Tour of Egyptian Pyramids & Temples

Focus today on the pyramids! Start your exploration at the well-known Giza Pyramid Complex, which consists of the Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, as well as the Great Sphinx. With an extra fee, you can even go inside one of the three large pyramids to explore the inner structure of the ancient wonder.

Later, a short drive south to Saqqara, where the oldest known Step Pyramid of Djoser is located. End the tour at the Royal Necropolis of Dahshur, where you'll see the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. The latter is regarded as the first pyramid with smooth sides.

Learn more about the history of ancient Egypt at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Spend most of the day with your private guide exploring its collections, including Tutankhamun's gold mask and Khufu's Solar Boat.

Later, visit Old Cairo to see the city's heritage. Explore the Citadel of Salah El-Din with the Mohammed Ali Mosque inside. Then a stroll through the lively Khan El Khalili, an ancient souk dating back to the 14th century.

Optional evening activity: Al Tannoura Egyptian Heritage Dance Show (only available on Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday).

Fly to Aswan this morning. After arrival, take a quick tour around the city. Ride a boat to a small island where the well-preserved Philae Temple is located. Walk amid the temple and admire the exquisite reliefs that describe the scenes from Egyptian mythology, such as Ptolemy XII presents the crown of Upper and Lower Egypt to Horus and Isis. Visit the Unfinished Obelisk in the Granite Quarries and then finish the day with an Egyptian Felucca sailing on the Nile. You'll pass by the Elephantine Island and step ashore the Botanical Gardens on Kitchener Island.

Have a day excursion to Abu Simbel, about 3 hours away from Aswan.

These twin rock-carved temples were registered as Nubian heritage with UNESCO. Once getting here, you will first be overwhelmed by the four 20-meter-tall colossi sitting on a throne and guarding the temple's entrance. Go inside the temple and read about numerous magnificent reliefs inside depicting the myth of ancient Egypt and the victory of Ramesses II.

Drive along the Nile bank north toward Luxor. Stop for a visit to the Temple of Kom Ombo, a unique double temple with half dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and another to the falcon god Horus. Following it is the Edfu Temple, also known as the Temple of Horus, boasting Egypt's best-preserved ancient temple structure.

After reaching Luxor, check into your hotel and have a good rest.

The ancient capital of Luxor is split by the Nile into two parts, the East Bank and the West Bank. The West Bank you will visit today is where the ancient Egyptians buried the dead.

In the Valley of the Kings, your tour guide will share the burial culture of the ancient Egyptians. Followed by a visit to the Valley of the Nobles. Then, explore Deir el-Medina, the remnants of the home to craftsmen and workers who worked for the Valley of the Kings.

Visit the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and get some stories about this legendary female pharaoh who made Egypt unprecedentedly prosperous at that time. Finish the day with a photo stop at the massive Colossi of Memnon.

It's a free day to explore what you are interested in on your own. You may visit the Luxor Museum after a leisurely breakfast for its antiquities gathered from ancient Luxor, including the treasures from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Most exhibitions here have English signs that allow you to enjoy them slowly. Then wander along the Corniche on foot or by a horse-carriage ride to feel the local life. As the night falls, enjoy the sound and light show at Karnak Temple.

Or delve deeper into the history of ancient Egypt on a whole-day trip to Abydos and Dendera. Located about three hours away from Luxor, Abydos is where Egypt's earliest kings were buried and later became a sacred city dedicated to the god Osiris. The Temple of Hathor in Dendera on the way back is colorful with an intricately detailed ceiling and awe-inspiring hypostyle halls.

Today you will tour the temples on the East Bank. The massive Karnak Temple Complex was originally built in the Middle Kingdom and then developed by approximately thirty pharaohs to rebuild, expand, and restore, making it reach a size, complexity, and diversity not seen elsewhere. You will take time to ramble around. Don't miss out on the spectacular Hypostyle Hall consisting of 134 large columns decorated with intricate hieroglyphs. Once linked to Karnak by a 2.5-kilometer-long avenue lined with Sphinx on both sides, Luxor Temple is another site you can't miss in Egypt.

After the tour, fly back to Cairo for the night.