Country(ies): Egypt
Tour type: Shoestring
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 26
Accommodation: 3-4 star hotels, Nubian guesthouse & felucca sailboat
Meals:
Transport: AC minibus/coach
Highlights: The great Pyramids & Sphinx, beautiful Philae temple by boat, Nile felucca cruise, Pharaonic sites of Luxor's East and West Banks, back streets of the Khan-el-Khalili bazaar, Dendara & Abydos
The perfect introduction to Egypt, this shoestring level tour covers Cairo and the Nile Valley between Aswan and Luxor, starting with the amazing Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, and the incredible treasures of the Egyptian Museum.
From Cairo we drive south, following the route of the Nile to Luxor, and then on to Aswan, where we'll take a boat trip to the beautiful island temple of Philae and have the option to visit the huge temples built by Ramses II at Abu Simbel. We'll spend the night in Aswan in a friendly Nubian village.
The next highlight of the tour is a relaxing overnight cruise down the Nile on a traditional felucca sailboat. Our support boat with toilet, shower and kitchen for the crew to prepare your meals will join with you during the day and at night. Sailing on the Nile on a felucca is one of the best ways to see Egypt and it provides a great break between your busy sightseeing. An upgrade to a hotel is available for this night if you'd prefer some more comfort.
After exploring the amazing ancient Pharaonic sites in Luxor, we return to Cairo with stops at the less visited temples at Abydos and Dendara on the way. Additional options are then available before you fly home on your final day for a half-day city tour taking in the Egyptian Museum, Citadel and Khan-el-Khalili bazaar, or to learn more about the history of pyramid building at Dashour and Memphis. Extra nights in Cairo and extensions to the Red Sea are also available on request.
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Egypt itinerary adjustments:
In the rare event that there are only 2 or 3 people in the group, the itinerary in Egypt will be adjusted slightly. Instead of driving between Cairo and Aswan/Luxor, these journeys will be done by sleeper train instead. The Abydos & Dendara visit will be replaced by including the normally optional tour to Karnak Temple.
Hotel Gala Dinners
Many of Egypt's hotels and Nile cruise boats arrange a very special gala dinner with entertainment in the evening on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Payment for these is often optional on Christmas Eve (24 Dec) but normally compulsory on New Year's Eve (31 Dec), whether you attend or not. Prices can range from around US$50 to over US$180 per person in 5-star hotels. Final decisions on prices and whether dinners are compulsory are made relatively close to the time. We aim to always select hotels that make their Gala Dinners optional, though this is not always possible, especially for New Year's Eve. Gala dinner prices are therefore not included in our prices above, but will be added to your booking if they become required. Please budget accordingly. More information is available on request.
Small-group departure dates are listed below. The tour is also available as a customisable private departure on any other dates. Please contact us for more information and prices for your preferred date and number of travellers.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Zayed Hotel
Giza
The Zayed Hotel is a small and friendly 3-star hotel overlooking a square and gardens in the respectable Mohandiseen district of Cairo.
Eatabe Hotel
Luxor
Eatabe Hotel is found in Luxor town centre, near the famous Luxor Temple. It features double and twin rooms with air-conditioning and satellite TVs. Facilities and services include WiFi access, room service, a pool, bar, and restaurant.
Felucca Sailboat
Aswan
Feluccas are very basic traditional Nile sailboats and make for an extremely relaxing and enjoyable way to travel down the river.
Pyramisa Isis Corniche Hotel
Aswan
Situated on the banks of the River Nile close to the centre of Aswan, comfortable 4-star hotel offers a wide range of services and friendly staff.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination youre visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
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Egypt on a Shoestring & Country Reviews
Product Review
Posted 29th of Mar 2019
Important Egyptian sites were available to visit. They were visited.
Product Review
Posted 27th of Mar 2019
This was a great trip and worth every penny. Our Egyptologist tour guide was 'Big Mo' which made all the difference. He was knowledgeable, kind, and hospitable. He made sure we had a solid introduction to each tour site and then was available for more detailed information if we wanted. Book a tour with 'Big Mo' if at all possible!
Product Review
Posted 27th of Mar 2019
Excellent value—I purchased it initially on Groupon and Encounters Travel allowed us to make additions.
Product Review
Posted 26th of Mar 2019
Excellent tour. From the moment we landed in Cairo until we left, we were well taken care of. We experienced so much of Egypt -- from temples and pyramids and tombs to a bonfire dinner and sing-a-long on an island. Our guide (Waleed) was exceptional. His love and knowledge of Egypt was evident throughout the tour. He helped Egypt come alive for us. We were very pleased with the tour.
Product Review
Posted 26th of Mar 2019
Perfect adventure! Food, Tours, Service, Guides, even transportation!
Product Review
Posted 26th of Mar 2019
With all we did and the amount of travel, I was shocked at how cost effective the tour company made it. You get your money's worth after you think about busses, felucca sailboat, overnight train, hotel rooms, and the amazing tour guide.
Product Review
Posted 17th of Jan 2019
Great value for the price!
Product Review
Posted 17th of Jan 2019
Great value for the price!
Product Review
Posted 7th of Jan 2019
My Egyptian tour was the trip of a lifetime, The Egyptian and Nubian people were friendly and welcoming. The food and hotels were fantastic and the country of Egypt was stunning!!!
Product Review
Posted 6th of Jan 2019
All the sights were great and our tour guide explained and told History on all we saw.
Product Review
Posted 5th of Jan 2019
Worth every penny! Go to Egypt with Encounters Travel!
Product Review
Posted 4th of Jan 2019
Really enjoyed the various excursions especially the overnight felucca, hot air balloon, abu simbel and Camel ride against the pyramids
Product Review
Posted 3rd of Jan 2019
The tour for the price was EXCELLENT!
Product Review
Posted 3rd of Jan 2019
The price was great and the people wonderful!
Product Review
Posted 2nd of Jan 2019
Bucket list experience. A must.
Product Review
Posted 4th of Dec 2017
Amazing value for the price. We loved our guide, Big Mo!
Product Review
Posted 21st of Nov 2017
See above review for more details.
Product Review
Posted 15th of Sep 2017
We really got to see a lot for the time we spent in Egypt and Encounters made sure no time was wasted in waiting for transportation and rooms and things like that. We had a great group, a great guide, and really learned a lot. All accommodations were exceptional and we couldn't believe how we did everything for such a good price
Product Review
Posted 12th of Jun 2017
There was a time many years ago that I wanted to travel to Egypt and didn't because of the cost. This trip was, to me, very affordable. I think everyone should experience this trip. The tour guide was alos excellent, Sherif Mohammad.
Product Review
Posted 8th of Jun 2017
Incredible trip; our guide was really knowledgeable and answered all questions regarding history.
Product Review
Posted 7th of Jun 2017
Great tour! Safe, comfortable, and fascinating. It was a joy to travel to so many wonderful places and always know I was in good hands.
Product Review
Posted 7th of Jun 2017
As stated before it was a great trip
Product Review
Posted 6th of Jun 2017
The whole experience was wonderful.
Product Review
Posted 6th of Jun 2017
Amazing trip. It was well layed out and guided. We also we're lucky to have a great group in which we all got along really well.
Product Review
Posted 6th of Jun 2017
Exceed expectations and very professional.