Top Things to do on a Luxury Egypt Trip
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Top Things To Do on a Luxury Egypt Trip
If you’ve always wanted to visit Egypt to see the Pyramids, but aren’t sure what else to do once you get there, look no further! Today I’m sharing the top things to do on a luxury Egypt trip, because if you’ve already started looking at options, you know it can get very overwhelming very quickly.
I spent close to three weeks traveling through Egypt for my 35th birthday, and compiled an objectively great itinerary that went off (mostly) without a hitch. Without further ado, I’m sharing the top things to do on a luxury Egypt trip, based on my own personal experience!
Psst… if you’re looking for the top luxury hotels in Egypt, I’ve got you covered in The Ultimate Luxury Egypt Travel Guide: Hotel Edition.
Before we dig in, one random side note but it’s come in so handy in my life I would be remiss if I did not call out the linen shirtdress I wore basically every single day on our Egypt trip and continue to wear in the U.S. all the time. I have it in Apricot and in White! It’s in the first picture below, and many of the others! I’m 6′ tall if that helps for length reference. I wanted something lightweight and inexpensive that I wouldn’t worry about ruining crawling through tombs, and it actually held up so well, cleaned up perfectly and was very versatile. I wore it in every tomb and temple as a coverup with my athleisure (I recommend staying more covered up in Islamic countries, but it’s also HOT so you don’t want to wear something heavy), also wore it as a dress to brunch at the Four Seasons, as a swim coverup after scuba diving, you name it. It does all the things. You can get it on Amazon here.
Cairo and Giza: Top Things To Do on a Luxury Egypt Trip
TL;DR: Book VIP After-Hours Pyramids Tour Here on Viator!
As far as things to do on a luxury Egypt trip are concerned, an after-hours private tour of the Great Pyramid is number one in my book. I will say it was definitely the priciest two-hour activity we booked on this trip (Africa still has the top spot, however, when we miscalculated the conversion rate on a helicopter ride in South Africa, but that’s a story for another day!).
I’m obsessed with the Pyramids and the mysteries surrounding them. I am also slightly claustrophobic. And heat-sensitive. I knew that I wanted to go inside the Great Pyramid (the largest in Egypt and the tomb of Khufu); one does not travel all the way to Egypt to not go inside the most famous thing! But even sitting in my dining room planning out the trip, I was already panicking about the tiny, dark tunnels and hordes of people crawling through them in the peak heat of midday. So when I accidentally stumbled upon this after-hours private option, I knew if I splurged on nothing else, this would need to be it. By the time I started to pitch my husband on the idea, in my mind it was already basically a medically necessary expense.
Suffice it to say that this was absolutely worth every penny, and Alex actually wholeheartedly agrees. It’s such a rare and incredible opportunity that if at all possible, I’d say to prioritize this over anything else you indulge in on your own trip to Egypt!
After seeing the Pyramids with the crowds on our first day in Egypt, getting to visit privately with no one but our guide and an escort from the Ministry of Tourism was a dream come true.
A few logistical things to note:
These tours are overnight in two-hour time blocks; we booked the 5-7am timeslot with hopes of emerging from the Great Pyramid at sunrise, and this worked out perfectly. Our escorts picked us up at the hotel; we had a guide, a representative from the Ministry of Tourism, and police (who stayed outside the Pyramid and waited for us). We were returned back to the Marriott Mena House, our hotel after our tour and sunrise photos.
The tunnels are TINY, and you have to crawl through them almost entirely on hands and knees. We kind of bear-crawled our way through. Going privately, we were able to take our time and rest when we needed to, as it’s a bit of a workout! I prevailed over my claustrophobia, but there is absolutely no way I would have been able to do it in the daytime with thousands of people crawling and pushing past. I’m getting anxious again just thinking about it, so let’s move on.
The daytime passes generally sold will let you into the Pyramids Complex, but to go inside any of the pyramids themselves require special separate passes, there are limited quantities sold each day, and you can’t purchase them in advance. My understanding is that in order to secure an interior entry ticket, you’ll want to pre-book it with any tour you schedule, rather than trying to do it yourself. We did not go in Khafre or Menkaure pyramids (the other two larger ones in the Pyramids Complex), but those are open on alternating days and are very cheap to access with additional tickets your guide can arrange for you if you want. I just didn’t because, again, claustrophobia. Maybe next time, if I can do it after hours like the Great Pyramid!
