8 Day Egypt Budget Tour and Nile Cruise – Cairo & Nile Cruise

DAY 1 – Arrive for your Egypt Trip and Overnight in Cairo

When you arrive at Cairo International Airport in Egypt for your 8-Day Egypt Budget Tour, your tour manager will meet and assist you at the airport, and then escort you to the hotel where you will be staying during your time in Cairo. At the hotel, he will assist with check-in, and also discuss your trip itinerary with you to confirm pick-up times for your upcoming tours.

After formalities have been taken care of, he will say goodbye, and you will have the rest of the day and evening to yourself.

Included: Free Welcome Drink

DAY 2 – Pyramids; Coptic Cairo; Islamic Cairo, and Travel by Sleeper Train to Aswan

After enjoying a hearty breakfast at your hotel, your personal Egyptologist guide will meet you for an unforgettable tour of Cairo’s iconic sites. Begin your journey at the Giza Plateau, where you’ll marvel at one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramids of Giza. Explore the iconic Sphinx and the Valley Temple before heading for lunch at a traditional Egyptian restaurant.

Next, venture to the New Grand Egyptian Museum (Giza Museum), located just 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the pyramids. This remarkable archaeological museum currently offers limited access, allowing you to explore the Main Galleries, Grand Hall, Grand Staircase, surrounding gardens, and commercial area as part of a soft opening to preview the museum.

Following the museum visit, continue to the historic Egyptian Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including treasures from King Tutankhamen’s tomb. After exploring these extraordinary displays, you’ll journey to Coptic Cairo, where you’ll visit landmarks such as the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue. From there, head into Islamic Cairo for a stroll through the vibrant Khan el Khalili Bazaar, a bustling marketplace that has welcomed visitors since the 14th century.

Once you’ve taken in the sights and sounds of Cairo’s oldest market, you’ll be driven to the Giza train station to board the overnight sleeper train to Aswan. Enjoy dinner served in your private compartment as the train departs, and look forward to breakfast onboard the following morning as your journey through Egypt continues.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

DAY 3 – Nile Cruise Embarkation and Aswan Tour

When your train arrives in Aswan shortly after breakfast, one of our tour managers in Aswan will meet you, and then escort you to the area where you will board your 5-Star Nile cruise ship that will be taking you for an unforgettable trip along the Nile to Luxor in absolute style.

Enjoy lunch on the boat shortly after boarding, and then one of our guides will be taking you for a short tour in Aswan to see 3 of the most popular Aswan tourist attractions: the Aswan High Dam; the ancient Temple of Philae, and the ancient Unfinished Obelisk which is the biggest of its kind ever discovered.

After your tour, you will head back to the ship where you will have some free time for yourself before dinner is served. This night of your trip will be spent on the Nile at Aswan.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

DAY 4 – Sail to Esna with Onshore Excursions at Kom Ombo and Edfu

Shortly after breakfast, your cruise ship will depart from Aswan, and it will head to Kom Ombo when you will be taken to see the remarkable Kom Ombo Temple which was dedicated to two different gods: Sobek the crocodile god, and Haeroris the falcon-headed god. Because this temple was shared by two gods, you can expect to see two of everything here. It is the only temple of its kind ever discovered in Egypt.

Following your tour, you will return to the ship, and it will then travel to Edfu where you will enjoy another unforgettable excursion, this time to Horus Temple, the best reserved ancient Egyptian temple ever discovered in Egypt. After your tour, you will once again return to the ship, and it will now travel to Esna. This night of your trip will be spent on the Nile at Esna.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 5 – Sail to Luxor and Luxor West Bank Tour

Begin your day with a good breakfast and a relaxing trip along the Nile to Luxor. When you arrive in Luxor, our tour guide will be taking you for another excursion, this time to see the best timeless monuments located on the West Bank. During this tour, you will visit Valley of the Kings; the mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and also the Colossi of Memnon.

Valley of the Kings is the ancient royal burial ground where Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamen in 1922. In addition to this tomb, there are also another 61 other ancient tombs, although only a small number are open to visitors. While our tours include admission to some of the tombs, separate tickets are needed in order to enter what are considered “special” tombs. Tickets for these tombs can be purchased at the site.

After your Luxor West Bank tour, you will return to the ship, and the remainder of the day will be yours to enjoy as you wish. Enjoy lunch, afternoon tea and dinner aboard the ship, and spend this night of your trip on the water at Luxor.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

DAY 6 – Cruise Disembarkation; East Bank Tour, and Travel by Overnight Train to Cairo

This day of your Egypt Budget Tour once again begins with a good breakfast on the ship, and then it will be time for disembarkation. After leaving the vessel, our tour tour guide will then escort you on a Luxor East Bank tour to see two more incredible ancient Egyptian sites: Karnak Temple complex and the very well-preserved Luxor Temple.

You will also have some free time in Luxor after your tour, and then you will be transferred to Luxor Train Station where you will board the overnight train back to Cairo. Dinner will be served in your compartment on the train shortly after it departs from Luxor.

Meals Included: Breakfast and Dinner

DAY 7 – Free Day in the Egyptian Capital with Optional Excursions

When your train arrives in Cairo, your tour manager will be there to meet you, and he will escort you to the hotel in Cairo where you will be staying for the last night of your travel adventure in Egypt. There are no tours or excursions scheduled for this day of your trip, but if you don’t want to spend the day relaxing, there are some optional day tours which you might want to consider, such as a trip to the Sakkara necropolis which is home to Egypt’s oldest pyramid.

Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 8 – Egypt Budget Tours End and Final Departure

Enjoy a good breakfast at your hotel in Cairo, and then at the appropriate time, your tour manager will arrive to assist you with check-out, and to escort you to Cairo International Airport for your flight out of Egypt. Your Budget Egypt Tour has now come to an end, so at this point we will bid you farewell and wish you a safe and pleasant onward journey.

Meals Included: Breakfast