Egypt Private Tour Packages: 14-Day Nile Cruise Around Egypt

Begin at Saqqara, Egypt's oldest royal necropolis, with the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the pyramid of Unas with its walls of carved hieroglyphs, and the finely decorated mastaba of Kagemni. The Imhotep Museum tells the story of the architect who designed the first stone pyramid. After lunch, drive to Dahshur for the Bent Pyramid, with its famous change of angle, and the Red Pyramid, the first smooth-sided pyramid, which you can enter.

Head into the Western Desert to the Fayoum oasis. At Wadi El Hitan, the Valley of the Whales and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, walk among the fossil skeletons of ancient whales that swam here 40 million years ago, when this desert was a sea. Visit the Magic Lake, whose colours shift with the light, then the village of Tunis, known for its pottery school and artists' studios. Return to Giza for dinner.

Arrive at the Giza Plateau two hours before it opens to the public. With your Egyptologist, enter the Great Pyramid and its Queen's and Subterranean Chambers, normally closed, then walk into the Sphinx enclosure to stand between its paws while the plateau is still quiet. After breakfast and a rest, spend the afternoon at the Grand Egyptian Museum with the complete Tutankhamun collection and the restored Khufu Solar Boat. The rest of the evening is free at the hotel.

Fly to Luxor and board MS Le Fayan, your home for the next seven nights, in time for lunch. In the afternoon, explore Karnak, the largest temple complex ever built, with its Great Hypostyle Hall of 134 columns and the obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut. As evening falls, walk through Luxor Temple while its colonnades are lit, then return to the ship for your first dinner on the river. Your Egyptologist travels with you on board for the whole week.

Cross to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, where you enter royal tombs carved deep into the hills, their walls covered in scenes of the journey through the afterlife. Continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut, set against the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, and stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Back on board for lunch as the ship sails south through the Esna Lock, with tea on the sun deck and dinner on board.

Spend the morning cruising south, watching farms, palm groves and villages pass from the sun deck or the pool. Visit Kom Ombo, a rare double temple shared by Sobek the crocodile god and Haroeris the falcon god, and the Crocodile Museum beside it with its mummified crocodiles. Continue sailing to Aswan, where a traditional galabeya party with Egyptian music and a festive dinner awaits on board. The pool and shaded sun deck make this an easy, restful day.

Begin at the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in the granite quarry where it cracked during carving. Take a short boat ride to the island Temple of Philae, dedicated to Isis and moved stone by stone to save it from the rising Nile. After lunch on board, a motorboat carries you through the granite islands of the First Cataract to a Nubian village, where a local family welcomes you into their home for tea.

Set off early for Abu Simbel, near the Sudanese border. Ramses II carved his great temple into the mountainside, guarded by four seated colossi each twenty metres high, beside a smaller temple for Queen Nefertari. Both were moved block by block in the 1960s to escape the waters of Lake Nasser. Return to Aswan in the afternoon for a free evening on board, as the ship stays moored in Aswan tonight.

A slow morning in Aswan, with time for the colourful market or a quiet hour on the sun deck. After lunch the ship sets sail north, retracing the river past sandstone hills, fields of sugar cane and small riverside villages. This is a day to enjoy the Nile itself, the changing light on the water and the life along the banks. Dinner is served on board as the ship moors for the night.

Ride by horse-drawn carriage to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, the best preserved temple in Egypt. Back on board, sail through the Esna Lock to Luxor. In the afternoon, cross to the West Bank for the Valley of the Queens, resting place of royal wives and princes, and Medinet Habu, the vast temple of Ramses III with some of the finest painted reliefs in Luxor. Enjoy your last dinner on board.

Leave the ship after breakfast and fly to Cairo. Check in to the Four Seasons at The First Residence, overlooking the Nile. In the afternoon, visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, where the Royal Mummies Hall holds more than twenty kings and queens of ancient Egypt, including Ramses II and Hatshepsut, in quiet, softly lit galleries. The evening is free to enjoy the hotel's restaurants or the view over the river.

Explore the Citadel of Saladin and its Alabaster Mosque, with views across the minarets and domes of the old city. Walk the historic streets of Islamic Cairo, then lunch at the Naguib Mahfouz Café, named after Egypt's Nobel Prize winning novelist. Spend the afternoon in Khan el-Khalili, the bazaar of lanterns, spices and silver that has traded since the fourteenth century. In the evening, gather for a farewell dinner. Your guide can suggest the best stalls for perfume, textiles and jewellery.

A last breakfast by the Nile closes one of our signature Egypt private tour packages. Take your time over a final coffee overlooking the river, or a last walk along the Corniche if your flight leaves later in the day. A private transfer then takes you to Cairo International Airport, where our team assists you through check-in and security. Your trip concierge remains available until you are on board. We hope to welcome you back to Egypt soon.