Independent Egypt - Cruise the Nile on a felucca

Egypt your way

If you want to experience the freedom of an independent Egypt trip, but don't want to worry about arranging hotels and transfers.... do Egypt your way! This 14 day trip to Egypt's most well known cities and attractions ends with a swimming and snorkelling in the azure blue waters of the Red Sea. Travel from the metropolis of Arabic civilisation, Cairo, to the southernmost city in Egypt, Aswan, where the Nile is wild and free. Then board your own sailboat and drift along the lazy Nile until you reach Egypt's eternal city Luxor. Wander through the temple valleys and column forests and explore the authenticity of the Egyptian countryside on the lush green Nile plains surrounding the city. Hassan's eco-lodge beach cabana dive camp just outside the fishing village of El Quseir is the ideal place to recuperate from your adventures. Explore the pristine coral reefs of the Red Sea or doze away in your beach chair... on this Independent Egypt trip, it's up to you!

Duration	14 days/ 13 nights	Accommodation	Charming hotels, comfort level 3, one night onboard the felucca and 4 nights in a beach cabana, comfort level 1 (see accommodation)
Price	Please see our Contact Us page for more details	Includes	Transport, accommodation and breakfast, English-speaking guide, all meals onboard the felucca and in El Quseir
Transport	Private transport by minibus and by felucca	Excludes	Flights (international and domestic), visa, train trip Cairo - Aswan, other meals, tips

Day 1: Arrival in Cairo

It's about a 5 hour flight from the UK to Cairo, Egypt's capital. 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, charming hotel in the heart of Cairo. This is the start of your independent Egypt trip, and if you would like some advice on where to go for great meals and which neighbourhoods to visit, don't hesitate to ask our representative. It's customary to tip the representative at the end of the evening if they do show you around.

Independent Egypt - Dawn at the pyramids

Day 2: Cairo

Early in the morning our driver take you to Giza. After about 20 minutes of city traffic you'll start to see two of the three pyramids appear, seemingly out of nowhere. Naturally you could bring along a good book on pyramids and ancient Egyptian history, however we recommend having a guide show you around the Cheops and Chefren pyramids. This way you can ask any questions that come to mind and keep your eyes on the pyramids instead of in a book. If you would like for us to arrange an English-speaking guide for you, please let us know when you book your independent Egypt trip.

It's easy to do your own thing in central Cairo. There are several attractions near your accommodation that you can visit such as the world famous Egyptian Museum and Ramses Square. There's a metro station near your hotel. The metro is a quick and easy means of transport to other parts of the city such as Coptic Cairo and the busy winding streets of the historic Islamic district.

Day 3: Cairo - Aswan

Today you'll catch a domestic flight from Cairo to Egypt's most southern city, Aswan. Depending on whether you take an evening or morning flight, you may have some time to spend in Cairo before moving on. If your flight leaves in the morning you can spend the afternoon strolling through Aswan's boulevard and enjoying a cold drink.

An affordable alternative to flying is to travel by train to Aswan, where you can watch the rural landscape of central Egypt pass by on your 9-hour journey. Just let our travel specialists know if you would prefer the option of train travel for this Independent Egypt itinerary. We can organise the overnight sleeper train which includes dinner onboard.

Day 4: Aswan

Aswan is a small, laidback Nile town with a lovely boulevard and incredible views of a more rugged part of the Nile. Aswan is often used as a starting point for visits to Abu Simbel. Whilst in Aswan, you can sail across the Nile for about an hour to Sehel Island.

Other attractions on the west bank are the 'tombs of the Nobles' and Saint Simeon's Monastery or you can take a ride on a camel through part of the desert. There is also an interesting Nubian museum in town. In the evening you can either choose to have dinner at the hotel, or at one of the restaurants in Market Street and smoke a sheesha pipe with the friendly locals. This is part of the great flexibility that this Independent Egypt trip offers.

Day 5: Sailing trip on a felucca

You'll be collected from your hotel in Aswan in the morning and taken to the pier to board your traditional sailboat. We suggest bringing along a backpack with a warm sweater, bottle of water, sleeping bag and toiletries for one night. The rest of your baggage will be transported by your driver and returned to you on shore the following day.

As your sailboat leaves the pier you sit back on deck as you glide swiftly across the Nile through the Egyptian countryside, leaving Aswan behind you. You can observe life along the Nile and enjoy the peace and quiet of sailing with no noisy engines, just the sounds of water lapping and the gentle breeze. Before sunset the ship will dock at a small river island. As the sun slowly sinks further into the horizon, your skipper will prepare dinner by campfire. Dining beneath a spectacular starry sky is only one of the idyllic moments during this Independent Egypt trip. A little later on in the evening you'll fall asleep on the deck of the felucca sailboat.

Independent Egypt - Don't rock the boat!

Day 6: Kom Ombo - Edfu - Luxor

During our Independent Egypt trip onboard the felucca, we sailed after sunrise for another hour or so before docking near the temple of Kom Ombo. Your skipper will prepare one last delicious breakfast for you before you leave the ship. Our local representative will be waiting for you on the pier with a bus and your baggage. After driving for about 15 minutes you'll reach the temples of Haroeris and Sobek at Kom Ombo.

This is the cultural highlight of this Nile felucca tour. The robust temple ruins stand proudly along the mystical Nile where the white sails of sailboats create a stark contrast with the clear blue sky. After visiting the temple you'll continue travelling by minibus towards Luxor. It's about a 3 hour drive to this historic city, where you'll be dropped off at your hotel. You can spend the rest of the day as you wish.

Day 7: Luxor - East Bank

Today you'll have an entire day to explore Luxor's East bank. The top attraction on this side of the Nile is Karnak, the temple of temples. During a period of approximately 1300 years nearly all pharaohs have participated in the construction of what is probably the most impressive structure in Egyptian history. The best time to visit the temple is around 7:30am, around lunch time or after 15:00pm, avoiding those tourbuses.

You'll start out at the Avenue of the Sphinxes at the temples 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 pilars covered by chiselled hieroglyphic figures is unique. It's hard to believe that this was created by man. Some parts of the old ceiling still feature the original colours.

Independent Egypt - You can spend days exploring this amazing ruin

Day 8 and 9: Luxor, 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 your bags since you'll be spending the next 2 nights on the west bank. There are more cosy guest houses and family-run hotels filled with adventurous travellers and backpackers on this side of the Nile. Although you'll be staying right across from Luxor City, as soon as you walk across the west bank you'll feel as if you're in an entirely different Luxor. It's friendlier, rural, and also has the most well known attraction in Egypt, the Valley of the Kings. Nearly all pharaohs are buried here and to this day it is a impressive burial site for archaeologists.

The next 2 days of the independent Egypt trip you'll have plenty of time to explore the Valley of the Kings. You can also visit dozens of temples and tombs outside of the Valley of the Kings by taxi cab, or you could hire a bicycle and bike it!

Day 10: Luxor - El Quseir

Today you'll trade in Luxor's landscape of cultural treasures for the sandy Red Sea coast of El Quseir. You'll travel by local bus. As soon as you drive out of Luxor, buildings and city streets will make way for an arid desert landscape of sandy plains and rocky hills. The ride is perfect for sitting back, relaxing and watching the landscape pass by or having a chat with fellow passengers.

After travelling for about 4 hours you'll reach the dive camp. The staff will be waiting to greet you and show you your beach cabana. It's up to you whether you choose to rest up from the trip on the camp terrace, or whether you want to head straight for the deep blue for your first dive of the day!

Independent Egypt - Diving in the Red Sea

Day 11 - 13: El Quseir

These next few days of the independent Egypt trip can be spent as you wish. If have experience as a diver, you can hire diving equipment and head for some of the most beautiful dive spots in the area. If you've never been diving before, but 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, there are plenty of places to go to.

As the sun starts to set at the end of the day, countless stars will start to appear in the sky. Time for candlelight and fresh fish on the bbq. Before sitting down to dinner you can relax for a bit on large lounge pillows in the Bedouin tent with or without a water pipe.

Day 14: Departure from El Quseir - End of your independent Egypt trip

Many of our travellers find that 4 nights in El Quseir is enough. However if you can't get enough of this quiet dive camp, naturally you can extend your stay here by one or more days. Just let us know.

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 and you're independent Egypt trip will come to an end.

Independent Egypt - Wave goodbye to your friends