Offices · since 1988 · IATA · ETAA · Class-A licensed
Private guided excursions to the Pyramids of Giza, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, Philae and Abu Simbel, Alexandria, and the Red Sea reefs. Hotel pickup, Egyptologist guide, and all admissions included – ideal as a holiday day out or a stand-alone trip.
Reviewed 28 September 2026 · Discovery Tours Egypt editorial
What we do
Egypt excursions are private single-day trips with a licensed Egyptologist guide, hotel pickup, and all admissions. Egypt Discovery has run them since 1988 from offices nationwide – Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam, and Sharm El Sheikh.
Egypt Discovery organises private, guided excursions across all of Egypt's headline destinations – the Pyramids of Giza, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Philae and Abu Simbel from Aswan, the Mediterranean at Alexandria, and the Red Sea reefs off Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. Every excursion includes hotel pickup, an Egyptologist guide, admissions, and a private vehicle. We have been operating from our Cairo head office since 1988, with branch offices in Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam, and Sharm El Sheikh.
Explore by destination
Choose a destination to browse excursions, see what you'll visit, and find the right pickup point from your hotel.
The Great Pyramid, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis – the day everyone comes to Egypt for. Private Egyptologist, skip-the-queue entry, and the new Grand Egyptian Museum next door.
The temples, tombs and museums strung along the river – the classic Egypt trail from Cairo down to Aswan.
What you book
Private excursions from £30. No hidden extras, no shop stops, no commission detours – the price you see covers everything below.
Air-conditioned private vehicle from your hotel or Nile cruise dock. Driver waits in the lobby with your name.
Licensed Egyptologist we work with regularly – fluent English, plus Arabic, French, German, Spanish and Italian; other languages on request.
Tickets to every site listed in the itinerary, including Tutankhamun's tomb add-ons and Giza pyramid interior where chosen.
Bottled water all day. Lunch at a vetted, hygienic restaurant on full-day excursions; mineral water and a snack box on long transfers.
Tipping for guides and drivers is at your discretion – typical is £8–15 GBP per day per traveller, split between guide and driver. We'll always tell you in advance if anything is excluded (e.g. domestic flight tickets to Abu Simbel are usually a separate line).
Day tour geography
Cairo, Giza, Luxor, Aswan and Alexandria form the ancient-Egypt trail along the Nile. Hurghada, Marsa Alam, and the Sinai resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab are the Red Sea departure hubs – for snorkelling, dolphins, and long-day flying excursions back to the Nile Valley.
The best excursion is the one you don't have to organise yourself. We've been arranging them, in this country, since 1988.
Plan by hotel location
Egypt is a long country – roughly the size of France and Spain combined. Use this reference to choose excursions that work with your holiday base.
| Staying in | Easy day trip (≤3 hr each way) | Long day trip (4–6 hr each way) | Day trip by flight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo / Giza | Pyramids, Saqqara, Memphis (~1 hr) · Felucca on the Nile · GEM | Alexandria (~3 hr) · Fayoum & Wadi Hitan | Luxor · Aswan |
| Luxor | Karnak, Luxor Temple, West Bank (~15 min) · Felucca · Hot-air balloon | Dendera, Abydos (~2 hr) · Esna lock cruise | Cairo · Abu Simbel via Aswan |
| Aswan | Philae, High Dam, Kom Ombo (~45 min) · Felucca to Elephantine · Nubian villages | Abu Simbel (road, 3 hr each way) | Abu Simbel (40 min) · Cairo |
| Hurghada | Giftun & Mahmya snorkel · Dolphin House · Bedouin desert · Sandbank | Luxor (5 hr) · Cairo (6 hr) · El Gouna · Safaga | Cairo Pyramids · Luxor |
| Sharm El Sheikh | Ras Mohammed snorkel · Tiran Island · Glass-boat · St Catherine's & Mt Sinai (~2 hr) | Dahab & Blue Hole (~1.5 hr) · Coloured Canyon | Cairo Pyramids (1 hr) · Luxor |
| Marsa Alam | Sataya Dolphin Reef · Wadi El Gemal · Hamata Islands · Bedouin desert | Luxor (4 hr) · Aswan (4 hr) · Hurghada (3 hr) | Cairo via Hurghada |
| Dahab | Blue Hole · Lagoon · Bedouin lunch · Three Pools | St Catherine's & Mt Sinai · Coloured Canyon | Cairo via Sharm |
All excursions include hotel pickup from your accommodation. Departure times vary – an early pickup (4–5 am) is typical for Hurghada → Cairo or Luxor transfers.
Plan your day
Three ways to narrow down – by what you want to see, by how long you want to be out, and by where you're staying on holiday.
01By history
First time in Cairo with just a day to spare? Pyramids of Giza + Grand Egyptian Museum, full-day. For Pharaonic depth: Luxor's Valley of the Kings, Karnak, and Hatshepsut on a single full-day East/West Bank circuit. From Aswan, Abu Simbel is the standout – by road or by 40-minute flight.
02By water
Snorkel Giftun and Mahmya from Hurghada, Ras Mohammed and Tiran from Sharm El Sheikh, the Sataya dolphin reef from Marsa Alam, or the Blue Hole and lagoon from Dahab. Or skip the salt water – take a felucca from Aswan, Cairo's Maadi Corniche, or Luxor at sunset.
03By pace
Half-day excursions (4–5 hr) suit cruise stopovers and family holidays with younger travellers. Full-day excursions (8–10 hr) cover combos like Giza + Saqqara + Memphis or Luxor East + West Bank. Flying day-trips (Cairo from Hurghada, Abu Simbel from Aswan) start before dawn and return after sunset – book a rest day on either side.
04By base
Egypt is long. From Cairo, Alexandria or Fayoum is easy. From Hurghada or Sharm, Luxor and Cairo are 5–6 hr road runs each way – flying is faster but pricier. From Sharm or Dahab, Mount Sinai's sunrise climb is a midnight start, back by mid-morning. From Marsa Alam, Wadi El Gemal is just 90 minutes south.
When to go
Egypt's excursion season runs all year, but heat, crowds, and prices change month-to-month. Here's the short version for British travellers.
Oct–Nov
Peak shoulder – warm days, cool nights. Sites busy but bearable. Best for first-time visitors and family holidays.
Dec–Feb
High season. Cool, dry, ideal for desert + Pyramids. Book 6–8 weeks ahead; Christmas/NYE premiums apply.
Mar–Apr
Spring – warming up. Khamsin sandstorms possible (1–2 days in March). Lower prices than peak; great for half-term.
May–Sep
Hot. Upper Egypt 38–45°C. Early-morning starts essential. Best value of the year for British summer holidays.
Why Discovery Tours Egypt
Locally rooted
Cairo HQ plus branches in Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam, and Sharm El Sheikh. Your excursion isn't subcontracted to a local supplier we've never met – it's run by colleagues we share a coffee with. When something needs adjusting on the day, the person who picks up the phone has the authority to fix it.
The guides
Every guide is licensed by the Ministry of Tourism, and we choose them for how well they read a room and a wall — not for how cheaply they can be booked. Most have been explaining these temples for twenty years or more, and they come back to us season after season, so the person meeting you at your hotel is someone we know by name rather than a stranger from a rotating agency pool. English is standard; Arabic, French, German, Spanish and Italian are regularly available, and other languages can usually be arranged with notice.
Direct, accountable
IATA-accredited and licensed by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. We handle domestic flights, transfers, and admissions in-house – there's no middleman skimming a margin. Full credit or a refund if you cancel more than 72 hours before pickup*; same team on WhatsApp throughout your holiday.
Common questions
Select a destination above to see the full list of excursions, attraction details, and practical info for that city. Or talk to our team – we'll match you with the right excursion for your hotel location, holiday dates, and interests.
We typically reply within 30 minutes during Cairo office hours · Sun–Thu
*Let us know more than 72 hours ahead and you can keep the full amount as credit or take a refund less bank charges; between 72 and 24 hours it's full credit or a 50% refund; within 24 hours there's no refund or credit. Pre-issued tickets – domestic flights, train seats and some event admissions – can't be refunded once booked, and we'll tell you when you book if that applies.
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