【Private Tour】10-Day Egypt Tour: The Forgotten History of the Pyramids (Visa on Arrival) Cairo + Red Sea + Luxor + Aswan + One Domestic Flight + Three-Night Cruise Experience

Cairo is the capital of Egypt and one of the largest cities in Africa and the Arab world. Located in northeastern Egypt, at the southern end of the Nile Delta, the city straddles the Nile River. Its magnificent scale and spectacular scenery make it the political, economic, cultural, commercial, and transportation hub of the Middle East. Cairo consists of Cairo Governorate, Giza Governorate, and Qalyubia Governorate, collectively known as Greater Cairo. Cairo is one of the world’s oldest cities, and one of the few ancient cities in the world to have suffered very little wartime damage. Mosques and minarets are found everywhere in Cairo. In Arabic, a minaret is called a “manara,” meaning the place where a muezzin stands to call people to prayer. From the 7th century onward, as Islam spread widely throughout Western Asia and North Africa, mosque architecture continued to develop, and minarets evolved into a variety of styles. They became an essential part of mosque architecture and a prominent feature of Cairo’s cityscape.

The Giza Pyramid Complex is a vast group of tombs on the Giza Plateau outside Cairo, Egypt. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 as part of Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields. In 2007, it was named an honorary New Seven Wonder of the World and is the oldest surviving structure among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built during Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty, the complex consists mainly of three pyramids. The largest is the Pyramid of Khufu, also known as the Great Pyramid. The Pyramid of Khafre, the second-largest, was built by Khufu’s successor, Khafre. The smallest is the Pyramid of Menkaure. Beside these three main pyramids are the famous Great Sphinx and three smaller pyramids belonging to queens.

The Great Sphinx is located in the Giza pyramid complex in Egypt. Some say that its head was modeled after the likeness of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Khafre, while others believe that Djedefre built it in the likeness of his father, Khufu. The statue is 20 meters high and 57 meters long, or 72 meters in total length including its two front paws. It wears a “Nemes” crown, with fan-shaped “Nemes” headdress hanging beside its ears. A relief of the sacred serpent “Uraeus” (cobra) is carved on its forehead. Its chin bears a royal symbol—a long, drooping beard—and a collar encircles its neck. The lion’s body is decorated with a pattern of eagle feathers. The Great Sphinx is Egypt’s oldest known monumental sculpture and one of the world’s most iconic statues.

The Pyramid of Khafre was built by Khafre, a pharaoh of Egypt’s Fourth Dynasty. When completed around the mid-26th century BC, it stood 143.5 meters tall, just 3.2 meters shorter than the Pyramid of Khufu. It now stands 136.5 meters tall, the same height as the Pyramid of Khufu. Its sides originally measured 215.3 meters and now measure 210.5 meters. Its faces have a slope of 52°20′, steeper than those of the Pyramid of Khufu. Because it stands on higher ground at Giza, it appears taller than the Pyramid of Khufu. In front of the pyramid is a funerary temple, with a long causeway leading to another temple in the valley and to the Great Sphinx.

The Temple of Philae is one of the three best-preserved temples from ancient Egypt’s Ptolemaic dynasty. It was built for Isis, the goddess of fertility and procreation in ancient Egyptian mythology. The temple is also dedicated to her husband, Osiris. Osiris was a half-man, half-god Egyptian king, described as a figure of boundless virtue and wisdom. The temple features hieroglyphic inscriptions and vivid reliefs honoring Isis, goddess of fertility, and Hathor, goddess of abundance, among others. The temples on Philae Island were once partially submerged by the waters of Lake Nasser. In the 1960s, UNESCO launched a series of rescue operations to preserve several historic Nubian sites. The temples were dismantled in their entirety and rebuilt on nearby Agilika Island according to their original layout and orientation. They retained the name Temple of Philae. In 1979, the Temple of Philae was inscribed on the World Heritage List as part of the “Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae” site, becoming one of Egypt’s first World Heritage sites alongside the pyramids.

