Sacred Egypt 13 days tour

Embark on an unforgettable 13-day adventure through Egypt, where the echoes of pharaohs and the whispers of the Nile await you. From the majestic Great Pyramids of Giza to the serene temples of Luxor, each day unveils the secrets of an ancient civilization that has fascinated the world for millennia. Experience private access to iconic sites, enjoy luxurious accommodations, and immerse yourself in the rich culture and history that Egypt has to offer. This is not just a tour; it's a transformative journey through time, perfect for the curious traveler seeking both knowledge and adventure. Join us and let the magic of Egypt inspire you!

Important Info

Tour Duration: 5 Days
Scheduling: All week

Tour Description

Day 1: Arrival to Cairo

You will be driven from Cairo airport to your hotel, where you will be welcomed with a drink and stunning views of the Great Pyramids. The remainder of your day is for relaxing and re-energizing.

Day 2: Giza Pyramids

Start the day with a visit to the Sphinx enclosure and the Valley Temple, an austere and megalithic complex used as a preparatory area for the pyramids. After lunch in the desert overlooking the pyramids, a camel ride across the Giza plateau takes us to the Pyramid of Menkaure, the one that attracts the least attention and thus holds perhaps the biggest secret of the entire complex. Finish with a crawl into Khafre’s pyramid. Return to the hotel for an evening at leisure.

Day 3: Saqqara – Serapeum

A bus ride to Saqqara and a short descent into the Pyramid of Unas, one of the best-preserved initiation chambers and home to the oldest texts outlining the process for accessing the Otherworld (and returning). We will then explore the mysterious underground Serapeum, featuring 100-ton monolithic granite boxes of exquisite craftsmanship, once used to protect something very precious. After lunch, we enter Saqqara proper, a vast site named for the god of rebirth, and home to the majestic step pyramid of Djoser, with free time to ponder over the day's events. Return to the hotel, with an optional side excursion to the perfume house.

Day 4: Dahshur – Fly to Aswan

We travel to Dahshur and enter the deep shafts of the elegant Bent Pyramid and its cunning geometry. Because we are gluttons for punishment, we then descend into the interior passages of the adjacent Red Pyramid, which has the largest base of any pyramid in Egypt. After a late lunch, we depart from Cairo Airport for our flight to Aswan, known for being Egypt’s strategic and commercial gateway since antiquity. We are in for a real treat as we transfer to our 5-star hotel for the next three nights.

Day 5: Aswan – Kom Ombo

After a relaxing breakfast at the hotel, we have free time to shop at the market and visit the Papyrus Institute. After lunch, we take a short bus ride to Kom Ombo (because getting you out of this hotel in the morning will be fruitless). Kom Ombo features two temples, one dedicated to Horus and the other to Sobek. Each was used to raise the initiate’s awareness through specific tests. Here, they learned to control fear and proved it by swimming with live crocodiles. Swimming gear mandatory.

Day 6: Aswan – Philae Island & Temple

Yet another dull breakfast on the patio overlooking the Nile. While a thousand tourists head to Philae, there’s an optional tour to Khnum Temple on Elephantine Island (where the Ark of the Covenant once resided), followed by a relaxing boat ride to the Nubian Village to see how real people live. Just about everyone takes this option, probably for the chance to hold the unusual family pet. As the hordes depart from Philae, we head to the island (superior tour planning requires observation and avoidance of crowds as much as possible). We share a packed lunch with a hundred cats and then walk the temple in peace. Philae, or P-aaleq, is one of the eight original mounds established in the primeval age of the gods, and it is a truly ancient site where the cosmic marriage of Osiris and Isis was consummated twice a year. Later, we will sail back to the Old Cataract for dinner by the Nile, you poor thing.

Day 7: Edfu Temple – Luxor by Road

Grudgingly, we depart for Edfu. To avoid more crowds, we go by bus and take a packed lunch, giving us a few quiet hours. Edfu is one of the best-preserved temples, thanks to the Greeks who rebuilt it, uncovering perhaps the most important prehistoric text detailing the activities of the gods and their point of origin. The site is dedicated to the offspring of the resurrected god-man Osiris: Horus or Heru, symbol of the path of the fully awakened initiate, and the root of ‘hero’. A relaxing bus ride puts us in Luxor early evening.

Day 8: Karnak Temple – Luxor Temple

The morning is for exploring the sprawling open-air Karnak complex, the axis mundi of Egyptian religious culture and the cult of Amun, with each pharaoh adding to or altering the site over thousands of years. It is a place for getting lost, but not before we try to get private access into the chapel of Ptah and Sekhmet, as well as one of the most perfect buildings in the world, the chapel of Senusret. After lunch, we take it easy: worship Ra in the Winter Palace’s formal garden and pool, or visit the best gold and silver jewelry store, where your art of bartering will be sorely tested. We gather at twilight to visit Luxor Temple, best experienced when lit. Luxor encodes proportions derived from nature’s mathematics, hence why it looks and feels perfect. You can then retire to the Winter Palace for dinner or squeeze in an hour visit to the small but well-provided Luxor Museum, worth it just for the busts of Akhenaten and the art of Amarna.

Day 9: Abydos By Road – Abydos Temple & Osirion

A bus across the desert takes us to Abydos. After lunch and a swim, we spend the rest of the afternoon in the temple of Seti I to do personal work among the various frescoed chambers dedicated to the gods and their respective teachings. The highlight is a rare, two-hour private access into the Osirion, a megalithic chamber over 11,000 years old, once mistaken for being underground, where the 17 Ways of the Gods were taught. A five-minute walk returns us to the hotel for dinner, and to smoke shisha by the pool and relax, man.

Day 10: Dendera Temple – Luxor by Road

We drive to Dendera, or Enet Ta Neter, the House of the God, and eat a packed lunch in the shade. In addition to the beautifully preserved frescoes, astronomical ceilings, and Hathor pillars, there is a replica of the spiral zodiac, unique in that it is centered on the Age of Cancer, thus placing the original site in the epoch of 8000 BC. After bribing the local police escort, we scurry across the desert to Luxor West Bank and the luxurious Al-Moudira Hotel. An oasis of grace and elegance, Al Moudira sits within a garden of lemon, orange, mandarin, mango, guava, and palm trees, with hibiscus, eucalyptus, jasmine, and henna lining the brick paths. Relax in the pool or the Turkish Bath, or book a massage, or just eat al fresco in the fountain courtyard resembling Marrakesh in 1902.

Day 11: Valley of the Kings – Hatshepsut Temple – Habu Temple

Once we prize you away from breakfast in the courtyard, it’s a short ride to the Valley of the Kings, where we will visit three of the most reserved royal tombs (not including entry to Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses V & Ramses VI). After a brief visit to the alabaster factory, we have lunch on a covered verandah, followed by a short drive to Hatshepsut Temple, a masterpiece of architecture where the hill looks like it's giving birth to the temple. Finally, we’ll squeeze in Djanet Temple, a bit off the tourist trail, because it is where eight of the primeval gods of Egypt are buried. Few come here; I don’t know why, this is one of the most important places on Earth. Return to Al Moudira for relaxation in the Arabian Night atmosphere, sipping mint tea or a cocktail in the eastern bar. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman just out of shot.

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Day 12: Fly to Cairo – Private Visit to Giza Pyramid

To complete our adventure, we fly back to Cairo early, freshen up at Mena House, and prepare for one of the greatest experiences in life: We finally enter the Great Pyramid in private, the prize for every initiate who completed training along the Nile temples. We ascend the Grand Gallery, follow in the footsteps of countless initiates and gods into the Kings Chamber, completing our ascension (literally and metaphorically) with a guided meditation. Who knows what will pop out of those megalithic red granite walls? We close our adventure with a good meal at Mena House, overlooking the pyramids, where we can share stories and bid each other au revoir, because in the ancient world, there is no such thing as goodbye.

Day 13: Departure Transfer

One final breakfast before transferring to Cairo International Airport.