Begin your first full day by stepping onto the ancient sands of the Giza Plateau — home to the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World: the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops). Built over 4,500 years ago during Egypt’s Old Kingdom, this architectural marvel originally rose 146 meters high and remains an enigma in engineering. Stand before the colossal structure and ponder how a civilization without iron tools achieved such eternal perfection.

Nearby lies the Pyramid of Khafre, still partially crowned with its original casing stones, and the smaller Pyramid of Menkaure. Just below them, the Great Sphinx rests — a silent sentinel with the body of a lion and a human face believed to bear the likeness of Khafre. For millennia, this mythic guardian has watched the desert winds sweep across Egypt’s golden heart.

Optional: A camel ride across the sands adds an authentic, timeless perspective to the experience.

Next, dive into the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square. Wander through more than 100,000 artifacts including royal sarcophagi, towering statues, and intricate amulets. Your guide will lead you to the golden funerary mask of Tutankhamun — a boy-king whose lavish tomb, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, revealed the wealth and ritual of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty. You’ll also learn about Akhenaten’s religious revolution, Hatshepsut’s power, and the magic embedded in mummification.

Overnight: Cairo

Meals: Breakfast

Today, travel north to Alexandria, Egypt’s cultural port founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE. Once home to the Great Library and the towering Lighthouse (Pharos), this city was a crossroads of Hellenistic, Roman, and Arab civilizations.

Begin at Pompey’s Pillar, a granite monolith once wrongly believed to hold the ashes of General Pompey. In truth, it stands as a tribute to Emperor Diocletian. Nearby, descend into the eerie Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa — a unique fusion of Pharaonic, Greek, and Roman burial traditions. Mourners here passed through twisting staircases into a necropolis adorned with hybrid deities, serpents, and Greco-Egyptian motifs.

After a Mediterranean-style lunch, continue to the 15th-century Citadel of Qaitbay. Built upon the ruins of the ancient Lighthouse, this fortress offers views across the sea once navigated by Cleopatra’s fleet. Finally, you’ll visit the Bibliotheca Alexandrina — a modern architectural wonder reviving the spirit of the ancient world’s greatest intellectual hub. Its vast reading halls and specialized museums offer a sanctuary for global knowledge.

Overnight: Cairo

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today, journey deeper into the roots of Egypt’s architectural genius. South of Giza lies the necropolis of Saqqara, home to the world’s oldest stone monument — the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Built around 2667 BCE by Imhotep, Egypt’s first recorded architect, this 6-tiered pyramid marked a revolutionary moment: the transformation from mastaba tombs to vertical grandeur.

Enter the inner chambers recently reopened to visitors, where narrow corridors lead you beneath tons of ancient limestone. The pyramid complex itself served not only as a tomb but as a divine temple mirroring the celestial order — a stairway for Pharaoh Djoser’s soul to ascend to the heavens.

Your exploration continues through the Saqqara plateau, filled with elaborately decorated tombs of nobles, showcasing daily life scenes in vivid relief. This is where ancient Egypt truly breathes — not through gods and kings, but through fishermen, bakers, scribes, and dancers immortalized in color.

Next, head to Dahshur, where experimentation in form gave rise to perfection. Marvel at the Bent Pyramid, its curious angle shift halfway up a testament to structural trial and error. Nearby stands the Red Pyramid, Egypt’s first successful attempt at a smooth-sided pyramid. Built by Sneferu (father of Khufu), its red-hued limestone glows beneath the desert sun, and its interior chambers are a masterpiece of symmetry and acoustic wonder.

Overnight: Cairo

Meals: Breakfast

Rise early for your flight to Aswan, the southern jewel of Egypt. Upon arrival, board a small boat and sail across the Nile’s glittering waters to Philae Island, where one of the most enchanting temples awaits.

The Temple of Philae, dedicated to Isis—goddess of motherhood, magic, and healing—was one of the last strongholds of the ancient religion. Even after Christianity spread, Isis continued to be worshipped here until the 6th century CE. The temple was relocated stone by stone in the 1970s to rescue it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. As you pass through its elegant colonnades and gaze upon hieroglyphs depicting the resurrection of Osiris and the birth of Horus, you step into a living myth.

Next, visit the Aswan High Dam, a 20th-century engineering feat that forever changed Egypt’s destiny. Completed in 1970, it tamed the mighty Nile, protecting farmland from flood and drought, while also creating vast Lake Nasser.

Later, board your 5-star cruise ship and enjoy the serenity of the Nile. Sip afternoon tea on the sun deck as feluccas drift by, then join a festive Galabeya Party after dinner — a celebration of local music and flowing traditional robes beneath desert skies.

Overnight: Nile Cruise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Optional: Before sunrise, embark on an unforgettable journey to Abu Simbel, the most majestic monument ever moved by man. Carved from solid rock in the 13th century BCE, the Great Temple of Ramses II honors the gods Amun, Ptah, and Ra-Horakhty — and the divine status of Ramses himself.

Its four colossal statues — each 20 meters tall — radiate authority, power, and eternal gaze. Twice a year, during the solar alignment, the sun’s rays penetrate the inner sanctuary to illuminate the seated gods — except Ptah, god of the underworld, who remains in darkness. Nearby, the Temple of Hathor, built for Queen Nefertari, places her on equal footing with her pharaoh — a rare and touching act in ancient iconography.

Return to your cruise and sail north along the Nile’s ancient current. By afternoon, you’ll reach Kom Ombo, where a twin temple rises above a bend in the river. This symmetrical marvel is dedicated to two gods: Sobek, the crocodile-headed deity of fertility and protection, and Horus the Elder, falcon god of kingship and sky. The temple’s reliefs include one of the earliest depictions of surgical instruments — a reminder of Egypt’s role as the cradle of medical science.

Continue sailing toward Edfu, lulled by the rhythm of the Nile and stories whispered by the papyrus-lined banks.

Overnight: Nile Cruise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, you’ll awaken in Edfu, where time seems to have paused in devotion. Ride in a traditional horse-drawn carriage through the quiet streets to reach the towering Temple of Horus — the best-preserved temple in all of Egypt.

Built during the Ptolemaic era between 237 and 57 BCE, Edfu’s temple was constructed atop older ruins and dedicated to Horus, god of kingship and protector of the pharaoh. Its colossal pylons depict the eternal battle between Horus and his uncle Set, who murdered Horus’s father Osiris. Within its inner sanctum, the sacred barque shrine still rests, a reminder of the divine processions once performed along the Nile. As your guide recounts the myth of Horus’s revenge and victory, the temple walls come alive with celestial drama.

Sail on to Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes — Egypt’s religious and political capital during the New Kingdom (1550–1070 BCE). Here, the gods lived not in myth but in ritual and stone.

First, explore the majestic Karnak Temple complex, a sprawling city of temples linked by sphinx-lined avenues. This was the domain of Amun-Ra, king of the gods, and a site continuously expanded by pharaohs over 1,500 years. Walk through the famed Great Hypostyle Hall, where 134 sandstone columns soar 24 meters into the sky like a petrified forest. Visit the Sacred Lake, where priests purified themselves, and pause at the still-standing obelisks of Hatshepsut and Thutmose I.

As dusk approaches, visit Luxor Temple, dramatically lit against the desert night. Here, unlike other temples, rituals for the living king took precedence. Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun, and Ramses II all left their mark on this architectural symphony. In the forecourt, spot the mosque of Abu Haggag — still in use — built atop the ancient site, a poignant symbol of Egypt’s layered spiritual history.

Overnight: Nile Cruise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Optional: Start the day with an exhilarating hot air balloon ride over the Nile’s west bank — where sunrise casts golden shadows over tombs, temples, and green fields.

After breakfast, cross the Nile to explore the Theban Necropolis — a landscape where silence and sand hold the secrets of eternity. Begin at the legendary Valley of the Kings, burial ground of pharaohs from Egypt’s golden age. Descend into elaborately painted tombs like those of Ramses IV or Merneptah, where walls still blaze with scenes of the afterlife from the Book of the Dead. Each passage is a spiritual journey, designed to guide the soul through trials and into immortality.

Next, ascend to the dramatic Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, carved directly into limestone cliffs. Hatshepsut, one of Egypt’s few female pharaohs, ruled with wisdom and strength during a prosperous era. Her temple’s symmetry and terraces remain among the finest achievements of ancient architecture. The reliefs inside depict her divine birth, trade expeditions to the land of Punt, and her triumph as a ruler in a male-dominated world.

Before returning to Luxor, stop at an alabaster workshop, where you can witness the artistry of hand-carved stone — a tradition that’s remained unchanged for millennia.

Overnight: Luxor

Meals: Breakfast

Today, trade temples for turquoise as you journey east to the coast. Arrive in Hurghada, once a quiet fishing village, now a sun-drenched resort town known for its vibrant reefs and powdery sands.

Check into your luxurious Red Sea hotel. The rest of the afternoon is yours to unwind — perhaps with a cool drink beside the pool, a walk along the palm-lined promenade, or a dip in the crystalline waters.

Optional evening excursion: Take a 4WD journey across the Eastern Desert for an authentic Bedouin camp experience. Ride camels at sunset, sip mint tea in woven tents, and enjoy a desert-style barbecue dinner beneath a sky ablaze with stars, all to the backdrop of traditional music.

Overnight: Hurghada

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy a day of relaxation or dive deeper into Egypt’s natural beauty.

