Egypt Beyond the Pyramids – 2026

Departing 1 October 2026

Join Prof. Mark Smith on this extensive exploration of ancient Egypt beginning with the pyramids at Giza, the Step Pyramid at Saqqara and the complete treasures of Tutankhamun’s tomb on display for the first time ever in Cairo’s new Grand Egyptian Museum.

Then, deviating from the tourist trail, visit lesser known pyramids at Dahshur, Meidum and Hawara, and take a 4×4 safari to Wadi al-Hitan, a UNESCO World Heritage site where fossil whale remains have been found in the desert. Continue to the little-visited Middle Kingdom tombs at Beni Hasan.

A highlight of the tour is a specially arranged visit to Tell el-Amarna, where the joint Cambridge University /Amarna Project excavation team is making exciting finds. Later explore Abydos, site of the memorial temple of Seti I, and Dendera’s Hathor temple.

Finally, see the temples in Luxor and the spectacular tombs of the Valley of the Kings.

An optional pre-tour guided extension to see Alexandria and the Siwa Oasis, and post-tour extensions including a highly recommended 4-night Lake Nasser cruise Aswan to Abu Simbel are available to add to this tour for those who have more time.

Overview

Tour highlights

Journey from Cairo to Luxor, visiting off-the-beaten-track sites, as well as the tombs and temples in Luxor
Enjoy a visit to the Great Palace and richly-decorated Tombs of the Nobles in the remote yet pivotal site of Tell el Amarna, which is being excavated by a team of Cambridge archaeologists.
Learn about the evolution of pyramid construction during visits to contrasting pyramids from different periods
Be amongst the first to visit the glittering new Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza, the largest archaeological museum in the world and displaying all 5000 of Tutankhamun’s artifacts together for the first time.
Take a 4×4 safari to Wadi al-Hitan and the Valley of the Whales with its fascsinating fossil remains of the Archaeoceti.
Explore the fascinating but little-visited Middle Kingdom tombs cut in the cliffs at Beni Hasan, as well as Abydos and Dendera

Itinerary at a glance

Day 1: Tour starts in Cairo this evening. Those taking Temple World’s flights arrive 20:40 | Overnight Giza
Day 2: Full day exploration of Cairo | Coptic Cairo | New Grand Egyptian Museum/ original Egyptian Museum | Overnight Giza
Day 3:    Saqqara and Pyramid of Djoser | Dahshur’s ‘Bent’ and ‘Red’ Pyramids | Overnight Giza
Day 4: Great Pyramid of Khufu & Sphinx Giza | Continue by road to see Meidum and Hawara | Overnight Fayoum
Day 5:    4×4 safari to Wadi al-Hitan | See the fossil remains of whale skeletons in the desert | Overnight Fayoum
Day 6:    Drive south along the Nile Valley to Beni Hasan | Visit the Middle Kingdom Tombs of the nomarchs | Overnight Al Minya
Day 7:   Visit Tell el-Amarna | Explore the site with some of the Cambridge archaeologists excavating it | Overnight Al Minya
Day 8:    Visit Tuna El Gebel | Continue by road to Abydos | Overnight at Abydos
Day 9: Explore Temple of Seti I and Ramesses II at Abydos | Continue to Dendera and Temple of Hathor | Overnight Luxor
Day 10:   Luxor’s West Bank | Colossi of Memnon | Valley of the Kings and tomb of Tutankhamun | Luxor Temple at night | Overnight Luxor
Day 11: Luxor’s East Bank | Visit the Temple of Karnak and avenue of sphinxes | Afternoon at leisure | Overnight Luxor
Day 12: Tour ends after breakfast | Those taking Temple World’s flights will depart early for daytime direct flight to London

Notice about operational control of this tour
Temple World has a long-standing collaboration with the University of Cambridge to plan and operate tours for its Alumni as part of the Alumni Travel Programme. Where minimum numbers are achieved and a tour departs, 10% of the tour cost will be given by Temple World to the University of Cambridge as a donation for each traveller who has a connection to the university (alumni/staff etc). This includes any friends/family travelling with them. However, please note that the University of Cambridge has no control over the operation of the tours in the Programme, which are the sole responsibility of the Operator/s concerned (in this case, Templeworld Limited).

Itinerary

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Day 1: 1 Oct 2026 Flight from the UK

Those who have purchased flights from Temple World and who are not opting to add any pre-tour extensions* to the itinerary will depart today on a daytime flight from London Heathrow to Cairo with EgyptAir departing 09:40 arriving 17:20. On arrival, guests on this flight will be met and transferred to our hotel to check in for three nights.

*Please see our ‘extensions’ tab for details of our pre tour to Alexandria and Siwa Oasis, and our post-tour Lake Nasser cruise Aswan to Abu Simbel.

Please note, if you book your own flights, we can organise a transfer for you to meet any flight (private transfer charge applies). Check in time at the hotel is from 14:00. Guests arriving earlier than this may leave baggage securely at reception and use the hotel facilities until their room is ready.

This evening, meet the group members, guide and trip scholar over a light buffet dinner at the hotel restaurant at 9pm (7pm UK time).

Overnight: Hilton Pyramids Golf or similar | Meals: D

Day 2: 2 Oct 2026 Pyramids of Giza and Grand Egyptian Museum

After breakfast this morning, visit the famous Pyramids of Giza, which include the Great Pyramid and the Pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, set amidst the sands of the Giza plateau. We shall also see the enigmatic reclining sphinx.

You can optionally choose to add a ticket to go inside Khufu’s pyramid, the only one which is always open to visitors (extra cost applies locally). The passageways are narrow with reduced head height and dank, stale air – this is an interesting experience although sadly there is little to see inside as there are no decorations unlike the tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

Note: Going inside the pyramid is not for the claustrophobic or anyone who may find it difficult to walk up/down steep shafts hunched over, which is why we don’t routinely include the extra ticket and offer it instead as an optional extra. It takes around 30 minutes to get to the furthest part and return back to the entrance.

After lunch, continue the Giza exploration with a visit to the magnificent new Grand Egyptian Museum. Formally opened in November 2025, the museum now holds the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including all 5,000 artifacts from the King Tutankhamun collection, many of which are on display for the first time ever. Visitors are greeted by the towering statue of Ramses II, a monument which inspires awe from the very first step inside the strikingly designed modern museum. With cutting-edge interactive multi-media displays, guests are immersed amidst millennia of history like never before. For those who wish to add to their visit, the museum offers a rare glimpse into the ongoing Artifact Restoration efforts that protect these ancient treasures, during tours of their restoration wing (extra cost applies, and time permitting).

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon for time to swim or relax before meeting for dinner at the hotel restaurant this evening.

Overnight: Hilton Pyramids Golf or similar | Meals: B, L,D

Day 3: 3 Oct 2026 Coptic Cairo & NMEC

This morning after breakfast, head downtown to visit Coptic Cairo, an atmospheric neighborhood within Old Cairo that serves as a significant center for Coptic Christians, featuring ancient churches, monasteries, and museums that document Egypt’s Christian heritage. Visit the fascinating Hanging Church, one of Egypt’s oldest Christian buildings, so called because it was built on top of a 4th century Roman fortress, significant parts of which are still visible. Also visit the Coptic Museum, and the Ben Ezra Synagogue.

After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. This museum was opened in 2021 and became the new, state of the art home for 20 royal mummies, who were moved in an elaborate public procession from the Egyptian Museum. The NMEC provides a comprehensive journey through Egypt’s entire history, from prehistory to the modern era, featuring a vast collection of artifacts and thematic galleries as well as the mummies, who are displayed in a respectful manner befitting their contents. Unlike other museums focused solely on ancient Egypt, NMEC provides a thoughtful chronological and cultural narrative, showcasing the continuity and diversity of Egyptian civilization through its Pharaonic, Coptic, Islamic, and modern periods. It makes an excellent introduction to the rest of the trip.

Return to our hotel in Giza for dinner and overnight.

Overnight: Hilton Pyramids Golf or similar | Meals: B, L,D

Day 4: 4 Oct 2026 Saqqara to the Fayoum

Check out of our Cairo hotel this morning, for a day of pyramid visits to see the evolution of pyramid building en route to the Fayoum.

Start with a comprehensive visit to Saqqara, located around 1 hour west of Giza, to see the Step Pyramid built for king Djoser in the 27th century BC , among other less well-preserved pyramids. It is thought to be the earliest major stone structure erected in Egypt.

The site of Saqqara is currently one of Egypt’s most exciting, with 52 burial shafts unearthed just in the last few years. Time permitting, we will be able to see some of Saqqara’s further treasures, which could include the Serapeum, an underground corridor 100 meters long filled with the burial chambers of embalmed sacred Apis bulls, and/or the Mastaba of Ti, the richly decorated tomb of a high court official from the Fifth Dynasty, incredibly well-preserved.

After lunch at a nearby restaurant, continue south into the desert to visit Dahshur. Here, pyramids are built with smooth sides for the first time, and visitors can see early mistakes, including the ’Bent’ pyramid built for king Sneferu. Archaeologists have discovered new tombs here revealing a cache of mummies, masks and tools. Sneferu’ s second pyramid, the ’Red’ pyramid, was the first successful smooth-sided pyramid and the precursor to his son Khufu’s ’Great Pyramid’ at Giza.

Then, continue along the Nile towards the Fayoum Oasis. Time permitting, we may stop briefly enroute to visit the partially collapsed Meidum pyramid, or at Hawara to see the second pyramid built for Amenemhet III.

In 1888 Flinders Petrie discovered a great number of naturalistic Hellenistic-era funerary portraits at Hawara, attached to mummies, their bright colours preserved by the dry environment. These can’t be seen locally, but a good number are on display at the Petrie Museum at University College London.

Reaching the fertile Fayoum Oasis, check in to our hotel on the edge of Lake Qarun for dinner and overnight. We shall stay at the Helnan Auberge Fayoum, a storied hotel which was originally built by King Farouk as a palace in 1937.

This is an area which is little visited by tourists and as such there are currently very few places of an international standard to stay in that are the right size to fit a group. The hotel is a 5 star officially but we recommend guests think of it as a historic but rather basic ‘faded glory’ 3 star property to set expectations. There is a pleasant pool area which is ideal for taking a refreshing dip after desert explorations (pool maintenance permitting) and extensive grounds (although note as with all lake-side properties in this area, there can be a smell from the lake if the wind is blowing towards the resort). This is currently the best available in the area.

Note that furnishings are old-fashioned and many require refurbishment, and there can be maintenance and service issues relating to hot water for showers, food, and understanding of the wishes of international guests. Feedback from recent alumni guests who have stayed at this resort suggest that as expectations had been set in advance, they enjoyed the hotel, despite its quirks/faults.

Overnight: Helnan Auberge Fayoum or similar | Meals: B, L,D

Day 5: 5 Oct 2026 Wadi al-Hitan

Today, enjoy a 4×4 safari to Wadi al-Hitan, the Valley of the Whales, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Western Desert. The shifting desert sands, which 37 million years ago formed the bed of the prehistoric Tethys Ocean, contain fossil remains of over 1000 whale skeletons, including some complete specimens of the earliest, and now extinct, suborder of whales, Archaeoceti. Crucially, some of the whale skeletons have vestigial ’legs’, providing a snapshot of a period in evolution when whales, having emerged from the ocean to become land mammals, were beginning to evolve to cope in the water once again. Visit the Whale Museum before returning to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Note: the local drivers who take guests in the 4x4s through the desert to Wadi al-Hitan are used to catering for young adventure tourists who enjoy ‘dune-bashing’ (eg navigating the ups and downs of the desert’s dunes at speed), which is exhilarating and skillful but rather bone-shaking, and not to everyone’s taste! We will split the group into segments for this excursion according to their preferences, so those who wish to try it can do so, and those who prefer not to can be allocated a driver who crosses the desert at a sedate pace without any dune bashing.

Overnight: Helnan Auberge Fayoum or similar | Meals: B, L,D

Day 6: 6 Oct 2026 Beni Hasan

Depart the Fayoum and drive south along the Nile Valley to Beni Hasan to visit the Middle Kingdom funerary tombs cut in the cliffs, including the tombs of Baqet III, Khety, Khnumhotep II and Amenemhat. Much earlier than the more famous tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens in Luxor, some of the tombs contain remarkably well-preserved wall paintings of daily life. The tomb of Khnumhotep II contains a scene showing Semitic Bedouin merchants in richly coloured garments entering Egypt. Continue to the town of Minya. Check in to the Savoy Hotel al Minya for dinner and overnight.

