15 Day Private Egypt Uncovered

Salaam Alaikum! Welcome to Egypt. A buzzing metropolis, home to at least 19 million people, Cairo gives you a great feel for Egyptian streetlife. It's busy – almost frantic – and among the hustle and bustle, it's an exciting blend of old world and new. Arabs call this city Umm al-Dunya (the mother of the world). There are many beautiful mosques to visit, like the Mohammed Ali Mosque in the Citadel. Or head to the oldest part of Cairo, the Babylon Fortress, to see ancient ruins. For stunning panoramic views of the capital, go up the 187-metre-high Cairo Tower. Try some street food – lamb shawarma, anyone? – or get a taste of Egyptian street life by visiting a cafe. Sit in an ahwa and sip traditional mint tea. The shisha pipe can be found in many ahwas and restaurants across Cairo. On arrival into Cairo, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Special Information Arrival airport transfers are included as part of your package. You will be met upon arrival at the airport by a local representative and transferred to your hotel.If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.If you are arriving early and have made your own arrangements prior to your tour commencing, airport transfers will not be included. However, if you are purchasing pre-nights accommodation as part of your Inspiring Vacations package, airport transfers will still be provided to the starting hotel.

This morning, meet your guide and head out to see the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, standing on the edge of the city for around 4,500 years. With your own guide and vehicle, there's no need to rush, so you can spend as long as you like at each stop. From the plateau, continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to more than 100,000 treasures, including the complete collection recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Return to your hotel with the rest of the afternoon free to rest or explore Cairo at your own pace. Inspiring Highlights Pyramids of Giza Great Sphinx Grand Egyptian Museum

This morning after breakfast, leave Cairo in your private vehicle and head for Alexandria, a drive of around four and a half hours along the desert road. On the way, stop at the Commonwealth War Graves at El Alamein, site of one of the turning points of the Second World War. Arrive into Alexandria in the afternoon, with free time to explore this seaside city at your own pace. Inspiring Highlights El Alamein Commonwealth War Graves Special Information Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

Today your guide will take you on a tour of the city, known for its broad beaches and corniche (seafront promenade) dotted with sun loungers and cafes. Afterwards, prepare to delve into the catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa. Heading underground, you'll get to view the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, complete with burial chambers, labyrinth alleyways and entertaining rooms for families coming to visit the dead. The crypts are 20 metres below street level and date back to the Greco Roman period. What likely started as a small family tomb grew into a large number of graves that could accommodate more than 300 bodies. The tombs are organised around a central spiral staircase that leads down through several levels. We then drive back to Cairo. On arrival, check into your hotel located close by the airport in preparation for your flight to Aswan in the morning. Inspiring Highlights Alexandria city tour Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa Special Information Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.

This morning, take an early flight from Cairo to Aswan. On arrival in Aswan, you will be met and transferred to the port where you will board a boat to take you to the Philae Temple complex, home to the Temple of Isis which was rescued from the rising waters of the Nile and relocated on Philae Island in the 1960s. It's a marvel of decorative pylons featuring some of Egypt's finest carvings – definitely one of the real gems of Upper Egypt. Philae Temple is situated on an island just south of Aswan. It was built by the last dynasty of ancient Egypt, the Ptolemaic. The temple is dedicated to Isis - the goddess of healing, magic and birth, her husband Osiris and their son Horus. Following our visit, we check into our hotel with time to relax before we enjoy sailing the Nile in a traditional wooden boat (felucca) in the afternoon followed by an authentic dinner at one of the Nubian houses. This evening, enjoy your Inspiring Taste as we experience modern Nubian culture first-hand with a visit to Elephantine Island. On your visit you'll join a Nubian family for dinner and experience true traditional Nubian hospitality. Here, you will encounter Nubian homes, traditional food and an unforgettable insight into the daily life of a Nubian. This is a rare and memorable experience, giving you the chance to become fully immersed in the local culture. Inspiring Highlights Philae Temple complex Felucca sailing on the Nile Nubian family dinner on Elephantine Island Special Information Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours. Your included flight allows one checked bag up to 23kg (51lbs), and one 7kg (15 lbs) carry-on. Your internal flight for this day is arranged by our local partner. Specific flight details will be provided by your Tour Leader upon arrival and cannot be provided in advance. Please note that these group flights cannot be upgraded, amended, or checked in online. Your Tour Leader will manage the check-in process for the group.

Today, set out with your guide to explore some of Aswan's other landmarks. We begin with the unfinished obelisk, the largest known ancient obelisk – more than 3,500 years old – located in an ancient quarry in Aswan. It was left incomplete and now provides a fascinating look at how these great monuments were constructed. Continue to the Nubian Museum, which showcases the history, art and culture of the Nubians. This museum enables visitors to understand the complex history of the local area and its people. Afterwards, we'll visit the Aswan High Dam, which sits behind the mighty Lake Nasser. At the time it was made (the 1960s), it was the largest dam project in the world. The creation of the reservoir necessitated the costly relocation of the ancient Egyptian temple complex of Abu Simbel, which would otherwise have been submerged. Inspiring Highlights Unfinished obelisk Nubian Museum Aswan High Dam

Wake before sunrise for an early start today and drive to the ancient Abu Simbel temples, close to Egypt's southern border, arriving after around four hours on the road.Two enormous sandstone temples stand here, built by Ramses II more than 3,200 years ago. The larger temple carries four colossal statues of Ramses II, and the smaller is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and carries statues of his wife, Nefertari. Both were relocated to higher ground in the 1960s to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.Return to Aswan in the afternoon with free time before boarding your Nile cruise this evening, which will be your home for the coming nights. Inspiring Highlights Abu Simbel temples (UNESCO World Heritage Site) Special Information Your travel time today will be approximately 9 hours.Your cruise vessel remains docked for most of daylight hours for sightseeing, with sailing generally taking place overnight or in the evening. It is common for vessels to be moored alongside one another at the ports along the Nile.

This morning your cruise arrives at Kom Ombo, home to an unusual double temple dedicated to the gods Sobek and Haroeris, built during the Ptolemaic period more than two thousand years ago. Soaring columns and well preserved wall carvings survive here, including a relief thought to show some of the earliest known medical and surgical instruments. Continue upriver toward Edfu in the afternoon, with time to relax on the sundeck as the Nile scenery drifts by. Inspiring Highlights Kom Ombo Temple

Today your cruise continues toward Luxor, passing through the Esna lock along the way. Moor near Edfu, home to ancient settlements and a lively bazaar. A horse and carriage into town is sometimes offered for the trip to the Temple of Edfu; given the animal welfare concerns, you may prefer to explore on foot instead. Lunch and dinner are served on board, and this evening you're treated to a traditional Egyptian belly dancing performance. Inspiring Highlights Edfu

Your Nile cruise comes to an end in the open-air museum of Luxor – from the spectacular temple complex of Karnak to the Valley of the Kings, Luxor is full of wonderfully-preserved reminders of the pharaohs. After breakfast, disembark from the cruise and explore the magnificent Karnak Temple, which is perhaps the most impressive of all the ancient pharaohs' monumental works. One of the world's most celebrated temple complexes, Karnak was built over some 200 years and was once known as the 'Chosen of Places'. Your guided tour of this vast temple of impressive pylons, obelisks and chapels will reveal its finest sections, such as the Avenue of Sphinxes and the Great Temple of Amun. The rest of the day is yours: relax, shop in the excellent bazaar, or perhaps experience the atmosphere of a local teahouse. Inspiring Highlights Karnak Temple

After breakfast, discover some of the many wonders of ancient Thebes. Our first stop is the Colossi of Memnon, two 17-metre-high statues on Luxor's west bank. Carved from granite blocks, they represent the Pharaoh Amenhotep III and were once part of an impressive colonnade. Next continue onto the spectacular royal burial site of the Valley of the Kings. Buried under the arid hills here are the tombs of more than 60 pharaohs, many richly decorated with reliefs and paintings. Explore this sprawling and spectacular place with your guide, where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (16th to 11th century BCE) were secretly interred for all eternity, and where archaeological discoveries are still being made. Your guide will explain the history of and legends surrounding these remarkable people, their funerary rites, and the significance of the many paintings and hieroglyphics, still well-preserved in the deepest tombs. You will visit three of the most interesting royal tombs and then continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a stunning colonnaded building set against high cliffs that create a spectacular natural amphitheatre. One of Egypt's greatest queens, she built this temple to prove her importance – the scale and elegance of her temple certainly proves a point! The afternoon is yours to explore – perhaps you'd like to shop in the market or visit the world's first Mummification Museum to discover the secrets of pharaonic preservation. Inspiring Highlights Colossi of Memnon Valley of the Kings Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Special Information Entry to the tomb of King Tutankhamun is not included and costs approximately USD $20, payable on site. Your guide can assist, though queues can be long.

This morning we'll bid farewell to the Nile and drive east to the beachside town of Hurghada. The Nile valley's verdant landscape is soon replaced with the barren Eastern Desert. Passing through rocky hills, we'll begin to catch glimpses of the glittering waters of the Red Sea and the rugged bulk of the Sinai Peninsula looms through the haze on the opposite shore. A vibrant beach resort, Hurghada is by no means a typical adventure destination. Known for its underwater reefs and marine life, it's a popular diving destination. After checking into your hotel, take a walking tour with your guide to get your bearings, and check out some of the local restaurants and eateries. You will have the remainder of the evening at leisure and enjoy a sumptuous buffet dinner tonight at your hotel. Special Information Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours. On arrival into Hurghada your guide services finish and you will be independent during your time in Hurghada.

Today is free in Hurghada. Relax on the beach, explore on your own, take a snorkelling trip or relax and enjoy your resort's facilities. Tonight's dinner is included at your resort.

Today we'll leave Hurghada and take the short flight back to Cairo. Upon our return to the capital we'll enjoy an essential Egyptian experience – a visit to Khan El-Khalili bazaar, a memorable shopping experience in the historic centre of Islamic Cairo. Even if you are not looking to buy, take a walk through the colourful winding alleys of this labyrinth district – you'll feel like you stepped back in time to an old Arab souk. Selling handicrafts, delicious spices, fabrics and clothes, it's been a shopping district for thousands of years. We'll then continue to our hotel for free time. Special InformationYour flying time today will be approximately 1.5 hours. Your included flight allows one checked bag up to 23kg (51lbs), and one 7kg (15 lbs) carry-on. Your internal flight for this day is arranged by our local partner. Specific flight details will be provided by your Tour Leader upon arrival and cannot be provided in advance. Please note that these group flights cannot be upgraded, amended, or checked in online. Your Tour Leader will manage the check-in process for the group.

Unfortunately, today marks the end of your tour through Egypt. You will be transferred to the airport in time for your departure flight. Thank you for travelling with Inspiring Vacations. We hope you had a memorable experience. Special Information Departure transfers are included as part of your package. You will be collected from the hotel at the appropriate time and transferred to the airport to meet your flight. If you choose to extend your stay and have booked additional accommodation independently, this included service will be forfeited and no refund will be issued. If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure your flight details are provided via the Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that transfers can be confirmed.