I was also told that for the Great Pyramid with a normal daytime interior-entry ticket, you can ONLY access the Queen’s Chamber and Subterranean Chamber, and not go all the way up through the Grand Gallery to the King’s Chamber. I’m not sure if that’s always true or if it depends on renovation schedules but the King’s Chamber, to me, is the main thing, and I think a lot of people probably don’t realize this unfortunately until it’s too late. I have seen other travel blogs where people did get into the King’s Chamber with what seem to be regular interior entry tickets, but I think this might not always be the case, so when you book it if you’re going during normal open hours, make sure you confirm with your guide first what you’re getting, so you won’t be disappointed!
As far as I’m aware, the only way to get to the Grand Gallery and King’s Chamber is with one of these private after-hours tours. And even if it’s not, going after-hours is just going to be a much more exclusive experience all around. With the private tour, we saw all the things. You can stand upright in the Grand Gallery and that was a really ethereal experience walking through it up to the King’s Chamber. Inside the King’s Chamber, it’s huge! It’s a massive room made entirely of granite, with the empty sarcophagus in the center of the far wall. Our guide shared a lot of interesting facts and theories (they are emphatically opposed to the suggestion that aliens built the pyramids) while we were in there, and then we were invited to just take it in and meditate in silence. I wasn’t expecting it, but it was a crazy cool experience. They also, shockingly, let us take turns laying in the sarcophagus, which was oddly peaceful. We were able to take all the photos we wanted, except when we were actually IN the sarcophagus, which, fair. So that will have to stay as just a mental memory for me! And one of the coolest of my life so far.
HOW TO BOOK:
On Viator, you can book it here! It will initially say “from $62.00” (“But Emily, you said this is insanely expensive?” I hear you thinking to yourself) but hold off on that sigh of relief; that’s just the default lowest-priced activity option for this company’s listing.
To get to the correct tour, click “Check Availability”, pick your date and number of participants, and hit “Apply”. From there, you’ll see all the booking options as the tour company offers multiple different tiers. The one we’re discussing here is “VIP Tour Inside Great Pyramid” and only has overnight times, from 5pm to 5am available. If you see daytime slots available, it’s the wrong one, as this tour is exclusively outside of working hours and you will have the entire Pyramids Complex to yourself. Hang on to your hats, because it’s $3,300 per person at the time of this writing.
The booking selection should look like this screenshot below! I recommend the 5am time slot, as you will likely emerge right at sunrise depending on the season, and have the most amazing photos and surreal memories. I remember walking up to the Great Pyramid in the dark, dizzy with anticipation and disbelief that this childhood dream was really coming true, and looking up to see Orion just over the top of the structure. Now whenever I see Orion above my house, it takes me back to that night and the most amazing trip!
Alternatively, you can book directly through Marriott for (I believe) the same price, and you might get Marriott points!
The third option I’ll mention is what my husband and I ended up doing, but it’s not for the anxious traveler. We booked directly through a tour company called Explore Egypt Tours, and it was just over $1,000 per person for the experience. Still a lot of money, but a much better price point comparatively! However, since it just is arranged via email and feels a little move loosey-goosey than Viator, I could see people being uncomfortable with that option. Right up until they showed up at the hotel, we were nervous that we might be getting scammed. There’s no real reason for this other than that I think Americans are just used to a very straightforward online experience and booking portal with credit card security and the right to dispute a fraudulent charge, so we were a little out of our element but ultimately glad we went for it! Everything went completely smoothly and we had an amazing time, so I wanted to put it out there as another option!
Sunrise over the Pyramids Complex! Still so happy we decided to do this without all the crowds!
In front of the entry to the Great Pyramid
Taking it all in after our tour of the interior
Inside the King’s Chamber with the sarcophagus of Pharaoh Khufu! Very cute sweat marks on my top. It’s fine 🙂
Heading up through the Grand Gallery to the King’s Chamber! There are 7 layers of stone or “steps” that the Grand Gallery carves through as you ascend, suggesting a parallel to the 7 levels of Heaven referenced in other ancient religions, with the Pharaoh Khufu’s sarcophagus at the top.
The tunnels are mostly this size, so you can see we’re crawling through but it’s not horrible!
Emerging from the Great Pyramid at the end of the interior tour
Little puppers everywhere! Wish we could bring them all home!
