Boutique Egypt

Best time to go: October - April
Best for: Slow Travel, Historical, First Time Visitor

Explore Egypt on this privately-guided suggested itinerary combining Cairo, Luxor and Aswan without taking a cruise along the Nile. We carefully select the most characterful hotels to use on our suggested ‘Boutique Egypt’ itinerary.

You might not like the idea of living cheek-by-jowl with fellow guests on a cruise down the Nile, and instead prefer the idea of staying in wonderful boutique hotels, with expansive tropical gardens and large pools. You will also make use of private guides. When you take a Nile Cruise, you are generally guided as part of a group of fellow passengers. With private guides, you undeniably get a far better, more personal insight into Egypt’s antiquity. This suggested Boutique Egypt tour also takes things slowly, with afternoons or mornings to have some time to put your feet up and savour the destination.

Begin in Cairo, with three nights to truly experience what this frenetic capital has to offer. Stay at the boutique Belle Epoque, located in a quiet suburb of the city. With a private driver and guide, you can easily reach the various highlights. See the Pyramids, Egyptian Museum, Memphis and Saqqara and also have time for a walking tour of historic Cairo.

Fly to Luxor, where you will stay in unquestionably one of the most characterful hotels in Egypt, Al Moudira. You truly get a sense of being in Egypt when staying here. Three nights in Luxor will allow you to head to the West Bank for a full day with your private guide. Also, see the temples of Luxor and Karnak. You will also have a private experience of the Nile, taking a felucca out on the Nile at sunset.

You are then driven to Aswan via the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo en route. Spend three nights in Aswan and stay at the incomparable Old Cataract. The next day, see the Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk and High Dam. The final day is spent relaxing or heading down to see the temple at Abu Simbel.

We can, of course, add a beach extension to this itinerary, and this would mean doing Aswan before Luxor and then driving to Hurghada or flying via Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh. Any element of this itinerary can be tweaked, changed or extended.

Guide Pricing

Starting At

LOCATION:

£3350

Price per person including all accommodation, private transfers, unique experiences and excluding international flights. We can arrange international flights should you wish.

Highlights

Stay in boutique hotels throughout, rather than taking a Nile Cruise
Make use of private guides and drivers during your tour
Spend three nights in each location so that you have time to relax and also explore
You can start your tour on any day of the week because you aren’t tied to specific cruise departure dates

Day 1-3

Belle Epoque

Day 4-6

Al Moudira

Day 7-9

Soiftel Legend Old Cataract Hotel

Days	Location	Hotel
Day 1-3	Cairo	Belle Epoque
Day 4-6	Luxor	Al Moudira
Day 7-9	Aswan	Soiftel Legend Old Cataract Hotel
Day 10	Aswan	Fly Home

Day 1

Cairo

Arrive in Cairo where you will be met and have a private transfer to your hotel. Afterwards, spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Day 2

Cairo

Today, you will be met by your private driver and guide and taken to the Great Pyramids at Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After that, embark on a voyage to pharaonic times at the Solar Boat Museum. Visit the mysterious Sphinx before heading for lunch in a traditional Egyptian restaurant. After lunch, visit the famed Egyptian Museum, a repository of many of the glories of antiquity, including the spectacular treasures of King Tutankhamen. Finally, descend into the past to experience the 11 royal mummies in the world-renowned Mummy Room.

Day 3

Cairo

Begin with the less-visited pyramids at Dashour, including both the unusual Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, which was built by the father of Cheops. Continue to Saqqara, an entire complex built by Imhotep. It is particularly famous for the Step Pyramid, the earliest of all classic memorials. Return to Cairo for lunch in the bustling Khan el-Khalili souq before taking an immersive walking tour of Islamic Cairo.

Day 4

Luxor

Fly to Luxor where we will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Afterwards, your private guide will show you Karnak and Luxor Temples.

Day 5

Luxor

This morning, visit the West Bank and explore the tombs in the stunning Valley of the Kings. Then it’s on to the striking Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which is framed by towering cliffs. Explore the Valley of the Queens and Colossi of Memnon. Spend the afternoon at leisure.

Day 6

Luxor

A day of leisure, for optional further sightseeing in the Valley of the Kings. We will also arrange a sunset felucca ride on the Nile.

Day 7

Luxor - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan

A full day drive from Luxor to Aswan. Explore the temple of the falcon-headed god Horus at Edfu. The Temple of Horus is significantly one of the most complete buildings surviving from the age of the Pharaohs. You then drive onto Kom Ombo where you will see the temples dedicated to Horus the Elder and the crocodile god Sobek. Afterwards, you will drive onto Aswan.

Day 8

Aswan

Today, you will explore Aswan. Aswan is undeniably one of the most beautiful spots in Egypt, where the desert sands of the Sahara meet the Nile. Felucca sailing boats drift across the tranquil waters between ink granite boulders and emerald islands. Your tour today includes the beautiful Temple of Isis on Philae Island coupled with the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971) and the Quarries of the Pharaohs, where you can see the Unfinished Obelisk.

Day 9

Aswan

A day at leisure to enjoy the views over the Nile. You might want to make a visit to the interesting Nubian Museum, or wander around the souqs of Aswan under your own steam. You can also visit the temples of Abu Simbel, taking a flight there and back in the day.

Day 10

Fly Home

Today, your ‘Boutique Egypt’ tour comes to an end. Take a private transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairo, and onward flight home. We can arrange for a night close to Cairo’s airport depending on the flight timings.