10-Day Cairo, Nile Cruise & Hurghada Holiday
Giza's pyramids, three nights cruising from Aswan to Luxor and a snorkelling day off Hurghada. Internal flights, hotels, your cruise cabin and an Egyptologist are all included.
The short answer
10-Day Cairo, Nile Cruise & Hurghada Holiday is a 10-day, 9-night trip to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Hurghada: 4 nights in Cairo, 3 on a Nile cruise and 2 in Hurghada. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays or Sundays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,849 per person, two sharing (Comfort, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Ten days gives Egypt room to breathe. You begin in Cairo with three nights, taking in the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the old Islamic and Coptic districts. Then you fly south to Aswan and join your Nile cruise ship for three nights, visiting Philae, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings as you go.
From Luxor a private car drives you to Hurghada, around five hours, for two nights by the Red Sea and a day snorkelling at Orange Bay. An internal flight returns you to Cairo for a final night before your journey home. We organise both flights, every transfer, your hotels and your cabin. You pick the standard of hotel and ship when you book.
What lingers
- 01The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum in a single guided day
- 02A Nile dinner cruise with a show on your first evening in Cairo
- 03Three nights on a Nile cruise ship from Aswan to Luxor, full board
- 04Philae, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Karnak and Luxor Temple with an English-speaking Egyptologist
- 05The Valley of the Kings, with three tombs, on Luxor's West Bank
- 06A day snorkelling at Orange Bay on Giftun Island, with two guided swims and a hot lunch
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortfrom £1,8494★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 4 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 3 nightsEmilio · Tower Prestige Hurghada · 2 nightsSwiss Inn Resort Hurghada | £1,849May–Sep: from £1,803 | |
| Classicfrom £2,0275★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSun Times · Nile Dolphin Hurghada · 2 nightsAMC Royal Hotel & Spa | £2,027May–Sep: from £1,803 | |
| Prestigefrom £2,5635★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta Moon Goddess Hurghada · 2 nightsHilton Hurghada Plaza | £2,563May–Sep: from £2,568 | |
| Luxuryfrom £3,9795★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 4 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta St. George I · Esmeralda | £3,979May–Sep: from £3,263 |
Nile cruise on full board. 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.
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
10 Days / 9 Nights · Cairo · Giza · Saqqara · Aswan · Kom Ombo · Edfu
- 1
A driver greets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and takes you to your hotel, where you can rest after the flight. Later you are collected for a dinner cruise on the Nile. Expect a buffet, a live show and Cairo glittering along both banks, about three hours in all from pick-up to drop-off. A private car then returns you to your hotel.
- 2
Today is a full one, around eight hours, with an English-speaking Egyptologist. You are collected from your hotel and taken to the Giza Plateau to see the pyramids and the Great Sphinx. Lunch is served with a view. You spend the afternoon at the Grand Egyptian Museum before heading back to your hotel. Entrance fees, an air-conditioned vehicle and bottled water are included.
- 3
This is a guided day through the old Islamic and Coptic parts of the city, led by an English-speaking Egyptologist. It makes a calmer counterpoint to the pyramids. The guide decides the order of the stops on the day. Your guide, the entrance fees and the transport are all included, and you sleep a third night in Cairo.
- 4
You are driven from your hotel to Cairo Airport for the one-hour flight to Aswan, at a time set by the airline's schedule. A second driver meets you in Aswan and takes you to the river, where you join your Nile cruise ship and settle into your cabin. The rest of the day is yours to spend on board. There is no sightseeing today, and the cruise is full board.
- 5
Cruise sightseeing begins here in Aswan. Your English-speaking Egyptologist takes you to Philae, the island temple of Isis, then to the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, a vast granite shaft that cracked in the quarry and was never moved. The Egyptologist, the entrance fees and the transport come with the cruise sightseeing package. You sleep on board again.
- 6
This is the busiest day of the cruise, and the richest. You see the Temple of Edfu and the Temple of Kom Ombo, and then, once in Luxor, the Karnak Temples with the Sacred Lake and Luxor Temple. Your English-speaking Egyptologist guides every stop, and entrance fees and transport are included. In between you return to the ship for meals. It is your final night on board.
- 7
Once you have had breakfast and left the ship, your Egyptologist takes you over the river to the West Bank. The day brings the Valley of the Kings, where three tombs are included, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Entrance fees and transport are covered.
You then travel by private air-conditioned car to Hurghada, roughly five hours, and check in to your hotel by the Red Sea.
- 8
Time to swap temples for sea. A pick-up from your hotel takes you to the boat, and a motorboat carries you to Orange Bay on Giftun Island. You have two guided snorkelling sessions, with kit and life jackets supplied, and a sunbed on the beach between them. A hot lunch and bottled water are included. The boat returns you to Hurghada later in the day and you go back to your hotel.
- 9
A private car runs you from the hotel to Hurghada Airport for the flight to Cairo, at a time fixed by the airline. In Cairo a driver meets you and takes you to your hotel. This final night is deliberate. If an internal flight runs late, you have a safety window, and you arrive at your flight home rested, not rushed.