This tour was a really great way to spend our second full day in Cairo. We were aiming for luxury experiences in Egypt as much as possible, while also obviously having real adventures. We like to stay at nice hotels, but we also like to crawl through dirty tunnels inside ancient pyramids. Balance, y’know?
If he’s still there when you book this tour, request Sayed as your guide! He was really kind, extremely knowledgeable and not gimmicky. He was also someone else’s guide on our cruise later on our trip, and I’m sure that couple was also in great hands! He remembered us from earlier in the week and found us on the ship, which was such a nice surprise.
Here’s what you’ll see and do with a Luxury Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur tour!
Saqqara was our first stop on our way out of Cairo! Saqqara is famous for the Step Pyramid of Djoser. When someone says they’re going to Saqqara or the Step Pyramid, they’re just using those terms interchangeably. It was awesome walking around the Step Pyramid complex! Going inside our very first pyramid was really exciting, and a good primer for the tougher treks ahead! To go inside the Step Pyramid does require a moderate level of fitness; I’m not in peak condition by any means right now but I thought it was fine. The tunnels are very tight at some points though, and since Alex and I are pretty tall, in some of the smaller areas it was easier for us to just scooch on our butts vs. hunching over and walking. See below for pics!
Next up was Dahshur, where you can visit both the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid; they’re pretty close to each other and while standing at one you can see the other, maybe half a mile away. There’s also the Black Pyramid but that’s crumbling away and does not really have a pyramid shape anymore unfortunately, and you definitely can’t go inside.
What’s very cool is that you can go inside the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid with virtually no crowds (there was literally no one else inside with us) at no extra cost (you might get hassled at the entrance, as is common throughout many historic sites in Egypt unfortunately, but your guide should be able to help handle this).
The first one we entered was the Bent Pyramid, which is by far the most difficult pyramid to navigate. I think our guide did this intentionally, because while the Red Pyramid is physically challenging to get in and out of, the Bent Pyramid is much tougher. We were sort of embarrassed about how hard it seemed and how sweaty we were, but I’m glad we knocked that one out first. Knowing that the Red Pyramid would be a bit easier, we felt more confident doing that one second. I’m not sure how I would have felt if it were the other way around. If you can make it through these two, the Great Pyramid of Khufu will be a breeze! Metaphorically speaking. Because … there is no breeze. It’s stiflingly hot in all the pyramids, so just take your time and rest when you need to. It’s not a competition to be the fastest crawler!
The Red Pyramid was built by Pharaoh Sneferu (Old Kingdom) and is the earliest example of a “smooth-sided” pyramid, predating the Great Pyramid.
The Bent Pyramid was built by the same Pharaoh Sneferu before the Red Pyramid, and it gets its name because of the initial angle of construction of the base being much too steep to be structurally stable on completion. Realizing this after they were well underway, they changed the angle of the build of the top half, leading to the “bent” appearance. It’s fascinating inside, but again, a very challenging hike in and out. It didn’t bother us, but it’s worth noting that there are little bats roosting in the upper crevices of the antechambers. They weren’t flying around us or anything, just hanging out (literally) but if you have a fear of bats, either don’t look up or don’t go in. But do go in, because it’s very cool!
Our final stop on our tour was to explore the ancient remains of Memphis, the original capital of a united Upper and Lower Egypt! It’s in ruins now, but what remains is an open-air museum where you are free to walk around and learn about the artifacts and history of the area. Guides are usually not allowed to accompany tourists inside most destinations, but in Memphis, Sayed was able to walk around with us the whole time and explain artifacts in great detail. We also welcomed the fresh air and dry heat after crawling through muggy tunnels inside pyramids all morning! The biggest draw, literally, is a colossal statue of Ramesses II, excavated and still laying on the ground; a two-story viewing area and museum is built around it.
What made this tour a luxury experience was the private, higher-end, spacious air-conditioned van, excellent driver, extremely knowledgeable guide, and all of the food and drinks provided. These are really remote areas so being able to retreat to an air-conditioned vehicle for cookies and cold water and juice between pyramid excursions was really nice! Not all “private tours” are the same, but this one met all our expectations for sure. My husband made an offhand comment that he loved the fresh dates we’d tried at our hotel, and Sayed made a surprise stop with the driver to pick up more for us at a roadside stand, which was such a nice little bonus!
Descending into the Step Pyramid! Our first pyramid interior experience for the trip, and the oldest true pyramid in Egypt. You can see how small the tunnels are, and they get smaller as you go down! This is a good starter pyramid IMO because it wasn’t aggressively steep.
At the outer edge of the Step Pyramid of Djoser Complex at Saqqara
I thought this was so cool! A tiny hole in a wall you can look through and see a completely intact statue totally closed off by rubble. It won’t be excavated as the risk of damage is too great, so it stands where it was originally intended, visible only through this little crack Alex is peeking through. I was proud of myself for being able to get this great picture with just my iPhone!
A pit stop to a “school” for hand-woven rugs. A side note that there are lots of these “side tours” that are not noted in any itineraries online, but it’s just part of the deal that you’re taken to lots of these tourist traps for shopping. Alex and I are not big shoppers so for us these types of things were extremely cringey, but if you love shopping and buying souvenirs, go for it! If not, you can ask your driver and guide on any tour to NOT make any extra stops (rugs, papyrus, perfume, spices, alabaster, or otherwise). Everyone was very nice so we felt a little guilty, but it’s just not our thing. Even after going to “school” I still don’t know how to weave a rug! Oh well.
Outside the Bent Pyramid! We were the only people inside initially, before crossing paths with a Dutch family coming down as we were coming out. The tunnels are tight (did I mention this?!) so I did not like having to basically crawl on top of each other, even briefly, but I’m very glad this is the only time this happened during our entire trip!
Alex probably didn’t realize how prominently he’d be featured in this blog post! But here’s an example of the size of the tunnels, with the wooden beams to help you crawl through in the earlier portions. The right side is when it got even more narrow and we transitioned to scooting around on our butts and crab-walking at times! It’s not a long distance, but it feels … long.
Our wonderful guide, Sayed, explaining how to read the hieroglyphics on one of the artifacts in the open-air museum
Us next to the gigantic Ramesses II statue, with me inexplicably wearing my keffiyeh like a pirate
Definitely would prefer eating fresh dates on the balcony of our luxury hotel before heading to a chill dinner over dragging ourselves all over the city to buy touristy trinkets
I intentionally set up this Private Tour of Pyramids, Egyptian Museum and Khan el-Khalili (Grand Bazaar) for the very same morning that we landed in Egypt, because I knew it would force us to stay awake! I also figured it would get us out and about before we could check into our hotel. We actually got lucky and were able to drop our bags at our Pyramids View Room as soon as we arrived (more on that here)!
Our guide was on time and met us in the hotel lobby! We were the most exhausted we’ve probably ever been by the end of the day, but I still would recommend my strategy of forcing yourself to get going as soon as you land, especially coming from the United States! It’ll help you adjust to the time zone more quickly. The only thing I didn’t love was all of the touristy side detours that weren’t explicitly stated in the itinerary, but this is very common so not something I would specifically call out about this particular tour, it’s just the culture. I booked the tour because I specifically wanted to see the three things listed, and I didn’t know about this rampant “side quest” situation, so if your guide does indicate that they plan to take you to other side stops like spices, papyrus, jewelry, perfume, whatever, I know now that it’s okay to just say no, thank you! I was too tired to protest until the very end, when Alex politely insisted that we just be taken back to our hotel after the Egyptian Museum. We went to the original museum which was still amazing to me and I’m sure is still worth a visit, though the new one in Giza is up and running finally as of this writing! So make sure you visit that one as well. If I was going to visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum (or “GEM” out in Giza by the Pyramids) I would probably book this tour. I’ll be sure to hit it next time we visit!
The Pyramids tour includes only the exterior as well as the Sphinx, and tickets to go into the Pyramids are sold separately with limited day-of availability, as I mentioned above! So just know that going in what the “Private Tour” in this case really means is that you will have a private car transporting you around all day. You’ll also have an option to take a camel ride around the Pyramids complex, which we did do and we did enjoy, but I always feel a little uneasy about animal welfare in those types of tourist traps. For what it’s worth, the camels seemed happy or at least not stressed, and there were enough in rotation that they got plenty of breaks, so we felt okay about it! Ours were named Michael Jordan and Yankee Doodle Dandy. They really know their audience.
Guides are not permitted to take you through the museum so you’re on your own for that piece, more or less, which is fine! All of the signage was available in English so it was no problem for us, and I like to linger. I personally love museums and am the psycho that will want to read every single placard in any sort of educational place I visit, so I think we were still there for several hours even though we were so tired! Shall we call it payback for our guide making all the side stops? Bet he didn’t know I could sandbag the timeline and itinerary just as hard!
The Grand Bazaar is very cool to experience at least once, and it’s a popular Instagrammable place if that’s your thing, but it’s a pretty chaotic scene so be prepared! If you’re doing influencer stuff, get there at DAWN when they’re setting up, before everyone else arrives. We are not influencers, and we did not do this, and it was quite crowded! We had coffee at El-Fishawy cafe and got to people watch for a bit (and vice versa I suppose), and I enjoyed that coffee break the most! The El-Fishawy is pretty famous and first opened in 1797! This was my favorite part of the Khan el-Khalili segment of the tour for sure. I’m not a big shopper but my impression was many of the shops sold very similar items, so if you’re looking to buy things make sure to take your time, don’t be afraid to walk away, and don’t be afraid to negotiate! You can always loop back around if you see something you like.
In front of the Sphinx!
Riding camels around the Pyramids Complex in an approximately 20-minute loop
Bleary-eyed and starting to lose steam big-time in the museum!
Turkish coffee at El-Fishawy to try to revitalize ourselves and finish the tour!
Winding our way through the souk!
An example of a typical alleyway of shops in Khan el-Khalili
I was hoping to squeeze in a tour of the famous Cairo Citadel as well as Coptic Cairo on the last day of our trip, but alas, we were completely exhausted. Instead we watched “goat TV” with our binoculars from our room at the St. Regis (it’s what it sounds like), went to the hotel pool, the lounge for drinks, dinner, and finally the airport.
This is the tour we originally booked and would have taken, if we’d had the energy!
Luxor: Top Things To Do on a Luxury Egypt Trip
One thing we learned in Egypt is that if you tell someone “maybe, we’ll think about it” it is understood as a “yes please sign me up right now” which is how we ended up on a Hot Air Balloon Ride over Luxor. I confess I was VERY AFRAID to do this because … it’s a balloon, with fire, with people dangling from it, ffs. But it ended up being SO COOL and really beautiful! We were exhausted (I think we can safely assume exhausted is the operative word for the early days of our trip!) but somehow made it for the pre-dawn wakeup call and shuttle (bus and boat!) to the launch site.
By this point we were on our cruise, so this was a boat-side pickup at our port, and we were brought back to the cruise ship after the excursion. I was nervous the entire time until the moment our basket touched the sweet sweet ground at the end of the ride, but now that I didn’t die I can say I did love it and I think it’s worth doing! You’ll fly over multiple famous sites, including the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut (in the background of the first photo below). If you get in the first balloon launch, as we were (lucky duckies!), you’ll get amazing sunrise photos as well with the other balloons rising beneath you, and it’s very pretty! Despite my pre-trip terror, it actually felt totally safe and was really well-run, so make sure you book your own Hot Air Balloon Ride over Luxor here!
Our chariot to the balloon launch site awaits! Get in the first boat to hopefully get on the first balloon 🙂
Smiling and also wondering if I’m about to die
Hot air balloons over excavation sites
Worth it!
Tomb of Nefertari
So, I wasn’t able to book the cruise I initially planned but things work out for a reason and our dedicated guide on our cruise hooked us UP with a completely private experience in the Tomb of Nefertari, which was advertised as one of the differentiating perks of the other cruise. So don’t believe everything you read, unless it’s written by me 🙂
The Tomb of Nefertari is one of the best-preserved ancient burial sites and is known as the “Sistine Chapel of Ancient Egypt” because of the stunning wall paintings throughout! It requires a separate ticket in the Valley of the Queens and there are VERY limited quantities and restricted dates. This is to reduce the overall moisture (gross, basically everyone dragon breathing too much in these tombs) that would otherwise damage the original artwork. There is also a 10-minute time limit for the entry pass, but with the right guide by your side, this is … negotiable 🙂 We got to spend about 30 minutes inside with zero other tourists and it was awesome.
This was a top experience for us without a doubt, outranked only by the after-hours Pyramids tour. It’s really so stunning inside and we inexplicably had the whole place to ourselves for way longer than the advertised time limit. Our guide might be a sorcerer of some kind, and when we travel back to Egypt I plan to work with him directly! I still feel so lucky that it worked out that we were able to visit at all, let alone privately! A must-do, whatever it takes. Sort this out if possible before you travel because it’s so locked down that it’s pretty unlikely to get on-the-fly tickets and we just happened to get very lucky. Another theme! Exhaustion and luck!
Don’t be like us and hope your guide will also be a magician, but rather book it in advance here as it hits all the big sites, and make sure you are booking the separate entrance tickets as well for the Tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens AND King Tut in the Valley of the Kings. As with all Viator tour recommendations, check with the tour company directly ahead of time to make sure you’re getting the experience you’re anticipating. We had no issues but I’ve seen many cases where itineraries were changed or otherwise different from what was advertised, so it’s always worth confirming with a tour company directly before you show up. It’s easy to cancel if something isn’t the right fit.
The entryway down into the tomb! Top to bottom, beautiful.
Just realized I’m in this picture! Admiring the murals in one of the smaller rooms.
Such amazing preservation, they look like they were just painted. Look at the stars painted on the ceiling! This was common throughout many tombs.
LOVED having the place to ourselves for as long as we did! We really got so lucky!
Standing where Queen Nefertari’s sarcophagus originally lay. It was such a strange but peaceful feeling.
Once we left Cairo, we flew to Luxor to kick off our 4-night cruise along the Nile River to Aswan! The exact itinerary and vessel we chose doesn’t seem to be available anymore, but here’s a very similar one! We had never been on a cruise of any kind before and I was honestly dreading it a bit, having heard gross cruise line stories in general in the past. However, this was an excellent experience! We made sure to book a smaller vessel with a large cabin, so it never felt crowded at all. We were offered a suite upgrade when we boarded, and in hindsight I wish we’d done that just for the experience, but our regular cabin felt perfectly spacious and it was nice to be able to open the windows and just enjoy the breeze as we floated down the Nile, enjoying the sights along the riverbanks. The amenities were all very nice and we enjoyed the onboard activities (some were a little hokey IMO but I think that’s kind of unavoidable and of course my subjective opinion, can’t please everyone!).
The real differentiator in my opinion and why I would wholeheartedly recommend this experience was the high-quality guides. Each family group is assigned an individual guide and driver, so there isn’t the massive group tour vibe you’ll see everywhere else in Egypt. It felt much more personal and you really get to know your guide over the course of the trip. We are still in touch with ours!
I mentioned earlier our favorite guide from Cairo was assigned to another family on the cruise, and the guide we were paired with was also truly one of the best. Extremely knowledgeable, super flexible and accommodating, and just a really kind person. Alex and I both agreed next time we go to Egypt we’ll contact him directly for an in-depth tour along the Nile and just rent a private dahabiya for the trip. That would be a bit much for a first-timer I think, so if this is your inaugural trip to Egypt, I’d recommend a pre-planned cruise!
If I posted pictures of all the stops along the way, we’d be here FOREVER but suffice it to say, it was extremely well-run and we loved it! When we weren’t on land exploring temples and tombs, we were able to just chill by the pool and watch the landscape pass by. Meals were a mix of plated and buffet style, and we thought it was pretty good! We didn’t get sick, which was my minimum baseline requirement haha! We met really cool people along the way, and would definitely do it again.
For our full Egypt itinerary to work out, it made the most sense for us to do the Luxor to Aswan cruise, which felt like a relaxed but not lackadaisical pace for all the excursions. They offer the same trip in reverse, which is a day shorter than what we did, so I think it’s the same itinerary just crunched up into less time, which seems to be the only offering now and I would still do it! Either way, DEFINITELY add Abu Simbel as an optional day trip (you can do this through the cruise line in advance) once you’re in Aswan. It takes the whole day to get there and back, but it is well worth it!
One of my favorite pictures of Alex and I at Luxor! Shout out to any Indiana Jones fans also, who may recognize this scenery!
Coffee overlooking the Nile in our cruise ship cabin!
Aswan: Top Things To Do on a Luxury Egypt Trip
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is a few hours from Aswan, and can be added as a day trip at the end (or beginning) of a Nile River cruise! I can’t imagine skipping it as it’s one of the most famous landmarks! There are actually two temples, constructed under the reign of Ramesses II, one for him, and one for his wife Nefertari (he had LOTS of wives but she was his first and definitely his favorite, with all of the structures he had built in her honor! Please refer back to our photos of Nefertari’s burial chamber.)
I thought both were really amazing inside, but Nefertari’s temple had far fewer tourists even though it’s literally right next to Ramesses II’s. Like, you can just walk on over. I think Nefertari’s was actually my favorite of the two!
There was only one weird thing that happened. When Alex and I were wandering around inside Nefertari’s temple, we briefly went into separate areas and I was approached by two locals (I think) who asked me to take a picture. I assumed they meant they wanted me to take a picture of them as they handed me their phone, but I guess they wanted a picture with me. I was a little confused and intentionally slow to react to try to give myself some time to decide how to proceed because I was alone, but Alex happened to walk in at that moment and was like “NO!” and scared the guys off. I felt a little silly needing my husband to basically come rescue me because I’m pretty independent and a smart traveler, and I probably was not in any actual danger whatsoever, but it did seem … weird. I don’t think I stood out in comparison to any other tourists or anything, so yeah, just an odd encounter. Maybe pickpockets? I’m mega careful with my belongings though and was not touched or robbed in any way. Who knows. Keep your wits about you when you travel, that’s all! And in hindsight I know I, like many women, was battling societal conditioning to be overly polite even when something seems off, which can be dangerous. Be kind and respectful and assume positive intent, but also if you’re alone in a side room of an ancient temple cornered by two random dudes, it’s okay to maybe come across a little rude and get out of there, especially if your husband isn’t about to scare absolute shit out of them from behind!
Logistics-wise, we left at the crack of dawn from Aswan (Mohamed packed us breakfast, so kind and unexpected!) and we made it back to Aswan in time for sunset drinks on the terrace of the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel. A perfect end to a perfect day! I’m told that if you want to get some Instagram-worthy solo images, you need to somehow get there overnight and be on-site first thing in the morning (impossible from Aswan) or stay until closing, when other tour groups have left. I would much rather have an actual immersive experience and enjoy my day, inclusive of the exquisite hotel in Aswan, rather than try to stage a picture for Instagram, but everyone should do what they want! If Instagram is what you’re going for, it probably makes more sense to stay overnight in Abu Simbel (there are no luxury hotels there lol so brace yourself) and get there first thing in the morning, which again, seems like quite a hassle for a staged photo. Just enjoy your real life and real experiences and don’t worry about a curated feed. Be free! OK, enough on that. You could also fly, but I think driving is easier personally especially with luggage, and it was totally fine safety-wise for us. It was also cool to see mirages in the sand as we drove, which I think you would miss from a plane.
Temple of Ramesses II in Abu Simbel
Here you can see the Temple of Ramesses II on the left and Nefertari on the right!
The room where the *incident* occurred haha. Once Alex had run the guys off, we were able to admire the hieroglyphs in peace!
Elephantine Island in Aswan
Sooo Elephantine Island was not part of the initial itinerary of our Luxury Nile River Cruise, but when we arrived in Aswan, we asked if we could do that instead of the Nubian Village. From the description, the Nubian Village just seemed like a staged tourist trap that we wanted to avoid (apologies if we’re wrong about that! We accept our fate in missing out on that experience), and Alex literally just pointed to Elephantine Island and said “can we go there?” and Mohamed arranged it. We were pretty much the only tourists on the island, there was a small museum we visited, and expansive active excavation sites. We chatted with locals who were really friendly and not pushy in trying to sell us anything, and it was nice to just wander around and take it all in! There is a luxury hotel on the island as well that we initially booked, before an opening became available at the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract, and we stayed there instead. They are owned by the same company (as of this writing) and I’m sure the island hotel is very nice too! When we were walking through the excavation sites we were accompanied by armed guards, but it didn’t feel threatening in any way even though it surprised us. It was also kind of crazy seeing actual mummified remains in an active excavation site rather than a museum. It’s an extremely quick boat ride from the shore of our hotel and it was a lot of fun! We booked this directly through our cruise line with our guide, but you can book a similar experience directly through Viator here!
With our guide, Mohamed! Just the best. This is on Elephantine Island in Aswan, where we saw ZERO other tourists. Do not get duped into going to the “Nubian Village” as an “excursion”. We had a feeling it would be cringey and exploitative, and the internet seems to agree? Or at best, reviews are mixed. So we’re really glad that we asked to go to Elephantine instead and Mohamed made it happen! Also, it seems macabre so I’m not posting a photo that I do in fact have, but stating for the record that we saw a mummified foot not contained in a museum and I said a little prayer for them.
View of the Nile from the excavation sites on Elephantine Island! You can also see the Mausoleum of Aga Khan in the upper left on the hillside.
Love hearing the minarets echo the call to prayer throughout Aswan. Anytime we’re in Islamic countries I always just get such a great feeling when I hear it … like calm and peaceful I guess! Hard to describe, but I think it’s really beautiful and I look forward to it.
Puppies rule the grounds of the Great Pyramid, but kittens run the show on the steps of Elephantine!
Kalabsha Temple and Beit el-Wali in Aswan
We visited Kalabsha Temple and Beit el-Wali on the same day as Elephantine Island, so we got to cruise around a tiny bit of Lake Nassar to get there! It’s also on its own island, so similarly only accessible by boat, and makes sense to pair with Elephantine if you’re able to do them all in the same day. This was another spot that was very cool and virtually free of other tourists, so it felt exclusive and relaxed. You can even see evidence of when Christianity came to Egypt and the Christians, um, borrowed the Kalabsha Temple to serve as a church for a time.
This was another one we had booked directly with our guide because it was sort of spur-of-the-moment for us, but a very similar experience can be booked directly through Viator for when you’re already in Aswan!
On our way to Kalabsha!
Made it! Behold the utter lack of other tourists!
Mohamed took this photo of us 🥺
Made it back in time for sunset and dinner at our hotel!
Sharm El-Sheikh: Top Things To Do on a Luxury Egypt Trip
Fish Market Night at Four Seasons Reef Grill
OK I thought I took great pictures of this night, but that must have been the champagne talking, because now I’m not seeing any that do justice to the experience! But suffice it to say, this was a really fun experience and if you’re staying at the Four Seasons in Sharm El-Sheikh (which I highly recommend), it’s only available on certain nights so you’ll want to book in advance! We had no immediate grasp of the conversion rate on pricing for different seafood, so we had absolutely no idea how much it would cost. It was actually pretty reasonable ultimately for all the different things we got! They have a raw setup that you can walk through and select different seafood pieces and how you’d like them prepared, and then they bring it out to you. Pretty straightforward but it was delicious and the service was, of course, top-notch!
Scuba Diving Certification at the Four Seasons Dive Center
Alex is Mr. Activities and after we’d been crawling through tombs and temples for a week straight, I was looking forward to doing absolutely nothing on the beach for our remaining week…this was not a vision that Alex shared. He signed us up for a scuba certification course within hours of our arrival at the Four Seasons, and it ended up being one of the best experiences! It was hard for me to get the hang of it initially, but by the fourth day I was LOVING it, and this is a beautiful place to learn to dive if it’s something on your bucket list! If you’re already certified, definitely take advantage of the variety of dive sites out there! It’s one of the top destinations in the world for diving, with sites to accommodate all different experience levels. When you go, request Lotfy as your instructor / dive guide! He’s the best!
Officially scuba certified with our excellent guide, Lotfy!
A really special moment for me was the morning of our first non-training dive where we would get to pick a site to visit. I was feeling nervous about being in legit open water away from shore, and when we got to our dive center this book of dive site options was laying already open to a page called Thomas Reef, so that’s where we went. I was able to take some of my brother Thomas’ ashes with me, which was really difficult but also beautiful.
We had planned to take a night outside of the resort to enjoy a Bedouin Dinner & Stargazing out in the desert. Ultimately, we were so busy with scuba diving and other planned activities that when the evenings came, we just wanted to enjoy the resort and not go anywhere! I hear it’s amazing stargazing though, and this is the tour we would have done. If you go, let me know how you like it!
Take advantage of the top things to do on a luxury Egypt trip
There really are endless possibilities for things to do on a luxury Egypt trip! I’ve only scratched the surface here, and there is so much more to explore! This article is already far too long to list everything though 🙂 When you go, make sure to read reviews in advance before booking any activities (and read them with a grain of salt; someone might give a 1-star review because their water wasn’t cold enough or something dumb). Book either through Viator or directly through a qualified guide, like through your cruise line or hotel. Everywhere we stayed, we had the option to book excursions directly through our hotels, and there were some really incredible opportunities especially in Sharm El-Sheikh, which we’ll have to get to next time! Enjoy your time and safe travels to Egypt!
Emily is a mindset coach and writer specializing in the habits of Millennial and Gen Z high achievers in the areas of money, relationships, lifestyle and travel.
She holds the PCC designation with the International Coach Federation and has been featured in multiple media outlets.
