8-Day Cairo, Nile Cruise & Hurghada Holiday
Giza's pyramids, three nights sailing from Aswan to Luxor and two nights beside the Red Sea. Both internal flights, your hotels and your cruise cabin are included.
The short answer
8-Day Cairo, Nile Cruise & Hurghada Holiday is an 8-day, 7-night trip to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Hurghada: 2 nights in Cairo, 3 on a Nile cruise and 2 in Hurghada. Starts on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Sundays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,658 per person, two sharing (Comfort, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
The history comes first on this holiday, and the beach comes last. You arrive in Cairo and have the evening free to unwind, then spend a day at the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. You fly to Aswan that same day and join your Nile cruise ship for three nights, calling at Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Luxor Temple, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings as you head to Luxor.
A private car then takes you from Luxor to the Red Sea at Hurghada, about five hours away, for two nights and a day snorkelling at Orange Bay. A flight returns you to Cairo for your last night. We organise both internal flights, every transfer, your hotels and your cabin. You pick the standard of hotel and ship when you book; the sightseeing is the same whichever you choose.
What lingers
- 01A quiet first evening in Cairo, ready for the Giza day
- 02The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum with your Egyptologist
- 03Three nights on a Nile cruise ship from Aswan to Luxor, full board
- 04Philae, Kom Ombo and Edfu temples, followed by Luxor Temple and Karnak
- 05The Valley of the Kings, with three tombs included
- 06A snorkelling day at Orange Bay on Giftun Island, with lunch and two guided sessions
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 £1,6584★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 2 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 3 nightsTower Prestige · Royal Elite Hurghada · 2 nightsSwiss Inn Resort Hurghada | £1,658May–Sep: from £1,507 | |
| Classicfrom £1,7275★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSun Times · Stephanie Hurghada · 2 nightsAMC Royal Hotel & Spa | £1,727May–Sep: from £1,507 | |
| Prestigefrom £2,1865★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta Moon Goddess · Nile Serenity Hurghada · 2 nightsHilton Hurghada Plaza | £2,186May–Sep: from £2,056 | |
| Luxuryfrom £3,2395★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 2 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta St. George I · Cleopatra | £3,239May–Sep: from £2,634 |
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
8 Days / 7 Nights · Cairo · Aswan · Kom Ombo · Edfu · Luxor · Hurghada
- 1
A driver is waiting in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport to take you to your hotel. There is nothing planned for the evening, so you can rest after the journey. The next day is a long one, and an early night will help.
- 2
Expect an early start and a very full day. Your Egyptologist shows you the pyramids and the Great Sphinx on the Giza Plateau, a visit of 4 to 6 hours, then lunch and the Grand Egyptian Museum, around eight hours in all. You are then taken to Cairo Airport for the hour-long flight to Aswan and driven to your cruise ship.
The airline decides the flight time, and the day is planned around it, including your first cruise sightseeing at Philae Temple, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk. Guide, entrance fees and transport are included. You have dinner and spend the night on board.
- 3
The ship heads north towards Luxor. With an English-speaking Egyptologist you go ashore at the Temple of Kom Ombo, right on the riverbank, and at the Temple of Edfu. Entrance fees and transport are covered. Between visits there is time on deck, watching date palms and farmland slip by.
- 4
The ship arrives in Luxor. Your Egyptologist guides you around Luxor Temple and Karnak, with its Sacred Lake, the largest temple complex in Egypt. Entrance fees and transport are covered. The rest of the day is spent on board, with dinner and your final night on the Nile.
- 5
After breakfast you leave the ship and cross to the West Bank with your Egyptologist for the Valley of the Kings, where three tombs are included, Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Entrance fees and transport are covered. A private air-conditioned car then drives you from Luxor to Hurghada on the Red Sea, about five hours. Only breakfast is included today.
- 6
A driver takes you from the hotel to the marina, where a motorboat carries you across to Orange Bay at Giftun Island. A guide leads two snorkelling stops over the reef, with mask, fins and life jacket supplied, and between the two you can lie on a sunbed on the sand. Lunch is hot, water is included, and the boat takes you back to Hurghada and your hotel.
- 7
After breakfast you are driven to Hurghada Airport for the hour-long flight to Cairo, at a time set by the airline. You are met on arrival and taken to your hotel. No sightseeing is planned, so the rest of the day is yours. The last night in Cairo is there on purpose: it is a safety window should an internal flight run late, so that you reach your flight home calmly.
- 8
This morning, after breakfast, you leave your Cairo hotel. Your private driver is ready to take you to the airport for the flight home, and the representative sees to your bags. The journey is planned at roughly ninety minutes, so it is wise to leave some spare time.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Two nights in Cairo hotels and two nights in Hurghada, all with breakfast, and three nights on a Nile cruise ship on full board
- Internal flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Hurghada to Cairo
- All airport, hotel and ship transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle, including the private transfer from Luxor to Hurghada
- Entrance fees to every site in the itinerary, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and transport on every sightseeing day
- The Orange Bay snorkelling day, with boat, equipment, life jackets, sunbed, hot lunch and bottled water
- An English-speaking Egyptologist on the Giza day and on every Nile cruise sightseeing day
- Meet and assist at the airport
- All service charges and taxes
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
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Go to Giza early, before the plateau heat and tour buses build up.
- 02
The Valley of the Kings is hottest after 10 a.m., so morning access matters.
- 03
Philae photographs best from the boat landing side in softer morning light.
- 04
In Hurghada, sea conditions are often calmer before noon, which helps visibility.
- 05
Carry small notes for tips and incidental purchases, as cash is still common.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel and ship when you book. Ask us about extra nights in Cairo, Luxor or Hurghada.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want the ancient sites first and time by the sea afterwards. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy with two flights, a long drive and several hours of walking on sightseeing days.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who prefer a slow pace in one place. Days 2 and 5 are long.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the main Nile temples and the Red Sea in eight days
- Both internal flights and all transfers arranged for you
- Three nights on a ship, so no repacking between Aswan and Luxor
Things to Consider
- Day 2 packs Giza, the museum, a flight to Aswan and the first cruise sightseeing into one day
- A five-hour drive from Luxor to Hurghada on day 5
- Abu Simbel is not included
Where it fits
A good first trip to Egypt if you want history first and a few days by the sea. Abu Simbel is not included.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many operators sell the Nile and the Red Sea as separate trips. This holiday joins them in eight days, 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 Nile cruise and a Red Sea stay
- Accommodation
- Cairo and Hurghada hotels and a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Aswan · Kom Ombo · Edfu · Luxor · Hurghada
- Includes
- 2 nights in Cairo hotels and 2 nights in Hurghada, with breakfast · 3 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · Flights from Cairo to Aswan and Hurghada to Cairo · Entrance fees to every listed site · Orange Bay snorkelling day with lunch · All transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
- Best for
- First-time visitors · Travellers interested in history who also want a beach stop · Couples and friends wanting temples and the Red Sea on one holiday
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 Orange Bay day
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any regular medication
- A light layer for the ship and the flights
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and temples
- Swimwear and a cover-up for the beach and boat
- A hat and sunglasses
- 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. Life jackets are provided on the snorkelling day, and children should be at ease in the water.
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. The Valley of the Kings and Karnak have long, open stretches with little shade. Boarding the ship, the boat to Philae and the motorboat to Orange Bay involve steps and 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, a Nile cruise ship, a motorboat and private 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, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada, so much of what you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle, to keep their hands off the painted walls in tombs and to avoid touching or standing on coral when snorkelling.
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 flight from Cairo to Aswan on day 2 and the flight from Hurghada to Cairo on day 7 are booked for you and are included in the price. The airline decides the flight times. International flights are not.02How many nights do we spend on the Nile?
Three nights on board, from Aswan to Luxor, on full board with breakfast, lunch and dinner. The other four nights are in hotels with breakfast: one in Cairo, two in Hurghada and a final one in Cairo.03Which ship and which hotels will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the ship and hotels for your dates. The itinerary and sightseeing are identical at every standard.04Is day 2 too much?
It is the busiest day, with the pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, a flight to Aswan and the first cruise sightseeing. The Aswan visits are planned around your flight time. Tell us your arrival time and we will talk you through it.05What does the Hurghada day include?
Day 6 is a boat trip to Orange Bay on Giftun Island, with two guided snorkelling sessions, equipment, life jackets, a beach sunbed, a hot lunch and bottled water.06What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides, drivers and ship staff, drinks other than those stated, and any meal not listed, including lunch and dinner on day 5.07Does the holiday include Abu Simbel?
No. Abu Simbel is not part of this itinerary. Ask us about longer holidays that include it.08When is the best time to go?
October to April is cooler and the most comfortable for exploring the temples. Summers are very hot in Luxor and Aswan, so days start early. The Red Sea stays warm enough for swimming for most of the year.09Will I get my flight home?
Your internal and international flights are separate bookings, so a late internal flight can cost you the connection. We prefer to end the holiday with a night in Cairo for exactly this reason. If you do connect on the same day, book a late-evening or night departure, and take travel insurance that covers missed connections.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-110707
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days · 7 nights
- Starts
- Tue, Wed, Thu or Sun
- Route
- Cairo → Aswan → Kom Ombo → Edfu → Luxor → Hurghada → Cairo
- Nights
- 2 Cairo · 3 Nile cruise · 2 Hurghada
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers