13-Day Cairo, Alexandria, Nile Cruise & White Desert Tour
Giza, Alexandria, four nights on a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan, Abu Simbel, and a night in a simple camp in the White Desert. Domestic flights, hotels and guiding are included.
The short answer
13-Day Cairo, Alexandria, Nile Cruise & White Desert Tour is a 13-day, 12-night trip to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel. Starts on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at $3,283 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
This is Egypt in thirteen days, from the Mediterranean to the Sahara. You begin in Cairo with a Nile dinner cruise and a day at the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. A long day trip takes you to Alexandria on the coast.
Then you fly to Luxor and join your Nile cruise ship for four nights, sailing south to Aswan. You see Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and, by road from Aswan, Abu Simbel. After a flight back to Cairo you visit the Citadel, Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur. Near the end comes a two-day 4x4 trip to the White Desert, with one night in a simple camp. We book the flights, transfers, hotels and cruise. You choose the standard of hotel and ship when you book.
What lingers
- 01A Nile dinner cruise with a live show on your first evening in Cairo
- 02The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum in one guided day
- 03A long day trip to Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast
- 04Four nights on a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan, full board, with Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae
- 05The Valley of the Queens on the Luxor West Bank
- 06Abu Simbel by road from Aswan, then Philae and the High Dam
- 07The Step, Bent and Red Pyramids, with Saqqara and Memphis, on a day trip from Cairo
- 08A two-day 4x4 trip to the White Desert with a night in a simple camp
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom $3,2833★ hotels · well-priced Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsNephtis · Magic I | $3,283May–Sep: from $2,995 | |
| Comfortfrom $3,4894★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Cairo · 7 nightsJewel Sport City Nile Cruise · 4 nightsLady Mary · Tower Prestige | $3,489May–Sep: from $3,281 | |
| Classicfrom $3,8725★ hotels · 5★ Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsJaz Crown Jubilee · Stephanie | $3,872May–Sep: from $3,281 | |
| Prestigefrom $4,4965★ deluxe hotels · 5★ deluxe Nile cruises | Nile Cruise · 4 nightsNile Excellence · Nile Serenity | $4,496May–Sep: from $4,327 | |
| Luxuryfrom $7,4635★ luxury hotels · 5★ luxury Nile cruises | Cairo · 7 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Nile Cruise · 4 nightsSonesta St. George I · Esmeralda | $7,463May–Sep: from $6,029 | |
| Signature Collectionfrom $9,900Iconic heritage vessels · landmark hotels | Cairo · 7 nightsFour Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza Nile Cruise · 4 nightsHistoria | $9,900May–Sep: from $8,130 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast · 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.
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
13 Days / 12 Nights · Cairo · Giza · Saqqara · Alexandria · Luxor · Edfu
- 1
Your driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and takes you to your hotel. Rest after your flight. In the evening you are collected from your hotel for a Nile dinner cruise: a three-hour evening that includes the transfers, with views from the top deck, a buffet dinner and a live show, then a ride back to your hotel.
- 2
A full day of about eight hours with your English-speaking Egyptologist. Start on the Giza Plateau with the pyramids and the Great Sphinx. Lunch follows at a restaurant with a view. In the afternoon you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum. Entrance fees, the guide, bottled water and the air-conditioned vehicle are included, and you are back at your hotel for a second night in Cairo.
- 3
An early start for a long sightseeing day in Alexandria, Egypt's Mediterranean port city. Plan on about 12 hours including the drives each way, so it suits good walkers. Your English-speaking Egyptologist guide and a private vehicle are with you throughout. Lunch is not included, so you can choose where to eat. You return to Cairo for the night.
- 4
After breakfast you transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight to Luxor. The airline sets the flight time and the sightseeing is arranged around it. A driver takes you to Luxor, where you join your Nile cruise ship. With your English-speaking Egyptologist you visit Karnak, the largest temple complex in Egypt, including the Sacred Lake, and Luxor Temple.
Cruise sightseeing includes the guide, the entrance fees and the transport. You sleep on board.
- 5
A full day on the West Bank with your Egyptologist. You see the Colossi of Memnon, the Valley of the Kings, with three tombs included, and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. The day also includes the Valley of the Queens half-day tour. The guide, the entrance fees and the transport for the cruise sightseeing are included. You return to the ship for the night.
