10-Day Cairo, Luxor & Marsa Alam Holiday
The pyramids, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, then a week's end of sea and reef on the calm southern Red Sea coast. Internal flights, hotels and guiding are included.
The short answer
10-Day Cairo, Luxor & Marsa Alam Holiday is a 10-day, 9-night trip to Cairo, Luxor and Marsa Alam: 2 nights in Cairo, 2 in Luxor and 5 in Marsa Alam. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,553 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Here is a holiday in two halves. The first is for history: two nights in Cairo for the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, then a flight to Luxor for two nights among the great temples and tombs of the Nile. The second half is for the sea. A private transfer takes you across to Marsa Alam, a peaceful part of the Red Sea coast with fine reefs, where you stay five nights. Three days are spent on snorkelling trips that give you a chance to meet turtles, dolphins or dugongs, and one evening is a quad ride at sunset. These are wild animals, so we never promise a sighting.
What lingers
- 01A private Egyptologist for a full day at Giza, Saqqara and Memphis
- 02A Nile dinner cruise with live entertainment on your first night in Cairo
- 03Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple across two days
- 04Five nights on the peaceful southern Red Sea coast at Marsa Alam
- 05Snorkelling at Abu Dabbab Bay, Samadai Dolphin House and the Hamata and Qulaan islands
- 06A quad ride at sunset followed by a Bedouin dinner
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in GBP, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom £1,5533★ hotels | Luxor · 2 nightsEl Mesala Hotel Luxor | £1,553May–Sep: from £1,537 | |
| Comfortfrom £1,7944★ hotels | Cairo · 2 nightsJewel Sport City Luxor · 2 nightsIberotel Luxor by JAZ | £1,794May–Sep: from £2,003 | |
| Classicfrom £2,1215★ hotels | Marsa Alam · 5 nightsSENTIDO Reef Oasis Suakin Resort | £2,121May–Sep: from £2,185 | |
| Prestigefrom £2,3435★ deluxe hotels | Luxor · 2 nightsSteigenberger Nile Palace Luxor | £2,343May–Sep: from £2,321 | |
| Luxuryfrom £2,8895★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 2 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Luxor · 2 nightsHilton Luxor Resort & Spa Marsa Alam · 5 nightsSteigenberger Coraya Beach (Adults Friendly 16+) · Pickalbatros Vita Resort Portofino | £2,889May–Sep: from £2,808 |
You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
10 Days / 9 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx · Saqqara · Memphis · Luxor
- 1
Your representative waits for you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport, looks after the formalities with you and sees you to your hotel by private car. After a rest, you are collected for the Nile dinner cruise. The outing takes around three hours from pick-up to drop-off: a place for the live show, an open buffet dinner and a view of Cairo's lights from the top deck.
A driver then takes you back to your hotel to sleep.
- 2
A private Egyptologist and a driver collect you from your hotel for eight hours out of the city. You start at the Giza Pyramids and the Great Sphinx beside its Valley Temple. The route then follows the green Nile countryside south for lunch, before you reach Saqqara, site of the world's first pyramid, and Memphis, once the royal capital.
An air-conditioned vehicle returns you to your Cairo hotel, so you can sit back after a full, tiring day.
- 3
You have breakfast, and a driver takes you to Cairo Airport for your internal flight to Luxor. Baggage and taxes are covered, and the flight time follows the airline's schedule. In Luxor you are met and, as time allows, your licensed Egyptologist takes you to the East Bank. You tour Karnak Temple, with its huge columns, and Luxor Temple beside the Nile.
Entrance fees and the vehicle between sites are included. The visit is arranged around your flight, and you then check in to your Luxor hotel.
- 4
You spend the day on the Nile's west bank with a private vehicle, a driver and a private licensed Egyptologist. First is the Valley of the Kings, where your ticket takes you into three tombs. Afterwards you see Hatshepsut's terraced temple at Deir el-Bahari, the towering Colossi of Memnon and Medinet Habu, the great mortuary temple of Ramses III. Entrance tickets are included.
There is little shade and plenty of hot stone, so take water and a hat. Another night in Luxor follows.
- 5
Today is for travelling, and no sightseeing is planned. Once you have had breakfast, your private driver leaves Luxor and heads east to the Red Sea, in a vehicle sized to your party with a representative handling the transfer. The road is long, so pack a book, water and snacks. You reach your hotel at Marsa Alam in time to unpack and have a swim.
Five nights here make up the slower, seaside half of your holiday.
- 6
A shared air-conditioned minibus collects you from your hotel for a five-hour trip to Abu Dabbab Bay. The bay is sheltered and you enter the water from the beach, with mask, snorkel and fins provided and a guide watching over the group. Green turtles feed on the seagrass here, and a dugong is sometimes seen. As these are wild animals we cannot guarantee that you will see one.
