14 Night Egypt Excursion Itinerary
Day 1- Cairo
We flew in with Turkish Airlines (business) via Istanbul.
A fairly painless jaunt through the airport with the agent Ahmed 1 dealing with visas, immigration, customs and straight out to the car, great service.
First impression of Cairo is that it is very busy and dusty, most of the buildings are apartment blocks built in bricks and left unrendered so everything is the colour of sand and looks unfinished. Traffic is heavy and every car has dents but the driver was good. Wifi and water provided and early check in sorted on arrival at the hotel.
Arrived at the Four Seasons First Residence and our first experience of Egyptian hospitality, very happy. As we had a fairly hectic schedule for the next few days we stuck to the hotel taking the opportunity for a Afternoon Tea and a new experience in changing money at the ATM, just put in your foreign note with a little help from the wonderful hotel staff.
All our sightseeing was booked with the agent beforehand and we were informed our guide would meet us at reception tomorrow morning.
Read More about The Four Seasons First Residence
Day 2 - Great Pyramids & the Sphinx, Dahshur, Saqqara
Very excited - First stop the Great Pyramids and yes they are big, very big.
Great Pyramids of Cheops, Chepheren & Mykerinus
The entrance area is close to the pyramids and there were a fair number of tourists, touts, camels, horses and coaches in this front area plus the road leading to the back views goes almost straight in front of them. They are far larger than you imagine, the size of the blocks and how they built them is difficult to take in and then you are trying to get photos rather than concentrating on what you are seeing.
I had decided beforehand not to go inside more due to the amount of people there would be in there and watching Chasing Mummies did not help but I think I regret not trying.
We then drove round to the back and I think this was better, not so many people about and you get a idea of what it was like before the mass of tourists.
Solar Boat & Museum
I had added the Solar Boat Museum so we had to pay for this, definitely worth seeing although the building is a little too close to the Pyramids but this is where they found the Knufu ship and one other, you can see the limestone blocks outside which covered the boats. There is also a small temple close to the entrance and I had my first experience of a tomb, makes you feel like a kid again scrambling down on your backside.
The Sphinx was next and you have to walk from the car park through stalls selling tourist stuff. This got confusing as when we started to walk into the temple another ‘guide’ was saying that we should get photos of the front of the Sphinx before we went in. It appears that they have closed the gates for you to go through the temple and back out to the front of the Sphinx so if you want photos then do them before you go in. This did mean that this other guide grabbed the camera and took a load of silly photos of both of us for which he then wanted money..so beware!
The temple was full of tour groups so getting photos is difficult and once through you come out at the side of the Sphinx….again packed with tourists but possible to get some good photos from here but it does not look as big as expected, even so pretty impressive.
You then have to run the gauntlet of the stalls to get back to the car.
At this point I decided I needed a hat and we were also asked if we wanted to go to a Papyrus Museum, when asking about a particular Papyrus place we were told they only taught it, nothing was for sale. The Papyrus 'Museum' we were taken to, via a shop selling very expensive bedlinen but no hats, was a pure tourist trap and the included lunch not quite what was expected but good hummus!
Dashur - Bent & Red Pyramids
On to Dahshur for the Bent and Red Pyramids which took about 45 minutes and is well worth the trip. There was no one there and we could have spent much longer here. Jon made an attempt to go inside by was put off by the steep incline inside.
We were now being told we did not have long at Saqqara as they close at 4.30 so would advise going straight here from Giza after an early lunch.
Saqqara Ancient Site
In the end getting to Saqqara late meant there was hardly anyone there but also meant that we rushed round it. We were taken into 3 tombs that we were not supposed to be able to go into, photography was allowed but we did have to pay to see them. Whether this is correct or not did not matter as it was an exhilarating experience and there is so much to see here, highly recommended to add this site to your itinerary.
Thoroughly enjoyed the day, loved Dahshur and Saqqara.
The drive out to these two sights showed the huge problem with rubbish in Cairo which is a shame but happening everywhere!
Day 3 - Egyptian Museum and Bazaar

We had decided to cut the citadel, mosques and Coptic Cairo to be able to spend more time at the museum with possibly lunch at their restaurant and then a leisurely afternoon at the bazaar.
Again so looking forward to go to this museum and yes you have to do it, and yes it has some amazing antiquities even though they are moving a lot to the new museum. Again overwhelming and you do need a good guide to direct you to the important pieces which are easily missed. Lots of large tour groups means you have to wait while a long line troop past until you get any decent photos. You are not allowed to take photos in the King Tut room nor of the Mummies (easily!)
They were decorating some areas, for example the room with supposedly precious papyrus documents was being painted with just dust sheets over some of the glass cabinets and ladders with paint cans above them...shudder! We were also told that someone was cleaning the King Tut Mask and managed to break off the beard, they then tried to glue it back on with superglue and got it wrong!
The building itself is another treasure and hopefully once they have moved to the new museum this one will be restored and used for certain pieces.
An unique experience and it is really difficult to take it in during one visit, I am still not sure if you should visit before seeing the other sites or after, perhaps one visit before and another after!
FYI it is possible to go outside for a drink and cool down, you need to get your guide to sort it out with the guards. There is no restaurant or cafe open now, apparently they lost the lease.
Avoid the toilets!
Also the museum shops are just tourist tat, more expensive and the same stuff you see anywhere at cheaper prices..
We cut lunch and just asked for somewhere to go at the Bazaar for a drink.
Khan el-Khalili Bazaar was better than expected as I had read it is too touristy, The narrow lanes are interesting with some nice shops and merchandise, you probably need longer than an afternoon to cover all it. I had the names of two silver shops I wanted to go to and Jon wanted somewhere selling decent statues. The shops for decent statues was obviously one on the commission route but the two silver ones were good and I managed to get two bracelets, a ring and necklace (see shopping). We were hassled a bit but nothing too bad.
Cairo Conclusion
You have to see the Pyramids, they are amazing but I hate to think what it would be like with more tourists there. If you can go very early or later then it would be better and perhaps a second visit would help as it is overwhelming on a first go. Jon regrets not going inside and so do I. The new Museum is in front and this will make it a better experience to do both together. We also loved Dahshur and Saqqara but these sites need a day by themselves.
Day 4 - Luxor, Sofitel Winter Palace

Early flight to Luxor Airport - tip to driver and Ahmed No 1 dealt with check in, he got business seats for us so we could use the lounge which was small and full.
Smoking room available.
Egyptair flight left on time and was uneventful and they served a drink.
Met at airport by Memphis staff and taken our hotel the Sofitel Winter Palace
Ahmed No 2 checked us in as it was early and this was when Jon discovered he had lost his phone, either in the overhead bins on the plane or it had been taken from his pocket. Either way it was not switched on again or found but obviously it is annoying to lose it and ruined the day somewhat.
Did a quick tour of the hotel and ended up having a late lunch at the poolside restaurant which was very good.
We then decided to venture out to the Luxor Museum and planned to call in at Mummification Museum on the way back and onto the Kings Head Pub which had been recommended by a friend in Phuket. We also booked an extra tour with Memphis to see The Mortuary Temple of Hatsaphet for tomorrow.
After paying far too much for a very old taxi had a hilarious journey to the Luxor Museum. Extremely impressed by the layout and lighting here, it really is a great museum and well worth going to, the statues of our favourite Pharaoh Akhenaten are impressive. There is also a small shop selling books on site. We spent that long here that we missed the Mummification Museum and went straight to the pub.
Read More about The Winter Palace
Day 5 - Valley of the Queens & Karnak Temple Light Show

Breakfast at the hotel was surprisingly good and then we were off to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut.
Usually trek through the tourist shops before getting to the temple but did pick up a hat at last.
This is another must do site, stunning temple and fascinating to see all the images of this woman Pharaoh erased by her step son possibly because her reign was one of the most prosperous and peaceful in Egypt's history.
Quite a few group tours so you have to wait for your photos and they do have a cafe on site for a drink which is needed.
We added a stop at the Valley of the Queens and paid extra to see Nefartari’s Tomb. This is spectacular, looks like it has just been finished. No photos allowed in this one but certainly rates as the best tomb to see. Saw 3 other tombs here and would recommend seeing those first as they pale in comparison.
Stopped for drink overlooking the Nile on the west bank and then caught a boat over to the other side right in front of our hotel.
We spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool and had an early meal there.
Early evening tour for the Sound and Light show at Karnak Temple. You have quite a walk to the front of the temple and then you have to wait for a while until everyone is there. Quite funny that as soon as they see someone go to the barrier everyone charges forward!
We are glad that we added this tour, the commentary is very dated and the lighting could be improved but Jon got some good photos and it was certainly worth seeing the temple at night, would definitely recommend going back in the daytime.
Day 6 - Oberoi Philae, Birthday Nile Cruise

We needed to change money before getting on the boat and also decided to find The Aboudy bookshop before checking out. This went horribly wrong as we were sent up the road to an out of order ATM and ended up walking for about 20 minutes towards the bookshop hoping to find an ATM whilst being accompanied by touts. Thankfully the lady at the tour desk in the Steinberger hotel was extremely helpful.
Do visit the this bookshop, the owner is a fascinating old man who obviously knows all the books in there and wants you to sit and have tea with him while his sons find books for you. We could have spent much longer in here but were already late for our transfer. Easily found a taxi back at the correct price.
Arrival at the boat - After being greeted with fresh towels and drinks we were informed that we were the only guests so after being shown to our cabin we negotiated an upgrade. While our luggage was moved over we had a wonderful lunch and then a quick freshen up for our afternoon trip to Karnak and Luxor Temples. It was extremely interesting to return to Karnak during the day and with a very knowledgeable guide, Baher. Karnak is definitely my favourite temple, was glad to have done the night visit first. There are a lot of horse drawn carriages here and it was nice to learn that a foreign lady had paid to have an undercover area built for the horses to get out of the sun.
Luxor Temple next and again made all the more interesting by the quality of the guiding. This is also a beautiful temple and you can now see the Avenue of Sphinxes which is being restored and will again run from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple, approximately 3 kms.
Back to the boat for a quick dip in the jacuzzi with champagne before getting ready for a superb dinner including singing staff with Birthday Cake and more Champagne.
Day 7 - Valley of the Kings. Luxor

We saw 3 tombs here including Ramesses VI and King Tut and then bought the extra ticket for Seti I which we did last. King Tuts tomb was far smaller than expected and it is sad to see his mummy there in a glass case, it seems disrespectful but Baher explained that his remains cannot be removed as not in good enough condition due to what they did when the tomb was found. The Seti I tomb is amazing, second only to Nefertari's tomb, would certainly recommend seeing it.
On to Dier el Medina, village of the artisans working on the royal tombs. Really looking forward to this site as one of the BBC documentaries had covered it and it lived up to expectations. We also went into two tombs of craftsmen but no photography allowed.
Next onto Medinet Habu, the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III and finally getting to see the remains of where the Pharaohs may have actually lived. We were shown what would have been a bathroom complete with toilet and shower area.
Back to the boat via a shop selling alabaster items, statues and stuff. Bought a vase, two statues and a plaque, sadly the plaque cracked on the way home but none of it was expensive. Bit rushed but lunch and the jacuzzi was calling and we are sailing today!
Another excellent lunch, starting to put on weight with all these three course meals! Back to the jacuzzi which unfortunately was cut short by arriving at Esna Locks, the bridge and being level with the ground was not a good idea as we were obviously very interesting to the locals. Once through the locks we moored for the night leaving at around 4 am. This did wake me and it seemed a lot of the other boats left at the same time.
Day 8 - Edfu and Kom Ombo

