Egypt

Off the Beaten Path in Egypt

Eleven nights that add Dahshur's lesser pyramids, a full day in Alexandria, and Coptic Cairo's Cave Church of St. Simon to the standard route.

11 Nights / 12 DaysDuration
5Cities

Most Egypt itineraries give Cairo two or three days and call it done , Giza, the museum, maybe Khan el-Khalili. This one gives Cairo five, spread across the trip, using the extra time for Dahshur's Bent and Red Pyramids, a full day in Alexandria, and Coptic Cairo's Cave Church of St. Simon, carved into the Mokattam hills , stops that rarely make it onto a first Egypt trip.

This is one of the Egypt itineraries we've planned for a group before , eleven nights, twelve days across Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, and a four-night Nile cruise to Luxor with an Abu Simbel excursion, built for three adults travelling together. It's shared here to show what a longer, deeper route through Egypt could look like. A version built around your own group's size, pace, and dates would look a little different , and that's the point.

Why This Trip

Why Go the Long Way Round Egypt

Why Go the Long Way Round Egypt

Dahshur sits a short drive from Giza and sees a fraction of the visitors , the smooth-sided Red Pyramid and the oddly angled Bent Pyramid, both older experiments that led to Giza's final design. Most itineraries stop at Giza and never make the detour.

A full day in Alexandria and a visit to the Museum of Egyptian Civilization's Royal Mummies Hall add real range to the Cairo stretch, and the trip closes on Coptic Cairo , the Hanging Church and the Cave Church of St. Simon , instead of ending, as most do, with one last look at the pyramids.

The four-night Nile cruise at the centre of the trip still covers everything a shorter version would: Abu Simbel at dawn, Kom Ombo, Edfu, and a sunrise hot air balloon over Luxor's West Bank. Nothing here is traded away for the detours , it's added on top.

Holiday Overview

Cities Covered
Cairo (+ Memphis, Saqqara & Dahshur), Alexandria, Aswan + 4-night Nile Cruise to Luxor, Abu Simbel
Starting Price
₹2,59,765

per adult on double occupancy (₹3,29,550 on single occupancy), based on 3 adults travelling together, excluding international airfare

Best Time to Travel
Mid-to-late March (mild, ahead of the summer heat)
Experiences Covered
Grand Egyptian Museum private tour, Giza Pyramids, Memphis, Saqqara & Dahshur, Alexandria day trip, Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Citadel of Saladin & Khan el-Khalili, 4-night Nile cruise with Abu Simbel, sunrise hot air balloon over Luxor, Coptic Cairo & the Cave Church of St. Simon

Tap a pin to preview each stop

Trace Your Path

An itinerary designed
for every moment.

Cairo Day 1–5, 10–12

The Grand Egyptian Museum, the Giza Pyramids, Memphis, Saqqara, Dahshur's Bent and Red Pyramids, the Citadel of Saladin, Khan el-Khalili and Coptic Cairo.

Alexandria Day 4

The Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, Qaitbay Citadel and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Aswan Day 6

The Aswan High Dam, a boat crossing to Philae Temple and the start of the Nile cruise.

Abu Simbel Day 7

A pre-dawn small-group trip to the rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel, back onboard by noon.

Luxor Day 8–9

Luxor Temple by night, a sunrise hot air balloon, Hatshepsut's temple, the Colossi of Memnon and Karnak Temple.

Day By Day

Egypt Trip Itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Cairo Arrival

    A private transfer to the hotel, with the rest of the day free to settle in.

  2. Day 2

    Grand Egyptian Museum

    A private afternoon tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum with an Egyptologist, including the treasures of Tutankhamun.

  3. Day 3

    Giza, Memphis, Saqqara & Dahshur

    A full day covering the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx, then Memphis, Saqqara, and Dahshur's Bent and Red Pyramids , the detour most Giza-only itineraries skip.

  4. Day 4

    Alexandria Day Trip From Cairo

    A full day on the Mediterranean coast , the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, Qaitbay Citadel, and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

  5. Day 5

    Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the Citadel & Khan El-Khalili

    The Royal Mummies Hall at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the Citadel of Saladin and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, and an evening at Khan el-Khalili.

  6. Day 6

    Cairo to Aswan , Nile Cruise Begins

    A flight to Aswan and embarkation on the Nile cruise, with the Aswan High Dam and a boat crossing to Philae Temple.

  7. Day 7

    Abu Simbel & Sailing to Kom Ombo

    A pre-dawn small-group trip to the rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel, back onboard by noon, then sailing on to Kom Ombo's dual temple.

  8. Day 8

    Edfu by Horse Carriage , Sailing to Luxor

    A horse carriage ride to Edfu Temple, then sailing on toward Luxor and crossing the Esna lock, with Luxor Temple by night on arrival.

  9. Day 9

    Sunrise Hot Air Balloon & Luxor's West Bank

    A hot air balloon flight over Luxor's West Bank at sunrise, Hatshepsut's temple, and the Colossi of Memnon, before Karnak Temple on the East Bank and a transfer to a Luxor hotel.

  10. Day 10

    Luxor to Cairo

    A flight back to Cairo and check-in for the final Cairo stretch.

  11. Day 11

    Coptic Cairo & the Cave Church of St. Simon

    A private tour of Coptic Cairo's Hanging Church, followed by the Cave Church of St. Simon, carved into the Mokattam hills , one of the largest churches in the Middle East.

  12. Day 12

    Departure

    A private transfer to Cairo airport for the flight home.

What's Included

Experiences Included.

Where You'll Stay

Hotel Stays.

Hotel and cruise stays across Cairo, Aswan and Luxor, mostly with breakfast.

Cairo: Ramses Hilton, King Guest Room with a city view, across two stretches of the trip.

Nile cruise: a 4-day, 3-night sailing from Aswan with a hot air balloon included.

Luxor: Steigenberger Resort Achti for one night.

Cairo (final stretch): Mar Charbel Hotel for two nights.

The Fine Print, Handled

What Travenza Holidays
Will Arrange.

Itinerary planning, hotel and cruise reservations, private transfers, sightseeing, internal flights, visa assistance, and travel support for the whole group.

Customised by group size, pace, and how many of Cairo's lesser-known sites to add , this is the deeper alternative to a standard five- or six-night Egypt trip.

Ready When You Are

Plan Your Off the Beaten Path Holiday to Egypt

Dahshur's quiet pyramids, a full day in Alexandria, a cave church carved into the hills above Cairo , eleven nights gives a group the version of Egypt most first trips never have time to reach.

This is one of the itineraries we've built for a group travelling together before, shared here to show what the trip could look like. A version built for your own group , size, pace, and dates , would look a little different.

Estimated from ₹2,59,765 per adult · All inclusive

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