Optional full-day safari: Head out for an adrenaline-filled desert safari, bouncing over golden dunes in a 4x4 vehicle. Stop at remote Bedouin settlements to learn about nomadic traditions, sip fresh herbal tea, and hear desert legends passed down through generations. You’ll also have a chance to try sandboarding and ride camels through this quiet sea of sand.

As the sun sets, the golden desert turns to rose, then indigo. End your day with a peaceful moment under the stars, perhaps to the sound of a drum echoing softly through the hills.

Alternatively, choose from optional aquatic activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, or a glass-bottom boat tour to admire the vibrant coral gardens and marine life that make the Red Sea a world-class destination.

Overnight: Hurghada

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a relaxed breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your short domestic flight back to Cairo.

Upon arrival, return to your hotel for an afternoon at leisure — ideal for enjoying a quiet evening or exploring Cairo’s dynamic restaurant scene. If you didn’t opt for the dinner cruise earlier in the itinerary, this may be the perfect night to enjoy it.

Optional: A gentle stroll through the leafy streets of Zamalek or a sunset drink overlooking the Nile offers the perfect contrast to your desert days.

Overnight: Cairo

Meals: Breakfast

This morning, embark on one of Egypt’s most intriguing adventures — a road trip westward to Siwa Oasis, nestled near the Libyan border. The journey itself is part of the experience: vast expanses of desert stretch endlessly beneath sapphire skies, punctuated by wind-carved formations and scattered Bedouin outposts.

As you approach Siwa in the late afternoon, the landscape transforms. Salt lakes shimmer like mirages, date palms line the road, and the air grows sweet with hibiscus and citrus. Time moves differently here — slower, older.

Check into your eco-lodge or boutique hotel, crafted in traditional Siwan style with salt-mud brick walls, lantern-lit courtyards, and rustic elegance. Tonight, as the sun sinks behind the date palms, dine on freshly baked bread, olives, and roasted lamb — a culinary welcome to the oasis.

Overnight: Siwa

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Step into myth and prophecy as you explore Siwa’s ancient treasures. Begin at the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, visited by none other than Alexander the Great in 331 BCE. Legend says he journeyed across the desert seeking divine confirmation of his rule — and received it here, in whispers among columns worn by wind and faith. Today, the ruins stand quietly atop a small hill, watching over groves and springs, still resonating with echoes of destiny.

Continue to the haunting Mountain of the Dead (Gebel al-Mawta), a hill honeycombed with tombs from the 26th Dynasty, Ptolemaic, and Roman periods. As you enter these rock-cut chambers, you’ll see faded frescoes of Osiris, jackal-headed Anubis, and offering scenes that speak to the Siwan vision of life beyond death.

In the afternoon, explore the dramatic ruins of the Shali Fortress, the ancient mud-brick citadel of Siwa’s people, once their shelter from desert invaders. Its maze-like alleys, collapsed domes, and panoramic viewpoints tell the story of a once-thriving community now reduced to quiet grandeur.

Later, browse Siwa’s artisanal markets — fragrant with fresh herbs, baskets of sun-dried dates, and handmade silks. In the evening, savor a traditional Siwan dinner infused with cumin, coriander, and a pinch of starlight.

Overnight: Siwa

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today is a true highlight for adventurers. After breakfast, climb into your 4x4 and set out into the vast Great Sand Sea — a Sahara within the Sahara.

Your local Bedouin guide will lead you across undulating dunes that rise like ocean swells, golden and untouched. Stop at the fossil mountain, where remnants of ancient sea creatures lay embedded in stone — a silent reminder that this land was once beneath the ocean. Visit the cold spring at Bir Wahid, where you can take a dip in cool, clear water surrounded by desert silence.

Feel the thrill of sandboarding down dunes, or simply perch atop a hill as wind sings through the ridges. Later, pause in the stillness to enjoy Siwan tea and fresh dates beneath a makeshift canopy.

On your return to Siwa, visit the salt lakes — ethereal blue pools that stretch like mirrors across the desert floor. These healing waters are known for their high mineral content and surreal beauty.

Tonight, enjoy your final oasis evening with a farewell dinner — local music, storytelling, and a sky brimming with constellations older than the pharaohs.

Overnight: Siwa

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today, we leave behind the magical realm of Siwa and set course for Bahariya Oasis, travelling along a lonely but hauntingly beautiful stretch of the Western Desert. Along this remote road, time seems suspended — just sand, sky, and silence.

Bahariya lies nestled in a natural depression surrounded by blackened escarpments and palm groves. Once a hub for ancient caravan routes and famed for its wine during Pharaonic times, Bahariya is now known for its “Golden Mummies”, discovered in 1996, and for its quiet, untouched beauty.

Upon arrival, check into your simple but charming desert lodge. The evening is yours to rest and enjoy a homemade meal prepared with local ingredients — lentils, rice-stuffed pigeon, fresh greens, and sweet dates. As dusk falls, the desert sky unveils itself in layers of starlight — unpolluted, infinite, and breathtaking.

Overnight: Bahariya Oasis

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today, awaken your inner explorer. After breakfast, your desert expedition begins in earnest with an off-road journey through the Black Desert, a region of volcanic hills strewn with iron-rich stones that tint the sands a charcoal hue. These ancient formations are remnants of long-extinct volcanoes, standing like forgotten guardians of the land.

Pause at El Hez village, where an oasis spring offers respite, and sip tea prepared Bedouin-style beneath swaying palms. From here, continue to the famous Crystal Mountain, a glittering hill embedded with natural quartz crystals — a rare geological wonder created by immense heat and pressure millions of years ago.

Next, enter the vast otherworldly expanse of the White Desert National Park, Egypt’s most surreal landscape. Here, time and wind have sculpted chalk into dreamlike forms — giant mushrooms, wind-blown monoliths, and animal-like figures shaped by nature’s hand. In this silent white sea, the boundaries between earth and imagination blur.

As the sun sets, your guides will set up camp beneath towering formations. A traditional Bedouin dinner is served around a fire, where grilled meats, rice, tahini, and oven-warm flatbread are shared under the stars. Listen to desert songs, stories of ancient tribes, and the crackling fire as the Milky Way stretches above.

Tonight, you sleep beneath the stars in clean, private tents — safe, serene, and utterly unforgettable.

Overnight: White Desert Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

As dawn breaks over the chalk cliffs, enjoy a peaceful desert breakfast. You may wish to wander briefly among the white formations once more, now cast in the soft glow of morning light.

Begin your return journey to Bahariya, where you’ll stop to visit the Bahariya Oasis Museum — a small but fascinating collection that showcases the region’s unique archaeological finds, including a selection of Golden Mummies from the Greco-Roman necropolis. These hauntingly lifelike sarcophagi, adorned with gilded masks and jewelry, offer a glimpse into the blend of Egyptian and Roman funerary traditions that flourished in this remote land.

After lunch, continue your return to Cairo, arriving by evening. Check back into your hotel for a well-earned rest after days of desert wonder.

Overnight: Cairo

Meals: Breakfast

This evening, treat yourself to a romantic farewell to the Nile.

Optional Experience: As the sun dips below Cairo’s skyline, you’ll be transferred to the riverbank to board a luxurious Nile dinner cruise. Step aboard a beautifully appointed vessel where soft music plays and tables are dressed with crisp linens.

As the boat gently glides along the river, enjoy a sumptuous multi-course meal featuring both Egyptian and international cuisine — from grilled kofta to fresh Nile perch, aromatic rice, and pistachio-dusted pastries. Candlelight flickers as minarets and bridges pass by.

Entertainment may include traditional Egyptian dance, a live band, and a mesmerising Tanoura spinning dervish show — the colorful whirl of spirituality and rhythm that leaves audiences spellbound.

This is not just dinner — it is a farewell embrace from the river that has witnessed the rise and fall of empires.

Overnight: Cairo

Meals: Breakfast

Optional: Dinner cruise (additional cost)

Today is dedicated to Cairo itself — a city layered with millennia of sacred stories, revolutions, and rhythms.

Begin in Old Coptic Cairo, where early Christianity took root in Roman-occupied Egypt. Visit the Hanging Church (El Muallaqa), dramatically suspended above a Roman gate and adorned with icons, incense, and candlelight. Nearby lies St. Sergius Church, believed to have sheltered the Holy Family during their flight to Egypt — a site of quiet reverence beneath the bustling city.

Next, ascend to the Citadel of Saladin, a medieval fortress built in the 12th century to protect Cairo from Crusaders. Inside stands the majestic Mosque of Muhammad Ali, its alabaster dome gleaming beneath Cairo’s skyline. Step inside to admire its vast chandeliered hall and Ottoman grandeur, and step outside for panoramic views across the city — even to the faint outline of the pyramids on a clear day.

Enjoy a visit to a perfumery, where fragrant oils and essences are still crafted using ancient methods. You’ll learn how Cleopatra’s favorite scents were made and may sample the base oils of famous French perfumes in their purest form.

End the day at the legendary Khan El-Khalili Bazaar — Cairo’s 14th-century marketplace, still buzzing with traders, artisans, and storytellers. Wander through labyrinthine alleys overflowing with brass lanterns, handwoven scarves, alabaster statues, silver jewelry, and spices. Sip mint tea at El Fishawy Café, where poets and presidents have lingered for centuries.

Overnight: Cairo

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, your Anteros Travel representative will meet you at the hotel to escort you to Cairo International Airport for your departure flight.

As you leave Egypt, take with you more than photographs — carry the stories of kings and queens, desert silence, Nile sunrises, and the warmth of a civilization that still breathes beneath the sand.

Meals: Breakfast