14-Day Cairo, Hurghada & Nile Cruise Holiday
Giza's pyramids, four nights beside the Red Sea in Hurghada, four nights on the Nile from Luxor to Aswan with a sunset felucca, then Cairo and Alexandria. Internal flights, transfers, hotels, your cabin, guides and entry tickets arranged.
The short answer
14-Day Cairo, Hurghada & Nile Cruise Holiday is a 14-day, 13-night trip to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Hurghada: 5 nights in Cairo, 4 in Hurghada and 4 on a Nile cruise. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays or Sundays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide and transfers. Prices start at £2,585 per person, two sharing (Comfort, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Fourteen days gives you room to take Egypt in stages. The holiday opens with your arrival in Cairo and a free evening, followed by a day at the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. A short flight then brings you to Hurghada on the Red Sea, with a free day, an introductory scuba dive and a quad bike safari ending in a Bedouin dinner.
You travel by road to Luxor to join your Nile cruise ship for four nights, calling at Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. Day 8 closes with a sunset felucca ride at Aswan. Day 9 stays in Aswan for the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk as well as Philae, and you fly to Cairo on day 10. The last four nights are in Cairo, with Islamic and Coptic Cairo, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, Al-Muizz Street and a long day in Alexandria. You choose the standard of hotel and ship when you book; the sightseeing is the same whichever you pick.
What lingers
- 01Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum with an Egyptologist
- 02Four nights in Hurghada with a free day, an introductory dive and a quad bike safari with a Bedouin dinner
- 03Four nights on a Nile ship taking in Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae
- 04The Valley of the Queens on a half-day tour with your own Egyptologist
- 05A sunset felucca ride at Aswan, round Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island
- 06Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk on the last cruise day in Aswan
- 07Islamic and Coptic Cairo, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation and a walk along Al-Muizz Street
- 08A long day in Alexandria: the catacombs, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Citadel of Qaitbay
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 £2,5854★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 5 nightsJewel Sport City Hurghada · 4 nightsSwiss Inn Resort Hurghada Nile Cruise · 4 nightsRoyal Elite · Emilio | £2,585May–Sep: from £2,481 | |
| Classicfrom £2,8185★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Hurghada · 4 nightsAMC Royal Hotel & Spa Nile Cruise · 4 nightsRoyal Liberty · Stephanie | £2,818May–Sep: from £2,481 | |
| Prestigefrom £3,4775★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Hurghada · 4 nightsHilton Hurghada Plaza Nile Cruise · 4 nightsNile Serenity | £3,477May–Sep: from £3,467 | |
| Luxuryfrom £5,1025★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 5 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 4 nightsSonesta Star Goddess · Esmeralda | £5,102May–Sep: from £4,535 |
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
14 Days / 13 Nights · Cairo · Giza · Saqqara · Hurghada · Luxor · Edfu
- 1
A driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport, helps with your bags and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours: unpack, rest after the journey and look forward to Giza in the morning. No meals are included today. Please send us your flight details before you leave, so that someone is waiting when you land.
- 2
A full day with a licensed, English-speaking Egyptologist. Allow 4 to 6 hours for Giza, where you see the Pyramids and the Great Sphinx, then lunch and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Entry tickets, the guide and the car are all included. You then go to Cairo Airport for the one-hour flight to Hurghada on the Red Sea and are driven to your hotel.
We arrange the sightseeing around the flight; the airline sets the time.
- 3
Nothing is planned today. Sleep in, swim and rest beside the Red Sea after a busy day at Giza and a flight. Breakfast is at your hotel. If you would like something added, tell us before you travel and we will say what can be done.
- 4
The boat picks you up from your hotel for a day of about eight hours, sharing a dive boat with other guests. A qualified instructor leads two introductory dives, and all the scuba kit is provided. Lunch, soft drinks and water are served on board, and marine park fees are covered.
- 5
A five-hour quad bike safari from your hotel. You ride your own quad bike or share one, and a safari guide leads the way with a helmet provided. Expect a short camel ride, a barbecue dinner with soft drinks, tea and water, and a folklore show. You are then taken back to your hotel.
- 6
A private car covers the five hours from Hurghada to Luxor. Your cruise sightseeing starts with Karnak and its Sacred Lake, then Luxor Temple, with an English-speaking Egyptologist, entry tickets and transport all included. After that you join your ship and settle into your cabin. It is the first of four nights on board, on full board. This is a full day, and we plan the visits around the drive.
- 7
You cross the river with your Egyptologist to the West Bank: the Colossi of Memnon, the Valley of the Kings, with three tombs included, and Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari. The Valley of the Queens is added as a half-day tour, with a private vehicle and driver picking you up from your Nile ship, a private licensed Egyptologist and the entry ticket.
It makes for a full day, and we set the order around the ship. Guide, entry tickets and transport are covered, and every meal is on board.
- 8
The ship carries on towards Aswan. You step ashore with your Egyptologist at Edfu, one of Egypt's best-preserved temples, and at Kom Ombo, which sits right on the riverbank. Once in Aswan the day finishes with a felucca ride at sunset, lasting about three hours.
You are taken from the ship's pier to the boat, sail round Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island and its botanical gardens, take in the Aga Khan views and watch the sun go down over the cataract, before the transfer back. Entry tickets and transport are covered. It is a full day.
- 9
This is your last day on the Nile, spent in Aswan with your Egyptologist, entry tickets and transport included. You see Philae on its island, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk in the old granite quarries. It is a gentler day than those before it, with time back on board. We set the order around the ship and your flight to Cairo the following day.
You spend a last night on the ship, with every meal on board.
- 10
After breakfast you leave the ship and are driven to Aswan Airport for the one-hour flight to Cairo. In Cairo a driver takes you on to your hotel. The airline sets the flight time. The rest of the day is yours to rest.
- 11
Two guided visits in one full day, with a private English-speaking Egyptologist. The first, around six hours, takes in Islamic and Coptic Cairo: the Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifa'i mosques, the Citadel and Muhammad Ali's mosque, then the Hanging Church and the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, with a lunch stop.
The second, about four hours, is the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation and its Royal Mummies Hall. Entry tickets and the car are included.
- 12
An easier day. After a relaxed breakfast you set off on a guided walk of 3 to 4 hours through Islamic Cairo with a licensed Egyptologist, down Al-Muizz Street and into the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. A private air-conditioned car collects you and returns you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free.
- 13
This is a long day out from Cairo to Alexandria, about 12 hours including the drives, with a licensed Egyptologist. It suits those who like walking. You see the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, then lunch above the Mediterranean. The afternoon brings the Citadel of Qaitbay and the gardens of Montaza Palace, then the drive back to Cairo.
Entry tickets to the listed sites and the car are included.
- 14
After a last breakfast at the hotel you check out and the driver puts your luggage in the car for the run to Cairo Airport. Please send us your flight time before you travel, since the collection is set from it, and keep around two hours for the journey and check-in.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- One night in a Cairo hotel, four nights in a Hurghada hotel, four nights on a Nile cruise ship and four nights in a Cairo hotel
- Breakfast at the hotels and full board on the ship, plus the lunches and dinners listed in the itinerary
- Internal flights from Cairo to Hurghada and from Aswan to Cairo
- A private road transfer from Hurghada to Luxor, and every airport and hotel transfer
- Nile cruise sightseeing with an English-speaking Egyptologist, entry tickets and transport: Karnak, Luxor Temple, the West Bank, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk
- A half-day tour of the Valley of the Queens in a private vehicle, with a private Egyptologist and the entry ticket
- A sunset felucca ride on the Nile at Aswan, with the transfer to the dock and back and entry tickets
- The introductory scuba dive day and the quad bike safari with a Bedouin dinner
- A licensed Egyptologist on the Giza, Islamic and Coptic Cairo, museum, Al-Muizz Street and Alexandria excursions, with entry tickets to the listed sites
- Meeting and assistance at Cairo Airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks on board and meals other than those stated
- Optional extras that are not in the itinerary
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Start Giza before midmorning, the plateau is hotter and busier after 9am.
- 02
At Abu Simbel, morning light is better for the façade and reduces heat stress.
- 03
Carry small cash for tips, bottled water and toilet access at some roadside stops.
- 04
Khan El Khalili is calmer early in the day, before group traffic builds.
- 05
Mosque visits in Cairo need shoulders and knees covered, carry a light scarf.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel and ship when you book. Ask us about changing the number of nights by the Red Sea or adding extra time in Luxor or Cairo.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want a thorough first holiday in Egypt with a rest in the middle: Cairo, the Red Sea, a Nile cruise and Alexandria. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy with flights, road days and several hours of walking.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who dislike long road journeys. Days 6, 9 and 13 are the longest.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Nile temples and Alexandria in a fortnight
- Four unhurried nights by the Red Sea, with a free day
- Internal flights, private transfers and the cruise sightseeing package all arranged
Things to Consider
- Long days: five hours on the road on day 6, the Valley of the Queens added to the West Bank on day 7, Edfu, Kom Ombo and a felucca on day 8, and about 12 hours to Alexandria on day 13
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
- Day 11 packs two guided visits into one day
Where it fits
A good fit for a first long holiday in Egypt, or for anyone who wants some beach time between the pyramids and the Nile.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many operators sell a Nile trip and a Red Sea stay separately. This holiday joins Cairo, Hurghada, the Nile and Alexandria in a fortnight, 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 Red Sea stay and Nile cruise
- Accommodation
- Cairo and Hurghada hotels and a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza · Saqqara · Hurghada · Luxor · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan · Abu Simbel · Alexandria
- Includes
- 5 nights in Cairo hotels and 4 nights in Hurghada, with breakfast · 4 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · Flights from Cairo to Hurghada and Aswan to Cairo · Introductory scuba dive and quad bike safari · Valley of the Queens half-day tour and a sunset felucca ride at Aswan · Egyptologist and entry tickets on the Cairo, Alexandria and cruise sightseeing days · All transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Best for
- Travellers who want sightseeing and a Red Sea break in one holiday · First-time visitors with a fortnight to spend · Those wanting the pyramids, the Red Sea and a Nile cruise
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 Red Sea days
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any regular medication
- A scarf or bandana for the quad bike safari
- Small day bag
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples, tombs and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques, churches and temples
- Older clothes that can get dusty for the quad bikes
- A light jacket for winter evenings on the river, handy for the sunset felucca
Children & families
Children are welcome on the sightseeing and cruise parts of this holiday. Every child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport and guiding are charged at the adult rate at any age. 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 scuba dive and the quad bike safari are run by specialist operators with their own rules, so please ask us about your children before you book.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday involves a good deal of walking around large archaeological sites, on uneven stone and sand, with steps and some narrow tomb passages. Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, and the Valley of the Queens have long, open stretches with little shade. The scuba dive takes place from a boat and the quad bike safari is over rough ground. Boarding the ship, the boat to Philae and the felucca all involve steps or a gangway. 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, long road journeys, a Nile cruise ship, a dive boat, quad bikes and a sailing felucca, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Sightseeing is led by local Egyptologists and arranged through suppliers in Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor, Aswan and Alexandria, so much of what you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle, to keep to marked routes on the quad bike safari and to keep their hands off the painted walls in tombs.
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 flights from Cairo to Hurghada on day 2 and from Aswan to Cairo on day 10 are booked for you and included. International flights are not. Hurghada to Luxor on day 6 is a private road journey of about five hours. The airline sets the flight times.02Are guides and entry tickets included?
Yes. An English-speaking Egyptologist, the entry tickets and the transport are covered on the Cairo, Alexandria and Nile cruise sightseeing days, and the Valley of the Queens tour comes with a private Egyptologist. The dive is led by a qualified instructor and the quad safari by a safari guide.03How many nights do we spend on the Nile?
Four nights on board, on full board with breakfast, lunch and dinner. The remaining nights are in hotels: one in Cairo, four in Hurghada and four more in Cairo, all with breakfast.04Which hotels and which ship will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the hotels and the ship for your dates. The itinerary and sightseeing are identical at every standard.05How does the Valley of the Queens fit in?
It is a half-day tour on day 7, in a private vehicle with a driver who collects you from your ship, with a private Egyptologist and the entry ticket included. It joins the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple on the same day, so the day is a full one.06What is the sunset felucca like?
On day 8, after Edfu and Kom Ombo, you are taken from the pier to a felucca for about three hours on the Nile at Aswan. The boat goes round Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island, passes the Aga Khan views and stays out for the sunset over the cataract. The transfer to the dock and back and the entry tickets are included. Take a light layer, as the air cools on the water.07Do I need diving experience for day 4?
No. The day consists of two introductory dives led by a qualified instructor, with all the equipment supplied. Tell us about any medical conditions and the ages of anyone travelling with you, and we will check with the operator.08What happens on the last day in Aswan?
Day 9 brings Philae, reached by boat to its island, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk in the old granite quarries. Your Egyptologist, the entry tickets and the transport are covered. It is a gentler day than those before it, and you sleep on the ship that night. You fly to Cairo the next day.09Will I make my international flight home?
Domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so a late internal flight could cost you your connection. Your last internal flight, Aswan to Cairo, is on day 10 and you then have four nights in Cairo, which is a deliberate safety margin, and the arrangement we prefer. Book your flight home for day 14 and take travel insurance that covers missed connections. Should you need to connect on the day you fly to Cairo, choose a late-evening or night departure.10What is not included?
International flights, the Egyptian visa, tips for guides, drivers and ship staff, drinks and meals other than those stated, travel insurance and personal spending.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-552646
At a glance
- Length
- 14 days · 13 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat or Sun
- Route
- Cairo → Hurghada → Luxor → Edfu → Kom Ombo → Aswan → Alexandria → Cairo
- Nights
- 5 Cairo · 4 Hurghada · 4 Nile cruise
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, transfers