12-Day Family Holiday: Cairo, Nile & El Gouna
Camels at the pyramids, four nights on a Nile cruise ship and a snorkelling finish in El Gouna. Domestic flights, hotels, the ship and your Egyptologist are all included.
The short answer
12-Day Family Holiday: Cairo, Nile & El Gouna is a 12-day, 11-night trip to Cairo, Luxor and Aswan: 3 nights in Cairo, 1 in Luxor, 4 on a Nile cruise and 3 in El Gouna. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Sundays. It includes an Egyptologist guide and transfers. Prices start at £2,467 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
A family holiday in Egypt needs a bit of everything: history for the grown-ups, and plenty of fun for the children. This itinerary gives you both. In Cairo you spend three nights, with the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum, a sunset camel ride and a felucca on the Nile.
You then fly to Luxor and settle on a Nile cruise ship for four nights, sailing upriver to Aswan past Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. A Banana Island boat trip and a Nubian village add something lighter. Two flights take you to the Red Sea, where El Gouna gives you three nights of sea and sunshine. You choose the hotel and ship standard when you book; the sightseeing stays the same.
What lingers
- 01A camel ride at sunset by the Giza Pyramids on your first evening
- 02The pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum in one guided day
- 03A felucca ride on the Nile in Cairo as the sun sets
- 04Four nights on a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan on full board
- 05Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae with an Egyptologist
- 06A motorboat to Banana Island and a visit to a Nubian village
- 07A boat day to Paradise Island with snorkelling, then a semi-submarine trip from El Gouna
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 £2,4673★ hotels · well-priced Nile cruises | Luxor · 1 nightEl Mesala Hotel Luxor Nile Cruise · 4 nightsSemiramis III · Magic I El Gouna · 3 nightsMovenpick Resort & Spa El Gouna | £2,467May–Sep: from £2,176 | |
| Comfortfrom £2,7904★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 3 nightsJewel Sport City Luxor · 1 nightIberotel Luxor by JAZ Nile Cruise · 4 nightsRuby 1 · Royal Elite | £2,790May–Sep: from £2,501 | |
| Classicfrom £3,0005★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsSun Times · Stephanie El Gouna · 3 nightsSheraton Miramar Resort El Gouna | £3,000May–Sep: from £2,501 | |
| Prestigefrom £3,5635★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Luxor · 1 nightSteigenberger Nile Palace Luxor Nile Cruise · 4 nightsSonesta Moon Goddess · Nile Serenity | £3,563May–Sep: from £3,206 | |
| Luxuryfrom £5,1375★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 3 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Luxor · 1 nightHilton Luxor Resort & Spa Nile Cruise · 4 nightsSonesta St. George I · Cleopatra El Gouna · 3 nightsCasa Cook El Gouna (Adults Only) | £5,137May–Sep: from £4,097 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast · 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.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
12 Days / 11 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Grand Egyptian Museum · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Valley of the Kings
- 1
Your driver is waiting when you come through arrivals at Cairo Airport, and takes you to your hotel to unpack and unwind. Later the day turns toward the pyramids. A private vehicle and an English-speaking escort drive you out to Giza, where you ride a camel at sunset for around an hour, with tea and bottled water. If any of your children would prefer to watch, that is fine.
- 2
Expect a full day of roughly eight hours with your Egyptologist. The pyramids and the Great Sphinx come first, and the Giza visit itself takes four to six hours. After a lunch with a view you go into the Grand Egyptian Museum. Entry tickets, bottled water and an air-conditioned vehicle are all covered, so there is nothing to sort out on the day.
- 3
Today is lighter. In the morning your Egyptologist leads a four-hour walk around Coptic Cairo: the Babylon Fortress, the Hanging Church, the Greek Orthodox church of St George, the crypt at Abu Serga and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, with mint tea and a pastry along the way. The afternoon is free. As the light softens you go aboard a felucca for a ride on the Nile.
- 4
After breakfast a driver takes you to Cairo Airport for the flight to Luxor, which runs to the airline's timetable. You are met on landing. Later, with a private guide and vehicle, you explore the Luxor Museum and then the Mummification Museum, two small, cool galleries that work well for children after a morning of travel. You spend the night in a Luxor hotel.
- 5
Today you join your Nile cruise ship in Luxor, where you will be on full board for four nights. The cruise sightseeing package brings an Egyptologist, entry tickets and transport. You tour the Karnak temples and the Sacred Lake, then Luxor Temple. After dark comes the Karnak Sound and Light Show, which lasts about two hours. It is a late finish for little ones, so let them rest first.
- 6
Cross to the West Bank with your Egyptologist. You see the Colossi of Memnon, go into three tombs in the Valley of the Kings and finish at Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari. Guide, tickets and transport come with the cruise package. Toward sunset a private motorboat and boatman take you to Banana Island, where fruit, mint tea and water are served.
- 7
The ship moves upriver, and your Egyptologist takes you ashore at two temples. First comes Edfu, home of the Temple of Horus, among the best-preserved in Egypt. Later you reach Kom Ombo, a temple that sits on a bend of the river. Guide, tickets and transport are covered. Between stops there is time on deck to watch fields, palms and villages slide past.
- 8
Aswan is your final cruise stop. Your Egyptologist guides you around Philae Temple, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, with tickets and transport covered. You also visit a Nubian village, reached by boat and vehicle, with an English-speaking guide. After that you return to the ship for one more night on board, so you can pack at leisure.
- 9
Allow for a travelling day. After breakfast you leave the ship for Aswan Airport and take two domestic flights, from Aswan to Cairo and on to Hurghada, each with a 23 kg bag allowance. A private driver meets you at Hurghada and drives about an hour to El Gouna. It is a long way from temples to the seaside, but tonight you can finally relax.
- 10
A driver collects you from your hotel in El Gouna for a day on the water that lasts around eight hours. You travel on a boat shared with other guests to Paradise Island, where there are sunbeds and parasols, a snorkelling guide, and a mask, snorkel and fins each. Lunch is on board, with soft drinks and water, and marine park fees are included.
- 11
Today is short and easy. You are collected from your hotel for about three hours out on the water, including a two-hour semi-submarine trip with other guests. Through the windows you watch the reef and its fish while staying dry, then you swim with your mask and snorkel at a stop. A soft drink and water are on board. Afterwards the day is yours.
- 12
Breakfast is the last thing on the programme. You check out and a private driver takes you the hour or so to Hurghada Airport, where the holiday ends. Please tell us your flight details in good time so the pick-up suits your departure. Because the trip finishes at the airport, an onward flight in the afternoon or evening is the safest choice.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Three nights in a Cairo hotel and one in Luxor, with breakfast
- Four nights on a Nile cruise ship on full board
- Three nights in an El Gouna hotel with breakfast
- Internal flights Cairo to Luxor, Aswan to Cairo and Cairo to Hurghada
- Airport, hotel and port transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- A sunset camel ride at the pyramids and a felucca ride in Cairo
- Karnak Sound and Light Show and a sunset motorboat to Banana Island
- Entry tickets to every site on the itinerary, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- Licensed Egyptologist guide on all sightseeing days
- Paradise Island boat day with lunch and snorkelling kit, plus a semi-submarine trip
- Meet and assist at the airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Tips for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks on board and meals other than those stated
- Khufu pyramid interior and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun and Seti I
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Fit the camel ride at sunset into the first evening; it helps everyone shake off the flight and gives the children an early highlight.
- 02
In the Mummification Museum, let the youngsters choose a single exhibit to explore; brief, focused visits keep them interested.
- 03
Set the children a hieroglyph treasure hunt along Karnak's walls; it turns a warm walk into something they actually want to do.
- 04
Pack rash vests and reef-safe suncream for the Red Sea boat trips, as the sunshine on deck is fiercer than you expect.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel and ship standard when you book. Ask us about extra nights in Cairo or El Gouna, or a different version of the holiday that includes Abu Simbel.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Families who want Egypt's headline sights without a relentless timetable. It suits children who can walk for a few hours with breaks, and parents who like boats, a ship and a beach alongside the temples.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or families with babies and toddlers who would struggle with late evenings and the flight-heavy day 9.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Camels, a felucca, a motorboat, a ship and the sea keep children interested
- Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the main Nile temples in one holiday
- A seaside finish with snorkelling after the busy sightseeing
Things to Consider
- Days 2, 5, 6 and 9 are long and the Karnak show finishes late
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
- Abu Simbel is not included
Where it fits
A sound first holiday for a family that wants history and downtime together. Abu Simbel is not included.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many family holidays in Egypt end with the temples. This one adds a Red Sea stay, with a boat day and a semi-submarine trip. Flights and transfers are booked for you, and the standard of hotel and ship is your choice.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided Family Holiday with a Nile Cruise and a Red Sea Stay
- Accommodation
- Hotels in Cairo, Luxor and El Gouna plus a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Grand Egyptian Museum · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Valley of the Kings · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan · Philae Temple · El Gouna · Paradise Island
- Includes
- 4 nights in Cairo and Luxor hotels with breakfast · 4 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · 3 nights in an El Gouna hotel with breakfast · Flights Cairo to Luxor, Aswan to Cairo and Cairo to Hurghada · Entry tickets to every listed site · Licensed Egyptologist on sightseeing days · All transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Best for
- Families with school-age children · Parents wanting history and a seaside stay · First-time visitors to Egypt
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 required travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Swimming costumes and towels for the boat days
- Reef-friendly sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hats and sunglasses for everyone
- Refillable water bottles
- Any personal medication and a small first-aid kit
- A small rucksack and snacks for long road and flight days
- A light layer for the ship and for flights
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothes for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples and uneven ground
- Clothes that cover shoulders and knees at mosques and churches
- Swimwear and a cover-up for the boat days
- 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. The camel ride is one camel per adult, the Karnak show finishes late and the Paradise Island day is about eight hours, so consider how much your child can manage.
Accessibility
Who can join this
Expect plenty of walking at large archaeological sites, over uneven stone, sand and steps, with some narrow passages in the tombs and little shade at Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. The ship, the felucca and the motorboats are all boarded by steps or a gangway, as are the boats in El Gouna. Our vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair or pushchair access everywhere. Tell us your needs when you book and we will be frank about what suits you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The holiday relies on domestic flights, a Nile cruise ship, boats and private road transfers, so we make no claim of a carbon saving. Guiding is by local Egyptologists and the days are run through local suppliers in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea, which keeps much of your spending in the communities you visit. On the reef we ask guests not to touch the coral or the fish, and to bring refillable water bottles.
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
01Is this holiday right for children?
It suits school-age children and older. Camels, a felucca, a motorboat, a Nubian village, a ship and a beach day keep things lively. Days 2, 5, 6 and 9 are long and the Karnak show ends late. Give us your children's ages and we will say how it fits.02Are the internal flights included?
Yes. Cairo to Luxor on day 4, then Aswan to Cairo and Cairo to Hurghada on day 9, are booked for you, each with a 23 kg bag allowance. Flights to and from the UK are not included.03How many nights are spent on the Nile?
Four nights on board, sailing from Luxor to Aswan on full board. The other seven nights are in hotels with breakfast: three in Cairo, one in Luxor and three in El Gouna.04Which ship and hotels will we stay in?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we name the ship and hotels for your dates. The route and sightseeing are the same at every standard.05Does the holiday include Abu Simbel?
No. This family holiday leaves out Abu Simbel, which is a very long day out from Aswan. If you would like it, ask and we will talk through a different version.06Where exactly is El Gouna?
El Gouna is a lagoon resort town on the Red Sea, roughly 25 km north of Hurghada. Transfers run through Hurghada Airport and take about an hour. The Paradise Island and semi-submarine trips collect you from your El Gouna hotel.07Will I make my flight home?
The holiday ends at Hurghada Airport, and internal and international tickets are separate bookings, so a late domestic flight earlier on could affect a tight connection. If you must fly onward the same day, pick an afternoon or evening departure, and take travel insurance that covers missed connections.08What does the price not cover?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides, drivers and ship staff, drinks other than those stated, and personal spending. Dinners are included on the ship only.09Will we have a private guide?
Your Egyptologist and driver are private on the Cairo and Luxor sightseeing days. The Paradise Island boat and the semi-submarine are shared with other guests, and on the ship you travel with the other passengers.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-134648
At a glance
- Length
- 12 days · 11 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu or Sun
- Route
- Cairo → Luxor → Aswan → El Gouna → Hurghada
- Nights
- 3 Cairo · 1 Luxor · 4 Nile cruise · 3 El Gouna
- Includes
- Egyptologist guide, transfers