10-Day New Year in Egypt: Nile Cruise & Red Sea
Ten days from 26 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. Old Cairo, three nights on the Nile, then New Year's Eve and four nights on the Red Sea at Hurghada.
The short answer
10-Day New Year in Egypt: Nile Cruise & Red Sea is a 10-day, 9-night trip to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Hurghada. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at $2,706 per person, two sharing (Comfort, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
This is a dated New Year tour. You arrive in Cairo on Saturday 26 December 2026 and fly home on Monday 4 January 2027. The first half is history: two nights in Cairo, a flight to Aswan, and three nights on a Nile cruise ship sailing north to Luxor with an English-speaking Egyptologist at every stop.
On day 6 you finish at the Valley of the Kings and drive about 5 hours to Hurghada on the Red Sea. You spend New Year's Eve there, then four nights by the sea with a boat day to Giftun Island, a quad bike ride and a city tour. The hotel's New Year gala dinner is not included in the price. You pay for it locally at the hotel on the night. Flights within Egypt, transfers and entrance fees on the sightseeing days are included.
What lingers
- 01Cairo by night with the Cairo Tower and dinner on your first evening
- 02Egyptian Museum, Coptic Cairo, Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili in one guided day
- 03Three nights on a Nile cruise ship from Aswan to Luxor, full board
- 04Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings with your Egyptologist
- 05New Year's Eve in Hurghada on the Red Sea
- 06Orange Bay snorkeling on Giftun Island, a quad bike ride and a Hurghada city tour
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in USD, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortfrom $2,7064★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 2 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 3 nightsRoyal Elite · Emilio Hurghada · 4 nightsSwiss Inn Resort Hurghada | $2,706May–Sep: from $2,626 | |
| Classicfrom $2,8825★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsRoyal Liberty · Stephanie Hurghada · 4 nightsAMC Royal Hotel & Spa | $2,882May–Sep: from $2,626 | |
| Prestigefrom $3,5515★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 3 nightsNile Serenity Hurghada · 4 nightsHilton Hurghada Plaza | $3,551May–Sep: from $3,564 | |
| Luxuryfrom $4,8195★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 2 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 3 nightsSonesta Star Goddess · Esmeralda | $4,819May–Sep: from $4,325 |
Nile cruise on full board. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
10 Days / 9 Nights · Cairo · Egyptian Museum · Islamic Cairo · Aswan · Philae Temple · Kom Ombo
- 1
Your driver meets you at Cairo Airport and takes you to your hotel, about an hour away. Your first evening is a tour of Cairo by night with a visit to the Cairo Tower and dinner. Exact timings are arranged around your flight, so nothing is rushed after you land.
- 2
A full guided day of about 8 hours with your Egyptologist. You are picked up at your hotel and visit the Egyptian Museum at Tahrir Square, then Coptic Cairo, the oldest Christian quarter of the city. After a local lunch you explore Islamic Cairo, the medieval part of the city, and finish in the lanes of the Khan el-Khalili bazaar.
Your guide, the entrance fees and the air-conditioned vehicle are all included.
- 3
A transfer takes you from your hotel to Cairo Airport for the flight to Aswan, about an hour in the air. A private transfer then brings you to the Nile cruise ship, where you join and settle into your cabin. Your first sightseeing is in Aswan with an English-speaking Egyptologist: Philae Temple, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk. Entrance fees and transport are included.
At sunset you take a felucca, a traditional sailing boat, on the Nile. The flight is set by the airline schedule, and sightseeing is arranged around it.
- 4
Today you visit the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu with your English-speaking Egyptologist, with entrance fees and transport included. The day also includes a private motorboat trip to Elephantine Island and the Aswan Botanical Garden. Your guide and the ship's schedule set the order of the day. You spend the night on board.
- 5
With your Egyptologist you visit Luxor Temple and the Karnak temple complex, including the Sacred Lake. Entrance fees and transport are included. In the evening you return to Karnak for the Sound and Light show. You spend the night on board.
- 6
Your last cruise sightseeing is on Luxor's West Bank with your Egyptologist: the Valley of the Kings, with three tombs included, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Entrance fees and transport are included. You then leave the ship for a private, air-conditioned transfer of about 5 hours from Luxor to Hurghada on the Red Sea. This is a full travel day.
You spend New Year's Eve at your Hurghada hotel. The hotel gala dinner is not included in the price and is paid locally at the hotel on the night.
- 7
A relaxed day on the water. You are picked up from your hotel and cross by motorboat to Orange Bay on Giftun Island. There are two guided snorkeling sessions, with snorkeling gear and life jackets provided, and time to rest on a sunbed on the beach. A hot lunch and bottled water are included, and you are dropped back at your hotel afterward.
- 8
A quad bike safari of about 5 hours from your hotel. There is one quad per rider, or two people can share a bike on request. A safari guide leads the ride, and helmets are provided. You stop for a short camel ride, then sit down to a barbecue dinner with soft drinks, tea and water, followed by a folklore show. You are driven back to your hotel afterward.
- 9
A gentler day in Hurghada. The city tour takes in the marina, a mosque, the old town and its market. The rest of the day is yours at the hotel or on the beach.
- 10
After breakfast you check out and transfer to Hurghada Airport for the flight to Cairo. The tour ends on arrival. Domestic flight times are set by the airline schedule. If you have an international flight the same day, see our flights question below before you book it.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- Two nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast, three nights on a Nile cruise ship on full board, and four nights in a Hurghada hotel with breakfast
- Domestic flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Hurghada to Cairo
- All airport, hotel and port transfers by air-conditioned vehicle, including the private transfer from Luxor to Hurghada
- Cairo by night with the Cairo Tower and dinner
- Full day in Old Cairo with a local lunch
- Three-night Nile cruise sightseeing, with an English-speaking Egyptologist, entrance fees and transport, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- Sunset felucca ride, the private motorboat trip to Elephantine Island and the Karnak Sound and Light show
- Orange Bay snorkeling trip with lunch, the quad bike safari with barbecue dinner and the Hurghada city tour
- Meet-and-assist at the airport
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- The New Year's Eve gala dinner, paid locally at the hotel on the night
- Egypt entry visa
- Gratuities for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks on board and meals other than those stated
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Join the Philae boat crossing in the morning light, and ask your guide to point out the Isis reliefs that photograph best from the water.
- 02
Keep a small scarf handy on the Nile cruise decks in the evenings; December and January nights on the river turn noticeably cool.
- 03
At Karnak, walk to the Sacred Lake after the main halls, where the crowds thin out and the scarab statue draws a quiet moment.
- 04
Take snorkel gear you trust for Giftun Island, since the sunny Orange Bay shallows are a short swim from the beach.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel and ship standard when you book. Ask us about extra nights in Cairo before your flight home, or other additions.
All requests handled by your dedicated specialist before booking.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travelers who want a New Year away with real sightseeing first and a few quiet days by the sea afterward. Suited to couples, friends and families who are comfortable with two flights and a long road day.
Maybe not, if
- Travelers who need step-free access to every site, or who want a single base. Days 2, 3 and 6 are long.
Honest assessment
Real trade-offs from our experience managing this tour.
