Country(ies): Egypt
Tour type: Small Group
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 18
Accommodation: 5-star hotels & sleeper train
Meals:
Transport: A/C minibus/coach & sleeper train
Highlights: The great Pyramids & Sphinx, King tut's mask in the Egyptian museum, dramatic Karnak temple, ancient Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatchepsut temple, Colossi of Memnon, Red Sea Riviera
This 9-day Egypt guided tour takes in so much of what Egypt has to offer, including many of the main historical sites in Cairo and Luxor, before finishing with a relaxing beach break on the shores of the Red Sea at Hurghada.
Our Egypt guided tour kicks off in the heart of Cairo, with visits to the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, and the Egyptian Museum, home to the famous Tutankhamun display. We then head south to Luxor, known as the world's largest outdoor museum.
Here we delve further into the countries fascination history with guided tours of the imposing temple complex at Karnak, and Luxor temple on the east bank of the Nile, and the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatchepsut and Medinat Habu temples, and the Colossi of Memnon on the west bank.
After some free time to explore Luxor's markets and perhaps take a felucca sailboat trip on the Nile, we head to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada for some relaxation at the beach.
Hurghada is famous for its scuba diving, snorkelling, and great seafood and there are lots of adventurous activities to choose from such as quad biking, kiteboarding, windsurfing, fishing or camel rides.
Alternatively, you can relax on the beach and lap up the year-round sunshine. This Egypt guided tour finishes by driving back to Cairo for a walk through the winding back streets of the Khan-el-Khalili bazaar and Islamic Cairo.
You can also finish the tour in Hurghada and fly home directly from there if you wish.
If our scheduled departure dates do not work for you, or you would prefer not to travel with a group, then we can also run this Egypt guided tour privately for you. Please contact us for more information and prices.
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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.
Steigenberger Cairo Pyramids Hotel
Cairo
It features two pools, several restaurants and bars, free WiFi, a spa and fitness centre, and both classic and family rooms. The rooms overlook the gardens and feature air-conditioning, TVs, safes, and minibars. The hotel offers an airport shuttle.
Sleeper train
Cairo, Luxor & Aswan
On the sleeper train you have a private twin-berthed cabin, which features two large seats; fold down beds with mattress, sheets, pillow, blanket; storage locker and wash basin. An airline style evening meal and breakfast are included.
Steigenberger Nile Palace Hotel
Luxor
This hotel, formerly Le Meridien Luxor, is a modern hotel built in 2001. It is ideally situated right on the banks of the Nile and is within easy reach of all the major sites of Luxor.
Sunrise Royal Makadi Aqua Resort
Hurghada
The Sunrise Royal Makadi Resort is an excellent Red Sea resort option with a great beachfront location and lots of different activities and facilities available on site. The hotel is located near Makadi Bay, around 30km from the centre of Hurghada.
Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino
Cairo
The Sheraton Cairo is located in Cairo's Dokki district, close to the Egyptian Museum. It consists of a casino, night club, and 5-star hotel. The hotel offers a full range of services and amenities, as well as fully-equipped luxury rooms.
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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Sands & Seas & Country Reviews
Product Reviews
Posted 26th of Mar 2019
Perfect adventure! Food, Tours, Service, Guides, even transportation!
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.