✨ 8-Day Egypt Budget Tour – Cairo, Nile Cruise & Alexandria Adventure
English Speaking Guide
8 Days Egypt Budget Tour: Cairo, Nile Cruise & Alexandria
🌄 Overview
🌍 Begin your journey in Cairo, where history meets vibrant city life. Then, travel south to enjoy a relaxing 3-night Nile Cruise between Aswan and Luxor. Finally, explore the coastal beauty of Alexandria.
Although this is a budget-friendly tour, it still offers rich experiences. Moreover, you visit iconic sites, enjoy guided tours, and travel in comfort. Therefore, it is perfect for travelers who want value and adventure.
🏛️ Discover Cairo’s Highlights
✨ First, explore the famous Giza Pyramids and the majestic Great Sphinx.
Then, visit the Egyptian Museum, which holds thousands of ancient treasures. As you walk through its halls, you see artifacts that tell Egypt’s story.
In addition, stroll through local markets and feel the energy of Cairo.
🚢 Enjoy a 3-Night Nile Cruise
🌊 Next, fly or travel to Aswan and board your Nile Cruise.
During the cruise, you relax and enjoy scenic views. At the same time, you visit amazing temples such as Philae Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, and Edfu Temple.
Later, arrive in Luxor and explore the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple.
Therefore, the cruise combines relaxation with rich history.
🌊 Explore Alexandria Charm
🏝️ After Cairo, take a trip to Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast.
Here, visit the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and the historic Citadel of Qaitbay.
Moreover, enjoy the sea breeze and relaxed atmosphere. Thus, Alexandria offers a perfect contrast to Cairo and Upper Egypt.
✨ Experience Highlights
🏛️ Visit the Giza Pyramids and Great Sphinx
🏺 Explore the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
🚢 Enjoy a 3-night Nile Cruise experience
🌊 Discover temples along the Nile River
👑 Visit Luxor’s Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple
🏝️ Explore Alexandria’s coastal attractions
📸 Capture unforgettable moments across Egypt
💰 Enjoy a budget-friendly yet rich travel experience
Included
Excluded
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome To Egypt
Arrival to Egypt
Welcome to Cairo. Your tour begins when you are greeted by our representative who will assist you through customs formalities. After you have collected your luggage, he will then take you, in our deluxe vehicle, to your Cairo hotel where you will meet your guide who will revise the tour plan with you.
Day 2: 🏺✨ Ancient Pyramids & Modern Wonders 👑🌍
Included Activities: The Pyramid Complex – The Valley Temple – The Great Sphinx – The Grand Egyptian Museum
At 09 am you will meet your tour Guide and start your day to the great Pyramids area which includes:
Giza Pyramids Complex
The three main pyramids of Giza (Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure) are sufficient enough to build a 2-meter-long wall and span 100,000 square kilometers around the globe along with the equator.
The Great Pyramid (Extra Ticket to go inside)
The Great Pyramid of King Khufu is considered largely represents the spirit of ancient Egypt, King Khufu who built this Pyramid as a cemetery has left little information about his reign. Khufu ruled for about twenty-four years. Ironically, despite the enormity of his pyramid, the only statue of King Khufu himself is really small statue carved from ivory.
The Magical Sphinx
Who among us when mentioning the name of the Sphinx does not think about this stone sculpture that carved in the form of the human head and lion body, which is located in the Giza plateau in Egypt the Sphinx is one of the oldest and the largest sculptures in the world, it’s about 73.5 meters long and 6 meters wide.
The Valley Temple
It was used as a place for the embalming process. This temple constructed definitely for two functions: First, it was used for the purification of the mummy before its burial. Second, it was used for making the Mummification process of the king.
The Grand Egyptian Museum
The museum houses a collection of the most valuable Egyptian artifacts ever from various periods of the Egyptian civilization, from the Predynastic Period to Coptic Egypt, with an estimated total of over 100,000 artifacts, including at least 20,000 that will be displayed for the first time ever, including the complete King Tutankhamun collection comprising 5,398 pieces. The Tut collection is on display in a 7,500 m2 section of the museum. Rare pieces that have been restored will be displayed for the first time, such as the second solar ship of Khufu, the restoration of which cost $5 million, the collection of Queen Hetepheres (mother of King Khufu), and the collection of Yuya and Thuyu (parents of Queen Tiye).
Overnight in Cairo
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 3: ✈️🌊 Cairo to Aswan Luxury Escape | Flight, Day Tour 🚢✨
Included Activities: Aswan High Dam – Philae Island Temples – the Unfinished Obelisk
Welcome to Aswan where your guide will take you to see the High Dam, the Temples of Philae, the unfinished Obelisk, check in your Nile cruise and have lunch and then visit The Nubian village and the Botanical Island. Your visit includes:
Aswan High Dam
At Aswan High Dam, you’ll hear from your tour guide the whole story of its construction and how it helped the Egyptians a lot to improve their economic and social state. Then, you’ll move to witness the miraculous.
The Unfinished Obelisk
The Unfinished Obelisk was supposed to be standing in front of Hatshepsut Temple but some cracks happened to it which leads Queen Hatshepsut to order her men to move it to Aswan and it is characterized with its majestic size.
Philae Temples
Philae Temple was constructed in 690 B.C and it had been relocated with the help of the UNESCO because it was in great danger from the High & Low Dams of Aswan. It was dedicated to goddess Isis.
Optional Tour to the Nubian Village & The Botanical Island
Discover the colorful culture of Nubia, one of Africa's oldest civilizations, traveling by felucca sailboat or modern motorboat, you'll meet locals, visit a traditional house, drink tea, and have free time to explore villages independently while Kitchener’s Island, to the west of Elephantine Island, was given to Lord Horatio Kitchener in the 1890s when he was commander of the Egyptian army. Kitchener turned the entire island into the stunning Aswan Botanical Gardens, importing plants from the Far East, India and parts of Africa.
After the end of the tour, you will be driven to your 5 stars Nile Cruise where you will have your lunch meal and make your check in then the rest of the day is yours. Dinner will be served onboard and overnight in Aswan.
Overnight in Nile Cruise
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner
Day 4: 🐊Kom Ombo Discovery: Crocodile God Temple & Return to Nile Cruise 🐊
Included Activities: The Temple Of Kom Ombo
Enjoy sun bathing and tea time on the deck of the Cruise. Once a shore you will visit the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the gods Horus and Sobek.
The temple of Sobek in Kom Ombo
The Temple of Kom Ombo is an unusual double temple in the town of Kom Ombo in Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt. It was constructed during the Ptolemaic dynasty, 180–47 BC. Some additions to it were later made during the Roman period. The building is unique because its 'double' design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries and rooms duplicated for two sets of gods.
After the visit, you will be taken back to the boat for your dinner while it sails onward to Edfu, home of the best-preserved temple in Egypt: The Temple of Horus.
Overnight in Nile Cruise
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner
Optional Tour Abu Simbel Temples
Abu Simbel temple complex includes 2 individual temples that were built during the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II. The great temple was built for the king himself to commemorate his coronation and his birthday and it has been built in a very impressive accurate way which makes the whole world await the Sun Festival that occurs only twice a year in the great temple of the Pharaoh to witness the miracle that occurs there. The smaller temple was built as a sign of love & appreciation from the king to his beloved queen Nefertari and she was the only wife of the king for whom he has built a temple.
Day 5: 🏛️✨ Temples of the Nile Day Tour 🌊🚢
Included Activities: The Temple Of Horus – The Temple of Luxor
You can enjoy an early breakfast. Once the boat is moored you will visit the best-preserved temple in Egypt: The Temple of Horus. After your visit to this superb temple, you will be taken back to the boat for your lunch while the cruise boat crosses the Esna lock to the city of Esna and continue sailing to Luxor.
Edfu Temple
Edfu temple which was dedicated to Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris and its walls are really impressive with its inscriptions and pictures showing Horus having his revenge from Seth the brother of his father Osiris. It is the best preserved and most complete in Egypt temple and second largest after Karnak.
After your visit to this superb temple, you will be taken back to the boat in plenty of time before it departs Edfu and sets sail for Esna. Once you reach Esna you will watch as it sails through the Esna locks. Once through the locks, the boat continues on its course towards Luxor, once the boat is moored you will visit the Temple of Luxor. Then return back to the cruise for dinner and overnight in Luxor.
The temple of Luxor
The Temple of Luxor was the center of the most important festivals and one of the best temples which you will visit. It’s one of the most important and famous ancient Egyptian temples, located in the city of Luxor, which is about 700 km from Cairo, it’s an important tourist destination for its monuments and its distinctive weather, which makes it a wonderful destination for tourists from all over the world.
After the visit, you will be taken back to the boat for your dinner while after dinner you can go out or you can rest in the cruise.
Overnight in Nile Cruise
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner
Optional Tour Sound & light show in Karnak
Enjoy Luxor Tours Watching Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show on the east bank illuminated at night with an audio-visual show that will explain how the temple was built and what life was like in Ancient Egypt. We will give you the chance to discover how life has been thousands of years ago? You will know about them through the splendid Sound and Light Show at the Karnak Temples. This spectacle will take about 75-minute first takes you around the temple grounds, and finally, the last act is played while you are seated along the Great Sacred Lake. The performance relates the history of Luxor as the capital of the ancient world.
Day 6: 🏺✨ Luxor Royal Treasures Tour 👑🌄
Included Activities: Hatshepsut Temple – Colossi of Memnon – 3 tombs in the Valley of the Kings tombs of (Merenptah – Ramses III – Tausert and Seth Nakht – Karnak Temples)
Step into the realm of the afterlife and explore the most famous archaeological sites in the world. This focused day trip brings you face-to-face with the golden age of the New Kingdom.
In the beautiful morning from your Nile Cruise in Luxor, our tour guide will meet you to take you to enjoy a journey in the west bank of Luxor where you will visit:
The Valley of the Kings
The rulers of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Dynasties of Egypt’s prosperous New Kingdom (c.1550–1069 BC) were buried in a desolate dry river valley across the river from the ancient city of Thebes (modern Luxor), hence its modern name of the Valley of the Kings. This moniker is not entirely accurate, however, since some members of the royal family aside from the king were buried here as well, as were a few non-royal, albeit very high-ranking, individuals.
The Tomb of King Merenptah
The second-largest tomb in the valley, Merenptah’s tomb has been open since antiquity and has its share of Greek and Coptic graffiti. Floods have damaged the lower part of the walls of the long tunnel-like tomb, but the upper parts have well-preserved reliefs. The corridors are decorated with the Book of the Dead, the Book of Gates and the Book of Amduat. Beyond a shaft is a false burial chamber with two pillars decorated with the Book of Gates.
The Tomb of King Ramses III
One of the most popular tombs in the valley, KV 11 is also one of the most interesting and best preserved. Originally started by Sethnakht (1186–1184 BC), the project was abandoned when workers hit the shaft of another tomb (KV10). Work resumed under Ramses III (1184–1153 BC), the last of Egypt’s warrior pharaohs, with the corridor turning to the right, then left. It continues deep (125m overall) into the mountain and opens into a magnificent eight-pillared burial chamber.
The Tomb of Tausert & Seth Nakht
Tomb KV14 is a joint tomb, used originally by Tausert and then reused and extended by Setnakhte. It has been open since antiquity, but was not properly recorded until Hartwig Altenmüller excavated it from 1983 to 1987. Located in the main body of the Valley of the Kings, it has two burial chambers, the later extensions making the tomb one of the largest of the Royal Tombs, at over 112 meters long.
The Temple of Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut (c.1473–1458 BC), the queen who became Pharaoh, built a magnificent temple at Deir al-Bahari, on the west back of Luxor. It lies directly across the Nile from Karnak Temple, the main sanctuary of the god Amun. Hatshepsut’s temple, Djeser-djeseru “the Holy of Holies” was designed by the chief steward of Amun, Senenmut.
The Colossi of Memnon
These two faceless colossi (the plural of colossus, which just means larger-than-life statue) are the first thing visitors see when they reach the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor. This isn't surprising when you hear their dimensions: they tower 60 feet (18 m) above the plains and are estimated to weigh an enormous 720 tons each.
The Complex of Karnak Temples
Built over two millennia between the years of around 2200 and 360 BCE, Karnak is a massive Ancient Egyptian temple complex that was one of the country's most important places of worship under the rules of Hatshepsut, Seti I, Ramesses II and Ramesses III.
Lunch will be served at a high-quality restaurant then proceed driving back to your Luxor airport to catch your flight back to Cairo and overnight
Overnight in Cairo Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 7: 🌊✨ Alexandria Discovery of Mediterranean History & Coastal Charm 🏛️📸
Included Activites: Qaitbay Citadel – Catacombs – Pompai Pillar – The Roman Amphitheatre
Your day starts with breakfast in your hotel followed by a 2.5-hour drive, in our air-conditioned vehicle, to Alexandria where you will visit the following.
The Catacombs of Kom Alshaqafa
The Catacombs of Alexandria are the largest and most important burial site in Egypt that has a mixture of Roman, Hellenistic, and ancient Egyptian decorative art and elements that were all common during this period in Alexandria.
The Pompai`s Pillar
It’s a column that stands on a rocky hilltop in the middle of Alexandria. Pompey Pillar is a triumphal monument erected around 300 AD for the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Qait Bay Citadel
Qaitbay Citadel has been built during the 14th century by (Sultan Qaitbay) to defend Alexandria from the attacks of The Ottoman Empire. You can enjoy the Sea views, wonderful restaurants, and unforgettable touristic items while visiting it.
The Roman Amphitheatre of Alexandria
The Amphitheatre of Alexandria was discovered by coincidence in the year of 1960. When the Egyptian government was getting ready to set one its buildings in the area of kom El Dekka, one of the workers found solid column underneath the dust and sand during preparing the location by engineers. Immediately, an excavation team where down the location to examine what have been found. The Roman theatre was a very important discovery in the 20th century. It was proven that the theatre was built since the 4th A.D century and was used up until the 7th century passing by the Roman, byzantine and Islamic eras.
At the end of our day tour, we will start moving back to Cairo and check in as soon as your arrival and overnight.
Overnight in Cairo
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Day 8: We will miss you
Fly back home
Breakfast at hotel. Check out and transfer to Cairo International Airport for final departure.