Classic Egypt: Cairo, Luxor and a Nile river cruise for solo travellers

Arrival in Cairo – On arrival, we’ll transfer to our hotel and check in for our three-night stay.  

The rest of the day will be at leisure (flight time permitting), you could relax in your room and settle in or take advantage of the hotel amenities. This evening, enjoy your first taste of authentic Egyptian cuisine during included dinner at the on-site restaurant.

Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx and Grand Egyptian Museum – Today we’ll drive out of the city towards the Giza plateau for our first close-up view of the Great Pyramids. The truly gigantic size of the three main pyramids only becomes fully apparent when they tower above you in all their majesty. For the more adventurous, entry into the pyramids is available at an extra cost payable locally. For the Great Pyramid of Cheops there’s a daily limit to the number of visitors, so there’s no guarantee of an entry.

A little further down the hill is the mighty Sphinx, one of the world’s largest free-standing sculptures. After your visit, lunch will be served at a local restaurant. 

“This day of days, the most wonderful that I have ever lived through…” is how Howard Carter described the day in 1922 when he realised, he had made the archaeological find of the century. King ‘Tut’s’ tomb held so many treasures that it took 10 years to examine, photograph, catalogue and finally remove all 5,398 of them. See the collection in the Tutankhamun Galleries at the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum, the world’s largest museums dedicated to a single civilisation and, a treasure-house overflowing with artefacts of remarkable ancient craftsmanship, ranging from the mundane to the mystical.

Coptic Cairo and Citadel – This morning, we’ll explore Old Cairo’s Christian history with a visit to the remarkable 3rd century ‘Hanging Church’, built over a gateway to the Roman era Babylon fortress. With its wooden barrel-roofed interior this makes for a fascinating introduction to Egypt’s long Coptic heritage. We’ll continue to the Ben Ezra synagogue, said to be the place where the Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses in his basket amongst the reeds. 

After lunch at a local restaurant, we’ll enjoy a guided tour of the Citadel of Cairo – also known as Citadel of Saladin – to delve into the Islamic history of the Egyptian capital. Originally constructed as a fortification against Crusaders in 1176, it remained the home to Egypt’s rulers for 700 years. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a sprawling site of mosques, palaces, gateways, towers and museums perched in the Muqattam Hills. It also offers wonderful views over the city.  

Our tour includes the Mosque of Muhammad Ali – known as the “Alabaster Mosque”, thanks to its marble panelling on its interior and exterior walls. Built in the Turkish style, its ornate interior is truly breathtaking. We’ll then carry on to the nearby Khan El-Khalili Souk (market) dating back to the 14th century. It’s a treasure trove of Egyptian culture with bustling streets filled with local artisans and vendors selling everything from traditional souvenirs to local spices and handicrafts. 

Since the early steamers visited Egypt in the nineteenth century, Luxor has remained a tourist hotspot. Situated on the east side of the Nile in the centre of The Nile Valley, Luxor is an ideal location for tours and trips to surrounding places of interest.

Dendera, also spelled Denderah, Tentyris, or Tentyra is a small town and former bishopric in Egypt situated on the west bank of the Nile, about 5 kilometres south of Qena, on the opposite side of the river.

Kom Ombo – Wake up slowly to the peaceful sound of lapping water outside as the scenic riverbanks glide by. There’s plenty of time to linger over that second cup of coffee in the restaurant this morning as we spend the entire morning at leisure as we sail along the Nile.  

We’ll enjoy a delicious lunch on board before arriving in Kom Ombo later in the afternoon.  

The small town of Kom Ombo is located on the East side of the Nile. You’ll visit the magnificent temple here, unusual in that it’s dedicated to two gods, Horus (the falcon-headed god) and Sobek (the local crocodile god). This duality is cleverly reflected in the architecture – there are twin entrances, two linked hypostyle halls and twin sanctuaries. The temple had a lake with sacred crocodiles and many mummies of them have been found nearby, which are on display in the Crocodile Museum. After your visit, sail to the city of Aswan where your ship will moor overnight.

Aswan is Egypt’s southernmost city and remains hot and dry all year round. It is considered the most picturesque setting on the Nile and serves as a base for tourist excursions to many local sites of interest.