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, the Saladin Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque, Abu Simbel temples, Kom Ombo and Edfu temples, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut and Karnak Temple.
• a 30- to 45-minute hot air balloon flight over Luxor at sunrise.
• a motorboat trip to the Temple of Isis.
• a horse carriage ride to Edfu Temple.
• lunch in Alexandria and a local restaurant in Cairo.
• a domestic flight from Luxor to Cairo.
• an expert Egyptology guide in your chosen language.
• taxes and charges.

Information

Lasts 9d, runs every day, 6 start times, from US$ 1,550 per person, with live guides in 8 languages, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: 04:30, 08:00, 10:00, 13:00, 15:30 and 17:00Other times ›

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 157 private ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic and JapaneseOther languages ›

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Mody Egypt Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're flying into Cairo without your own transport. It includes airport pickup and all transfers between your hotels, the train station, and Luxor Airport, so you move between cities as part of the itinerary rather than arranging separate rides. The 9-day pace lets you spend meaningful time on the Nile cruise and in each region. Choose a shorter or longer sibling tour if your trip is only a week or extends beyond nine days.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3).

What's included in the Nile cruise portion of this tour?

The 5-star Nile cruise includes three nights on board with all meals starting with lunch on arrival and ending with breakfast on departure. Dinner features a folkloric show and belly dancing performance. The cruise carries you from Aswan to Luxor, with guided stops at Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo and Edfu temples along the way.

Do I need to book the hot air balloon flight separately, or is it part of the tour?

The hot air balloon flight over Luxor is included in the tour package. It departs around 5:00 am on day eight and lasts 30 to 45 minutes, giving you an aerial view of the west bank temples and landscape at sunrise.

How do I get from Cairo to Aswan? Is it another flight?

You travel from Cairo to Aswan by overnight sleeping train, which is included in the tour. The train departs after your day in Islamic Cairo and Khan el Khalili Bazaar, and you arrive at Aswan station the next morning to board the Nile cruise.

What is the Valley of the Kings, and when do I visit it?

The Valley of the Kings is where pharaohs of the New Kingdom carved their tombs into the mountains to hide treasure and protect their mummies. You visit it on day eight, the final full day of the tour, after your hot air balloon flight and breakfast in Luxor.

What happens if I arrive at Luxor late in the afternoon on day seven?

If you arrive at the Luxor cruise dock by 3:00 or 3:30 pm, the itinerary includes visits to both Karnak and Luxor temples that afternoon instead of just Luxor Temple. The schedule adjusts based on your actual arrival time.