Sail along the Nile River and demystify sites that define 5,000 years of history.
How do you turn a week into forever? By going back—thousands of years back—to Egypt’s mythical sites and etching them into your memories. Guided by an Egyptologist, you’ll take in the Pyramids of Giza before setting sail down the Nile River. You’ll make awe-filled stops at towering, hieroglyph-etched temples in Karnak and Luxor; wander the hidden tombs of the Valley of the Kings; and have the opportunity to soar above it all in a hot-air balloon. To take a closer look at the unique intersection of spiritual traditions in modern Egypt, extend your trip to stay in Cairo.
Your tour package includes
4 nights in handpicked hotels
3 nights aboard a Nile River cruise ship
7 breakfasts
3 lunches
6 dinners with beer or wine
6 sightseeing tours
Egyptologist, who’s also your Tour Director
Private deluxe motor coach
2 on-tour flights
Included highlights
Pyramids of Giza
Great Sphinx
Grand Egyptian Museum
Temples at Philae
Temple of Kom Ombo
Edfu
Temple of Khnum
Temples of Karnak and Luxor
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Cairo today.
Cairo2 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Cairo
Included meal: Dinner
Welcome to Egypt! This evening, enjoy an included dinner at your hotel on your own.
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
This contemporary hotel is located in the Sharkas neighborhood of Giza. Guests enjoy a gym, outdoor pool, and restaurant. Nearby, you'll find the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, Tahrir Square, and restaurants.
M/S Tulip
This luxurious cruise ship travels along the Nile River and features spacious cabins, swimming pool, health club, sauna, restaurants and bars.
Movenpick Resort Aswan
This resort-style hotel is located on Elephantine Island in Aswan. Guests enjoy a pool, tennis courts, and laundry services. Nearby, you’ll find Kitchener’s Island, the Tombs of the Nobles, and the Nubian Museum.
Le Méridien Cairo Airport
This contemporary hotel is connected to the Cairo airport. Guests enjoy a restaurant, bar, and fitness center. Nearby, you’ll find the Cairo airport and Oasis Mall.
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
In order to enter Egypt, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least two blank passport pages for entry stamps.
U.S. and Canadian passport holders must obtain a visa in order to enter Egypt. You will be able to purchase one at the airport upon arrival; be sure to have exact change in crisp, new bills. Alternatively, you can apply for an eVisa or traditional visa in advance. To do so, visit the Egyptian Electronic Visa Portal website and follow our walkthrough guide. For additional assistance, you may use a third-party provider like VisaCentral—however, these services charge a fee in addition to the cost of your visa.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each destination country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code EGP.
You will walk for at least 3 hours daily across uneven terrain, including cobblestone streets and paved roads, with some hills and stairs.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times, as well as getting in and out of small boats.
Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
Your Tour Director, who’s also an Egyptologist, will be with you throughout the duration of your Egypt tour. There will also be additional staff working alongside your Tour Director to confirm logistics, as well as assist with transfers and on-tour flights. Having these staffers, who are solely focused on ensuring all on-tour logistics go smoothly, allows your Tour Director to dedicate even more one-on-one time to teaching your group about Egyptian history and culture. While it’s customary to tip your Tour Director, you don’t need to tip these additional staff members.
Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in and depart from Cairo. A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the tour are included for travelers who purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who booked their own flights are responsible for securing their own airport transfers.
Flights from Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo are included in the price of your tour.
A three-night Nile River cruise and boat rides are also included in the price of your tour.
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered, as well as a light jacket or rainwear. While many places in Egypt have a warm, sunny climate, the desert can be very cold at night and temperatures will dip with changes in elevation throughout your tour. Therefore, we also recommend packing a few long sleeve shirts and warmer layers to wear at night.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers are recommended for sightseeing.
A sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen is recommended for outdoor activities.
A small bottle of hand sanitizer may be helpful when other facilities are not readily available while on the road.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
It is preferable not to visit mosques or other religious sites with bare legs or shoulders (entrance may be denied on this basis).
On this tour, we recommend the use of a reusable water bottle, as the local drinking water is safe for travelers or potable water is provided on the bus and/or hotel. Make sure to bring a reusable water bottle to cut down on single use plastics.
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
Please be sure to take proper care with sun exposure, as the sun can be especially strong in some of the areas you are visiting.
Drink bottled water only. Refrain from drinking tap water, including when brushing your teeth.
Bring a small first aid kit, including antacids, anti-diarrhea medication, motion sickness medication, and any prescription medications in your carry-on bag.
Avoid eating fresh fruits and vegetables unless they are cooked or washed in clean water and peeled.
Public restrooms in Egypt can be quite bare. We suggest carrying bathroom tissue and hand sanitizer with you.
Depending on season and weather patterns, air pollution in Cairo may be problematic for travelers with a history of respiratory problems. Based on your health history, please discuss any precautions with your healthcare provider prior to departure.
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour and any possible delays encountered.
Certain over-the-counter and prescription medications may be banned in one or all of the countries on this tour. Importing these drugs can carry severe consequences, including imprisonment. Please consult your healthcare provider prior to departure to ensure that any drugs you may want to bring with you are legal in all countries you will visit.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to your departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code EGP.
Egyptian cuisine uses the bountiful harvests of the Nile Valley—corn, eggplant, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, chickpeas, and citrus fruits are popular in many dishes. Don’t miss out on Egyptian interpretations of typical Mediterranean staples like baba ghanoush, falafel, and stuffed grape leaves. Tea is the national drink and is offered at breakfast, after lunch, and in most social situations.
Meal times vary greatly in Egypt and locals often skip lunch. While on tour, breakfast will be served around 8am and lunch is often served around 3pm. Therefore, we recommended bringing energy bars, crackers, or other packable snacks with you during the day.
Meals on the cruise ship are served buffet-style and provide a wide variety of international offerings. Afternoon tea is offered every day.
Egypt operates on 220 volts and use Types C or F plugs with two round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
The strength of the air conditioning in hotels in these regions is often not as strong or as cool as what one might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
Egypt is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
When it’s noon in New York City, it’s 6pm in Egypt.
You will use the Egyptian pound on tour.
Better rates of exchange are usually available abroad, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
Any shipboard purchases are directly added to your room account. Purchases made from on-board shops can be paid in USD or Egyptian pounds.
You may find it useful to have a supply of U.S. currency in small denominations when bargaining for everything from taxi rides to souvenirs.
At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director, $1USD per person per day for the bus helper, $4USD per person per day for your driver, and $20USD to $25USD per person for cruise ship personnel.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
In Egypt, tipping is an important part of the local culture and you will be expected to tip for services including, but not limited to, taking photos in some areas or seeing additional exhibits. Travelers should carry small bills (in USD) for this purpose.
Tips can only be paid in cash.
Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.
As dictated by Egyptian Tourism Police, all foreign groups must be accompanied by an armed guard and/or convoy.
Be aware of your surroundings, as pickpockets are active at most tourist sites. We recommend leaving your passport in the hotel safe, and concealing credit cards and cash in a money belt or a hidden pouch.
Bring photocopies of your passport, credit cards, and other important documents. Keep them separate from the originals.
My trip to Egypt was exhilarating exciting fun. I never knew there was so many hours in a day. We kept it moving every day and it was enjoyable. I could recommend this trip to anyone. The camel rides the hot air balloon the boat ride down the Nile, everything was fabulous.
Egypt trip review
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Chad, travelled in Feb 2025
We loved the trip. Only 2 things were of concern. First was when it says lunch not included, that should not mean NO lunch. Second, there were a LOT of early morning wake ups! But overall, it was a great experience. Our guide was wonderful, the hotels, logistics, and food were...
The trip of a lifetime!
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Loria, travelled in Feb 2025
Touring Egypt went beyond all of my expectations! From stepping off of the plane in Cairo to boarding went seamlessly! Our tour guide and representatives were amazing!
Incredible Egypt Experience with Amal
5 out of 5 stars
2nd-time traveler Sherry, travelled in Oct 2024
My recent trip to Egypt with EF Go Ahead Tours was a dream come true, and it was made all the more unforgettable by our outstanding guide, Amal. From the breathtaking pyramid of Giza to the rich history woven into every corner of Cairo Egypt, to the Nile and beyond, every part...
Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful review of your Egypt tour! It’s wonderful to hear that your journey was a dream come true, and...
Exceptional Adventure!
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Constance, travelled in Oct 2024
Are you ready for your next great adventure? Don't miss Egypt with a Nile River Cruise! It is an extraordinary experience steeped in historical significance, amazing, impressive cultural sites and a whole lot of fun. Amal is a fabulous tour guide who treats you like a member...
Life changing and so much history! 🇪🇬
5 out of 5 stars
2nd-time traveler Margaret, travelled in Jun 2024
Check this one off of your bucket list! I can’t say enough about traveling to Egypt with EF! The food, the people, the history, the ruins, the culture was beautiful. I will definitely go again!✈️
