BEST OF EGYPT-WITH G-ADVENTURES

8 DAY TOUR: CAIRO TO CAIRO

Date of visit: June 2023

Flight: London Heathrow to Cairo with B.A

Visa: Required. We purchased online prior to travel.

---

This was a trip of a lifetime! The chance to see epic wonders, witness life along The Nile and learn more about Egypt’s fascinating history. 

We decided to join a small group tour and were so happy with our choice (the wonderful G-Adventures). If you are travelling solo, or with others…we do recommend that you visit Egypt with a group (either on a touring holiday, or on a Nile Cruise).  It is much safer this way & we believe you will have much more enjoyable time. 

Why Team-G?

• Local guides (Our guide Arafa was incredible! He really made the trip.)
• Like-minded travellers. We went as a 3 but came away knowing others who we hopefully travel with in the future. The youngest in our group was 20, the eldest in their late 60s. Most were travelling solo!
• Small-Groups. A great group size (max 16 guests).
• Seamless: We got from a to b with no issues at all! You never have to worry. The cool air-conditioned coach is always there. Safe drivers & we often had a member of the Tourism Police with us…
• Local Experiences. I will always remember our dinner with a local Nubian family, watching the sunset along the banks of the river Nile.
• Community Tourism: G-Adventures believe in giving something back to the local community. Our tour included a visit to a local after school club for children, teaching them bicycle maintenance…

G-Adventures believe in preserving and conserving the world by ‘acting responsibly’ & ‘creating a positive impact.’

Our Itinerary:

We arrived in Cairo and booked an extra night at The Cosmopolitan Hotel.  The hotel is basic.  However, it’s in a good and safe location. The restaurant also served nice food and beer!

The 3 of us decided to book in as many optional tours as we could…so here goes! This was our Egyptian adventure!

Day 1: Optional Activity: Islamic & Coptic Cairo

Only one other person joined us on this excursion, so we really were a small group.

It gave us a real chance to see Cairo, a chaotic and bustling capital.

There were amazing architectural sights. The Citadel of Saladin is magnificent. We then visited the famed Hanging Church & St Sergius Church.

It was fascinating watching the sights of the city from the minibus…the markets, all the cars, seeing people living in the cemeteries & even pitta bread for sale on benches! Arafa explained how Cairo is in the middle of a huge change, with New Cairo being built. It will be interesting in the future to see the effects this has on ‘old’ Cairo.

Day 2: THE PYRAMIDS, CAMELS, EGYPTIAN MUSEUM & THE TRAIN!

This was an extremely busy (and hot) day!

Arafa was on hand to purchase our tickets to get inside the pyramids. We were lucky to get tickets for Khufu & Menkaure. Different pyramids are open on different days, at what appears to be a random schedule!

Khufu or Cheops is the largest of The Pyramids of Giza & the oldest. 

The middle pyramid is Khafre. It’s slightly smaller, but it sits on higher ground.

The smallest pyramid is Menkaure.

Khufu

In Khufu, you climb up, through the centre of the pyramid. It’s hot, cramped and at times steep. There are sections where you need to bend down…but what an experience! I did feel like I was in an Indiana Jones film!

If you aren’t keen on small spaces and lots of people, this may not be the activity for you. People are going up and down at the same time on one narrow wooden set of steps.

You climb to the inner tomb, the resting place of the pharaoh.

Top Tip:

Be very careful of people offering to take you down ‘different routes’.  These men are not guides and will expect to be paid. Also, Arafa warned us to never hand over our camera/phone. Otherwise, you may end up paying 100$ to get it back!

THE SPHINX

Again, getting close to something I had only seen pictures of was mind-blowing!

It felt crazy that it was so close to shops and a McDonalds…don’t let this put you off, it really is an ancient wonder!

EGYPTIAN MUSEUM

It was then time to head to one of the most famous museums in the world! What a moment-seeing things that I had only ever seen on TV or in books! The Tutankhamun exhibit was incredible!

UPDATE: The brand new (and air-conditioned) Egyptian Museum has now opened, it was still under construction when we visited.

THE TRAIN TO ASWAN

This is a journey I will never forget, it was insane! I would like to tell you it was enjoyable, but let’s go with…it was an experience! It is certainly a train journey I will never forget.

The train is an overnight sleeper with a bunk bed and a small sink. The toilet is at the end of the cabin and is a drop style toilet…basically everything goes onto the tracks!

At times during the night, it felt like we were taking off! I came prepared with earplugs. The cabin isn’t the cleanest-and the smoke from the ‘entertainment car’ comes through the air conditioning.

It was thrilling to hear the sounds coming from all the towns and villages we zoomed through.

DAY 3: ASWAN

We were glad to arrive in Aswan, and I have to say, I really loved it here!

After settling into The Obelisk Hotel (great location, basic, but clean and air-conditioned) we had some free time.

A group of us headed into the local market…it was a wonderful experience, rather calm! It wasn’t intense and we felt safe throughout.

Then we boarded a boat and sailed to Philae Temple on the pretty island of Agilkia.  We heard how this temple is dedicated to the Goddess Isis. This temple was built on the previous border of Egypt, which is where it gets its name…’philae’, meaning ‘end’.

In the evening, we enjoyed a boat ride across the Nile to a local Nubian Village. We walked through the village and verdant fields, guided by the elder of the village. It was a privilege to enjoy a meal in his family home, watching the sunset across the Nile.

DAY 4: ASWAN

Optional Activity to ABU SIMBEL

The 3am wake up is well worth it. This temple is epic! It’s a long drive through the desert, but there are a couple of coffee stops on the way. First time I have ever seen a mirage too!

Constructed during the reign of Ramses II, this iconic monument was nearly lost to the rising waters of the Nile. However, thanks to the efforts of skilled archaeologists, it was carefully relocated and preserved. It’s mighty, beautiful and a real treasure! A must visit!

(photo)

DAY 5: Aswān/Luxor

After breakfast, we split into two groups and boarded a felucca (traditional boat on The Nile). It was wonderful to lie back on the deck and sail along the Nile to Aswan Bridge. Our captain was lovely and let us have a go at steering-it’s harder than it looks!

We then headed to Kom Ombo Temple, situated right on the banks of The Nile.  It’s a fascinating temple, which is dedicated to the crocodile god. In the museum you will see mummified crocodiles who were worshipped.

After stocking up on snacks we drove several hours, through the countryside to Luxor. I personally loved getting off the beaten track and watching the world go by! 

Day 6: LUXOR

Today was unforgettable-a trip to The Valley of The Kings! 3 tombs were included on our pass, but we opted to add on a further 3, including the famed tomb of Tutankhamun.  Each tomb we visited was so different! Some were deep, others shorter…some were decorated in vivid colours and images, others partly finished. Gaze at the stories of their life and from the book of the dead-I promise, this will be an experience you will never forget!  

We also headed to the mighty 18m high Colossi of Memnon & Hatshepsut Temple.

On the way back to our hotel, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch with a local family on the west bank of the Nile & stopped off at an essential oils factory.

After a relax at the hotel’s rooftop pool, we crossed the road to Luxor Temple. Seeing it at night, all lit up, was magical! It’s a fascinating place-there’s evidence of ancient worshop, Islamic architecture & Coptic Christianity there.

In Luxor, we enjoyed eating our dinner at a rooftop restaurant, just around the corner from the hotel. On this tour, Arafa our CEO, always pointed out the good and safe places to eat.

DAY 7: LUXOR

We got up early to drive to Karnak Temple. Another fantastic spot. There are actual bullet holes in the columns from James Bond filming! Will you walk around the scarab beetle for happiness or love?

Your G for Good Moment: Funtasia Project Visit

After Karnak, we headed to the Funtasia Project Centre where we learnt about the Planeterra project, a local nonprofit.  It helps youngsters in the West Bank of Luxor to develop life skills, including repairing bicycles. We cycled around their beautiful village and enjoyed a cup of tea!

DAY 8: CAIRO & SAKKARA

We flew back to Cairo, but of course we were the 3 who booked in for the last optional activity, a visit to the ancient site of Memphis & Sakkara, home of Egypt’s first pyramids!

It was fascinating to see how the pyramids were designed before the Pyramids of Giza, and to learn why the style changed. We felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

Thank you to Arafa, for being one incredible CEO/Chief Experience Officer…for being fascinating, knowledgeable and for always standing in the shady spots while talking to the group! Also, a huge thanks to G-Adventures for curating this wonderful itinerary.

Do you fancy heading on a tour of Egypt?

We will package your Egypt holiday (tours, flights, transfers and pre-post hotel stays).

Get in touch with Sarah or Nicola for a quotation.