Please note that the town of Al Minya is a ‘dry’ town (eg no alcohol can be sold). In case you’d like to enjoy a drink in the evenings, your tour manager will take your orders for beer and wine in Cairo and these can be brought in the coach to Al Minya. Note that consumption of alcohol can only be done in your rooms as it is not allowed in public in Al Minya.

Note: There are very few hotels near Tell el-Amarna and the town of Minya, so we have chosen the best available. The Savoy is a small, clean and newly renovated property which mainly serves domestic business travellers rather than international leisure travellers. Housed in an attractive 1920’s corner building near Minya’s railway station, it doesn’t have an international classification as it has very few facilities on site, but we’d class it as a simple but clean 3 star hotel with modern decor. Due to the lack of regular international visitors, it is to be expected that there may be maintenance issues such as lack of reliable hot water for showers in some rooms, although the manager is very amenable and does everything he can to assist. The location in the centre of town means there can be noise at night from car horns (Egyptian drivers tend to use their horns a lot, including at night). Light sleepers are recommended to bring earplugs. The hotel is ‘dry’ (does not serve alcohol) so those who wish to enjoy a beer or glass of wine this evening are advised to purchase some at the previous hotel and bring it with you.

Overnight: Savoy Hotel al Minya or similar | Meals: B, L,D

Day 7: 7 Oct 2026 Tell el-Amarna

Travel to the important site of Tell el-Amarna. This was the new capital created by the Pharaoh Akhenaten (father of Tutankhamun) and his queen Nefertiti during the 14th century BC. Akhenaten controversially discarded polytheistic worship in favour of a cult worship of Aten, the disc of the sun.

Fieldwork is ongoing at the site, conducted by Cambridge’s McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research under the direction of Dr Anna Stephens. The team have been able to reconstruct an accurate picture of the layout of the city as it was abandoned, just fifteen years after being built. It is here that the famous Amarna Letters were found, nearly 400 clay tablets in cuneiform. Highlights of the site include the North Palace, one the best-preserved palaces from ancient Egypt, the partially reconstructed Small Aten Temple, and with elaborately decorated tombs of Akhenaten’s officials.

After the visit, return to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Overnight: Savoy Hotel al Minya or similar | Meals: B, L,D

Day 8: 8 Oct 26 Tuna El Gebel to Abydos

After leaving our hotel, travel the short distance to the village of Tuna el-Gebel, where we shall visit the interesting Ptolemaic and Roman Period necropolis of the ancient town of Khmun/Hermopolis.

In 2019 fifty mummies wrapped in linen and buried in stone coffins and wooden sarcophagi dating back to the Ptolemaic Period were discovered by archaeologists at the site – it is believed they are the graves of senior officials and high clerics of the god Thoth.

Following a local lunch, we shall travel by road towards Abydos this afternoon. Note that as the crow flies this journey does not appear to be that long, but will usually take most of the afternoon as the local Egyptian officials sometimes request that we use back roads instead of the main road. Our coach will usually have a security escort provided by the government for this part of the journey, which may involve a member of military or security personnel on board – this is standard procedure.

On arrival into the Abydos area, check into our local hotel for dinner and overnight. This pleasant 3 star hotel designed in the style of an ancient temple is the best for miles around and is within walking distance of the site. Rooms are air-conditioned and there is a rather nice outdoor swimming pool for cooling off in.

Overnight: House of Life | Meals: B, L,D

Day 9: 9 Oct 2026 Abydos, Dendera, Luxor

After breakfast today, head straight to Abydos which is within walking distance of our hotel, known for the spectacular Temple of Seti I. The glorious reliefs in the second hypostyle hall and the historically important Abydos Kinglist make this one of the most significant monuments in Egypt. Also see the temple of Rameses II (Seti I’s son), built in the 13th Century BC.

Continue to Dendera, visiting the spectacular Graeco-Roman Period Temple of Hathor. One of the largest and best-preserved temple complexes in Egypt, it is noted for its superb decoration, including reliefs of Cleopatra VII and her son by Julius Caesar, Caesarion.