Highlights
- Cairo, a Nile cruise and the Red Sea in ten days, with New Year's Eve at the coast
- Domestic flights and the Luxor to Hurghada transfer arranged for you
- Four relaxed nights in Hurghada after the sightseeing
Things to Consider
- Day 6 combines the Valley of the Kings with a 5-hour drive
- Fixed dates: 26 December 2026 to 4 January 2027
- The New Year gala dinner is not included and is paid locally
Where it fits
A good fit for a New Year trip that mixes history with beach time. The gala dinner is optional and paid locally.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many New Year trips stop at the Nile or at the coast. This tour joins a Nile cruise and the Red Sea in one ten-day plan, with the flights and the Luxor to Hurghada transfer booked for you. Hotel and ship standard is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided dated tour: Nile cruise plus Red Sea
- Accommodation
- Cairo and Hurghada hotels and a Nile cruise ship, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Egyptian Museum · Islamic Cairo · Aswan · Philae Temple · Kom Ombo · Edfu · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Valley of the Kings · Hurghada · Giftun Island
- Includes
- 2 nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast · 3 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · 4 nights in a Hurghada hotel with breakfast · Flights Cairo to Aswan and Hurghada to Cairo · Entrance fees and an Egyptologist on cruise sightseeing days · Orange Bay snorkeling, quad bike safari and Hurghada city tour
- Best for
- Travelers who want to spend New Year in Egypt · First-time visitors who want temples and a beach · Couples and friends who like a mix of sightseeing and sea time
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any required travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Swimsuit and a towel for the beach day
- Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any personal medication
- Warm layer for winter evenings and flights
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples, tombs and the quad bike ride
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and temples
- A scarf or buff for dust on the quad bike ride
- A jacket or sweater for winter evenings on the river and the coast
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child takes a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Cabin and hotel prices depend on the child's age and the room or cabin used, so we give you the exact figure when you tell us the age at booking. Tell us if children will join the quad bike outing so we can check the arrangements for them.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This tour involves a lot of walking on large archaeological sites, with uneven stone, sand, steps and some narrow tomb passages. Karnak and the Valley of the Kings have long outdoor stretches with little shade. Boarding the ship, the felucca and the motorboats involves steps and gangways, and the quad bike ride is active. The vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. Tell us your needs when you book and we will tell you honestly which parts are suitable.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The tour uses two domestic flights, a Nile cruise ship, a long road transfer and a motorboat, and vehicle types vary, so we do not claim a carbon saving. Sightseeing is guided by local Egyptologists and arranged through local suppliers in Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada, so most of what you spend stays in the places you visit. On the reef we ask guests not to stand on or touch the coral, and to take refillable water bottles.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how early you tell us and on the type of trip. Read our current cancellation and refund policy
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01What do I get for New Year's Eve?
You are at your Hurghada hotel on the Red Sea on 31 December, day 6 of the tour. Your cruise sightseeing ends that day and you reach the hotel after the road transfer. The tour does not plan other events for the night.02Is the gala dinner included?
No. The gala dinner is not included in the price. If you want to join it, you pay for it locally at the hotel on the night. We can tell you how it works for your hotel before you travel.03What are the dates of this tour?
This is a dated departure. It starts on Saturday 26 December 2026 and ends on Monday 4 January 2027, which is 10 days and 9 nights.04Are the domestic flights included?
Yes. The flights from Cairo to Aswan on day 3 and from Hurghada to Cairo on day 10 are booked for you and included. The times follow the airline schedule. International flights are not included.05How many nights are on the Nile cruise?
Three nights on board, from Aswan to Luxor, on full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. The other six nights are in hotels with breakfast: two in Cairo and four in Hurghada.06Which hotels and cruise ship will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we name the hotels and the ship for your dates. The itinerary and sightseeing are the same at every standard.07How long is the drive from Luxor to Hurghada?
About 5 hours by private, air-conditioned vehicle on day 6. It comes after your sightseeing on the West Bank, so it is a full day.08Will I make my international flight?
Domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so a delayed domestic flight can cost you your connection. This tour ends with a flight into Cairo on day 10 and has no extra night there. If you must connect the same day, choose a late-evening or night international flight, and take travel insurance that covers missed connections. We would prefer a last night in Cairo, so ask us to add one.09What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides and drivers, drinks other than those stated, the New Year's Eve gala dinner, and optional extras not listed in the itinerary.10Is the quad bike ride suitable for everyone?
It is an active outing. Each rider has their own quad, or two people can share one on request. Helmets are provided and a guide leads. Tell us about any health concerns or children in your group when you book.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-610061
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days · 9 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Wed or Sat
- Route
- Cairo → Aswan → Kom Ombo → Edfu → Luxor → Hurghada → Cairo
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers