Egypt's four worlds, experienced without compromise. Cairo, the Nile, Alexandria's Mediterranean grandeur, and the Red Sea. Fully private, fully guided, fully five-star throughout.
Your Journey Route
This twelve-day flagship itinerary brings together everything Egypt offers at the highest level of quality and exclusivity. Cairo gives you the Giza plateau at dawn, the Grand Egyptian Museum with a VIP Egyptologist, and Old Cairo's layered Coptic history. Four nights on a five-star Nile cruise ship, full board, carry you from Aswan south to Abu Simbel and north through Kom Ombo and Edfu to Luxor. Alexandria adds two days of Mediterranean grandeur: the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Citadel of Qaitbay and the finest seafood corniche in North Africa. The Red Sea closes the journey with two days of coral reef and complete rest. Every transfer is private, every vehicle is premium, every guide is a senior specialist.
Private airport transfer to your five-star suite. The evening begins with a sunset drive to the Giza viewpoint to see the pyramids in their golden light before a welcome dinner at one of Cairo's finest rooftop restaurants. A first impression of Egypt that sets the tone for the twelve days ahead.
The Giza plateau at dawn with private early access before the public gates open. Your senior Egyptologist brings the engineering, politics and ritual of the Great Pyramid to life in a space that is, at that hour, essentially yours alone. The Grand Egyptian Museum's 2.5-hour VIP tour with a senior specialist covers Tutankhamun's complete burial treasure in the depth it deserves.
Cairo is not only Pharaonic. The old city layers 2,000 years of Christian and Islamic heritage over Roman foundations. Coptic Cairo's Hanging Church is built directly over a Roman fortress tower. The Citadel of Saladin and the Muhammad Ali Mosque give one of the great views over Cairo's roofscape. Khan el-Khalili ends the day with tea at El-Fishawy, Cairo's oldest cafe, operating since 1771.
Saqqara predates Giza by 200 years and its mastaba tombs preserve some of the most detailed painted reliefs in Egypt. Memphis was the capital of the Old Kingdom. A farewell evening at a Nile-view restaurant closes four extraordinary days in Cairo before the early flight to Aswan tomorrow.
A first-class domestic flight south to Aswan. Private embarkation on your five-star Nile cruise ship. The afternoon visit to Philae Island sees the Temple of Isis at its most magical: the motorboat crossing, the island rising from the water, the late afternoon light on the carved reliefs. A sundowner on deck as the ship moors, then your first dinner on board.
A chartered microplane at dawn (45 minutes each way) delivers you to Abu Simbel before the coach tours. Four colossal 20-metre statues of Ramesses II guard the mountain-cut temple; the interior's painted halls are remarkably vivid. Nefertari's temple beside it is smaller and no less extraordinary. Return to Aswan for the Unfinished Obelisk, a Nubian village lunch and a private sunset felucca around Elephantine Island.
A morning at sea, sailing north from Aswan through a landscape of golden desert cliffs and date palms. The private afternoon visit to Kom Ombo is timed to avoid the midday crowds; the dual temple of Sobek and Horus with its crocodile museum is at its best in the late afternoon light. The ship sails again at dusk with dinner on the sun deck.
Edfu Temple at 6am with private early access before the gates open to the public. The Temple of Horus is the most completely preserved ancient temple in Egypt; visited at dawn with no other tourists present, it is one of the most powerful experiences the country offers. Horse-drawn carriage from the ship. Afternoon sailing north to Luxor.
The day begins before sunrise in a hot air balloon above the Valley of the Kings. From 300 metres, the temples, the Nile and the Eastern Desert spread below in the first light; it is one of Egypt's most extraordinary experiences. Descend for breakfast on board, then the West Bank: three tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari, and the Colossi of Memnon. Evening: Karnak Sound and Light show.
Karnak Temple in the early morning light is Luxor's defining experience. The hypostyle hall, its 134 columns still carrying the carved names and images of pharaohs, is one of the most awe-inspiring spaces in the ancient world. A 2-hour private tour does it justice. Fly Cairo, then private car to Alexandria (2.5 hours). Seafood dinner on the Mediterranean corniche.