After the visit, drive along the Nile to Luxor, the New Kingdom capital of Thebes. Check in at the Nile Palace Steigenberger Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Overnight: Nile Palace Steigenberger Hotel | Meals: B, L,D

Day 10: 10 Oct 26 Luxor - West Bank

Day 11: 11 Oct 26 Luxor - East Bank

A final morning of guided exploration as we explore the East Bank of the Nile at Luxor, in particular the Temple of Karnak, one of the biggest temple complexes ever constructed. Karnak was originally connected to Luxor Temple by an imposing 3km avenue of around 1500 statues of rams and sphinxes, but much of this processional way was covered over by later inhabitants of the town. In 2021, after over 70 years of excavations and the moving of dozens of buildings, the avenue was fully re-opened, lined with over 1000 of the statues.

This afternoon, there is free time to explore Luxor independently, or relax at the hotel. For those who wish to visit it, we will arrange transport to the highly recommended Luxor Museum, which is less than 10 minutes by road from our hotel.

Meet up again this evening for a farewell dinner and overnight at the Nile Palace.

Overnight: Nile Palace Steigenberger Hotel | Meals: B, L,D

Day 12: 12 Oct 26 Tour ends/extensions

The tour ends after breakfast. Those leaving today and taking our recommended flight direct to Heathrow will depart this morning. Egyptair’s schedules vary slightly by date but the flight usually departs either at 09:30am or 11:30am and lands at London’s Heathrow airport just under 6 hours later.

For those staying on to add extensions and not departing right away, you may keep your room until 12:00. The hotel will be happy to store baggage and allow you to continue to use the public facilities after check out, if departing later in the day.

We are offering an optional four-day cruise on Lake Nasser from Aswan to Abu Simbel, or the option to add a 3 night stay in a hotel in Aswan with or without a day trip to Abu Simbel by air as set extensions to our tour – please see our extensions tab for further details.

We can also arrange tailor-made extensions such as pre or post tour hotels, luxury Nile cruises or guiding anywhere in the region. Simply contact our team (Alice or Lia) on 0208 940 4114 for a quote.

Overnight: – | Meals: B

Price & Essential Info

Dates and Prices
Prices are in UK£, per person, based on double occupancy

1-12 October 2026

Room Type	Price per person	Single Room Supplement	Optional Flight from London	Availability
Standard	£3,995	£950	£600-£900 return approx	2 single rooms, 3 Twin/Double rooms

How many people are travelling in your group? Enquire Now 0

Inclusions
Hotel accommodation in a twin or double bedded rooms with ensuite bathroom throughout, all excursions with local guides including entrance fees, full board (except Day 1 which includes a dinner only), and Day 12 (the tour ends after breakfast), expert leader.

Exclusions
International flights, breakfast/lunch on Day 1 (day of arrival), dinner on Day 12 (day of departure), travel insurance, drinks, tips to drivers & local guides, (estimated amount around US$180 pp) personal expenses such as telephone calls, spa treatments, hotel incidentals if used

Optional flights
Temple World can arrange flights from London to coordinate with this tour. The cost of our recommended flights starts at around £650 return from London per person if booked well in advance, including taxes, using Egypt Air. Egypt Air has a direct Heathrow to Cairo daily at 09:40 arriving 17:20 (MS784) and a direct service Luxor to Heathrow on Mondays only, departing 09:00 or 11:00 and arriving 13:05 or 14:50 (MS761). We will arrange a group transfer to coincide with the flight arrival/departure of the main flights.

Booking your own travel
You are most welcome to book your own flights to coordinate with this tour. The start point is Cairo and end point is Luxor, unless taking the Lake Nasser Cruise extension. We can arrange private transfers to meet any flight (supplement applies).

Easyjet has recently introduced a new direct service from Luton to Sphinx airport (near Giza, avoids the traffic from downtown) 3 times per week, and from Luxor to Gatwick on Mondays and Thursdays in case you prefer the prices, timings or airports of these flights. We can’t book Easyjet flights unfortunately, so this would be something you would need to book yourself, but we can advise which ones work best. If flying with Easyjet, private transfers on arrival and departure will be necessary (we can arrange those for you for a small extra cost).

*Very important! Those who plan to book their own flights should not make any binding or non-refundable arrangements until their place has been confirmed in writing on the tour and Temple World has confirmed that it is a guaranteed departure.

Immunisations
Check the latest country-specific information and advice from the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) on the TravelHealthPro website. Vaccines commonly recommended for Egypt: Tetanus. A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is mandatory if arriving from a country with a risk of Yellow Fever such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania or Zambia.

Entry Regulations
You will need a visa to enter Egypt. E-visas can be purchased in advance online from the official Egypt e-Visa Portal. If you prefer, Temple World’s partners in Egypt can pre-arrange a ‘visa on arrival’ for British, US, Australian and Canadian passport holders for a cost of $25 + $5 admin fee, if asked in advance. These are paid for in US$ cash on arrival. Other nationalities should check visa eligibility with their nearest Egyptian Consulate. Passports should be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into Egypt. Evidence of a previous visit to Israel (such as an Israeli entry/exit stamp in your passport) does not normally cause difficulties when travelling to Egypt.

Fitness Guideline
We have graded the fitness level required for participation in this tour as Moderate to Active. This is a full itinerary, with some long days and quite a lot travelling by road on some bumpy back roads. There are no strenuous hikes, but whilst sightseeing we might be ‘on the go’ for several hours at a time in hot weather, without a chance to sit down and rest. Some sites involve uphill walks on uneven tracks. It is important that everyone is able to keep up with the group as we have a lot to see in the time allocated. There is very little free time during the tour so for those who feel they would like some, we recommend a few pre-tour nights in Cairo to acclimatise and possibly some post-tour nights too if you would like time to relax afterwards. We can quote and book these for you. Many of the sites during the tour are not wheelchair accessible. If you routinely use sticks or a cane to walk short distances we regret that this tour is unlikely to be suitable, but please contact us as we will be happy to arrange a private trip instead.

Scholar

Trip Scholar
Professor Mark J Smith, Emeritus Professor of Egyptology, University of Oxford.

Professor Mark J Smith Mark Smith is Emeritus Professor of Egyptology at Oxford University and Emeritus Lady Wallis Budge Fellow in Egyptology at University College, Oxford. He specialises in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, as well as Coptic Christianity. His particular interest is in Egyptian religion, especially Egyptian conceptions of the afterlife. During his tenure at Oxford, Professor Smith’s lectures covered all aspects of ancient Egypt: history, civilization, archaeology, art, literature, religion, and society, and he teaches all phases of the Egyptian language, from Old Egyptian through to Coptic, and all ancient Egyptian scripts. Professor Smith has written many books and countless articles on his subject, and his own research focused on ancient Egyptian religion, in particular conceptions of the afterlife and how these changed and developed over time. His research into the demotic graffiti at the stone quarries of Gebel es- Silsila is particularly pertinent to the tour, which will visit the site. He has led previous Temple World tours to Egypt with great success.

Lectures during our tours
All our tours are accompanied by an academic ‘trip scholar’ as well as local guides. The local guide or guides provide the day-to-day guiding on our tours, whilst the trip lecturer will give regular lectures on his/her specialist subject throughout to provide an academic overview. Lectures/talks usually last 30-40 minutes including questions and answers (if applicable). These are generally held in the evenings before dinner and attendance is optional. On some tours lectures may be given in other locations such as during longer bus journeys or at a site, depending on the lecturer and the schedule. We don’t usually specify before travel which days the lectures will be given (for operational reasons) but guests can expect them roughly every other day as a minimum, with some lecturers giving some kind of talk or presentation more frequently.

Extensions

Pre-Tour Extension

For those who are able to arrive a few days early into Egypt, we are offering a set Alexandria and Siwa extension accompanied by a local guide. Should we get significant interest in this pre-tour, Professor Smith may also be able to join it.

5 night/6 day Alexandria and Siwa extension 26 September – 1 October 2026

26 September: Fly out to Cairo on a morning service, arriving in the afternoon. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to Alexandria by road. Check in to your hotel to freshen up before dinner. Overnight in Alexandria.

27 September: With your guide, explore the key sights of the city this morning, today a modern metropolis surrounded by golden beaches, but once the intellectual capital of the ancient world. Once home to the famed Library of Alexandria and the monumental Pharos lighthouse (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), the city remains a vibrant Mediterranean melting pot and an important trading port, even if its ancient wonders are long destroyed. Visit the Citadel of Qaitbay, a 15th-century coastal fortress, the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, and the state of the art Bibliotheca Alexandrina, built in honour of the city’s famous original. After the explorations, travel by road to the coastal town of Marsa Matruh and check into a beachfront hotel for the night. Overnight in Marsa Matruh.

28 September: Leave the coast and drive using 4×4 vehicles along the southern tip of the Qattara Depression and across the Great Sand Sea to the historical oasis of Siwa that was, during Alexander the Great’s time, site of the ancient Oracle of Amun. On arrival, check in to your hotel for a two night stay and enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure. One of the very special qualities of Siwa is that without light pollution, there are fabulous star-gazing opportunities at night, so after dinner, see how many you can spot. Overnight in Siwa.

29 September: Full day of exploration of Siwa Oasis – the Temple of Amon, Jabel Al-Mawta, Cleopatra’s Bath, Shali City, Fatnis Island, Birket Siwa and the traditional Siwan House Museum. It is in Siwah that Alexander, around 331 B.C., was deemed a god by the oracle Jupiter Ammon. Overnight in Siwa.

30 September: This morning, head into the desert to discover some of its natural wonders. Find natural hot and cold springs, float in turquoise salt pools, and even unearth some fossils. In the afternoon, depart Siwa by road and commence the road to Marsa Matruh. On arrival, check in for a final night of the pre-tour before joining the main tour tomorrow. Overnight Marsa Matruh.

01 October: Depart this morning from Marsa Matruh to El Alamein. El Alamein was the site of two decisive battles between the Commonwealth and the Axis during WWII, but today, this seaside town has been developed into a beach resort for well-heeled Cairo urbanites and Europeans flying in for a bit of winter sun to enjoy. Head over to the El Alamein War Museum and Cemetery with the guide. The museum displays artifacts from the battles and provides context for the historical events. The Cemetery is a poignant site containing the graves of 7,240 men of the Commonwealth who died during the WWII Western Desert campaigns. Afterwards, transfer by road to Cairo to join the main group tour, which starts today. Check in at the hotel in Giza and meet the group for the first time over dinner this evening.

Price: £2336 per person, based on two sharing a twin/double room. This pre-tour will run with 2 passengers or more. Please enquire with Lia from our Groups Team for more details at lia@templeworld.com.

Post-Tour Extension

For those who would like to continue their explorations into Nubia after the main tour has finished, we highly recommend a Lake Nasser cruise from Aswan to Abu Simbel. This cruise is a Temple World client favourite as it strikes just the right balance between exploration and relaxation after the busy tour.

4 night/5 day Lake Nasser Cruise Aswan to Abu Simbel 12-16 October 2026

Departing the same afternoon our tour ends, spend a relaxing 4 nights exploring the Ancient Nubian sites to be found on Lake Nasser, culminating in magnificent Abu Simbel. On the morning of the final day of the main tour (12 October) , you’ll be whisked off by road to Aswan, stopping on the way to visit Edfu and Kom Ombo, before boarding the 5-star river cruiser Movenpick Prince Abbas.

There are 65 comfortable cabins, all ensuite and furnished with modern amenities, and there’s a fitness centre, a lounge bar and small swimming pool on board. During the relaxing cruise through the scenic waters of Lake Nasser, you’ll visit the striking Kalabsha Temples, Wadi el Seboua, three fascinating tombs at Amada and of course, the iconic rock-cut temples at Abu Simbel. All excursions are accompanied by the on-board Egyptologist guides, and all meals and excursions are included. Afterwards, we’ll fly you back to Cairo and can connect this flight to an onward service to London the same afternoon.

Price: £1172 per person, excluding domestic flight Abu Simbel to Cairo. Please enquire with Lia from our Groups Team for more details at lia@templeworld.com.

Private Extensions/Beach Extensions

A host of bespoke private extensions within Egypt and beyond can also be added to any specification, please ask to us for more details. For example you could:

Enjoy a private transfer from Luxor to Aswan, spend a couple of days exploring Aswan, and even opt for a fly-in visit to Abu Simbel.
If you’d like some relaxation after a busy and informative tour, we recommend a stay in the beach resort of Hurghada, which is easily reached by a four-hour road transfer from Luxor. There are two excellent international-standard hotels to choose from, and you’ll have the opportunity to snorkel or dive in the coral-rich waters of the Red Sea. We can also arrange flights home from any location.

Please enquire with Lia for more details, at lia@templeworld.com.