13 Day Essential Egypt Christmas And New Year Tour

Explore the Giza Plateau with the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple. After lunch, continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum and view its monumental displays and extensive ancient collections. Finish at Saqqara, where the Step Pyramid of Djoser marks a decisive stage in the development of royal stone architecture.

Travel north for a full day in Alexandria. Descend into the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa and continue to Pompey's Pillar before visiting Qaitbay Citadel at the eastern harbor. After a seafood lunch, stop at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and spend time along the Mediterranean waterfront. Return to Cairo in the evening.

Fly to Aswan and begin at the High Dam, followed by the granite quarry of the Unfinished Obelisk. Continue by motorboat to Philae Temple and explore its island sanctuary. Board the Nile cruise afterward, settle into your cabin and enjoy lunch and dinner as the river journey begins.

Set out early across the desert to Abu Simbel. Explore the Great Temple of Ramesses II, fronted by four colossal seated statues, and the neighboring temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari. Learn how both monuments were relocated above Lake Nasser, then return to Aswan for lunch, dinner and the second night aboard.

Go ashore at Kom Ombo for its unusual twin sanctuary overlooking the Nile. Later, visit Edfu Temple and follow its exceptionally complete ceremonial route from the towering pylon to the sacred inner rooms. Return to the vessel for the onward sailing toward Luxor, with lunch and dinner served aboard.

Disembark and begin at Karnak Temple, moving through monumental gateways, open courts, obelisks and the Great Hypostyle Hall. Check into the Luxor hotel and pause for lunch. In the evening, visit Luxor Temple when its colonnades and reliefs are illuminated, then return to the hotel for dinner and the night.

Cross to the west bank and enter selected decorated tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Continue to Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. After lunch, leave Luxor by private vehicle and travel through the Eastern Desert to Hurghada, where you check into the seaside hotel and spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Enjoy an unscheduled day at the Hurghada resort. Relax on the beach or beside the pool, use the hotel facilities or arrange an optional activity independently. This quiet day provides time to rest after the Nile Valley sightseeing. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and soft drinks are included under the resort meal plan.

Board a boat for a day on the Red Sea, with snorkeling locations selected according to the day's conditions. Swim above coral formations and look for marine life in the clear water, with time to rest on deck between stops. Lunch and soft drinks are served during the excursion before the return to Hurghada.

Fly to Cairo and visit the Egyptian Museum, followed after lunch by the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization and its royal mummy collection. Continue to Al-Muizz Street for a walk through one of historic Cairo's richest architectural corridors, then browse Khan El Khalili Bazaar before transferring to the hotel.

Keep the final full day free to rest at the hotel or explore independently. There are no scheduled visits, leaving time for optional arrangements, last-minute shopping or a slower day before departure. Any additional transport, admissions or activities are not part of the listed program.

Enjoy breakfast, check out and transfer privately to Cairo International Airport. The representative assists with the final departure procedures before your onward flight, concluding the thirteen-day festive journey.