The Aswan Dam is located on the main channel of the Nile River in Egypt, near the city of Aswan, about 800 km south of Cairo. This large, multipurpose water-control project provides benefits including irrigation, power generation, flood control, navigation, tourism, and fisheries.

Kom Ombo means “City of Gold” in ancient Egyptian. Like other temples, it has towering stone columns and temple halls whose ruins lend them a desolate air. What makes it unique is that it is dedicated to both Horus, the falcon god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, so it is also known as the “Temple of the Two Gods.” A central axis divides it into two symmetrical sections, each dedicated to one god. It has two entrances: one built specifically for Haroeris, the falcon-headed god Horus, and the other for Sobek, the crocodile god. From the moment you enter, you’ll notice that the architecture and carvings on the left and right form separate, independent systems. Murals depicting the falcon-headed god and the crocodile god can be found throughout the Temple of Kom Ombo.

The Temple of Edfu (also known as the Temple of Horus) is an ancient Egyptian temple in the city of Edfu, on the west bank of the Nile in Egypt. Situated on high ground, it is protected from flooding and is one of Egypt’s best-preserved temples. In addition to serving as a place of worship for Horus, the falcon-headed god, the temple was used for religious ceremonies. Inscriptions on its walls have also provided scholars with a wealth of information about language, mythology, and religion in ancient Egypt during the Greco-Roman period. Edfu is a major Egyptian center for sugar and pottery production, and preserves a snapshot of ancient Egyptian civilization spanning thousands of years.

The Valley of the Kings was the main burial ground for pharaohs and nobles of Egypt’s New Kingdom, spanning the 18th to 20th Dynasties (approximately 1539 to 1075 BC). It lies in a valley on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Luxor. Sixty-four pharaohs are buried here, though only 17 tombs are open to visitors. The largest is the tomb of Seti I of the 19th Dynasty. From the entrance to the innermost burial chamber, it extends 210 meters horizontally and descends 45 meters. A vast cavern was carved into the rock to create an underground palace, with walls and ceilings covered in elaborate frescoes—an astonishing sight.

Luxor Temple is a large ancient Egyptian temple complex on the east bank of the Nile, in the city now known as Luxor (ancient Thebes). It was built around 1400 BC. In Egyptian, it was called ipet resyt, meaning “Southern Sanctuary.” It is one of the two major temples on the east bank; the other is Karnak Temple. Unlike the other temples of Thebes, Luxor Temple was not dedicated to a god or to the deified image of a deceased pharaoh. Instead, it was dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship and may have been where many Egyptian pharaohs were crowned, literally or symbolically. Luxor Temple was dedicated to the Theban Triad: Amun, his consort Mut, and their son Khonsu. During the annual Opet Festival, held to promote the fertility of Amun-Ra and the pharaoh, a statue of Amun was paraded from nearby Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple, where it stayed for a time with his consort Mut.

The Colossi of Memnon were originally statues in front of the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Amenhotep III, but the temple itself has disappeared. It is said that the statue on the right once made a far-reaching, haunting sound every morning at sunrise. Many travelers recorded hearing a sad, melodious song. The ancient Greeks associated this phenomenon with the story of the conquest of Troy. Scientists, however, believe it was caused by natural conditions: the sound occurred when temperatures shifted suddenly from cold to warm at sunrise, as the first rays of the morning sun heated the statues and made them ring like metal. A broad expanse of fields lies not far from the Colossi of Memnon, with waves of green rippling across the landscape. The two statues stand like a gateway between history and the present, humanity and nature, keeping their majestic watch through the ages.

Built more than 3,900 years ago, Karnak Temple is located in northern Luxor, Egypt, and is a spectacular complex of temple buildings left behind by the ancient Egyptian Empire. The site contains more than 20 temples and shrines of various sizes, 134 massive stone columns, ram-headed sphinxes, and other historic monuments. Its grandeur is breathtaking. Karnak Temple was part of Thebes, the capital during Egypt’s Middle and New Kingdoms, and was a center of worship for Amun, the sun god. It is also home to one of ancient Egypt’s largest temples. The vast Karnak Temple complex is an open-air site that includes the Karnak Open Air Museum. It is considered Egypt’s second most visited historic site, after the Giza Pyramid Complex near Cairo. The complex consists of four main sections, of which only the largest is currently open to the public. The name Karnak Temple is generally understood to refer to the precinct of Amun-Ra, as this is the only section most visitors see. The other three sections—the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Montu, and the demolished Temple of Amenhotep IV—are not open to the public. Several smaller temples and sanctuaries also connect the Precinct of Mut, the Precinct of Amun-Ra, and Luxor Temple.

Hatshepsut was one of the most important female pharaohs in ancient Egyptian history. Her reign marked the prosperity of the 18th Dynasty, and she ruled from 1479 to 1458 BC. She was known not only for her political abilities and economic achievements, but also for her distinctive approach to rule. To consolidate her power, Hatshepsut often wore traditional male clothing and even donned a false beard to demonstrate her authority as pharaoh. The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, located at Deir el-Bahari, is a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian architecture, reflecting her devotion to the gods and her own deification. Its design blends the beauty of nature and architecture. With its imposing colonnades and broad ramps, the temple stands out dramatically against the cliffs. Hatshepsut’s reign brought not only economic prosperity, but also advances in art and culture. She remains one of the most celebrated female pharaohs in ancient Egyptian history.

The Red Sea is renowned as one of the world’s three top diving destinations, not only for its clear, turquoise waters but also for its diverse marine life. The region’s unique climate supports a variety of colorful corals and fish. Nemo, the clownfish made famous by Finding Nemo, is a familiar resident of these waters, along with Red Sea Picasso triggerfish and manta rays. You may even spot them swimming in the shallows from the beach. Another distinctive feature of the Red Sea is its meeting of sea and desert: the two landscapes meet at the shore, where half is water and half is fire. The entire Red Sea coast is a paradise for holidaymakers.

Admire the beautiful coral reefs of the Red Sea from a glass-bottom boat, ride the waves along the towering sea cliffs of nearby islands, snorkel, swim, and feed the fish as you immerse yourself in the wonders of the Red Sea.

Dune bashing takes you off the road and into the vast desert. Driving at high speed over the rugged desert terrain is extremely bumpy. The tremendous jolts can even loosen a tightly fastened seat belt, lifting you briefly off your seat. As you go from uphill to downhill, you experience a feeling of weightlessness, as if your heart is suspended before dropping back down.

Cairo is the capital of Egypt and one of the largest cities in Africa and the Arab world. Located in northeastern Egypt, at the southern end of the Nile Delta, the city straddles the Nile River. Its magnificent scale and spectacular scenery make it the political, economic, cultural, commercial, and transportation hub of the Middle East. Cairo consists of Cairo Governorate, Giza Governorate, and Qalyubia Governorate, collectively known as Greater Cairo. Cairo is one of the world’s oldest cities, and one of the few ancient cities in the world to have suffered very little wartime damage. Mosques and minarets are found everywhere in Cairo. In Arabic, a minaret is called a “manara,” meaning the place where a muezzin stands to call people to prayer. From the 7th century onward, as Islam spread widely throughout Western Asia and North Africa, mosque architecture continued to develop, and minarets evolved into a variety of styles. They became an essential part of mosque architecture and a prominent feature of Cairo’s cityscape.

Khan el-Khalili Market is located in downtown Cairo (the old city) and comprises thousands of independent shops spread across dozens of narrow lanes. Many shops date back to the 14th century. The market’s narrow roads are lined with small shops selling gold and silver jewelry, copper plates, stone carvings, leather goods, and other traditional Egyptian handicrafts. Its old-world storefronts and wide selection of goods have made it popular with foreign visitors.