No longer available. See new versions below.
Pyramid view of Giza, Egypt

Splendors of Egypt

SmarTours Preferred
Has very high quality customer experiences and demonstrated commitment to responsible travel practices. read more
4.9 . Excellent
99%
Travel Style: Array Mixed
Physical Level: Walking or physical activity half to most of day - no carrying equipment. 2- Easy
Lodging Level: Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels. Value (3*)
10 days
From: $ 2,299 $ 230 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Visit the great Pyramids of Giza
  • See the great Sphinx of Giza
  • Visit the Aswan High Dam and Philae’s Temple of Isis
  • See the Ptolemaic Temple for Horus and Sobek
  • Visit Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
  • Visit the ancient Temples of Karnak and Luxor
  • Visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities
  • Enjoy a walking tour of the colorful Khan El Khalili Bazaar district

Short Description

Pyramids of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built during the Third and Fourth Dynasties, these monumental undertakings stand as a marvelous testimony to the almost unbelievable skill and determination of their builders. The Nile is one of the few rivers in the world which flows North and this unique characteristic is why southern Egypt is called Upper Egypt, while the northern part of Egypt is called “Lower Egypt”.

Style Group tour
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels.
Lodging Level Value (3*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions Roundtrip air to/from trip start & all internal transport
Start City Egypt
End City Cairo

Itinerary

Day 1: Depart USA

Your fascinating journey to Egypt begins today with an overnight flight to Cairo.

Day 2: Arrive Cairo

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Cairo Marriott Hotel

Welcome to Cairo, both Egypt’s capital and its largest city! Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met and assisted through customs and formalities, then transferred to your hotel. After some time at leisure, enjoy a welcome dinner!

Day 3: Cairo

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast, visit the Pyramids of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built during the Third and Fourth Dynasties, these monumental undertakings stand as a marvelous testimony to the almost unbelievable skill and determination of their builders. Enjoy an up-close view of the Great Pyramid, built for the Pharoah Cheops, as well as the Pyramids of Khefren and Mycerinus. Not far from the Pyramids, see the great Sphinx of Giza, the legendary chimeral statue that combines the head of king Khfren with a lion’s body. Afterward, enjoy lunch at a local Cairo restaurant.

Day 4: Cairo/Aswan/Nile Cruise

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Movenpick Royal Lily

Today, fly south from Cairo to Aswan. Upon arrival, transfer to your Nile cruise ship for your three-night cruise from Upper Egypt to Lower Egypt. The Nile is one of the few rivers in the world which flows North and this unique characteristic is why southern Egypt is called Upper Egypt, while the northern part of Egypt is called “Lower Egypt”. This afternoon, visit the Aswan High Dam and Philae’s Temple of Isis. This temple was almost lost to rising water in the 1960’s until the Asawn High Dam was built.

Day 5: Nile Cruise: Kom Ombo/Edfu

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today, sail to Kom Ombo to see the Ptolomaic Temple built for Horus the falcon god, and Sobek the crocodile god. The temple complex consists mainly of two temples running parallel with the traditional components of ancient Egyptian religious structures including a courtyard at the front of the complex, with halls following. After exploring Kom Ombo, sail to Edfu, an Egyptian city on the west bank of the Nile River.

Day 6: Nile Cruise: Edfu/Luxor

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning, you’ll visit the Horus Temple in Edfu, the largest and most completely preserved Pharaonic, albeit Greek-built, temple in Egypt. Construction began on this extraordinary temple in 237 BC and was completed nearly 200 years later. Dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed son of Osiris who avenged his father’s murder by slaying his uncle Seth, the temple was built on the site where, according to legend, the two gods met in deadly combat. Today sail onward to Luxor via Esna. The premier destination in Upper Egypt, Luxor features an array of ruins and monuments and is often considered the most extraordinary open-air museum in the world. The city is also known for its horse carriages, called caleches, which offer a charming way to enjoy the areas many sightseeing opportunities. This afternoon, enjoy some time at leisure. Perhaps consider an optional visit to the Luxor Museum. This evening, enjoy dinner on board and consider a Belly Dance show!

Day 7: Luxor

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Sonesta St. George Luxor

After breakfast, disembark the cruise and visit the West Bank of the Nile. Visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the second confirmed female Pharaoh of Egypt. Hatshepsut is generally thought of as one of the most successful rulers of Egypt. You’ll also visit the Valley of the Kings where 62 pharaohs are entombed and the Valley of the Queens where royal wives and princes are buried.

Day 8: Luxor

Meals: Breakfast

This morning visit the ancient Temples of Karnak and Luxor. Built over several centuries by Amenhopis III, Tutankhamun, Ramses II and Alexander the Great, Luxor Temple is a graceful piece of architecture preceded by an avenue of sphinxes. Afterwards proceed to the Karnak Temples. In the New Kingdom, Amun-Ra was worshipped as the most important state god and the immense wealth of Thebes was spent embellishing and building temples in his honor. The balance of the day is at your leisure.

Day 9: Luxor/Cairo

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Fairmont Nile City

This morning, fly to Cairo. Arrive in Cairo and transfer to your hotel. This afternoon, visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, which houses the world’s largest collection of artifacts from the era of the pharaohs including some belonging to King Tut. Afterwards, enjoy a walking tour of the colorful Khan El Khalili Bazaar district. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner.

Day 10: Cairo/USA

Meals: Breakfast

Today, you will be transferred to the airport for your return flight.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 2,299
Price Per Day: $ 230 per day
Checking price
  • Single Supplement: $ 429

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with SmarTours.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

1,112 SmarTours Travel Reviews & Ratings

99%
4.9 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 995
Great 111
Average 1
Disappointing 1
Terrible 4
Value
4.9
Guide
4.9
Activities
4.9
Lodging
4.9
Transportation
4.9
Meals
4.9

Splendors of Egypt

Very interesting tour

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
This is a very interesting tour. It turned out to be much more interesting than I expected at advance. To a large extent, this was facilitated by the Program Director Mrs. Soha Sabbour. I will recommend this tour to my friends.
Read more

Loved the tour

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Loved the tour, the guides, the hotels, the cruise ship & the food!! Great trip!! Can't wait to choose my next Smartours destination! Thanks again Luke!!
Read more

another great experience with smarTours

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
"The Splendors of Egypt" was our eleventh SmarTorus trip. As usual, it was an incredible experience. We can't say enough about our tour guide, Soha. Besides being an outstanding organizer and trouble-shooter, her local background and education as an Egyptologist gave us a welcome extra understanding of the culture(s) and history of Egypt. Her experienced local assistants helped make everything run as smoothly as possible. The riverboat for our Nile cruise was far more comfortable that we had expected, with a spacious cabin and attentive crew. Granted, there are a couple of early wake-ups during this trip, but they were actually welcomed by our experienced group of travelers (just a few good-natured groans) as they allowed us to get a jump on our filled days, and a jump on other tour groups. All in all, another great experience with smarTours. Can't wait for another "smart" adventure. Marsha & Joel
Read more

amazing to see

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Our Egyptologist guide, Dina, was a marvel. She enthused the entire trip with her knowledge and love of country. The trip exceeded my expectations, with the exception of the airline controlled timing of the excursion to Abu Simbel. Our time there was frenetic and unfortunately brief. That information was not included in pre-trip sales details. The Movenpick boat was fabulous, and the treasures of antiquity amazing to see.
Read more

great experience

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Our trip to Egypt with Smart Tours was great. We traveled with a terrific group of well traveled people ranging in age from the 20s to the 80s! I'd be happy to see any one of them at any future trip. The accommodations were all very good and we were well taken care of by attentive but not overbearing staff. Our guide Tarek was really great. He was passionate about the beauty of the incredible ancient sites of Egypt. There is a concern about safety in Egypt and between the tour company and the tourism department in Egypt we felt safe at all times, with a security agent with us in addition to the guide and also the government provides police escort for the bus. In addition, my husband developed a respiratory bug about 2 weeks before our trip and was sure he was on the mend before our trip, but about a week into it took a turn for the worse. We were so grateful to Smart Tours for the attention they gave him. He was taken to a clinic and was accompanied throughout the appointment with a doctor who took an X-ray, blood test and administered antibiotics and then monitored for the next 2 days with a nurse coming to check on him even. We really appreciated the attentive health care. My only criticism of the way the tour is set up is the tipping situation. I like tipping those people like the guide who was with us the entire trip and driver who was our main driver. I felt that it got a little confusing when we had a different driver for just a day or had the security agent on the bus. I would like those incidental tips to be added to the cost of the trip up front so there wasn't the constant small tipping we did on those days. Overall, I would be confident to reccomend Smart Tours and to travel again with them myself and I want to thank you for this great experience!
Read more

great experience

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Our trip to Egypt with Smart Tours was great. We traveled with a terrific group of well traveled people ranging in age from the 20s to the 80s! I'd be happy to see any one of them at any future trip. The accommodations were all very good and we were well taken care of by attentive but not overbearing staff. Our guide Tarek was really great. He was passionate about the beauty of the incredible ancient sites of Egypt. There is a concern about safety in Egypt and between the tour company and the tourism department in Egypt we felt safe at all times, with a security agent with us in addition to the guide and also the government provides police escort for the bus. In addition, my husband developed a respiratory bug about 2 weeks before our trip and was sure he was on the mend before our trip, but about a week into it took a turn for the worse. We were so grateful to Smart Tours for the attention they gave him. He was taken to a clinic and was accompanied throughout the appointment with a doctor who took an X-ray, blood test and administered antibiotics and then monitored for the next 2 days with a nurse coming to check on him even. We really appreciated the attentive health care. My only criticism of the way the tour is set up is the tipping situation. I like tipping those people like the guide who was with us the entire trip and driver who was our main driver. I felt that it got a little confusing when we had a different driver for just a day or had the security agent on the bus. I would like those incidental tips to be added to the cost of the trip up front so there wasn't the constant small tipping we did on those days. Overall, I would be confident to reccomend Smart Tours and to travel again with them myself and I want to thank you for this great experience!
Read more

Details

Optional Activities

Half-Day Memphis & Sakkara Tour

Cairofrom approx. $44 per person

Travel to Sakkara (or Saqqara), the necropolis for Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt, and the site of Egypt’s first pyramid. The Sakkara Step Pyramid, constructed 4,700 years ago, is said to be the oldest monumental masonry structure in the world. Tour includes round-trip flights to and from Sakkara.

Abu-Simbel By Air

From approx. $335 per person, including flight

Please note: Due to concerns regarding availability, you must sign up for this optional tour in advance of your final payment due date. This excursion must be paid in full at that time. If you do not sign up in advance, you will not be able to participate in this excursion.

Be amazed by the magnificent UNESCO-listed Abu-Simbel Temples. Threatened by the waters of Lake Nasser, these gigantic landmarks were famously saved, dismantled and relocated in the 1960s. The larger temple is dedicated to Ramses II, while the smaller was built for his favorite wife, Nefertiti.

Luxor Museum Visit

From approx. $36 per person

This wonderful little museum is located on the Corniche about halfway between the Luxor and Karnak Temples, and is home to a small but well-chosen collection of relics from the Theban temples and necropolis. Displays of pottery, jewelry, furniture and statues were created by the Brooklyn Museum of New York.

Flight & Transport Inclusions

Roundtrip air to/from trip start & all internal transport

Group Size

Standard Group - 25 + people

Cancellation policy

Cancellation charges per person are:

Up to 90 days before departure: $300

89-60 days before departure: $1000

59-45 days before departure: $1500

44-30 days before departure: $2000

29 days or fewer before departure: No refund.

All cancellations must be received in writing.

We recommend the purchase of Travel Insurance. Insurance premium is non-refundable and cannot be transferred from one departure to another in the event of a reservation change.

Trip ID#:

SplEgySma

What's excluded

  • Baggage and personal insurance
  • Passport and visa fees
  • Gratuities and optional tours
  • Expenses of personal nature
  • Any items not specifically mentioned in the itinerary
  • Beverages
  • Meals other than specified in the trip itinerary
  • Items of a personal nature

Meals Included

8 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 5 Dinners

×
Great Choice!

You can access members-only savings of up to $700 on over 6,000 Travelstride Select trips.

Sign in to see trip eligibility

or
or
Provide email and password

With your FREE membership you get to:

  • Save up to $700 per person!*
  • Access private deals and offers
  • See personalized trip recommendations
  • Save favorite trips
*See Member Savings Program details
Already a member?

We respect your privacy and take great care to protect your information. By joining you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

×

You could save $ 300 per person on this trip!

TripSaver
Flexible travel vouchers redeemable on thousands of trips like this one!
×
×
×
Sign in to Save Trips
Welcome back! We're so happy to see you. ? Forgot Password?
Don't have an account? Join
  • Bookmark trips you like
  • Share with your travel companions
  • Track price changes
  • Access private discounts on trips you save
×
Sign in to see your results

TripFinder is a member-only feature. Don’t worry, it’s free!

With a membership you:

  • Save up to $700 per person!*
  • Access private deals and offers
  • See personalized trip recommendations
  • Save favorite trips
*See Member Savings Program details
×
Activate your free Travelstride membership

Just use the email address and password provided in the email we sent.

? Forgot Password?

With your free membership you:

  • Save up to $700 per person!*
  • Access private deals and offers
  • See personalized trip recommendations
  • Save favorite trips
*See Member Savings Program details
×
To Follow, sign in or sign up (it's free) ? Forgot Password?
Don't have an account? Join
member benefits

By signing in, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use

First name is required!
Last name is required!
First name is not valid!
Last name is not valid!
This is not an email address!
Email address is required!
This email is already registered!
Please enter valid email address
Password is required!
Enter a valid password!
Please enter 6 or more characters!
Please enter 32 or less characters!
Passwords are not the same!
Terms and Conditions are required!
Email or Password is wrong!
Please select the captcha checkbox!
Please select the valid captcha!
Something went wrong! Try again later!

"Take only memories, leave only footprints."
Chief Seattle
x
x
Download your brochure

Enter your email to get the "" brochure.

x
Brochure successfully sent!

We've sent the "" brochure to "". Check your inbox!