- 10
Have breakfast, check out and meet your private driver for the run to Cairo Airport, which takes about 90 minutes in Cairo's traffic, so leave generous time. A representative helps with your luggage at the airport, and your holiday ends there.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Four nights in Cairo hotels and two nights in Hurghada, all with breakfast, and three nights on a Nile cruise ship on full board
- Internal flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Hurghada to Cairo
- Private air-conditioned transfer from Luxor to Hurghada
- All airport, hotel and quayside transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
- A Nile dinner cruise with a show in Cairo
- English-speaking Egyptologist, entrance fees and transport on the Giza, Islamic and Coptic Cairo and cruise sightseeing days, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- Lunch and bottled water on the Giza day
- Orange Bay boat crossing, two guided snorkelling sessions, snorkelling kit, life jackets, sunbed, hot lunch and bottled water
- Meet and assist at the airport
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Gratuities for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks on board and meals other than those stated
- The inside of the Khufu pyramid and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun and Seti I
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Visit Giza early, before midday haze builds over the plateau.
- 02
Philae photos are cleaner in the first boat rotation, before heavier foot traffic.
- 03
Carry small cash for bathroom stops and optional drinks in Luxor and Aswan.
- 04
At Karnak, the open court is hotter than the hypostyle hall, so plan the route carefully.
- 05
In Hurghada, snorkelling visibility is often better in calmer morning water.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel and ship when you book. Ask us about adding Abu Simbel or extra nights in Luxor, Hurghada or Cairo.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- First-time visitors who want Cairo, a Nile cruise and some time by the sea. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy with two flights, a long drive and several hours of walking on sightseeing days.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who prefer a slow pace in one place. Days 4, 7 and 9 are travelling days.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the main Nile temples and a day on the Red Sea in ten days
- Both internal flights and all transfers arranged for you
- Three nights on a ship, so no repacking between Aswan and Luxor
- A planned last night in Cairo protects your flight home
Things to Consider
- A five-hour drive from Luxor to Hurghada on day 7
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
- Abu Simbel is not included
Where it fits
A good first trip to Egypt for anyone who wants history first and a swim afterwards. Abu Simbel is not included, so add it if it is on your list.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many operators sell Cairo, the Nile and the Red Sea as separate trips. This holiday joins them, with both flights and every transfer booked for you. The standard of hotel and ship is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided multi-day holiday with a Nile cruise and a Red Sea stay
- Accommodation
- Cairo and Hurghada hotels and a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza · Saqqara · Aswan · Kom Ombo · Edfu · Luxor · Hurghada
- Includes
- 4 nights in Cairo hotels and 2 in Hurghada, with breakfast · 3 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · Flights from Cairo to Aswan and Hurghada to Cairo · Entrance fees on all sightseeing days · English-speaking Egyptologist on sightseeing days · A snorkelling day at Orange Bay with lunch
- Best for
- First-time visitors · Those wanting temples and some time by the sea · Couples and friends who like a mix of ship and hotel
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 towel for the snorkelling day
- Reef-safe sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any regular medication
- A small day bag and a light layer for the ship and the flights
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and temples
- Swimwear and a cover-up for Orange Bay
- A light jacket for evenings on the river in winter
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Hotel and cabin prices depend on the child's age and the room or cabin used, so we give you the exact figure once you tell us the age at booking. Life jackets are provided on the snorkelling day, but parents must decide whether a child is happy in open water.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday involves a good deal of walking around large archaeological sites, on uneven stone, with steps and some narrow tomb passages. Karnak and the Valley of the Kings have long, open stretches with little shade. Boarding the ship means crossing a gangway, and the Orange Bay day involves a boat crossing, a beach and getting in and out of the water. Vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. Tell us what you need when you book and we will say honestly which parts suit you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The holiday uses two internal flights, a Nile cruise ship, private road transfers and a boat to Orange Bay, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Sightseeing is led by local Egyptologists and arranged through local suppliers in Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada, so much of what you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle, to keep their hands off the painted walls in tombs and to avoid standing on or snapping the coral while snorkelling.
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
01Are the internal flights included?
Yes. The flight from Cairo to Aswan on day 4 and the flight from Hurghada to Cairo on day 9 are booked for you and are included in the price. International flights are not.02How many nights do we spend on the Nile?
Three nights on board, from Aswan to Luxor, on full board with breakfast, lunch and dinner. The other six nights are in hotels with breakfast: four in Cairo and two in Hurghada.03Which ship and which hotels will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the ship and hotels for your dates. The itinerary and sightseeing are identical at every standard.04How far is it from Luxor to Hurghada?
Around five hours by private, air-conditioned car. The drive comes after a morning on Luxor's West Bank on day 7, so it makes a long day. A good night's sleep on the ship beforehand helps.05What does the Orange Bay day involve?
A motorboat takes you from Hurghada to Orange Bay on Giftun Island for two guided snorkelling sessions. Snorkelling kit and life jackets are supplied, and you have a sunbed on the beach, a hot lunch and bottled water. Please bring your own swimming costume and towel.06Will I make my flight home?
Internal and international tickets are separate bookings, so a delayed internal flight could cost you your connection. That is why the holiday finishes with a last night in Cairo on day 9. If you rearrange things to connect on the same day, pick a late-evening or night flight home and make sure your travel insurance covers missed connections.07Does the holiday include Abu Simbel?
No. Abu Simbel is not part of this itinerary. If you would like to add it, ask us and we will talk you through the options.08What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides, drivers and ship staff, drinks other than those stated, the inside of the Khufu pyramid and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's.09When is the best time to go?
October to April is cooler and the most comfortable for walking around the sites. Summers are very hot, especially in Luxor and Aswan, so days start early.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-387056
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days · 9 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Fri or Sun
- Route
- Cairo → Aswan → Edfu → Kom Ombo → Luxor → Hurghada → Cairo
- Nights
- 4 Cairo · 3 Nile cruise · 2 Hurghada
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers