Carved Stone to Coral Bloom: 10 Days Cairo, Nile Cruise & Hurghada

Your ENA representative meets you and escorts you in a private A/C vehicle to your hotel. Settle in and enjoy a quiet evening to reset for tomorrow.

At Giza, Khufu’s Great Pyramid anchors the horizon while the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure complete the royal triad. In Khafre’s Valley Temple, finely fitted limestone blocks frame the rites that prepared a king for eternity. Just beyond, the Great Sphinx—human face, lion’s body—keeps its long desert watch. Break for a relaxed midday meal.

Enjoy a complementary camel ride.

South at Saqqara, Djoser’s Step Pyramid shows the leap from mastaba to stacked stone—a prototype for all pyramids to come. Reliefs in nearby tombs capture everyday scenes with crisp Old Kingdom lines.In Memphis, the first capital, a colossal Ramses II and the alabaster Sphinx sketch the city’s former grandeur in stone. Return to your hotel for a restful evening.

Fly to Aswan after breakfast. On the High Dam, the sweep of Lake Nasser tells the story of modern engineering that reshaped southern Egypt. In the granite quarries, the Unfinished Obelisk lies half-freed from bedrock; tool marks along its trench reveal how ancient masons carved and lifted these giants. A short boat ride reaches Philae Temple, reassembled on Agilkia Island after rising waters threatened it—elegant colonnades, late hieroglyphic inscriptions, and a serene island setting. Board your 5★ deluxe Nile cruise; lunch and dinner are served on board.

Kom Ombo’s rare double design mirrors two sanctuaries—Sobek the crocodile god and Haroeris (Horus the Elder). Reliefs of surgical tools, calendars, and Nile gauges preserve practical knowledge alongside myth. Back on deck, the afternoon drifts by as Upper Egypt’s riverbanks slide past.

At Edfu, the Temple of Horus stands almost intact: soaring pylons, granite falcons, chapels lined with ritual texts that read like a priest’s handbook. The inner sanctuary still shelters a bark shrine where the god’s barque once rested. Sail on toward Luxor; dinner and overnight on board.

In the Valley of the Kings, painted corridors descend to royal chambers where protective deities and starry ceilings outline the journey beyond. Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple rises in clean terraces from the Deir el-Bahari cliffs, its reliefs narrating trade with Punt and a queen’s claim to rule. The Colossi of Memnon—two 18-meter quartzite sentinels—once fronted Amenhotep III’s vast temple and still command the floodplain. After a relaxed lunch, Karnak unfolds like a stone city: the Great Hypostyle Hall’s forest of columns, obelisks piercing the sky, and a sacred lake used for ritual purity. Disembark and check in to your Luxor hotel.

Travel by road across the Eastern Desert to Hurghada and check in to your beach resort. The rest of the day is yours—warm sands, sea breeze, and a slower rhythm.

Head out on a guided snorkeling trip to clear-water reefs alive with Red Sea color. Expect easy entries, gentle drift, and ample surface time to take it all in. Return to the resort for an unhurried afternoon.

Fly back to Cairo and begin at the Egyptian Museum, where curated highlights trace a century of discovery. On the Citadel’s high ridge, Salah El-Din’s walls still command the city, and the Muhammad Ali (Alabaster) Mosque anchors the skyline with 19th-century Ottoman grace. At the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, modern displays present 5,000 years in a clear arc, including the celebrated Royal Mummies Hall. Stroll Al-Muizz Street’s restored façades and minarets, then browse the historic Khan El-Khalili bazaar. Overnight in Cairo.

Breakfast at the hotel, then a private transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight home. If you’d like to add a night or tailor a short city add-on, we’ll shape it to fit.