Egypt, from the Nile to the Red Sea
Your journey can be tailored to your wishes.
Thirteen days from the pyramids of Giza to the coral reefs of the Red Sea. Cairo and its Grand Egyptian Museum, a first-class night train south, Abu Simbel at dawn, three slow days under sail on the Nile between Aswan and Edfu, the temples of Luxor, and, to close, the turquoise water of Hurghada.
Specifications
Duration: 13 days / 12 nights
Style: tailor-made journey, ancient Egypt, the Nile under sail and the Red Sea
Best season: October to April
From €2,290 per person*
Itinerary
From the pyramids to the reefs, the route runs south along the Nile before turning east to the sea. Tap the title that interests you and we will take you straight there.
Details
Day 1 — Arrival in Cairo
You are welcomed inside Cairo International Airport, helped through the visa and arrival formalities, and transferred privately to a boutique hotel looking out towards the pyramids of Giza. A welcome drink, and the first Egyptian evening at your own pace.
Night in Cairo, breakfast included.
Day 2 — Giza, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
A full private day on the Giza plateau with your local French-speaking guide. You begin with the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the oldest and largest of the three and the only wonder of the ancient world still standing, then continue with the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure. A panoramic stop takes in all three at once, before the valley temple of Khafre and the Sphinx, the lion-bodied guardian of the plateau. Lunch included. In the afternoon, the Grand Egyptian Museum, which houses one of the most important collections of Pharaonic antiquities in the world. In the evening, private transfer to the station and installation aboard the night train to Aswan, in a first-class sleeper cabin.
The Great Pyramid’s inner chamber can be visited as an option, payable locally. Lunch included. Dinner and breakfast served on board the train.
Day 3 — Aswan, the High Dam and the island temple of Philae
Arrival in Aswan in the morning, where you are met at the station and taken to your hotel. In the afternoon, your guide leads you to the High Dam, inaugurated in 1971, which created Lake Nasser and still regulates the flow of the entire Nile valley. You continue to the temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis: partially submerged after the first Aswan dam was built, it was dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt on the neighbouring island of Agilkia during the UNESCO Nubian campaign of the 1970s. The day closes with a felucca ride on the Nile past Elephantine Island.
Guided by our local French-speaking guide. Dinner and night in Aswan, breakfast included.
Day 4 — Abu Simbel at dawn, then under sail
A departure well before dawn for Abu Simbel, near the shore of Lake Nasser. In the morning light you discover the two rock temples carved under Ramesses II, among the most spectacular sites in Egypt and part of the UNESCO-listed Nubian Monuments. Return to Aswan early in the afternoon, lunch, then embarkation aboard your traditional felucca. The cruise begins gently, drifting downstream to a quiet river island where the boat moors for the night.
Guided by our local French-speaking guide. Lunch and dinner included, night on board.
Day 5 — Island life and the double temple of Kom Ombo
Early breakfast on board, then a walk of about an hour across the island: farmland and tropical trees, village animals, and the waterwheels that still lift the Nile into the fields. Back under sail, you reach Kom Ombo and its unusual double temple, perfectly symmetrical, one half dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the other to the falcon god Horus. Lunch on board, then the felucca continues north to another island for the night.
Full board on the felucca. The crew may adjust the sailing programme to wind and river conditions.
Day 6 — The quarries of Gebel el-Silsila
A morning walk of about forty-five minutes leads to Gebel el-Silsila, where the Nile narrows between sandstone cliffs. These quarries supplied the stone of the great Pharaonic temples, and you can still read how the blocks were cut, hauled to the river and shipped, alongside the inscriptions left by the workers themselves. You also visit the rock shrines and the temple of Horemheb, the last pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. Back on board for lunch, the felucca sails on to a final island anchorage, and the evening ends with dinner and a last night on the Nile with the crew.
Full board on the felucca.
Day 7 — The temple of Horus at Edfu, and on to Luxor
Breakfast on board, then a last stretch under sail to Edfu, where you leave the felucca for the temple of Horus, one of the best preserved temples in all of Egypt, its pylons and courtyards almost intact after more than two thousand years. You are met on the quay and driven with your guide to Luxor, with the rest of the day to settle in.
Guided by our local French-speaking guide. Breakfast included, night in Luxor.
Day 8 — The Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor temple
An early start for the west bank of the Nile, over the ground of ancient Thebes. You begin in the Valley of the Kings, the necropolis where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom carved their tombs deep into the rock; the visit of one royal tomb is included, and further tombs can be added on site. You continue to the temple of Hatshepsut, its terraces set against the cliff in honour of one of the rare women to rule ancient Egypt, and stop at the Colossi of Memnon, the two monumental statues of Amenhotep III. After lunch in a local restaurant on the east bank, the afternoon belongs to Karnak, the immense sanctuary of Amun-Ra built and enlarged over more than 1,500 years, and to the temple of Luxor to finish.
Guided by our local French-speaking guide. Lunch included, drinks not included. Night in Luxor, breakfast included.
Day 9 — To the Red Sea
A free morning in Luxor, then the road east through the desert to Hurghada, a drive of around four hours with a short break. You are met on arrival and transferred to your beachfront hotel for a three-night stay on the Red Sea, in full board.
Night in Hurghada, full board.
Day 10 — A free day on the Red Sea
A day entirely yours: the beach, the pool, the warm water of the Red Sea, and nothing on the programme.
Night in Hurghada, full board. Optional excursions can be arranged locally.
Day 11 — A day at sea on the reefs
Picked up in the morning and transferred to the port, you board for a full day on the water. The Red Sea off Hurghada is known for the richness of its marine life and the state of its coral reefs, and the day includes two dives on two different sites, chosen to match the conditions and your level, with professional guides and full equipment provided. Between the dives, a buffet lunch is served on board, and you are back at your hotel in the middle of the afternoon.
Two dives, equipment, guides and buffet lunch included. Photos, videos and tips not included. Night in Hurghada, full board.
Day 12 — Return to Cairo
A last free morning by the sea, then the return to Cairo by comfortable air-conditioned coach, with a transfer to your hotel on arrival.
Night in Cairo, breakfast included.
Day 13 — Departure
Free time in Cairo, then private transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight home.
End of our services.
Pricing
A tailor-made journey with private airport welcomes, local French-speaking guides on the visits, the night train and a three-night felucca cruise included, and dedicated AZORA care from the first enquiry to your return.
EGYPT, FROM THE NILE TO THE RED SEA
13 DAYS / 12 NIGHTS · TAILOR-MADE JOURNEY
INCLUDED
✓ Accommodation for 12 nights: hotels, first-class sleeper train and traditional felucca
✓ Breakfasts, full board on the felucca and in Hurghada, and the meals listed in the programme
✓ Airport welcome, assistance with arrival formalities and private transfers
✓ First-class night train from Cairo to Aswan, dinner and breakfast on board
✓ Three-night felucca cruise on the Nile with dedicated crew, full board
✓ Air-conditioned road transfers between Edfu, Luxor, Hurghada and Cairo
✓ Local French-speaking guides for the excursions listed
✓ Site entrance fees for the visits listed, including Abu Simbel, one royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and the Red Sea diving day
✓ Follow-up and assistance throughout the journey, with a local AZORA contact on call
NOT INCLUDED
✗ International flights: check our airline comparator to find the best options
✗ Visa fees, payable on arrival
✗ Meals and drinks not listed
✗ Optional visits and excursions, payable locally
✗ Tips and personal expenses
✗ Anything not listed under included
*Indicative starting price per person, in standard category, double occupancy, land services only, excluding international flights. The final price varies with the season, the ages of the travellers and the number of travellers, and may move to a premium category.
Good to know
- The Abu Simbel excursion starts well before dawn, with around three hours of road each way. It is a long morning, and one of the most rewarding in Egypt.
- The felucca is authentic and simple by design: bedding is provided, there is no electricity on board although the crew can charge cameras and phones, and it is worth bringing your own towels. The sailing programme may be adjusted to wind and river conditions.
- One royal tomb is included in the Valley of the Kings; further tombs can be added on site with your guide.
- There is little shade at the Giza plateau and the open sites of Upper Egypt: a hat, sunglasses, good walking shoes, sunscreen and water make every visit easier.
- Tipping is part of everyday culture in Egypt and is always appreciated in small notes; your AZORA travel plan includes clear guidance so you are never caught out.
- Entry requirements change. Always check the official sources for your nationality before you travel.
When to go to Egypt
October to April is the most comfortable window: warm, luminous days in Cairo and along the Nile, and cool desert evenings. From May to September the heat rises sharply in Upper Egypt, where afternoons in Aswan and Luxor regularly pass 40 degrees, although the sites are noticeably quieter and early starts make the visits entirely possible. The Red Sea coast is pleasant all year round, with water warm enough to dive in every season.
Customise my trip
Thirteen days is a complete first journey through Egypt. Slow the pace with an extra night under sail, trade the coach for more time in Cairo and its museums, add Alexandria or the White Desert, or spend longer on the Red Sea. Tell us what you have in mind and we build the journey around it.
Egypt, from the Nile to the Red Sea FAQ
How long is this Egypt tour and where does it go?
It is a 13-day, 12-night tailor-made journey that begins in Cairo with the pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, continues south by night train to Aswan, Abu Simbel and a three-night felucca cruise on the Nile past Kom Ombo, Gebel el-Silsila and Edfu, reaches the temples of Luxor, and ends with three days on the Red Sea in Hurghada.
How much does the trip cost?
From €2,290 per person, based on double occupancy and land services only. The final price varies with the season, the ages of the travellers and the size of the group. International flights are not included.
How do you travel between the stages?
By first-class sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan, with dinner and breakfast served on board, then under sail aboard a traditional felucca from Aswan to Edfu, and by air-conditioned road transfers between Edfu, Luxor, Hurghada and Cairo. All of these are included.
What is the felucca cruise like?
Authentic and simple: three nights on the Nile in full board with a dedicated crew, mooring by quiet islands each evening. Bedding is provided, there is no electricity on board although the crew can charge cameras and phones, and the sailing programme may be adjusted to wind and river conditions.
Is the journey private?
The guided visits are private, with local French-speaking guides, and you are met personally at every arrival. Between cities you travel by night train, felucca and air-conditioned coach, and the itinerary remains tailor-made from the first day to the last.
When is the best time to travel to Egypt?
October to April, when the days in Upper Egypt are warm and comfortable. From May to September the heat rises sharply in Aswan and Luxor, though the sites are quieter, and the Red Sea coast remains pleasant all year round.
Which UNESCO World Heritage sites does this itinerary visit?
The route crosses three of the seven Egyptian properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Memphis and its Necropolis with the pyramid fields of Giza, Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis at Luxor, and the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae. Historic Cairo, a fourth, can easily be added during your time in the capital.
Can I join the diving day without experience?
Yes. The full day at sea from Hurghada suits both certified divers and beginners, with professional guides, full equipment and two dives on sites chosen to match the conditions and your level.
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