Echoes of Egypt

Echoes of Egypt: A Journey Through Time and Civilisation

Tour Highlights

• Stay in Historic Boutique Hotels:
  • Le Riad Hotel de Charme on Moez Street, Cairo – in the heart of the city’s oldest Islamic quarter
  • Al Moudira Hotel, Luxor West Bank – a palace-style retreat near the Valley of the Kings
  • Ms Royal Serenade Ultra Luxury Nile Cruise – a modern echo of ancient Nile journeys
• Iconic Ancient Sites:
  • The Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
  • The Grand Egyptian Museum, with Tutankhamun’s treasures
  • Saqqara (Step Pyramid, Serapeum) and Dahshur (Bent & Red Pyramids)
  • Old Cairo: Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Amr Ibn Al-As Mosque
  • Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square
  • Luxor: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, Medinet Habu, Deir el-Medina
  • Karnak and Luxor Temples
  • Dendera Temple
  • Edfu (Temple of Horus) and Kom Ombo (Temple of Sobek)
  • Aswan: Philae Temple, High Dam, felucca ride
  • Abu Simbel Temples
• Cultural Encounters:
  • Market walks in Luxor
  • Home visits with local families (including traditional breakfast and cooking session)
  • Hot air balloon ride over Luxor (optional)

Day 1: – Arrival in Cairo: The Living Heart of History

Arrive in Cairo, a city that has stood at the crossroads of civilisations for millennia. Moez Street, where you’ll stay at Le Riad Hotel de Charme, is a living museum of Islamic architecture. Once the “Qasaba of Cairo,” this street was the city’s main artery for over a thousand years, lined with mosques, sabils (public fountains), and khans (markets) built by Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman dynasties. The area reflects Cairo’s role as a centre of trade, learning, and religious life, and your boutique hotel immerses you in this golden age, surrounded by centuries-old monuments that have witnessed the rise and fall of empires.

Le Riad dec Charm.          Meals.  Non.

Day 2: – Giza: The Timeless Guardians

The Giza Plateau is home to the Great Pyramids,, built around 2560 BCE and the only surviving wonder of the ancient world. This pyramid of Khufu, along with those of Khafre and Menkaure, demonstrates the Egyptians’ mastery of mathematics, astronomy, and engineering. The pyramids’ alignment with the cardinal points and certain stars reflects their religious beliefs about the afterlife and cosmic order. The Sphinx, with its lion’s body and human head, symbolises royal power and wisdom, and has inspired countless legends. The Grand Egyptian Museum houses treasures spanning 5,000 years, including the full funerary collection of Tutankhamun, colossal statues, and artefacts that reveal the sophistication of ancient Egyptian art, religion, and daily life.

Le Riad dec Charm.          Meals.  B & L

Day 3: –Saqqara & Dahshur: The Birth of Monumental Architecture

Dahshur’s Bent Pyramid, with its unique change in angle, and the Red Pyramid, the first true smooth-sided pyramid, were built by Pharaoh Sneferu and mark the evolution of pyramid construction. Saqqara is Egypt’s oldest royal necropolis, where the Step Pyramid of Djoser, designed by the architect Imhotep in the 27th century BCE, represents the world’s earliest large-scale cut stone construction. The tombs of nobles here are decorated with vivid scenes of daily life, offering rare insight into the beliefs, customs, and artistry of early dynastic Egypt. Saqqara also contains the Serapeum, a burial place for the sacred Apis bulls, reflecting the importance of animal cults in Egyptian religion.

Le Riad dec Charm.          Meals.  B & L.

Day 4:– Old Cairo: Faiths and Foundations

Old Cairo, once the Roman fortress of Babylon, is a microcosm of Egypt’s religious history. The Hanging Church, suspended above a Roman gatehouse, is one of the oldest Coptic churches in Egypt and a centre of Christian worship since the 3rd century. The Ben Ezra Synagogue is steeped in legend as the place where baby Moses was found, and it houses a priceless collection of medieval Jewish manuscripts. The Amr Ibn Al-As Mosque, built in 641 CE, is the first mosque in Africa and a symbol of the Islamic conquest of Egypt. The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square contains artefacts from over 30 dynasties, including the Narmer Palette, which records the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, and treasures from the reigns of Amenhotep III and Ramses II, reflecting the power and splendour of the pharaohs.

Le Riad dec Charm.          Meals.  B & L

Day 5: – Luxor: Markets and Memories

Luxor, ancient Thebes, was the capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BCE) and the heart of religious and political life. The West Bank, where you’ll stay at Al Moudira Hotel, is near the tombs of pharaohs and nobles who shaped Egypt’s destiny. The local market is a modern echo of ancient trade, and a visit to a family home offers a glimpse into traditions that have endured for millennia, from culinary customs to storytelling. Thebes was also the centre of the cult of Amun, whose influence extended across the ancient world.

Al Mudira Hotel.          Meals.  B & L.

Day 6:– Theban Necropolis: Tombs and Temples

The Valley of the Kings is where New Kingdom pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses VI, were buried in tombs decorated with texts and images to guide them through the afterlife. The Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt’s most powerful female pharaoh, is a masterpiece of symmetry and innovation, reflecting her unique reign and the blending of royal and divine power. Medinet Habu, the mortuary temple of Ramses III, is famed for its vivid reliefs depicting battles and religious rituals. Deir el-Medina was home to the artisans who built the royal tombs; their own tombs and village records provide rare insight into the daily lives, literacy, and social organisation of ancient Egyptian workers. The necropolis is a testament to the Egyptians’ obsession with eternity and the afterlife.

Al Mudira Hotel.          Meals.  B & L

Day 7: – Karnak & Luxor: Temples of the Divine (Cruise Embarkation)

Karnak Temple is the largest religious complex ever built, developed over 2,000 years and dedicated primarily to Amun-Ra, the hidden god of creation. Its Hypostyle Hall, with 134 massive columns, is an architectural marvel. The temple’s sacred lake and obelisks were used in religious rituals and festivals. Luxor Temple, connected to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes, was the centre of the Opet Festival, a celebration of the pharaoh’s divine role. These temples were not just places of worship, but centres of political power and cosmic order. Boarding the Ms Royal Serenade Ultra Luxury Nile cruise, you follow the ancient tradition of travelling the Nile, Egypt’s lifeblood.

Ms Royal Serenade Ultra Luxury Nile Cruise.          Meals.  B. L & D.

Day 8: – Dendera Temple & Village Encounters

Dendera Temple, dedicated to Hathor, goddess of love and joy, is renowned for its vibrant astronomical ceiling and reliefs of Cleopatra VII, the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty. The temple complex reflects the fusion of Greek and Egyptian religious traditions during the late period. Its crypts and rooftop chapels were used for secret rituals, and the temple’s zodiac ceiling is a masterpiece of ancient astronomy. Village encounters along the Nile offer a living connection to Egypt’s rural heritage, where ancient agricultural practices and communal life persist.

Ms Royal Serenade Ultra Luxury Nile Cruise.          Meals.  B. L & D.

Day 9:– Village Life & Hot Air Balloon

A homemade breakfast with a local family connects you to Egypt’s enduring hospitality and culinary traditions, many of which have roots in pharaonic times. A hot air balloon ride over Luxor offers a unique perspective on the monumental landscape, revealing the scale and grandeur of the temples and tombs below. The Nile Valley’s agricultural rhythms have shaped Egyptian civilisation for thousands of years.

Ms Royal Serenade Ultra Luxury Nile Cruise.          Meals.  B. L & D.

Day 10:– Edfu & Kom Ombo: Temples of Gods and Crocodiles

The Temple of Horus at Edfu, built during the Ptolemaic period, is one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt and a key site for understanding ancient religious rituals and mythology. Its reliefs depict the eternal struggle between Horus and Set, a central myth in Egyptian religion. Kom Ombo’s double temple is unique, dedicated to both Horus the Elder and Sobek, the crocodile god, reflecting the duality of divine protection and the dangers of the Nile. The Crocodile Mummy Museum showcases the sacred role of animals in Egyptian religion, and the temple’s medical reliefs provide insight into ancient healthcare practices.

Ms Royal Serenade Ultra Luxury Nile Cruise.          Meals.  B. L & D.

Day 11:– Aswan: Nubian Gateway

Aswan, ancient Swenet, was the southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt and a gateway to Nubia. The High Dam, completed in the 1960s, transformed Egypt’s economy and landscape, creating Lake Nasser. Philae Temple, dedicated to Isis, was relocated to save it from flooding and is a testament to both ancient devotion and modern engineering. The temple was a centre of pilgrimage for centuries, even after the rise of Christianity. A felucca ride at sunset recalls the timeless rhythms of life on the Nile, which has shaped Egypt’s destiny since prehistory.

Ms Royal Serenade Ultra Luxury Nile Cruise.          Meals.  B. L & D.

Day 12:– Abu Simbel: Monuments of Majesty

Abu Simbel’s twin temples, built by Ramses II, are masterpieces of ancient engineering and propaganda. Their alignment with the sun on specific dates symbolises the pharaoh’s divine power and connection to the gods. The relocation of the temples in the 1960s, to save them from Lake Nasser’s rising waters, is one of the greatest feats of modern archaeology. The Sonesta Nubian Village, with its domed architecture, reflects the unique culture of Nubia, a region with its own rich history and traditions, and a vital link between Egypt and Africa.  Then you will fly back to Cairo via Aswan then catch your flight back home or we will provide a room at Le Meridan airport if needed