9-Day Nile Family Adventure

This 9-day Egypt tour visits the pyramids, sphinx and museum in Cairo before travelling between Aswan and Luxor on a traditional felucca

This compact tour of Egypt is perfectly suited for families and children wanting a more active adventure. It combines a tour of the iconic Pyramids & Sphinx, the sprawling Egyptian Museum and ancient Pharaonic temples & tombs with some more active adventure such as a fun camel ride and a cruise on a traditional felucca sailboat. Our handpicked guides have great skills and experience guiding families with children, and we keep our group sizes small to ensure you get the most out of what we are sure will be a holiday of a lifetime. Our adventure begins in Cairo with a tour of the iconic Pyramids and Sphinx, then we take time to explore the vast Egyptian Museum, and in particular the famous Tutankhamun exhibition and scary mummy room. From Cairo, we climb on board the sleeper train for an overnight ride along the Nile to the beautiful town of Aswan. Here we visit the island temple of Philae, visit a local school to interact with the children, and sample a traditional Nubian meal. Our next adventure is on board a traditional felucca sailboat as we float along the Nile, watching the local life unfold as we drift by. Arriving in Luxor we experience some creeping in the crypts with a visit the pharaonic tombs in the Valley of the Kings. We also marvel at the monumental Temple of Karnak before returning to Cairo on board the overnight sleeper train. We finish our great Egyptian adventure with a tour of the Cairo, including sprawling Khan-el-Kalili bazaar, before we head back to the airport for your flight home.

Day 1: Arrive in Cairo and transfer to hotel Upon your arrival at Cairo airport, we meet & greet you and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to settle into your hotel and relax after your journey or perhaps head out into the city. | OVERNIGHT: Cairo hotel | EXTRAS: Extra day in Cairo - pre-tour, Single room supplement Day 2: Cairo, Pyramids, Sphinx & Museum tour, camel ride, train to Aswan Our day starts with a visit to the monumental Pyramids & Sphinx at Gisa, one of the seven wonders of the anciant world. Whilst at the Pyramids we a short camel ride, which is not only fun for all the family, but a perfect photo opportunity as well. We next drive into downtown Cairo to explore the Egyptian Museum with its collection of ancient artefacts, mummies, and of course the world famous Tutankhamun exhibit, complete with the iconic golden funerary mask. Later in the evening we climb on board the overnight sleeper train to Aswan (approx. 12 hours, private twin cabins). | OVERNIGHT: On board train | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner | EXTRAS: Cairo to Aswan flight upgrade Day 3: Aswan, Philae temple & school visit We arrive into Aswan around mid-morning. The River Nile is wonderfully picturesque here at Aswan and we start out with a tour to the beautiful island temple of Philae by boat. This beautiful temple was relocated after the building of Lake Nasser. During term times, we'll also stop off a local school where we can join in with a fun and informal English/Arabic language class, which we try to arrange with children of a similar age to your group. There is also a chance to sample a traditional Nubian meal later in the day. | OVERNIGHT: Aswan hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch Day 4: Aswan, start felucca cruise (Abu Simbel option) Very early this morning there is an option to take a tour to enjoy sunrise at the stunning temples to Ramses II at Abu Simbel. These fascinating temples were completely dismantled and rebuilt stone by stone to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. If you choose not to take the optional Abu Simbel tour, the morning is free for you to enjoy Aswan's busy and exotic bazaar, or perhaps relax at the hotel before we jump board our traditional felucca sailboat and start our sailing down the Nile. We enjoy a fun night's sleep on the deck of the sailboat and are well looked after by our friendly Nubian crew. During the voyage, clean toilets & showers are available on board our support boat which joins up with the felucca from time to time (there is also an option to upgrade to an extra night in the hotel in Aswan in place of sleeping on the felucca). | OVERNIGHT: On board felucca | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | EXTRAS: Nile cruise upgrade, Abu Simbel overland Day 5: Felucca sailboat cruise, drive to Luxor After breakfast, we spend some more time sailing down the Nile enjoying the picturesque scenery pass by. We then drive on to Luxor where we check into our hotel, which is situated right by the Nile. The rest of the afternoon is free to relax at the hotel or venture out in Luxor to explore the site and sounds of this fascinating town. | OVERNIGHT: Luxor hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 6: Luxor, half-day west bank tour Early this morning there is the option to take a sunrise hot air balloon flight on the west bank of the Nile. Our sightseeing today takes us to the West bank of the Nile, where we descend into the musty Pharaonic tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and explore the unique temple to Queen Hatchepsut, where we learn about her intriguing story. The afternoon is set aside for you to relax at your hotel, or perhaps explore Luxor town further. You might like to take another felucca trip on the Nile to Banana island, or visit the weird and wonderful Mummification museum. | OVERNIGHT: Luxor hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Hot air balloon in Luxor Day 7: Luxor, Karnak temple, free time This morning we visit one of Egypt's biggest and most impressive sites, Karnak temple, with its vast temples, sleek obelisks, towering statues and many columned halls. The afternoon is free in Luxor before we transfer to the station to jump on board the sleeper train back to Cairo (approx. 9 hours). There is an option to upgrade one or both train journeys to internal flights if you prefer. | OVERNIGHT: On board train | MEALS: Breakfast Day 8: Arrive Cairo, city tour On arrival back in Cairo we take a short tour to explore the city. We take in the old mosque and museum at the Citadel, which also offers a wonder view over the city, and wander around, and possibly do some haggling and souvenir hunting, in the mazy Khan-el-Khalili bazaar. We'll stop of at a traditional Koshari shop to enjoy lunch, and later in the evening we include a tasty farewell dinner to say goodbye to your local guide and your fellow travellers. | OVERNIGHT: Cairo hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 9: Cairo, tour ends, transfer to the airport Today your tour ends and you can enjoy some free time doing a little more shopping or sightseeing before we transfer you to airport for your flight home. | OVERNIGHT: N/A | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Extra day in Cairo - post-tour