8-Day Cairo, Nile Cruise & El Gouna Holiday
The Pyramids at Giza, three nights on the river between Aswan and Luxor, and a day snorkelling at Orange Bay. Internal flights, hotels, your cabin and an Egyptologist are all arranged.
The short answer
8-Day Cairo, Nile Cruise & El Gouna Holiday is an 8-day, 7-night trip to Cairo, Luxor and Aswan: 2 nights in Cairo, 3 on a Nile cruise and 2 in El Gouna. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,728 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Temples are wonderful, but after a week of them many people want a swim. This holiday builds that in. It opens in Cairo with the Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis. You then fly to Aswan and join your Nile cruise ship for three nights, calling at Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple and Karnak.
On day 6 you tour Luxor's West Bank, including the Valley of the Kings, before a drive of five to six hours to El Gouna, a lagoon resort town on the Red Sea. A boat takes you to Orange Bay on Giftun Island for two guided snorkelling sessions. On day 8 you fly from Hurghada to Cairo. Flights, transfers, hotels and the cruise cabin are all booked for you, and you choose the standard of hotel and ship.
What lingers
- 01The Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis on a private day out of Cairo
- 02Sunset felucca sails in both Cairo and Aswan
- 03Three nights on a Nile cruise ship between Aswan and Luxor, full board
- 04Philae, Kom Ombo and Edfu, guided by an Egyptologist
- 05Luxor Temple, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, with three tombs covered
- 06Two nights in El Gouna and a snorkelling day at Orange Bay, Giftun Island
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 £1,7283★ hotels · well-priced Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsMagic I El Gouna · 2 nightsMovenpick Resort & Spa El Gouna | £1,728May–Sep: from £1,535 | |
| Comfortfrom £1,8804★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 2 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 3 nightsRoyal Elite · Emilio | £1,880May–Sep: from £1,749 | |
| Classicfrom £2,1115★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsRoyal Liberty · Stephanie El Gouna · 2 nightsSheraton Miramar Resort El Gouna | £2,111May–Sep: from £1,749 | |
| Prestigefrom £2,4135★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsNile Serenity | £2,413May–Sep: from £2,222 | |
| Luxuryfrom £3,2925★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 2 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta Star Goddess · Esmeralda El Gouna · 2 nightsCasa Cook El Gouna (Adults Only) | £3,292May–Sep: from £2,716 |
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
8 Days / 7 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Saqqara · Aswan · Philae Temple · Kom Ombo
- 1
A driver is waiting when you come through arrivals at Cairo Airport and takes you straight to your hotel. There is time to unpack and put your feet up. Later, you board a felucca, one of the Nile's old sailing boats, and drift along the river as the sun goes down over the city. Dinner is not arranged tonight, so you can choose a restaurant to suit your mood after the flight.
- 2
Expect about eight hours on the road and on foot, with a private Egyptologist and your own air-conditioned car. The day begins on the Giza plateau with the Pyramids, the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple. Next you travel through lush countryside to a village lunch, then on to Saqqara, where the first pyramid stands, and to Memphis, the first capital of a united Egypt.
You are taken back to your hotel at the end of the day.
- 3
This is a full day, so expect an early start. You are driven to Cairo Airport for the flight to Aswan and met on landing for the run to the river. In Aswan your Egyptologist shows you the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple. At the end of the afternoon there is a three-hour felucca sail among the islands, and then you settle in on the ship, where you spend the night.
Guide, entrance fees and transport are all included.
- 4
After breakfast you visit the Temple of Kom Ombo with your Egyptologist. It is an unusual building, divided down the middle for two different gods, and it sits right on the riverbank. Back on board, the ship carries on north and there is little to do but watch the Nile go by. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served on the ship. The guide, tickets and transport for the visit are included.
- 5
The Temple of Horus at Edfu comes first, among the best-preserved temples in the country. After Edfu the ship arrives in Luxor, where your Egyptologist takes you to Luxor Temple and then to Karnak, including its Sacred Lake. It is a long day on your feet. Entrance fees and transport are included, and you spend your last night on the ship, with dinner served on board.
- 6
After breakfast you leave the ship and cross the river to Luxor's West Bank. There is the Valley of the Kings, where your ticket admits you to three tombs, then Hatshepsut's terraced temple and the Colossi of Memnon. By late morning you set off by private car for El Gouna, which takes about five to six hours. Treat it as a travelling day. At the end you reach a hotel by the Red Sea.
Lunch and dinner are not included.
- 7
Your driver collects you at the hotel and you take a motorboat across to Orange Bay, on Giftun Island. There are two guided snorkelling sessions, and the equipment and life jackets are provided. When you are out of the water, a sunbed on the beach is yours for the day. A hot lunch and bottled water come with it, and you are returned to your hotel in the afternoon.
You can find dinner wherever you fancy.
- 8
You check out after breakfast and are driven to Hurghada Airport, roughly an hour away. The domestic flight to Cairo, with 23 kg baggage and taxes included, marks the end of the holiday. The airline sets the flight time, and we confirm it with you beforehand. If you have a flight home from Cairo, please see our advice on connections in the questions below.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Two hotel nights in Cairo and two in El Gouna, with breakfast
- Three nights on a Nile cruise ship between Aswan and Luxor, on full board
- Internal flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Hurghada to Cairo, taxes and 23 kg baggage included
- Every airport, hotel and port transfer by air-conditioned vehicle, with the private drive from Luxor to El Gouna
- Felucca sails at sunset in Cairo and in Aswan
- A private day to the Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, with an Egyptologist and lunch
- Cruise sightseeing with an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport, with three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- A snorkelling day at Orange Bay: boat, two guided sessions, equipment, sunbed, hot lunch and water
- Meet-and-assist on arrival at the airport
Not included
- Flights to and from Egypt
- The Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks, and any meal not mentioned in the itinerary
- Anything not listed as included, such as optional extras or going inside the pyramids
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Save Philae for the late-afternoon light, when the stone turns golden and the island quietens after the morning visitors.
- 02
Take a light wrap on the Aswan felucca; the breeze off the river turns cool quickly as the sun goes down.
- 03
Wear a rash vest and water shoes at Orange Bay, where sand gives way to coral and the sun is strong.
- 04
When choosing tombs in the Valley of the Kings, follow your guide's pick of the best-decorated ones rather than simply the nearest.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel and ship when you book. Ask us about adding a night in Cairo before your flight home, Abu Simbel, or more nights in Luxor or El Gouna.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- First-time visitors who want Cairo, the Nile and the Red Sea in one compact holiday. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy with two flights, several hours on foot on sightseeing days and one long car journey.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who prefer a slow pace in one place. Days 3 and 6 are long.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The Pyramids, Saqqara, a Nile cruise and a Red Sea stay in eight days
- Both internal flights and every transfer arranged
- A day snorkelling to balance the temple days
Things to Consider
- Day 6 is long: the West Bank, then five to six hours by road
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the main sites
- It ends in Cairo with no spare night, and Abu Simbel is not included
Where it fits
A good first trip to Egypt that finishes with some time by the sea. Abu Simbel is not included, so add it if it is on your list.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many companies sell Cairo and the Nile as one trip and the Red Sea as another. This holiday joins them in eight days, with both flights and the long drive from Luxor to El Gouna arranged.
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 El Gouna hotels and a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Saqqara · Aswan · Philae Temple · Kom Ombo · Edfu · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Valley of the Kings · El Gouna · Giftun Island
- Includes
- 2 nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast · 3 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · 2 nights in El Gouna with breakfast · Flights Cairo to Aswan and Hurghada to Cairo · Entrance fees to every listed site · Egyptologist guide on sightseeing days
- Best for
- First-time visitors · Travellers who want temples and a beach in one trip · Couples and friends after culture followed by rest
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 paperwork
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Swimming costume and a quick-dry towel
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher, ideally reef-friendly
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any medication you take
- A light layer for the ship and the flights
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothes for the sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples and rough ground
- Clothes covering shoulders and knees for mosques and temples
- A hat and sunglasses
- A fleece or light jacket for winter evenings on the river
- A rash vest or t-shirt for snorkelling if you burn easily
Children & families
Children are welcome, but days 2, 3 and 6 are long and the sites mean a lot of walking. Each child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate whatever the age. Entrance tickets are free for under-sixes and full price from six. Cabin and hotel prices depend on the child's age and the room or cabin, so we give you the exact figure once we know the age. Younger children need to be comfortable in a life jacket for the Orange Bay day.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday means a good deal of walking around large archaeological sites on uneven stone, with steps and some narrow tomb passages. The Valley of the Kings and Karnak offer long open stretches and little shade. Getting aboard the ship, the boat to Philae and the motorboat to Giftun Island all involve steps and gangways, and snorkelling calls for confidence in the water. Vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access everywhere. Tell us what you need when booking and we will say plainly which parts will work.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The holiday uses two internal flights, a Nile cruise ship, a long private road journey and a motorboat, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Sightseeing is led by local Egyptologists and arranged with local suppliers in Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and on the Red Sea, so a good share of your spending stays with the people you meet. On the reef, please keep clear of the coral and bring your rubbish back to the boat.
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 part of the holiday?
Yes. You spend three nights on a Nile cruise ship, travelling from Aswan to Luxor on full board. The standard of ship is your choice when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the ship for your dates. Cairo and El Gouna nights, two of each, are spent in hotels with breakfast.02Do you book the internal flights?
We do. You fly from Cairo to Aswan on day 3 and from Hurghada to Cairo on day 8, with taxes and 23 kg of baggage included. The airline sets the times. Flights to and from Egypt are not part of the price.03Will I make my flight home?
Domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so a late internal flight could cost you your connection. The holiday ends in Cairo on day 8 with no night in hand, so we would prefer you add a final night there. If you must fly on the same day, pick a late-evening or night departure, and make sure your travel insurance covers missed connections.04How far is it from Luxor to El Gouna?
Allow five to six hours by private, air-conditioned car on day 6, after the morning on the West Bank. It is a long day. Pack water and a snack for the journey.05What is El Gouna like?
It is a lagoon resort town on the Red Sea, about 25 km north of Hurghada, and it makes a calm end to the trip. Your airport transfers go through Hurghada Airport.06What does the Orange Bay day involve?
A driver collects you from your hotel and a motorboat takes you across to Orange Bay, on Giftun Island. You get two guided snorkelling sessions with equipment and life jackets, a sunbed on the beach, a hot lunch and bottled water. You return to the hotel afterwards.07Does the holiday include Abu Simbel?
No. The route takes in Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, Karnak and the West Bank, but not Abu Simbel. We can quote a longer holiday that adds it.08What is covered on sightseeing days?
An English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport are included on the Cairo and cruise sightseeing days. Your ticket for the Valley of the Kings admits you to three tombs.09Can we bring children?
Children are welcome, though there are long days and plenty of walking. Each child needs a seat in the vehicle, and cabin and hotel prices depend on age, so give us their ages when you book.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-653714
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days · 7 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Wed or Sat
- Route
- Cairo → Aswan → Kom Ombo → Edfu → Luxor → El Gouna → Hurghada
- Nights
- 2 Cairo · 3 Nile cruise · 2 El Gouna
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers