8-Day Aswan & Hurghada Twin-Centre Holiday
Temples and felucca sailing on the Nile for three nights, then four by the Red Sea. Your hotels, transfers and every excursion are arranged for you.
The short answer
8-Day Aswan & Hurghada Twin-Centre Holiday is an 8-day, 7-night trip to Aswan, Abu Simbel and Hurghada: 3 nights in Aswan and 4 in Hurghada. It includes an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £971 per person, two sharing (Classic, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Two quite different corners of Egypt share this week. Aswan comes first: a calm Nile city of islands and granite, where you sail a felucca at dusk, rise early for the road to Abu Simbel, and spend a guided day among the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple.
Then you cross to the coast. The private transfer from Aswan to Hurghada takes around seven hours, so day 4 is simply a travelling day. Four nights in Hurghada follow, with three trips on the water: Paradise Island, the Dolphin House reef and a semi-submarine. After day 1, each day holds one outing and leaves the remainder for you to use as you like. International flights are not part of the price.
What lingers
- 01A sunset felucca sail along the Nile at Aswan
- 02A full day on the road to the Abu Simbel temples
- 03The High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae with a local Egyptologist
- 04A private transfer from Aswan across to the Red Sea
- 05A boat day to Paradise Island with snorkelling and lunch aboard
- 06Snorkelling at Dolphin House and a semi-submarine view of the reef
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 £9714★ hotels | Hurghada · 4 nightsSwiss Inn Resort Hurghada | £971May–Sep: from £952 | |
| Classicfrom £9715★ hotels | Hurghada · 4 nightsAMC Royal Hotel & Spa | £971May–Sep: from £952 | |
| Prestigefrom £1,3955★ deluxe hotels | Aswan · 3 nightsTolip Aswan Hurghada · 4 nightsHilton Hurghada Plaza | £1,395May–Sep: from £1,401 | |
| Luxuryfrom £1,5455★ luxury hotels | Aswan · 3 nightsThe Zen Wellness Resort Aswan | £1,545May–Sep: from £1,622 |
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
8 Days / 7 Nights · Aswan · Nile Felucca · Abu Simbel · High Dam · Unfinished Obelisk · Philae Temple
- 1
Your driver is waiting at Aswan Airport and brings you to your hotel in roughly an hour. As the afternoon cools you join a felucca, the Nile's traditional sailing boat, for a three-hour sail. You glide around Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island with its botanical garden, pass the Aga Khan views, and end the day with the sun sinking behind the cataract.
You are collected from your hotel or cruise pier and returned afterwards, and entrance fees are covered.
- 2
This day is a single, long excursion. You set off early from Aswan and drive to Abu Simbel, where Ramesses II had two vast temples cut into the rock face. Entrance fees to the temples are included. Because the journey takes up the whole day, you should expect to be back in Aswan in the afternoon or evening after many hours on the road. A hat and plenty of water will help.
- 3
A local Egyptologist picks you up from your central Aswan hotel for an eight-hour day in an air-conditioned vehicle. First is the Aswan High Dam, then the northern quarries, where the Unfinished Obelisk still sits in the granite it was never freed from.
A short motorboat crossing takes you to Agilkia Island and the Temple of Isis at Philae, with a pause for refreshments and photographs on the terrace. Entrance fees and the boat are included, and the late afternoon is free.
- 4
Following breakfast, a private driver collects you at your Aswan hotel and heads for Hurghada. The journey is about seven hours, and a representative looks after the transfer and your bags. Nothing is arranged beyond the drive, so the rest of the day is for getting settled at your Hurghada hotel, where you spend the next four nights. It helps to carry water and a few snacks.
- 5
You are collected from your Hurghada hotel for eight hours afloat, on a boat shared with other guests. It heads to Paradise Island, where a sunbed and parasol come with your entry. A snorkelling guide leads the swimming, and mask, snorkel and fins are supplied. Lunch is served aboard with soft drinks and water, and marine park fees are paid.
Trips depend on the weather and the state of the sea, and the captain may alter or cancel a sailing if safety requires.
- 6
Another eight hours on a shared boat, this time to the Dolphin House reef. The dolphins are wild animals, so seeing them is a possibility rather than a promise. Your snorkelling guide swims with the group, and mask, snorkel and fins are provided. A lunch with soft drinks and water is served on board, and marine park fees are covered.
If the weather or sea is poor, the sailing may be changed or cancelled.
- 7
This is the shortest outing of the holiday, around three hours in all. A vehicle takes you from your hotel to a semi-submarine, shared with other guests, which spends two hours moving above the reef with windows below the waterline. A swim stop allows a dip, with a mask and snorkel supplied, and there is a soft drink and water on board.
After you are dropped back, the day belongs to you, whether for the beach or the pool.
- 8
Once you have had breakfast and checked out, a driver takes you from your hotel to Hurghada Airport, which is about an hour away. The holiday finishes there. The pick-up time is set around your flight, so please leave yourself a comfortable margin.
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Three nights in an Aswan hotel and four nights in a Hurghada hotel
- Private airport meeting in Aswan and hotel-to-airport transfer at Hurghada
- Sunset felucca sail at Aswan, entrance fees covered
- Road trip to Abu Simbel, with temple entrance fees
- High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae day with a local Egyptologist, transport and entrance fees
- Private one-way transfer from Aswan to Hurghada, around seven hours
- Paradise Island and Dolphin House boat trips with a guide, mask, snorkel, fins, lunch aboard and marine park fees
- Semi-submarine and glass-bottom boat trip with mask and snorkel
- Hotel breakfast, plus the lunches stated
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Tips for guides, drivers and boat crews
- Meals and drinks other than those stated
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Take the evening felucca at sunset with a thin wrap, because breezes over the Nile can be surprisingly keen once the sun drops.
- 02
Do not skip the little Temple of Nefertari at Abu Simbel; most people stop at the four giant statues of Ramesses II.
- 03
Pack water, snacks and a book in hand luggage for the long desert road between Aswan and Hurghada, as there are few stops.
- 04
When snorkelling at Dolphin House, keep your distance from any dolphins and never chase them; the boat crew will remind you.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel standard when you book. Ask us about extra nights in Aswan or Hurghada, or adding sightseeing in Cairo or Luxor.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Holidaymakers who want Egypt's southern temples and some Red Sea beach time in one trip. Suited to couples, friends and families with older children who can cope with a long road day and a long drive.
Maybe not, if
- Guests who struggle with long journeys, need step-free access to every site, or would not be comfortable in the water on boat days.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Abu Simbel, Philae and the High Dam plus three Red Sea trips in eight days
- A single excursion a day after arrival, leaving time to rest
- Airport transfers, hotels and entrance fees all arranged for you
Things to Consider
- Day 4 is around seven hours in a car
- Day 2 to Abu Simbel means an early start and a full day
- Dolphin sightings are never guaranteed and sea trips depend on the weather
Where it fits
A good fit if you want temples first and some beach time afterwards. Allow for the long drive on day 4 and the early start on day 2.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Plenty of trips cover only the Nile or only the Red Sea. This one joins Aswan and Hurghada in eight days, with a private transfer between them and one excursion a day after arrival. You choose the hotel standard; the excursions stay the same.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Twin-centre holiday: Nile temples at Aswan plus Red Sea boat trips from Hurghada
- Accommodation
- Aswan and Hurghada hotels, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Aswan · Nile Felucca · Abu Simbel · High Dam · Unfinished Obelisk · Philae Temple · Hurghada · Paradise Island · Dolphin House
- Includes
- 3 nights in an Aswan hotel and 4 nights in a Hurghada hotel · Airport pick-up and hotel-to-airport transfer · Sunset felucca sail, Abu Simbel by road, High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae · Private Aswan to Hurghada transfer, around 7 hours · Paradise Island, Dolphin House and semi-submarine trips with snorkelling kit · Entrance fees and marine park fees
- Best for
- Holidaymakers who want Nile temples and beach time in one trip · An unhurried pace with one outing a day · Confident swimmers who enjoy snorkelling
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Aswan International Airport (ASW), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any required travel documents
- Swimming costume and a quick-dry towel
- Reef-safe sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Refillable water bottle
- Personal medication, and travel-sickness tablets if boats affect you
- A warm layer for the early start at Abu Simbel and for the boats
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothes for hot days
- Closed shoes for the temples and uneven ground
- Tops and trousers or skirts that cover shoulders and knees at the temples
- Swimwear under loose clothes on boat days
- A light jacket for the Abu Simbel morning and for winter evenings
Children & families
Children are welcome. Two days are demanding for little ones: the full day on the road to Abu Simbel and the long drive from Aswan to Hurghada. The boat and semi-submarine operators set their own age limits, and we confirm these when you book. Give us each child's age at booking and we will set out the exact arrangements and figures for rooms and excursions.
Accessibility
Who can join this
Philae and the Unfinished Obelisk mean uneven stone, steps and open ground with little shade, and you take a small motorboat across to Philae. The felucca and the Red Sea boats have steps and a gangway, and decks can move underfoot. Abu Simbel and the drive to Hurghada involve many hours in a vehicle. The vehicles are air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site or on every boat. Please tell us what you need when you book, and we will say honestly which parts will work for you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The route is mostly by road and the Red Sea trips use motor boats, so we make no claim of a lower carbon footprint. The Hurghada trips run within marine park areas, and the park fees are included. We ask guests to keep off the coral, bring a refillable bottle and choose reef-safe sun cream. Guides, drivers and crews are local people, so much of your spending stays in Aswan and Hurghada.
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 flights part of this holiday?
No. International flights, and any flight to Aswan, are not included. The price covers your airport pick-up, hotel nights, transfers and the listed trips, and finishes with the hotel-to-airport transfer in Hurghada.02How far is it from Aswan to Hurghada?
Around seven hours by private car, on day 4. It is a long day with nothing else planned, so you simply settle in at your Hurghada hotel when you arrive.03Is every day packed with activities?
No. Once you have arrived, each day holds one trip and the remainder is free. Days 2 and 3 in Aswan are the fullest, and day 4 is mostly spent travelling.04Will we see dolphins at Dolphin House?
Perhaps. The dolphins are wild and roam freely, so a sighting is likely at best and never promised. Boat trips also depend on the weather and sea state, and the captain may change or cancel a sailing for safety.05Is snorkelling equipment supplied?
Yes. On the Paradise Island and Dolphin House days you receive a mask, snorkel and fins and a snorkelling guide. The semi-submarine trip supplies a mask and snorkel for the swim stop.06Does the holiday include Abu Simbel?
Yes. Day 2 is a full day by road from Aswan to the Abu Simbel temples, with entrance fees included. It begins early and is a long one.07Will I catch my flight home?
The holiday ends with a transfer to Hurghada Airport, so you depart from there. Your international ticket is booked separately from us, which means a delayed flight could cost you a connection. If your journey home changes planes at Cairo or elsewhere, allow plenty of time between flights, and have travel insurance that covers missed connections.08Which hotels will we stay in?
You pick a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the Aswan and Hurghada hotels for your dates. The excursions do not change with the standard.09What is left out of the price?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides and drivers, meals and drinks apart from those stated, and personal spending.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-ASW-885176
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days · 7 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Aswan → Abu Simbel → Hurghada
- Nights
- 3 Aswan · 4 Hurghada
- Includes
- Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers