Luxury Private Egypt Tour – 10 Days Cairo, Nile Cruise & Abu Simbel

• 10 days9 nights
• Privateyour own Egyptologist
• 4-night cruiseLuxor to Aswan
• From $9,990per person

A luxury private Egypt tour with Nile cruise and Abu Simbel

Stand beneath the Great Pyramid, meet Tutankhamun’s golden mask and sail the Nile in five-star comfort, all with your own Egyptologist and nobody else’s schedule. This ten-day luxury private Egypt tour is for travellers who want to see the great sites properly, not from the back of a crowd.

You begin with four nights at the Four Seasons in Cairo: the Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Saqqara and Dahshur, and the medieval lanes of Islamic and Coptic Cairo. Then you fly to Luxor and board an Oberoi Nile cruise for four nights to Aswan, visiting Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. The journey ends at Abu Simbel and a final night at Aswan’s legendary Old Cataract hotel.

Everything is private, and every day can be tailored to your pace.

Journey highlights

• The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, with time inside a pyramid
• The Grand Egyptian Museum and the complete treasure of Tutankhamun
• Saqqara and Dahshur, where the first pyramids were built
• Coptic and Islamic Cairo, the Citadel and Khan el-Khalili
• Four nights on the Nile aboard the Oberoi Zahra or Oberoi Philae
• The Valley of the Kings, including the tomb of Tutankhamun
• Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae along the river
• Abu Simbel, the colossal temples of Ramesses II
• A night at the Old Cataract, Aswan’s historic palace hotel

Your journey at a glance

1. Day 1 Cairo · VIP arrival
2. Day 2 Giza · The Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum
3. Day 3 Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur
4. Day 4 Coptic and Islamic Cairo, Khan el-Khalili
5. Day 5 Luxor · Fly south, Karnak, board your cruise
6. Day 6 Luxor West Bank · Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut
7. Day 7 Edfu and Kom Ombo · Temples along the river
8. Day 8 Aswan · Philae, the High Dam and a felucca sail
9. Day 9 Abu Simbel · Night at the Old Cataract
10. Day 10 Fly home

What’s included

Your hotels and price

Hand-picked for location, service and a sense of history.

Prices per person, sharing a double room, for private touring. Final price depends on your dates and room category.

Where you’ll stay

Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza

Our favourite hotel in Cairo stands on the Garden City Corniche, with some of the widest Nile views in the city. Expect faultless service, one of Cairo’s best spas, and excellent restaurants, so you never need to go far for a memorable dinner. It is central for every Cairo sight and a calm base after busy days.

The Oberoi Zahra or Oberoi Philae

The Oberoi Group’s two Nile ships were named the World’s Best River Cruise Line by Travel + Leisure in 2025 and 2026. With only a small number of suites each, they feel like floating boutique hotels: large suites with picture windows, a spa, a pool on the sun deck and refined dining. Fewer guests means calmer visits and more personal service. Compare both ships on our luxury Nile cruises page.

Sofitel Legend Old Cataract, Aswan

Opened in 1899 on a granite cliff above the Nile’s first cataract, the Old Cataract has welcomed Winston Churchill, Tsar Nicholas II and Agatha Christie, who wrote parts of Death on the Nile here. Its Moorish-style rooms, gardens and terrace over Elephantine Island make it one of the great historic hotels of Africa, and the perfect final night in Egypt.

The sites you’ll explore

The Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx

The three pyramids of Giza were built for the kings Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure around 2600 to 2500 BC. The Great Pyramid of Khufu originally rose 146 metres and contains about 2.3 million stone blocks. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. The Sphinx, carved from a single ridge of limestone, most likely portrays Khafre and guards the road to his pyramid.

The Grand Egyptian Museum

Opened in November 2025 just two kilometres from the Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum is the largest museum in the world devoted to a single civilization, with more than 100,000 objects. For the first time, all of Tutankhamun’s treasures are displayed together, from his golden mask and thrones to his chariots and jewellery. Don’t miss the Grand Staircase of royal statues and the restored solar boat of Khufu.

Saqqara and the Step Pyramid of Djoser

Saqqara was the burial ground of Memphis, Egypt’s first capital, for 3,000 years. The Step Pyramid of King Djoser, built around 2670 BC and designed by the architect Imhotep, is the oldest large stone building in the world. Nearby, the Pyramid of Unas holds the Pyramid Texts, the oldest religious writings of ancient Egypt. At Dahshur, King Sneferu’s Bent and Red pyramids show the experiments that led to Giza.

Karnak and Luxor Temple

Karnak, the home of the god Amun, grew over 2,000 years as pharaoh after pharaoh added to it, and it is the largest religious site ever built. Its Great Hypostyle Hall holds 134 giant columns, the tallest 21 metres high. Luxor Temple, linked to Karnak by the restored Avenue of Sphinxes, glows beautifully under its evening floodlights.

The Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut

For about 500 years, the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried in this hidden valley on Luxor’s West Bank. More than 60 tombs have been found, painted with the journey of the sun through the underworld. The most famous, KV62, belonged to Tutankhamun and was discovered almost intact by Howard Carter in 1922; his mummy still rests inside. Nearby rises the terraced temple of Hatshepsut, one of the few women to rule as pharaoh.

Edfu and Kom Ombo

The Temple of Horus at Edfu, built by the Ptolemies between 237 and 57 BC, is the best-preserved temple in Egypt. Kom Ombo is a perfectly symmetrical double temple, one half for Sobek the crocodile god and the other for Horus the falcon god, with a museum of mummified crocodiles next door.

Philae Temple

Philae, the island temple of Isis, was the last place in Egypt where the ancient gods were worshipped, until the sixth century AD. When the Aswan dams threatened to flood it, UNESCO moved the whole temple, stone by stone, to Agilkia Island between 1972 and 1980. You arrive by boat, just as pilgrims did 2,000 years ago.

Abu Simbel

Ramesses II carved these two temples into a sandstone cliff around 1264 BC. Four 20-metre seated statues of the king guard the main temple, and a smaller temple honours his queen, Nefertari. Twice a year, around 22 February and 22 October, the rising sun reaches deep inside to light the statues in the sanctuary. In the 1960s, as Lake Nasser rose, both temples were cut into more than 1,000 blocks and rebuilt 65 metres higher.

Good to know before you go

Best time to travel

October to April is the best time, with sunny days of about 20 to 28°C (68 to 82°F). December to February is the busiest season, so book six to nine months ahead for the Oberoi ships. In summer, Luxor and Aswan can pass 40°C (104°F), so we start sightseeing at dawn.

Visa and passport

Your Egypt entry visa is included and arranged by our representative at the airport. Your passport must be valid for at least six months after you arrive.

What to wear

Light, breathable clothes that cover shoulders and knees are comfortable and respectful at mosques and churches; women may want a scarf for mosques. Pack good walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and a light jacket for cool evenings from December to February.

How active is this tour?

Moderate. Expect two to four hours of walking most days, sometimes on sand and uneven stone. Entering a pyramid or tomb means stairs and narrow passages, and it is always optional. We can slow the pace or adapt visits for limited mobility.

Money and tipping

The currency is the Egyptian pound. Cards are accepted in hotels and most shops; carry small notes for markets and tips. As a guide, many travellers give their Egyptologist US$10 to 15 and their driver US$5 to 10 per person per day, and about US$10 per person per night for the cruise crew.