4-Day Cairo Pre-Cruise Holiday with Alexandria
Three nights in one Cairo hotel, a day at the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, and a full day in Alexandria, with guides, transfers and entrance fees included.
The short answer
4-Day Cairo Pre-Cruise Holiday with Alexandria is a 4-day, 3-night trip to Cairo and Alexandria: 3 nights in Cairo. It includes an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £486 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Spending a few days in Cairo before a Nile cruise makes for a calmer start. This holiday keeps you in one hotel for three nights, with two big days out. On day 2 a private Egyptologist takes you to the Giza Plateau, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Day 3 is spent in Alexandria, Egypt's Mediterranean port.
We organise your arrival transfer, your hotel with breakfast, both days of sightseeing and your transfer back to the airport. The Nile cruise is not part of this holiday and can be arranged separately. You choose the standard of hotel when you book, from budget to luxury.
What lingers
- 01The Giza Plateau and the Great Sphinx with a private Egyptologist
- 02The Grand Egyptian Museum on the same day
- 03Lunch included on the day you see Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum
- 04A full day in Alexandria: the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and the Citadel of Qaitbay
- 05Lunch overlooking the Mediterranean, and the Montaza Palace Gardens
- 06Three nights in one Cairo hotel with breakfast and both airport transfers
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 £4863★ hotels | £486May–Sep: from £444 | ||
| Comfortfrom £5184★ hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsJewel Sport City | £518May–Sep: from £502 | |
| Classicfrom £5745★ hotels | £574May–Sep: from £516 | ||
| Prestigefrom £6895★ deluxe hotels | £689May–Sep: from £718 | ||
| Luxuryfrom £1,2345★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsSt. Regis Cairo | £1,234May–Sep: from £1,174 | |
| Signature Collectionfrom £1,643landmark hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsFour Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza | £1,643May–Sep: from £1,511 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast. 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.
- Private
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
4 Days / 3 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Egyptian Museum · Saqqara · Memphis · Grand Egyptian Museum
- 1
Your private representative is waiting at Cairo Airport, helps with the bags and takes you to your hotel by car. You will be based here for the next three nights. The rest of the day is yours to recover from the journey. No meals are included, so ask the hotel where to go for dinner nearby. You have an early start tomorrow.
- 2
A full day with your Egyptologist guide, beginning with an early pickup from your hotel. Entrance fees and an air-conditioned vehicle are included. The morning goes to the Giza Plateau, with the pyramids and the Great Sphinx; allow 4 to 6 hours there. Lunch comes next, then the Grand Egyptian Museum, and you are driven back to the hotel. Bottled water is provided.
- 3
An early departure from Cairo takes you to Alexandria for a day of about 12 hours including the drives, with your Egyptologist guide. Entrance fees and the vehicle are covered, and the day suits good walkers. You see the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the modern library, then stop for lunch overlooking the Mediterranean.
After lunch come the Citadel of Qaitbay and the gardens of Montaza Palace, and then the drive back to your hotel in Cairo.
- 4
Once you have had breakfast and checked out, a driver takes you to Cairo Airport for your flight. Please allow around 90 minutes for the journey, and give us your flight time at booking so the pickup can be set. If you are going on to a Nile cruise, tell us when you book, as the cruise is not part of this holiday and is arranged separately.
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Three nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast
- Airport arrival transfer with meet and assist, and a departure transfer
- A full day at Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum with an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport
- A full day in Alexandria with an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport
- Standard site entrance fees and entrance fees to the scheduled Alexandria sites
- Lunch on days 2 and 3
- Bottled water on both sightseeing days
- An air-conditioned vehicle for each sightseeing day
Not included
- A Nile cruise, which is booked separately
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Dinners and drinks other than those stated
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Go to the Giza Plateau early, before heat haze builds over the pyramids.
- 02
Alexandria’s Corniche is clearest for photos in the late afternoon light.
- 03
At the Egyptian Museum, ask your guide to focus on Old Kingdom pieces if time is tight.
- 04
Pyramid interior tickets must be requested separately, so decide before arrival.
- 05
Expect uneven stone underfoot at Kom El Shoqafa and wear shoes with grip.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask us about extra nights, adding a Nile cruise after your Cairo days, or swapping Alexandria for Islamic and Coptic Cairo.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want a Cairo base before a Nile cruise, with Giza and Alexandria on two guided days. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy with early starts and plenty of walking.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who prefer a slow pace, or who need step-free access to every site. Days 2 and 3 are long.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Three nights in one hotel, with no repacking
- Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Alexandria in four days
- No internal flights, so the days stay simple
Things to Consider
- Days 2 and 3 are both full days, with early starts
- No Nile cruise is included
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
Where it fits
A good fit for the days before a Nile cruise or as a short Cairo and Alexandria break. The cruise is booked separately.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many Cairo programmes leave Alexandria out or move you between hotels. This holiday keeps you in one hotel for three nights and covers Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Alexandria by road. The standard of hotel 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 Cairo stay with day tours
- Accommodation
- One Cairo hotel for three nights, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Egyptian Museum · Saqqara · Memphis · Grand Egyptian Museum · Alexandria · Bibliotheca Alexandrina · Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa · Pompey’s Pillar · Alexandria Corniche
- Includes
- 3 nights in one Cairo hotel with breakfast · Airport arrival and departure transfers · Giza and Grand Egyptian Museum day with a private Egyptologist · Full day in Alexandria with a licensed Egyptologist · Entrance fees to the scheduled sites · Lunch on days 2 and 3
- Best for
- Travellers about to start a Nile cruise · First-time visitors to Cairo · Travellers who want Alexandria as well as Giza
- Guide languages
- English
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
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any regular medication
- Small day bag
- A light layer for the sea breeze in Alexandria
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for monuments and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at religious sites
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket for chilly mornings in winter and on the coast
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport and guiding are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Hotel prices depend on the child's age and the room used, so we give you the exact figure once you tell us the age at booking. Days 2 and 3 are long, so consider whether they suit your child.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday involves a good deal of walking and some steps, including uneven stone at Giza and steps in the Alexandria catacombs and at the Qaitbay Citadel, with little shade. Both sightseeing days are full days and include hours in a vehicle. Vehicles are private or small-group 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 one hotel for all three nights and road transfers, 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 and Alexandria, so much of what you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle and to keep their hands off the carved walls in tombs and monuments.
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 a Nile cruise included?
No. This is a Cairo stay that suits the days before a cruise, but the cruise is booked separately. Ask us and we will talk you through the options.02How many nights do we stay, and where?
Three nights in the same Cairo hotel, with breakfast. You never change hotels.03Which hotel will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the hotel for your dates. The itinerary and sightseeing are identical at every standard.04How long is the Alexandria day?
It is a long day, around 12 hours including the drives, with several stops. Lunch overlooking the Mediterranean, the entrance fees and your Egyptologist guide are all included. It suits good walkers.05Are there any flights on this holiday?
No. Both sightseeing days are by road from Cairo. International flights to and from Egypt are not included.06What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides and drivers, dinners and drinks other than those stated, the inside of the Khufu pyramid, travel insurance and personal spending.07Is the sightseeing private?
Day 2 is led by a private Egyptologist. Day 3 uses a private or small-group vehicle with a licensed Egyptologist, and we confirm which at booking. Airport and hotel transfers are private.08When is the best time to go?
October to April is cooler and the most comfortable for walking around the sites. Summers are hot, so days start early.09Will I make my flight home?
There are no internal flights on this holiday, so the only leg to the airport is the road transfer from your hotel on day 4, planned at around 90 minutes. International flights are booked separately and are not included. Give us your flight time, leave plenty of time for check-in and make sure your travel insurance covers a missed connection. If a Nile cruise follows, we sort out that connection with you separately.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-633082
At a glance
- Length
- 4 days · 3 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Alexandria → Cairo
- Includes
- Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers