Set aside ten deliberate days for the archaeologist’s Egypt, and this itinerary threads together the country’s finest ancient sites in a single flowing arc. You will begin in Cairo beneath the Giza pyramids and the watchful gaze of the Sphinx, before stepping into the vast, light-filled halls of the Grand Egyptian Museum. From there, the road south leads to Luxor’s Karnak precinct and the painted royal tombs hidden in the West Bank hills. Aswan follows, with the graceful island temple of Philae and an early morning excursion to the colossi of Abu Simbel. Skilled Egyptologist guides decode every carved wall and hieroglyph along the way, while private transfers and hand-picked hotels keep the days comfortable between the ruins. Book your ten-day Egyptian archaeology adventure today with Daily Pyramids Tours.
Trace 4,500 years of pharaonic civilisation across ten carefully paced days, purpose-built for travellers who come to Egypt for the archaeology. From the plateaux of Giza and Saqqara to the sanctuaries of Abu Simbel, you will step inside royal tombs, wander colonnaded temples and glide down the Nile between the Greco-Roman temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo, guided at every stop by resident Egyptologists.
Welcome to Egypt. The moment you clear immigration at Cairo International Airport, our representative will be waiting in the arrivals hall with a personalised name sign, ready to greet you.
From there, a private air-conditioned vehicle whisks you straight to your hotel, where check-in is handled quickly so you can settle in and rest after your flight.
Overnight: Cairo
Start the morning with breakfast at the hotel, then meet your Egyptologist guide in the lobby for a day devoted to Cairo’s greatest classics.
The first stop is the Giza Plateau, where the three great pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure rise from the desert. Walk beside their limestone flanks, meet the enigmatic Sphinx face to face, and step inside the Valley Temple, one of the oldest surviving ceremonial spaces in Egypt.
Break for a leisurely lunch at a favourite local restaurant nearby.
In the afternoon, cross the plateau to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the largest archaeological museum ever built. Its soaring galleries hold everything from towering statues to delicate jewellery, tracing Egypt’s story from the Old Kingdom through the New, with countless objects once owned by the pharaohs themselves.
A private transfer returns you to your hotel at the close of the day.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Cairo
Optional: In the evening, attend the Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids—a captivating display that narrates ancient history through light projections and dramatic storytelling.
After breakfast, your guide meets you for a full day tracing the evolution of Egyptian pyramid building south of Cairo.
First stop is Saqqara, home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser, whose stacked tiers mark the very first monumental stone building in human history. Learn how the architect Imhotep reshaped royal burial forever.
Next comes Memphis, once Egypt’s imperial capital and now an open-air museum scattered with a colossal recumbent statue of Ramses II and a serene alabaster sphinx.
The day closes at Dahshur, where two often-overlooked masterpieces stand side by side: the Bent Pyramid, notable for the sudden change of angle midway up its slope, and the Red Pyramid, credited as the world’s first true smooth-sided pyramid.
You return to Cairo in the afternoon with time to unwind before dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Cairo
After an early breakfast, transfer to Cairo Airport for the short domestic flight south to Luxor, the site of ancient Thebes and the archaeological heart of Egypt.
Your first visit is to Karnak Temple, a vast religious city expanded by pharaoh after pharaoh over more than a thousand years. Take your time in the Great Hypostyle Hall, where 134 columns carved with lotus and papyrus capitals rise around you.
From there you continue to Luxor Temple, linked to Karnak by the newly restored Avenue of Sphinxes. Its granite statues, reliefs and layered Egyptian, Roman and Christian details make it one of the country’s most atmospheric monuments.
A short transfer brings you to your hotel to rest for the night.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Luxor
Cross the Nile after breakfast for a full day on the West Bank, the great necropolis of Thebes.
Descend into the Valley of the Kings, where dozens of rock-cut tombs, including those of Tutankhamun and Seti I, lie hidden in a desert amphitheatre, their walls still bright with painted funerary scenes.
Continue to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, its three terraces carved directly into the sheer cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, a lasting monument to Egypt’s most successful female pharaoh.
On the way back, pause beside the Colossi of Memnon, twin seated statues of Amenhotep III that have looked out over the plain for over 3,000 years.
Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Luxor
Today rewards early risers with a full-day expedition to two remarkable temples away from the main tourist trail.
Head north to Abydos, one of Egypt’s most sacred places, and step inside the Temple of Seti I, dedicated to Osiris. The bas-reliefs here are among the finest ever carved, and the corridor housing the famous Abydos King List records the throne names of Egypt’s rulers stretching back to Menes.
Continue to the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, celebrated for its astonishingly preserved astronomical ceiling and richly painted crypts. Look out for the reproduction of the Dendera Zodiac and the underground chambers where sacred rituals took place.
You arrive back in Luxor by evening, having seen two of Upper Egypt’s most rewarding sites.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Luxor
After breakfast, begin the scenic road journey south along the Nile towards Aswan, breaking the drive with two of Egypt’s most complete Greco-Roman temples.
At Edfu you tour the Temple of Horus, so well preserved that its huge pylons, hypostyle halls and inner sanctuary still feel alive with the mythic combat between Horus and Seth carved across their walls.
Further south, Kom Ombo rises from the riverbank as a rare double sanctuary shared between the crocodile god Sobek and Horus the Elder. Its mirrored plan and famous relief of medical instruments give a fascinating glimpse into ancient science and belief.
By evening you reach Aswan and check in to your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Aswan
A pre-dawn start is well worth it for today’s excursion across the Nubian desert to Abu Simbel.
Nothing quite prepares you for the sight of Ramses II’s temple facade, its four seated colossi cut into the sandstone cliff. Remember that the whole monument was lifted and reassembled higher up in the 1960s to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, and note how the inner sanctuary is still aligned to catch the sun on two mornings a year.
Inside, painted reliefs record Ramses’s victory at Kadesh alongside scenes of temple ritual. Just beside it stands the smaller temple of Nefertari, where the queen is shown at the same scale as the king, an honour almost unheard of in ancient Egypt.
You return to Aswan by early afternoon with the evening at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Overnight: Aswan
This morning begins with the High Dam, the engineering feat that reshaped modern Egypt and gave rise to the enormous reservoir of Lake Nasser.
A short motorboat ride then carries you across to Philae Island, where the Temple of Isis, painstakingly moved stone by stone from its original site, sits in tranquil beauty at the water’s edge.
In the afternoon a private transfer takes you to Aswan Airport for your flight back to Cairo, where you check in to your hotel for a final night in Egypt.
Meals: Breakfast
Overnight: Cairo
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at the hotel before your private driver collects you for the transfer to Cairo International Airport in time for your onward flight home.
We hope the temples, tombs and pyramids of this journey stay with you long after you leave, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Egypt one day soon.
Meals: Breakfast
| Room Type | |
|---|---|
| 👤 Double Room | $2150 Per Person |
| 🚶 Single Room | $3240 |
| Room Type | |
|---|---|
| 👤 Double Room | $2680 Per Person |
| 🚶 Single Room | $4000 |
| Room Type | |
|---|---|
| 👤 Double Room | $2820 Per Person |
| 🚶 Single Room | $4170 |
| Room Type | |
|---|---|
| 👤 Double Room | $3575 Per Person |
| 🚶 Single Room | $5200 |
| Room Type | |
|---|---|
| 👤 Double Room | $4207 Per Person |
| 🚶 Single Room | $6157 |
| Room Type | |
|---|---|
| 👤 Double Room | $5400 Per Person |
| 🚶 Single Room | $7685 |
All Daily Pyramids Tours packages are quoted in US Dollars (USD) as standard, though we are happy to accept settlement in other major currencies including Euros (EUR) and British Pounds (GBP), converted at the official exchange rate that applies on the day the payment is processed.
Rates reflect prevailing market costs, seasonality and service availability at the time of quotation, and may be adjusted without notice. As soon as a deposit or full payment is received, however, your price is locked in and fully guaranteed.
What’s Included in Our Packages:
Do refer to your individual booking confirmation and detailed itinerary for the exact inclusions and exclusions that apply to your trip.
Holiday Supplement:
A 25% surcharge applies to all Nile Cruises and tour packages booked during Christmas, New Year, and Easter holidays due to peak demand.
Payment requirements at Daily Pyramids Tours depend on the type of service you have booked, and are set out clearly below:
Once payment is received, you will be sent written confirmation together with your personalised itinerary and travel documents by email, and a receipt is issued for every payment made.
Life happens, and plans sometimes need to change. Our cancellation terms are as follows:
Where a refund is due, it is processed within 14 business days of our receiving your written cancellation. Please note that some Nile Cruises and hotels operate their own stricter cancellation rules; where these apply, they will be highlighted in your itinerary.
Families are always welcome with Daily Pyramids Tours, and children benefit from the following age-based rates:
Child discounts apply where children share accommodation with two full-paying adults. Some Nile Cruises and luxury hotels operate their own policies or age restrictions for younger children; when relevant, these will be flagged clearly in your itinerary.
Certain experiences sit outside the standard package and can be added either in advance or on the ground, subject to availability. Popular optional extras include:
Optional activities can be settled in either USD or Egyptian Pounds (EGP), and we strongly recommend booking ahead during high season to secure availability.
Our packages are designed to be comprehensive, but travellers should allow a modest personal budget for the following:
Carrying a small reserve of Egyptian Pounds (EGP) is useful for tipping, small purchases and browsing local markets throughout the trip.
Known locally as “baksheesh”, tipping is a long-standing way of recognising good service in Egypt. It is entirely voluntary, but always warmly received:
Gratuities are not included in the package price. Keeping a few small USD or EGP notes to hand makes tipping easy throughout your journey.
Egypt is at its most inviting between November and February, when the winter light is soft, the days are pleasantly warm and long walks around the pyramids and temples feel effortless. Try to avoid the height of summer from June to August, when temperatures across much of the country regularly climb above 40°C (104°F) and outdoor sightseeing becomes challenging in the middle of the day.
Most visitors to Egypt need to arrive prepared with the following documents in order:
Passport: Valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
Visa: Depending on your nationality, you may need to obtain a visa in advance or upon arrival. Some nationalities are eligible for e-visas.
Travel Insurance: Recommended to cover medical emergencies and other unforeseen circumstances.
Vaccinations: While no specific vaccinations are required for entry, it’s advisable to check with your healthcare provider for any recommended vaccinations.
Egypt is broadly a safe destination for tourists, and considerable effort goes into protecting visitors at major sites and in the main cities. It is still sensible to review the latest travel advice issued by your own government before you leave and to keep an eye on local news during your stay.
Decide Your Travel Dates and Budget
Settle on when you want to travel and roughly how much you plan to spend. Fixing these two variables early makes it much easier to compare flights, hotels and tour packages.
Choose Your Itinerary and Destinations
Egypt has an embarrassment of highlights — Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, Luxor, Aswan, the Nile Cruise, Alexandria and the Red Sea resorts. Decide which places matter most to you and how many nights each deserves.
Find a Reliable Tour Operator or Travel Agency
Book through a locally based Egyptian operator, an international agency or a reputable online platform specialising in Egypt. Read recent reviews carefully before committing so you know you are in trustworthy hands.
Select a Tour Package or Customize Your Trip
Ready-made packages that bundle flights, hotels, transfers and guided tours make life simple. If you prefer, most operators are happy to tailor the itinerary around your interests, budget and dates.
Make a Reservation
Once you have chosen your package, get in touch with the operator to confirm availability, share your traveller details and pay the required deposit or full amount as per their booking terms.
Prepare Your Travel Documents
Double-check that your passport is valid, sort out your Egyptian visa if you need one, and keep printed and digital copies of your itinerary, hotel vouchers and tour confirmations.
Pack and Get Ready
Pack for the season and the sights on your list. Comfortable walking shoes, high-factor sunscreen, a refillable water bottle and the right travel adapters will make a real difference on the ground.
Enjoy Your Trip!
Arrive with an open mind, keep in touch with your guide or agency, follow the itinerary at your own pace and lose yourself in Egypt’s astonishing history and hospitality.
Tipping — “baksheesh” in Arabic — is very much part of everyday life in Egypt and is almost never built into the tour price. Guides, drivers and hotel staff all appreciate a small acknowledgement when they have looked after you well, and a rough guide is around 10-15% of the bill or service cost, adjusted up or down for the quality of what you received.
