6 Days Cairo, Luxor, Aswan & Abu Simbel Christmas Tour in Egypt

After breakfast, you meet your private Egyptologist guide for a day exploring the Giza Plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum.

Giza Pyramids Complex:

You explore the Giza Pyramids Complex and learn about the construction and purpose of the royal monuments built for Egypt’s ancient rulers.

The Great Pyramid of Khufu:

You visit the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the largest of the three main pyramids at Giza. Your guide can explain its construction and its role as the burial monument of Pharaoh Khufu. Entry inside the Great Pyramid is optional and requires a separate ticket.

The Great Sphinx:

You see the Great Sphinx, a sculpture with a lion’s body and a human head measuring approximately 73.5 metres (241 feet) in length. Its location beside the pyramids makes it a central stop on the Giza Plateau.

The Valley Temple:

You continue to the Valley Temple, associated with the funerary complex of Khafre. Examine its stone construction and learn about the role of temple spaces in ancient royal burial practices. Your guide can also explain ancient Egyptian mummification practices in the broader context of royal burial traditions.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM):

You explore the Grand Egyptian Museum, where thousands of artifacts document different periods of ancient Egyptian history, including the collection of King Tutankhamun. The galleries provide context for the monuments you visit at Giza and later in Upper Egypt.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then transfer to the airport for your evening flight to Aswan. On arrival, check in at a hotel in your selected category.

After breakfast, spend the day exploring Aswan’s archaeological sites and modern engineering landmarks. The program includes Philae Temple, the Unfinished Obelisk and the High Dam.

Philae Temple:

Take a short boat ride to visit Philae Temple on Agilkia Island, a complex dedicated to Isis, the Egyptian goddess associated with motherhood, healing and protection. Much of the complex dates to the Ptolemaic period, including structures from the 3rd century BC. Its monuments were relocated between 1972 and 1979 to protect them from rising water after the construction of the High Dam.

The Unfinished Obelisk:

You explore the Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan’s granite quarry, where the cut stone remains attached to the bedrock. At approximately 42 metres (138 feet) long and about 1,168 tonnes if completed, it illustrates the scale of ancient stoneworking. The obelisk is attributed to Queen Hatshepsut.

The High Dam:

You visit the Aswan High Dam, whose main structure was completed in 1970. The dam regulates the Nile’s water flow, and its reservoir created Lake Nasser. The site offers a view of a modern engineering project that continues to play a role in Egypt’s water management.

After sightseeing, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and return to your hotel in Aswan.

Begin your day early with breakfast boxes prepared for the road. You travel from Aswan to Abu Simbel to visit the temples built under Ramses II. The temples are located near Lake Nasser, approximately 280 kilometres (174 miles) south of Aswan.

Abu Simbel Temples:

You explore the two rock-cut temples at Abu Simbel, built during the reign of Ramses II. The main temple honours the ancient Egyptian gods Amun-Ra, Ra-Horakhty and Ptah, while the smaller temple is associated with Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. The large seated statues at the entrance and the decorated interior provide insight into royal power and religious life during the New Kingdom.

The temples were relocated to higher ground in the 1960s to protect them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. The site is also known for a solar alignment that illuminates the inner sanctuary around 22 February and 22 October; this event does not occur in December.

After your visit, return to Aswan for lunch and board a first-class train to Luxor. On arrival, transfer to a hotel in your selected category for the overnight stay.

After breakfast, explore the East and West Banks of Luxor with your private Egyptologist guide. The day’s visits include Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon.

Karnak Temple:

You walk through Karnak Temple, a vast complex of religious buildings developed by successive pharaohs over many centuries. You explore the Great Hypostyle Hall, which contains 134 documented columns, and examine the inscriptions and reliefs that record aspects of ancient Egyptian religious and royal life. The complex also includes obelisks and an open-air museum and served as a major religious centre of ancient Thebes.

Valley of the Kings:

You visit the Valley of the Kings on Luxor’s West Bank, where more than 60 tombs have been identified. The burial chambers preserve painted scenes and hieroglyphic texts connected with royal funerary beliefs. Among them is Tutankhamun’s tomb, designated KV62 and discovered in 1922.

Queen Hatshepsut Temple:

You explore Queen Hatshepsut Temple at Deir el-Bahari, a mortuary temple built against the cliffs of Luxor’s West Bank. Its three main terraces and colonnades follow the contours of the landscape, while the reliefs record royal ceremonies and Hatshepsut’s expedition to the land of Punt.

Colossi of Memnon:

You see the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that have stood in the Theban necropolis for more than 3,000 years. The statues once stood in front of his mortuary temple and remain prominent landmarks on Luxor’s West Bank.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, then transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairo. On arrival, continue to a hotel in your selected category for the final overnight stay.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and travel by private vehicle to Cairo International Airport for your departure flight. This concludes your six-day journey through Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Luxor.

This six-day Christmas tour includes two hotel nights in Cairo, two in Aswan and one in Luxor, with private sightseeing at the Giza Pyramids and Grand Egyptian Museum, Aswan’s Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk and High Dam, the temples of Abu Simbel, and Luxor’s Karnak Temple and royal tombs. Two domestic flights connect Cairo with Aswan and Luxor with Cairo, while first-class train travel links Aswan and Luxor. The route allows a full day for Aswan’s landmarks before the Abu Simbel visit and the onward journey to Luxor.

For a shorter itinerary, compare the 5-day version, with four hotel nights and no dedicated Aswan sightseeing day.