Arrived at Edfu in the morning and were docked along with numerous other boats. After breakfast we had to get a horse drawn carriage to the temple as were the passengers from other boats. I was assured that the one we used looked after his horse well and that I could check. On arrival at the temple there were loads more horses, far too many to rest in the shade provided and many were getting spooked….not a pleasant experience.
A longer walk to this Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the God Horus and well preserved as it was buried by sand until the mid 19th century. The entrance is 36 m high with two statues of the god plus the roof is intact. Obviously a lot of tourists from the boats and the shop owners here were quite aggressive going in and out.
As soon as we got back onboard we sailed, had lunch and rested.
We arrived at Kom Ombo well before most of the other boats and you walk to the temple which is dedicated one side to the Crocodile God Sobek and the other to Horus. What was interesting here was that they found the mummified remains of crocodiles in the walls surrounding the temple. People used to sponsor a crocodile and when it died then it was mummified. There is a museum next to the temple where you can see the remains. Poor lighting and dirty glass but otherwise interesting.
We were taken back to the back to the boat fairly quickly, the reason being was that another one had pulled up next to us and their guests were waiting until we were back on board until they could walk through. We then sailed for Aswan so we could catch the sunset as we were sailing. Back in the jacuzzi!
Later the evening we arrived in Aswan and had dinner on the top deck for the first time.
Day 9 - Aswan - Philae Temple, High Dam and Nubian Museum

Early morning we were taken by minivan to catch a small boat over to Philae Temple which originally was on another island close by that was would flood when the High Dam was constructed so they reshaped Agilika island and moved the temple between 1972 and 1980. Perhaps my second favourite temple purely for its position and the colonnades in the forecourt between the first and second Pylons are at an angle.
The island has a lot of cats and there is a nice cafe to have a drink and some of the stalls sell decent stuff. Do have your boat take you round the island on the way back for to get good photos.
We then went on to the High Dam, really not much to see here but ticked the box.
Back to boat for lunch and a few hours by the pool. Then another boat ride further up the Nile to catch a minivan to the Nubian Museum. Excellent beautifully designed modern museum with lovely gardens, well laid out and good lighting, well worth a visit. Showing the history of Nubia it has more than 500,000 displays and some very interesting pieces
There is a small shop in side, very cheap prices.
Back to boat and our last night on board. We had an excellent final dinner and packed, no time for the jacuzzi but sat outside for a long time watching the world go by.
Read More about Luxor Nile Cruise
Day 10 - Aswan Old Cataract Hotel

So back to reality and check into the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract for 3 nights.
I had booked a Felucca trip to the Botanical Gardens for today but no one from Memphis was at the hotel and they had only sent a message to the boat about our flight to Abu Simbel tomorrow. After messaging Ahmed No 1 and then Ahmed No 2 someone rang to say that we had done the Felucca trip on the boat and that there was just the trip to Abu Simbel and they would collect our luggage for the flight to Cairo at the same time. Hmmmm….no we had not done the Felucca trip and we were booked for 3 nights in Aswan. Eventually sorted for 3 pm pick up in the lobby so we decided to go for tea on the terrace.
3 pm we met out guide and took the Felucca from the hotel dock. This would have been a relaxing way to get the Lord Kitchener's Island but unfortunately the guide rattled on about rubbish until we got there. The Botanical gardens were probably once beautiful but now consists of trees and plants sorely in need of TLC, full of weeds and generally run down. The guide did give us a laugh, we saw a leelawadee and explained that we had these in Phuket, on asking what it was called there he got very confused and proudly said ‘we call it a tree’. Not sure where they found this guy but obviously a last minute fill in.
Read More The Old Cataract Hotel
Day 11 - Abu Simbel
Early flight to Abu Simbel
Rather stressful time with security at the airport and a bumpy 45 minute flight and met by a Memphis guide to be driven to the temple in a very poorly jeep at speed. We were informed that there would be another guide to show us round. He was fairly good but has to tell you what to look at outside as they are not allowed in with you so trying to remember everything is difficult. This was also annoying as there was hardly anyone there when we arrived but it started to get busy while we listened to him.
Abu Simbel, is it worth the journey to get there.... a stunning location and they have done a good job moving them due to the construction of the High Dam between 1964 and 1968. A man made mountain was created to give the impression that the temples are cut into a rock cliff and this is what you walk round to get to the front. The two temples are orientated to face the exact direction they originally did and are certainly impressive. The main temple has four 20 m statues of Ramesses II seated on his throne, further statues of his wife, mother, children and conquered enemies. The second temple has statues of Ramesses and his queen Nefertari of the same size showing how important she was and also the fact that this temple is dedicated to her is unusual. So yes it is definitely worth making the effort to get here.
For anyone with walking difficulties it is quite a hike back in the heat, they do have 4 golf buggies but apparently all of them are waiting for batteries. There are the usual tourist shops and a couple of places for a drink before driving back to the airport.
I think if you have the time to get here by cruise on Lake Nasser you may get a better feeling of how these temples would have been seen by the ancient Egyptians plus there is a lot of other sites to see between Aswan and here not on the normal tourist trail.
Security at the airport is very strict and an uneventful flight back. We decided to visit the souk later and found a great taxi guy from outside the hotel who was extremely polite and reasonable…see tips
Well not overly impressed with this souk, usually tourist crap and little else, we walked all of it. Tried to buy some vanilla pods but the price was too stupid for words but did pick up two nice Nubian masks.
Day 12 - The Unfinished Obelisk Aswan

Today we visited the Unfinished Obelisk - what would have been one of the largest of its kind had a disastrous fault in the stone not appeared during the cutting, rendering it unusable.
Our taxi man was waiting for us outside the Old Cataract, bless! Enjoyed this greatly, the obelisk does not look as big as expected until you are right on top of it and unfortunately you cannot go down to it so it does ruin the perspective a little. What is interesting is to see where they cut out other objects within the quarry, it does look like the workers have just downed tools and knocked off for lunch as the cuts are still so clear and precise.
Easy to do this on your own and finally found one decent shop in the row of tourist stuff. The guy was selling shawls and throws, was not outside bothering people and his shop was full of people buying and he did not barter, fixed prices, a lesson here?
So this finished our sightseeing in Aswan with the exception of a tour of the hotel to see the suites that Agatha Christie and Sir Winston Churchill stayed in plus the restaurant. Those suites are beautiful with stunning views over the Nile but expensive.
Day 13 - Four Seasons Nile Plaza Cairo

Flight to Cairo, met by Ahmed No 1 and taken to the Four Seasons Nile Plaza
Cairo looked very different on this drive into the city to stay on the east bank and was more as originally expected with older buildings and wide avenues. The hotel is located in the garden district and overlooks the Nile.
We booked a quad bike safari for tomorrow afternoon and basically chilled out for the rest of the day ordering room service and watching life on the river.
Read More about Four Seasons Nile Plaza
Day 14 - Cairo Bazaar & Giza Quad Bikes

After an exceptionally good breakfast, we wandered round the attached shopping mall and then got a taxi to Souq El-Fustat for arts and traditional handicrafts, the hotel guys told him where to go but that was pointless, after a ride round and stopping for directions we eventually got there.
This Souq is nice but only a few of the of the shops were open as it was a Sunday. Bought two necklaces and a throw then managed to catch a taxi back to the Khan el Khalili Bazaar, this was a nightmare, it had taken us approximately 15 minutes to get to this Souk even with stops and it then took us 30 minutes to get to the bazaar, we ended up on a major highway driving at high speed all the way in a taxi that was not in the best condition. TIP - do not ask them to slow down as he just stopped at the side of the highway and thought we wanted to go elsewhere. Had a leisurely walk round the bazaar and bought silly stuff as presents, strangely we were not bothered once by any shopkeepers, perhaps having a guide is the reason why they hassle you?
Back to the hotel, rest and get ready for the quad bikes.
After driving over to the west bank we were taken to a small shop to sit and wait for the bikes. Jon got his own and I had a young lad sitting on the front handlebars driving the bike for me most of the time. We made our way through the streets, onto the side of a main road and then off through the Egyptian equivalent of the housing estate and onto the sands. What an exhilarating experience, terrifying at times for me, Jon loved it and a great way to see the Pyramids from another side, highly recommended.
On the way back we saw a dead horse as you do and a panic moment as the guide tried to take the bikes onto the main highway. I made him stop and call the Memphis car to pick us up.
Back at the hotel we booked the 8 restaurant for our last meal in Cairo, this was really good and we finished the night at the pool area which was packed with locals and tourists.
An early flight home the next morning via Istanbul, Ahmed 1 dealt with everything at the airport, long queues and strict security again.
Conclusion
It is a good time to visit Egypt, tourists are starting to return and the chinese are there so the place will soon be full of tour buses and huge groups plus prices will rise. At no point did we feel unsafe but security is tight at the airports and at the sites and hotels they check all your bags and you go through the machines, not much notice is taken of the bleeps.
Cairo is dirty and I would not have even considered eating outside the hotels without recommendations. We did not get any problematic stomach bugs but we live in Phuket and have fairly strong constitutions. I would visit the Pyramids again, plus Dashur and Saqqara and would love to see the new Museum….Cairo itself was an experience and the two Four Seasons were great, would not stop anywhere else.
In hindsight I wish we had longer in Luxor and I think we could have explored a bit more. This is the area where there is the most to see and you feel you have rushed it although the heat did get too much after a while and I just wanted to get back to the minivan.
Aswan was long enough time, we saw what we wanted at a more leisurely pace.
I would highly recommend taking a Nile Cruise and I wished we could have taken the longer cruise which has more stops. The Oberoi boats are the best but there are other options such the Sanctuary boats and also the Sonesta boats looked in good condition and I think they have cabins with balconies. You should also look at the smaller Dahabiya boats.
I would also think about taking a cruise on Lake Nasser as again there is a lot to see which is not on the main tourist route and this would be a great way to arrive at Abu Simbel.
Siwa Oasis was also highly recommended so this would be another option to look at when tourists are allowed back in.
Finally you could end with a Red Sea Resort which in hindsight would have made a nice end to our trip as we certainly needed a few days relaxation and there is an Oberoi there!
I would encourage everyone to visit to see these thought provoking places and the objects...fold up camp bed with metal hinges, umbrella with folding metal hinges 1320 years BC…really? We have to replace our umbrellas in Phuket every 6 months. It is a fascinating country and we did not see anywhere near all of it.
Memphis Tours - Egypt
Would I recommend Memphis Tours?…yes…I knew what hotels I wanted so I take responsibility for the mistakes, they could have possibly advised but these hotels are supposed to be the best and perhaps I had too high expectations of some of them. The transport and logistics were good and in general the guides were okay.
Gripes and Moans
The most annoying thing is the tips paid out, we spent more on this than anything else and it is to the employees of the company that we have already paid. Why are they not paying these people enough that they require tips for a 10 minute drive.
We had numerous drivers, guides and then agents with other drivers and they all expect tips. The same at the sites, you are told by the guide that you can see something if you pay, she negotiates and says up to you where in reality you could probably have seen it anyway. All the guys inside the tombs and temples try to get money off you to look in this bit or that bit, they even grab the cameras.
The easiest was on the boat, they give you a idea of what to tip and you put it in an envelope at the end, they do not want you to tip anyone separately. I would much rather Memphis or others give an option to give one envelope at the end with a tip to be distributed or even put some on the prices as the last thing you want on holiday is worrying if you have enough small change or if you have given the right amount….rant over.
The final thought when comparing Egypt then to Egypt today is…. What the hell happened?
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