- 6
The ship moves south along the river. You go ashore with your Egyptologist at the Temple of Edfu, one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, and at the Temple of Kom Ombo, which stands right on the riverbank. The guide, the entrance fees and the transport are included. The rest of the day is for deck time, meals on board and the river scenery.
- 7
You leave the ship in Aswan very early, at about 04:00, for the road trip to Abu Simbel. Your English-speaking Egyptologist guides you at the temples, and the entrance fees and transport are included. You are back at the ship around lunchtime. The afternoon is free to rest on deck or explore Aswan on your own. You sleep on board.
- 8
After breakfast you check out of the ship in Aswan. Your Egyptologist takes you to Philae Temple and the High Dam, about three to four hours of sightseeing. The airline sets the flight time, and the visits are arranged around it. A transfer takes you to Aswan Airport for the flight to Cairo, and a driver takes you to your hotel for the night.
- 9
A half-day tour to the Salah El Din Citadel, the hilltop fortress above Cairo. The rest of the day is free to rest, shop or explore at your own pace. Your hotel is the same as the night before.
- 10
- 11
After an early pick-up from your hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle, you drive to Bahariya Oasis. From there you travel by 4x4 with a local desert driver-guide through the Black Desert and past Crystal Mountain to the White Desert, with its chalk rock formations. Lunch and dinner are included.
You sleep in a simple camp: a tent with a mattress, sleeping bag and blankets, and shared facilities. We confirm the camp arrangements and the final price for the desert part with you before you pay.
- 12
Watch the sunrise over the White Desert, then have breakfast in camp. After the morning drive back to Cairo, the afternoon is free. Protected-area fees and bottled water are included. You spend this last night in a Cairo hotel, which also gives you a safe margin before your flight home.
- 13
After breakfast you check out and your thirteen days in Egypt come to an end. A private driver takes you to Cairo Airport for your flight home, with a representative to help with your luggage. The airport transfer is included, and the timing is set by your flight.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- Eleven nights in hotels with breakfast (all in Cairo: three before the cruise, three after it and one before departure), four nights on a Nile cruise ship on full board, and one night in a simple desert camp
- Domestic flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo
- All airport, hotel and port transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Nile dinner cruise with a live show in Cairo
- English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport on the cruise sightseeing days and on the Giza, Abu Simbel and other listed tours
- Lunch on the Giza day
- White Desert trip: 4x4 with a local desert driver-guide, tent camp with mattress, sleeping bag and blankets, lunch and dinner on the first day, breakfast on the second, protected-area fees and bottled water
- Meet-and-assist at the airport
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Gratuities for guides, drivers and ship staff
- Drinks on board and meals other than those stated
- Khufu pyramid interior and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun and Seti I
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Book the Giza Plateau visit early for softer light and fewer coach arrivals.
- 02
At Karnak Temple, the first courtyard is quieter before midmorning group entries.
- 03
For Philae Temple, the calmest boat crossings are usually before 9am.
- 04
In Bahariya, nights can drop sharply after sunset, even outside winter.
- 05
For mosque visits in Cairo, carry a scarf and wear shoulders and knees covered.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel and ship standard when you book. Ask us about extra nights in Luxor or Cairo, or a hot-air balloon flight in Luxor.
All requests handled by your dedicated specialist before booking.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travelers who want a full Egypt trip: Cairo, a Nile cruise, Abu Simbel and a night in the White Desert. Suited to couples, friends and solo travelers who are comfortable with two flights, several long days and a simple desert camp.
Maybe not, if
- Travelers who need step-free access to every site, an en-suite room every night, or a slow pace in one place.
Honest assessment
Real trade-offs from our experience managing this tour.
Highlights
- Pyramids, Alexandria, the main Nile temples, Abu Simbel and the White Desert in one trip
- Domestic flights and all transfers handled for you
- Four nights on a ship, so no repacking between Luxor and Aswan
Things to Consider
- Long days: Alexandria on day 3, the 04:00 Abu Simbel start on day 7 and the desert trip on days 11 and 12
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
- One night in a simple tent camp with shared facilities
Where it fits
A good fit for travelers who want more than the classic route and are happy with one night in a simple desert camp.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many operators sell Cairo, the Nile and the White Desert as separate trips. This itinerary joins them in thirteen days, with both flights and every transfer booked for you. Hotel and ship standard is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
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On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided Multi-Day Tour with Nile Cruise and Desert Camp
- Accommodation
- Hotels, a Nile cruise ship and one simple desert camp night; hotel and ship standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza · Saqqara · Alexandria · Luxor · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Abu Simbel · Aswan · Bahariya Oasis · White Desert
- Includes
- 11 hotel nights with breakfast · 4 nights on a Nile cruise ship, full board · 1 night in a simple White Desert camp · Flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo · Entrance fees on the listed tours · English-speaking Egyptologist on sightseeing days · All transfers by air-conditioned vehicle
- Best for
- Active travelers · History-focused travelers · Travelers who want the pyramids, Abu Simbel and a night in the desert in one trip
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
- Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- A warm layer for the desert night and a torch (flashlight)
- Any personal medication
- A small day bag and a soft overnight bag for the desert trip
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples, tombs and sand
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and temples
- A hat and sunglasses
- Warm clothes for the desert night, which gets cold, and a light jacket for evenings on the river in winter
Children & families
Children are welcome on the sightseeing days. Every child takes a seat in the vehicle, so transport and guiding 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. The desert night is in a simple tent camp with shared facilities and a long drive on each side, so tell us your child's age when you book and we will confirm what suits your family before you pay.
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, the Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel have long outdoor stretches with little shade, and the Abu Simbel road trip starts at about 04:00. Boarding the ship and the 4x4 in the desert all involve steps or a high step up. The desert night is in a simple tent camp with shared facilities, which is not suitable for guests who need an en-suite room or step-free access. Vehicles on the road 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 suit you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The itinerary uses two domestic flights, a Nile cruise ship, private road transfers and a 4x4 in the desert, 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, Alexandria, Luxor and Aswan, and the desert trip is run with local desert driver-guides, so much of the money you spend stays in the places you visit. In the White Desert we ask guests to take all rubbish out with them, stay on the tracks and leave the rock formations as they found them.
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
01Are the domestic flights included?
Yes. The flights from Cairo to Luxor on day 4 and from Aswan to Cairo on day 8 are booked for you and included in the price. Flight times are set by the airline schedule. International flights are not included.02How many nights are on the Nile cruise?
Four nights on board, sailing from Luxor to Aswan, on full board. Cruise sightseeing includes an English-speaking Egyptologist, the entrance fees and the transport. The other seven hotel nights are in Cairo with breakfast.03Where do we sleep in the White Desert?
In a simple camp: a tent with a mattress, sleeping bag and blankets, and shared facilities. Lunch and dinner are included on the first desert day and breakfast on the second. We confirm the camp arrangements and the final price for the desert part with you before you pay.04How cold does it get in the desert?
Nights in the desert are cold, even after a warm day. Bring a warm layer and a torch. Blankets and a sleeping bag are provided in the camp.05Is Abu Simbel included?
Yes. On day 7 you leave the ship in Aswan very early, at about 04:00, for the road trip to Abu Simbel. The entrance fees are included. You are back at the ship around lunchtime and the afternoon is free.06How early is the Abu Simbel start?
About 04:00 on day 7, so go to bed early on day 6. You are back on the ship around lunchtime and the afternoon is free.07Is the Alexandria day tiring?
It is a long day, about 12 hours including the drives each way, so it suits good walkers. You return to Cairo for the night.08Will I make my international flight?
Domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so a delayed domestic flight can cost you the connection. On this tour your last domestic flight is on day 8, and your last two nights are in Cairo after the desert trip, so you arrive well ahead of departure. If you ever add a same-day connection, choose a late-evening or night international flight. Take travel insurance that covers missed connections.09What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides, drivers and ship staff, drinks other than those stated, meals not listed, the Khufu pyramid interior and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's.10Which hotels and cruise ship will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we name the hotels and ship for your dates. The sightseeing is the same at every standard.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-459373
At a glance
- Length
- 13 days · 12 nights
- Starts
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu or Fri
- Route
- Cairo → Alexandria → Luxor → Edfu → Kom Ombo → Abu Simbel → Cairo
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers