Tutankhamun and snorkelling bays

This Egypt highlights tour is an ideal way to see ancient Egyptian attractions in combination with a relaxing Red Sea diving and snorkelling getaway. Start off with a visit to the world famous pyramids of Giza near the charismatic city of Cairo. Then catch a comfortable flight to Luxor to visit the mother of all temples, Karnak. Wander through the immense columns and try to imagine what it must have been like to have seen the temple in its glory days as you gaze at the intricate hieroglyphics. It's unimaginable how people could have built this structure so many ages ago. How were they able to create something so beautiful without our modern day technical know-how? Egypt never ceases to amaze...

After a journey filled with incredible impressions of modern-day and ancient Egypt, you can relax and unwind on the Red Sea beaches just outside of the fishing village El Quseir. This is an idyllic place perfect for snorkelling, diving or lounging the day away on a beach chair.

Tip: instead of taking a domestic flight, you can also take the (night) train from Cairo to Luxor.

Duration	10 days/ 9 nights	Accommodation	City hotel in Cairo and Luxor, comfort level 3 and small dive camp near El Quseir comfort level 1 (see accommodation)
Price	Please see our Contact Us page for more details	Includes	Airport transfer, accommodation including breakfast, excursions as described below, entrance fees, transport and English-speaking guide
Transport	Private transport by minibus	Excludes	Flights (international and domestic), visa, other meals, tips

Day 1: Arrival in Cairo

It's about a 5 hour flight from the UK to Cairo. Many of our customers choose to fly with Egypt Air since these flights have reasonable departure times, are reasonably affordable and are easy to combine with domestic flights. For more information have a look at our flights to Egypt. On your arrival at Cairo Airport you'll be greeted by our local representative. He or she will arrange a visa for your passport and will assist with customs formalities.

Once your suitcase has rolled through baggage claim, you'll head towards your small city hotel in the heart of Cairo. If you would like some advice on where to go for great meals and which neighbourhoods you should visit to catch a glimpse of local atmosphere, don't hesitate to ask our representative. If you would like him or her to guide you through the city on your first evening of the Egypt highlights tour, just ask and he/she will join you. It's customary to tip the representative at the end of the evening if they do show you around.

Egypt highlights tour - The pyramids and sphinx

Egypt highlights tour - A brave man gets that close to a camel

Day 2: The pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and Saqqara

On day two of the Egypt highlights tour our driver will pick you up and take you to Giza early in the morning. After about 20 minutes of city traffic you'll see two of the three pyramids appear. We've arranged for an English-speaking guide to inform of you of the history behind the pyramids and to take care of the entrance fees for you (all included in the price). If you start out early in the morning, you can also enter the Cheops pyramid for an additional fee (approximately £9) and experience what it must have felt like to be an archaeologist entering the pyramids for the first time. You'll climb the pyramid along an improvised set of stairs and enter a burial room completely cut out of granite.

After lunch you'll continue on to Saqqara. Relatively few tourists come to this site, mostly because tourists usually book tour packages that only include a Giza pyramids tour. There are fewer tourists here, but this site is just as impressive as Giza. Not only were prominent Egyptians buried in Saqqara, so were holy animals. To this day Saqqara is the largest archaeological site in Egypt with many hidden treasures still buried beneath the sand. At the end of the day your driver will take you back to your hotel in Cairo. As you say goodbye to your driver and guide, it's customary to tip both of them. How much to tip? That's up to you.

Day 3: Cairo - Luxor - Flight

Luxor, located on the fertile banks of the Nile is known as 'the ancient kingdom capital'. One of our local representatives will be waiting for you on your arrival. He or she will answer any questions you may have and you can make arrangements with him/ her for your visit to Karnak tomorrow. We try not to arrange set times for these visits since this is your holiday and you decide what time you want to get up in the morning.

Karnak is a popular tourist attraction and is usually crowded with tourists. That's why we recommend visiting Karnak very early in the morning at around 7:30 or at lunch time around 13:00. During the trip Egypt highlights tour we found a good restaurant with a great ambience where you can order mouth-watering Egyptian cuisine, Restaurant Sofra. It's located in one of the side streets behind the boulevard.

Day 4: Luxor - East Bank - Karnak Temple

You'll be collected from your hotel in the morning or afternoon, depending on your own personal preferences. Our English-speaking guide will accompany you to Karnak, the mother of all temples (just 10 minutes from the city centre). For over 1300 years nearly all pharaohs contributed to the construction of what is probably the most splendid structure in Egyptian history. The best time to visit the temple is around 7:30 in the morning, around lunch time or after 15:00, avoiding the tour busses. Having your own guide with you will make your visit extra special.

You'll start out at the Avenue of the Sphinxes at the temple's spectacular entrance. Karnak's dimensions are extraordinary. As you cross through several outer temples you'll finally reach the centre of the temple, the absolute highlight of Luxor. The entire temple covers an area of 6000 square metres. Its 'forest of columns' of 134 columns covered by chiselled hieroglyphic figures is quite unique. It's hard to believe that this was created by man. Some parts of the old ceiling still feature the original colours. The rest of the day on the Egypt highlights tour is yours to spend as you wish; visit the temple of Luxor in the heart of the city, stroll through narrow city streets or simply relax by the hotel pool.

Day 5: Luxor, East Bank - Valley of the Kings, West Bank

After breakfast you'll be collected by our guide and taken to the opposite side of the Nile. You'll need to bring along all of your belongings since you'll be spending the next 2 nights on the West Bank of the Nile. There are more guest houses and family-run hotels for adventurous travellers and backpackers on this side of the Nile. This side of the river is home to the most well known attraction in Egypt, the Valley of the Kings. Nearly all pharaohs were laid to rest here and to this day it is a impressive burial site for archaeologists.

Countless coaches filled with tourists cross the bridge directly into the Valley of the Kings to visit the tombs every day. We believe the West Bank gives visitors a good impression of Luxor and have chosen to include it on our Egypt highlights tour. It's impossible to see everything properly in just one day. That's why we've chosen to dedicate one day to visiting these attractions with a guide, and one day for you to see the sights independently.

Egypt highlights tour - Valley of the Kings

Egypt highlights tour - Find yourself surrounded by history

Day 6: Luxor - West Bank

Spend today on the Egypt highlights tour as you wish. You can take a taxi cab to the temples and tombs you missed out on yesterday, or you could simply visit them on foot. Another option would be to go sailing on the Nile on a traditional Felucca or hire a bicycle and go biking through the countryside independently. If you're travelling with children you may want to go for a donkey ride. Your hotel's reception staff will gladly help you out, all you have to do is ask.

From something special you can choose a hot air balloon ride above the Valley of the Kings at sunrise. Don't worry about not being able to afford it; it only costs approximately £55, much more affordable than hot air balloon rides in most countries. It's a unique experience and it lasts for about 20 minutes. When it comes to making dinner plans, there are several small restaurants in the area where you can try out the local cuisine. We recommend having the simple, yet tasty dish of 'Memnon' in the town of Gezira where the boat will drop you off.

Day 7: Luxor - El Quseir

Today you'll travel by private transport from Luxor to El Quseir, straight through the deserted rocky desert (a 3-hour drive). El Quseir is a sleepy fishing village where nothing much ever seems to happen. We selected this area specifically because of Hassan's dive camp, located approximately 10km from El Quseir.

Hassan is a friendly Egyptian man with a big heart who speaks English very well and is very passionate about Red Sea diving. He personally created this entire camp from palm tree leaves and drift wood. It's a very modest, backpacker camp. However we fell head over heals with the mellow atmosphere, the vistas across the endless deep blue sea, the private beach with coral reef, the many diving and snorkelling opportunities and Hassan's enthusiastic management of the camp. Don't expect the comfort or luxury you would get in large hotels a few kilometres down the road. If you would prefer a more luxurious accommodation, we can offer this as well. After you arrive at the camp you'll probably head straight to the beach for a swim.

Egypt highlights tour - Some valuable beach time

Egypt highlights tour - Spend a lazy day on the sand

Day 8: El Quseir

Wake up at a leisurely pace and go for a refreshing dive or take a shower in the shared bathroom. Afterwards breakfast and a fresh cup of hot coffee or tea will be waiting for you beneath a palm tree canopy. Hassan will be available to talk through your plans for the next few days. The Egypt highlights tour includes half a day of snorkelling at one of the coral reefs nearby. It's up to you when you want to do this, either today or tomorrow. Intermediate divers can hire diving equipment from Hassan and he'll take you to some of the most beautiful dive spots in the area. First-time divers who would like to dive in Egypt and experience the intriguing world beneath the surface of the sea you can go for an introductory dive after some instructions on land. This is quite a unique experience and we can definitely recommend trying it. It costs approximately £36, including hire of diving equipment. A second dive will cost you an extra £9. If you rather stick to snorkelling, Hassan will show you the best places to go to.

Day 9: Dive camp - El Quseir

How you spend today is entirely up to you... it's your holiday after all. You can spend the entire day relaxing on one of the reed beach chairs on the private beach or you can snooze beneath a palm tree leave canopy. Hassan has snorkels and flippers for hire if you would like to explore the colourful coral reef right in front of the camp. If you would prefer more action and adventure, you can hire quads for a drive through the dunes (approximately £27) or you can trek through the desert valley behind the dive camp.

We've also received enthusiastic reviews regarding Hassan's desert safari. A jeep will take you 20km into the desert and from there you'll go on a camel ride to a Bedouin village. At the end of the day you'll be treated to a bbq dinner.

Egypt highlights tour - The rustic dive camp

Day 10: El Quseir - Cairo - UK

Today your Egypt highlights tour concludes. If you wish you can extend your stay in El Quseir by one or more days, however most of our travellers would agree that 3 nights is just right.

You'll say goodbye to this unique spot today and to the warm hospitality of your host Hassan. You'll fly home from Hurghada via Cairo; this marks the end of your Egypt highlights tour.