Alexandria is one of Egypt's most underrated experiences. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is an architecturally stunning modern library on the site of the ancient Library of Alexandria. The Citadel of Qaitbay stands on the exact site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse. The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa offer the ancient world's most unusual architectural hybrid: Pharaonic, Greek and Roman in one underground necropolis. Farewell Alexandria dinner.
Return to Cairo (2.5 hours by car), then fly to Hurghada (30 minutes). Your five-star all-inclusive resort on the Red Sea is a complete decompression after eleven days of history. All meals and non-motorised watersports are included. The reef begins within 50 metres of the shoreline. Two nights here are designed to be exactly what they are: rest, sea and sun.
1 or 2-day diving sessions at Hurghada's PADI centres for all levels. The Red Sea coral gardens are world-class; a perfect way to spend your final days.
The most painted tomb in the Valley of the Queens requires a special-access permit and separate ticket. The floor-to-ceiling coloured reliefs are the finest in Egypt.
Upgrade to a longer hot air balloon circuit covering both banks of the Nile. Additional time in the air over Karnak, the temples and the valley at dawn.
Cross from Hurghada to Jordan after your Red Sea days: 3 additional days for Petra and Wadi Rum. Our full Egypt & Petra Jordan itinerary covers the details.
A private decorated felucca for a candlelit dinner on the Nile at Aswan. Elephantine Island, the Aga Khan Mausoleum and the pink granite cliffs at sunset.
3 nights in Siwa Oasis in the Western Desert before your international departure. Oracle of Amun, salt lakes, desert dunes and star-blazed skies at Egypt's most remote retreat.
Four destinations instead of two or three. Five-star hotels and cruise throughout (not a mix of tiers). Abu Simbel by chartered aircraft. A hot air balloon over the Valley of the Kings. Alexandria and the Red Sea added to the standard Egypt circuit. It is our most comprehensive single-country itinerary and is priced accordingly.
Yes. The charter flight (approximately 45 minutes each way from Aswan) is included in the $3,200 per person rate. This is a significant upgrade over the road convoy (3 hours each way) and allows exclusive access at sunrise before other tours arrive.
After flying from Luxor to Cairo, you continue to Hurghada (30-min flight). The two nights at a five-star all-inclusive resort are designed as a complete decompression after the busy touring schedule. All meals and non-motorised watersports are included. Diving and excursions are optional add-ons.
Alexandria is one of Egypt's most underrated experiences. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is an architecturally stunning modern library on the site of the ancient Library of Alexandria. The corniche seafood restaurants are exceptional. Qaitbay Citadel sits on the exact site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse. We recommend two nights here, not one.
Yes. Common extensions are: 3 extra days for Petra and Wadi Rum in Jordan (making 15 days), 2–3 days for Siwa Oasis, or an extension of the Hurghada stay for diving certification. We can build any combination.
We work with Cairo's leading properties including the Four Seasons on the Nile, Kempinski Nile Hotel, Marriott Mena House (next to the Pyramids), and Fairmont Nile City. The choice depends on availability and the character of the stay you prefer.
It is ideal for a honeymoon. Cairo's rooftop restaurants, the Nile cruise at sunset, the Alexandria corniche at night, and the Hurghada beach all lend themselves to a deeply romantic journey. We can arrange upgrades, welcome amenities, private dinners and special touches throughout.
Yes, with a single supplement. Solo travellers on this tour have a private guide, private vehicle, and private cabin on the cruise. We can also arrange to match solo travellers with dates when other solo travellers are making similar journeys. Contact us for details.
Five-star everywhere. Four of Egypt's most romantic settings. An unforgettable beginning.
No compromises. The best hotels, the best cruise, the most exclusive access in Egypt.
50th birthdays, 30th anniversaries, retirement gifts. This is the trip for the occasion.
Leadership retreats and incentive travel for executives who deserve the flagship experience.
Every journey we build is private, guided and crafted around you. Tell us your travel dates and group size and we'll send you a personalised itinerary within 24 hours.