Beach entry and bottled water are covered, and the afternoon is yours.
- 7
This outing lasts eight hours. A shared minibus drives you to the harbour and you board a shared boat for Samadai, a horseshoe-shaped reef called the Dolphin House. Spinner dolphins live in the lagoon and often rest there by day, though we cannot promise they will appear. The marine park fee is covered, and you have a mask, snorkel, fins and a life jacket.
Lunch comes on board, with tea, coffee and water, and a guide and crew stay with you all day.
- 8
A second long day afloat takes you down the coast to the islands of Hamata and Qulaan. A shared vehicle and a shared boat do the carrying, and a guide and crew look after you. You stop to snorkel above the coral from the boat, using mask, snorkel and fins that are included. Lunch is on board, and so are tea, coffee and water. In between, you can simply lie on deck in the sun.
The boat gets back to land in the afternoon and a vehicle takes you to your hotel.
- 9
Your morning is unplanned, so swim, sunbathe or read. In the late afternoon a shared vehicle collects you for a five-hour evening trip. With a guide in front, you ride a quad bike across sandy ground behind the coast as the light goes. A helmet and scarf are lent to you, and you may ride alone or share a bike.
Afterwards comes a Bedouin dinner with tea and water, and then a vehicle drives you back to your hotel.
- 10
After breakfast you check out and a driver takes you to Marsa Alam Airport for the internal flight to Cairo; baggage and taxes are included and the time depends on the airline's schedule. Your holiday finishes when you land in Cairo, and no hotel night is booked there.
Should you be connecting to an international flight, do read the flight question in the FAQs below before you decide on your departure time.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Two nights in a Cairo hotel, two in a Luxor hotel and five in a Marsa Alam hotel, with breakfast
- Internal flights from Cairo to Luxor and from Marsa Alam to Cairo, with 23 kg baggage and taxes
- All airport and hotel transfers, and the private road transfer from Luxor to Marsa Alam
- A Nile dinner cruise with live entertainment in Cairo
- Private Egyptologist and vehicle for the day at Giza, Saqqara and Memphis, with lunch
- Licensed Egyptologist, entrance fees and transport at Karnak, Luxor Temple and on the West Bank, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- Snorkelling trip to Abu Dabbab Bay with mask, snorkel, fins, guide and beach entry
- Boat day to Samadai Dolphin House with marine park fee, snorkelling kit, life jacket and lunch on board
- Boat day to the Hamata and Qulaan islands with snorkelling kit and lunch on board
- Sunset quad safari with helmet, scarf, guide and a Bedouin dinner
- Meet and assist at the airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Gratuities for guides, drivers and boat crews
- Drinks and meals other than those stated
- The interior of Khufu's pyramid and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun and Seti I
- A hotel night in Cairo on day 10 (available on request)
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Slip on a rash vest and pack reef-friendly suncream for Abu Dabbab Bay, where you float for long spells over the seagrass.
- 02
Let the dolphins at Samadai come to you rather than chasing them, and enter the water gently from the boat.
- 03
Try to see Saqqara and Memphis early on your Giza day, as the light over the desert sands is kinder for pictures.
- 04
Take a scarf or buff for the quad safari near Marsa Alam, because sunset tracks kick up plenty of fine dust.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel in each place when you book. Ask about an extra night in Cairo at the end, more nights on the coast or an add-on to Abu Simbel.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want the best of Cairo and Luxor followed by time on the Red Sea. Suits couples, friends and active families who enjoy the sea, can walk for hours on sightseeing days and do not mind a long drive.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, who dislike boats or open water, or who would rather stay in one hotel throughout.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The pyramids, Luxor's temples and a calm Red Sea reef coast on one holiday
- Three snorkelling outings with a chance of turtles, dolphins and dugongs
- Both internal flights and every transfer arranged for you
Things to Consider
- A long drive from Luxor to Marsa Alam on day 5
- Days 2 to 4 are full, with uneven stone and little shade
- The holiday ends at Cairo airport with no hotel night, so a same-day connection abroad carries some risk
Where it fits
A good fit for a first visit that blends history with sea time. It finishes in Cairo with no hotel night, so add one if you are connecting to a long-haul flight.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many Egypt holidays end at the Nile. This one adds five nights on the quiet southern Red Sea coast, where the reefs are the attraction. The standard of hotel is your choice; the sightseeing and outings stay the same.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided multi-day holiday with a Red Sea beach stay
- Accommodation
- Hotels in Cairo, Luxor and Marsa Alam, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx · Saqqara · Memphis · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Luxor Temple · Valley of the Kings · Hatshepsut Temple · Marsa Alam
- Includes
- 9 hotel nights with breakfast: 2 in Cairo, 2 in Luxor, 5 in Marsa Alam · Internal flights Cairo to Luxor and Marsa Alam to Cairo · Private road transfer from Luxor to Marsa Alam · Egyptologist, entrance fees and transport at Karnak, Luxor Temple and the West Bank · Snorkelling trips to Abu Dabbab Bay, Samadai and the Hamata and Qulaan islands · Nile dinner cruise and a sunset quad safari with a Bedouin dinner
- Best for
- First-time visitors who also want sea time · Snorkellers and reef lovers · Couples and friends who like history followed by rest
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any visa or travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Swimming costume and a quick-drying towel
- Reef-safe sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any personal medication, and travel-sickness tablets for the boat days
- Small day bag
- Water shoes for getting into the sea from the beach
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples, tombs and uneven ground
- Tops and trousers or skirts that cover shoulders and knees at the temples
- A long-sleeved top or rash vest to protect you from the sun on the boats
- Clothes that can get dusty for the quad ride, with a warmer layer for after dark
- A hat and sunglasses
Children & families
Children are welcome, though the pace suits older ones best. Days 2 to 4 are long, and the road journey from Luxor to Marsa Alam on day 5 is a lengthy one. Boat and bay days need a child who is happy in the sea wearing a life jacket; ask us about age limits for the boat trips and the quad ride at the time of booking. Entrance tickets are free for under-6s and full price from 6. Hotel prices depend on a child's age and the room used, so we give you the exact figure when you tell us the age.
Accessibility
Who can join this
Days in Cairo and Luxor mean plenty of walking on uneven stone and sand, with steps, a few narrow tomb passages and long open stretches with little shade at Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. Getting from Luxor to Marsa Alam takes a long drive. Snorkelling days use boats, shore entries and shared minibuses, and the quad ride requires you to hold the handlebars on a moving bike. Vehicles are air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site or aboard every boat. Please tell us your needs when booking and we will say candidly which parts will suit you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
This holiday involves two internal flights, private road transfers, shared boats and a quad ride, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Guides and boat operators are local firms in Cairo, Luxor and Marsa Alam, which keeps a good share of your spending in the places you visit. On the reefs, please keep off the coral, give turtles, dolphins and dugongs plenty of space, wear reef-safe sun cream and carry a refillable water bottle.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how soon you let us know and on the kind of holiday. See our current cancellation and refund terms
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Will I catch my flight home from Cairo?
Your internal flight and your international flight are booked separately, so a delay to the first can lose you the second. The holiday ends when you land in Cairo on day 10, with no hotel night after it. We prefer you add a final night in Cairo as a cushion. If you must connect on the same day, pick a late-evening or overnight flight home, and buy travel insurance that covers missed connections.02Will we see dolphins, turtles or dugongs?
There is a good chance. Samadai Dolphin House on day 7 has resident dolphins, and Abu Dabbab Bay on day 6 is known for turtles and the odd dugong. All are wild, so we cannot guarantee a sighting and do not try to.03How far is it from Luxor to Marsa Alam?
It is a long road journey, and the whole of day 5 is given over to it. You travel in a private vehicle sized to your party, with a representative handling the transfer, and there is no sightseeing that day. Take water, snacks and a book.04Are the internal flights included?
Yes. Flights from Cairo to Luxor on day 3 and from Marsa Alam to Cairo on day 10 are booked for you, with 23 kg of baggage and taxes. Times follow the airline's schedule. International flights are not included.05Must I be a strong swimmer to snorkel?
You should feel at ease in the sea. Mask, snorkel and fins are provided on every snorkelling day, and the Samadai boat trip also supplies a life jacket. If you have doubts, tell your guide and keep close to the beach or the boat.06How long is the day at Giza and Saqqara?
Day 2 is an eight-hour outing with a private Egyptologist and driver, taking in the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, with lunch in the countryside. Expect a long day with a fair amount of walking.07Which meals do I get?
Breakfast comes with each hotel night. Dinner is included on day 1 (the Nile dinner cruise) and on day 9 (the Bedouin dinner). Lunch is included on the Cairo sightseeing day and on both boat days at Samadai and the islands. You pay for other meals as you go.08Is the quad ride suitable for a first-timer?
A guide sets an easy pace, and a helmet and scarf are provided. You can ride on your own or share a quad. Please mention any back problems, health conditions or pregnancy when you book.09What does the price leave out?
International flights, the Egyptian visa, tips for guides, drivers and crews, drinks and meals other than those stated, the interior of Khufu's pyramid and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's, travel insurance and personal spending.10When is the best season for this holiday?
October to April is cooler for temples and tombs, and the sea stays pleasant. Luxor is very hot in summer, so sightseeing starts early then. Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-139995
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days · 9 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Luxor → Marsa Alam
- Nights
- 2 Cairo · 2 Luxor · 5 Marsa Alam
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers