From Cairo to Abu Simbel: Egypt’s Golden Route

Tour details

SAMPLE HOTELS

CAIRO

Azal Pyramids Hotel 4* etc.

ASWAN

Hotel Basma Aswan 4* etc.

LUXOR

Aracan Eatabe Luxor 4* etc.

HURGHADA

Swiss Inn Hurghada 5* etc.

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENT 

This trip is organized with a minimum participation requirement of 20 people.  If sufficient participation is not achieved, the final cancellation notification date is 20 days before the start of the tour. A tour canceled due to insufficient participation will be notified to you through your agency.

VISA      

Ordinary Passport                             Visa required                       

Green Passport                                  Visa not required

Service Passport                           Visa not required             

Your passport must be valid for 6 months from the date of the end of the trip and must not be more than 10 years old.

For destinations requiring a visa, the visa application must be submitted with the documents specified in the “Documents Required for Visa” list to be provided to you by your agency.

In order to avoid problems with customs police at the border crossing of the country to be visited due to torn, worn, wet and/or similarly damaged passports; such passports must be renewed, and if the country applies a visa requirement to citizens of the Republic of Türkiye, the relevant visa must be in the new passport. Otherwise, responsibility belongs to the passenger.

As guests under the age of 18 may be asked by the police officer on duty during entry to or exit from the country to provide a document showing the joint consent of their parents when traveling alone or accompanied by only one of their mother or father, we recommend that our guests under the age of 18 and their parents show sensitivity on this matter

HEALTH

There is no vaccination requirement for Turkish citizens entering Egypt. Throughout your trip, we recommend that you do not drink tap water and consume only bottled water opened by you for the first time.

FLIGHT DURATIONS

Istanbul  -   Cairo                    02 hr 20 min

Cairo  -  Istanbul                02 hr 20 min

 OPTIONAL TOURS & ACTIVITIES             

Optional tours and activities are organized by the local agency we receive services from, with a minimum participation requirement of 20 people, and participation is not mandatory. If sufficient numbers are not reached, excursions may not take place, or the prices, content, and vehicles used for optional tours / activities may vary depending on the number of participants. In addition, the days and times of optional tours / activities may be changed by the guide according to the opening/closing status of museums, archaeological sites, or venues at the destinations, as well as weather conditions.

ACCOMMODATION   

During periods such as fairs, congresses, concerts, events, sports tournaments, etc., hotels may be used at distances exceeding the specified kilometers.

Triple rooms may be provided depending on hotel availability, and the bed offered to the 3rd person in such rooms may be smaller than standard beds. Triple rooms consist of 1 large bed and 1 extra bed. Since extra beds consist of beds referred to as folding beds and coach beds, participants booking for the 3rd person and/or children are deemed to have declared that they accept the possible crowding in the rooms and the type of bed.

Child discounts are valid for one (1) child staying with 2 adults and falling within the age group specified in the pricing section.

Breakfasts included in the tour program and served at hotels are offered in accordance with the breakfast culture of the country visited, generally as a limited menu consisting of butter, jam, bread, tea, or coffee, known as a continental breakfast, and may be served in a separate room allocated to the group.

CURRENCY    

The currency of Egypt is the Egyptian Pound (EGP).

It is advisable to carry USD (EUR) and US Dollars (USD) with you.

TIME ZONE     

There is a -1 hour time difference between Türkiye and Egypt. When it is 12:00 in Türkiye, it is 11:00 in Egypt.

TELEPHONE USE    

Your mobile phone line can be used if it is enabled for international calls (roaming).

CLOTHING AND ESSENTIAL ITEMS    

When entering mosques and churches in the country, avoid wearing shorts, skirts, clothing that leaves the shoulders exposed, or tight-fitting garments. We recommend that women bring a thin shawl or scarf. In addition, if you have a hat or sunglasses, you must not use them while inside a place of worship. Both men and women must remove their shoes when entering a mosque.

FOOD CULTURE           

Egypt, like many countries located by the sea, is full of fish restaurants and fish markets.

SHOPPING         

You can buy handicrafts and souvenirs unique to the region

IMPORTANT NOTES           

Having a valid passport and/or having obtained a visa (for a destination/passport where a visa is required) does not mean that entry into the country is guaranteed. Passport control officers have the authority to deny you entry to the country. The agency is not responsible for this situation; responsibility belongs to the passenger.

The agency acts as an intermediary between the airline and the passenger and is subject to the Hague Protocol of 28.09.1955. There may be a risk of delays on scheduled and charter flights, or flight times may change before the existing trip and flight. The agency is obliged to notify you of these changes as soon as possible. Our passengers have purchased the tour knowing and accepting that flight details may change. Children between 0 and 2 years of age do not pay airport taxes and airport service fees

Panoramic city tours included in the tour package are tours lasting no more than 2–3 hours, organized for a general introduction to the cities and conducted panoramically with the guide’s narration from inside the vehicle, without including museum or archaeological site admissions. If panoramic tours, including other tours specified in the program, cannot take place because local authorities do not permit visiting or entering the relevant places on the day and at the time corresponding to the tour, because roads are closed due to any event, or when weather conditions make it impossible to conduct the tour, the agency is not responsible for the inability to conduct such tours. Some tours may be conducted by public transportation or on foot, where possible, at locations with closed roads or where vehicle access is not permitted.

What's included
  • Round-trip economy class airfare and taxes with Air Cairo Airlines on the Istanbul – Cairo/Hurghada - Istanbul route
  • Scheduled domestic flight and taxes with Air Cairo Airlines between Cairo and Aswan
  • A total of 5 nights’ bed-and-breakfast accommodation: 2 nights in Cairo, 2 nights in Aswan, and 1 night in Luxor at 4* hotels
  • 1 night of all-inclusive accommodation at a 5* hotel in Hurghada
  • Excursions specified as included in the program
  • Panoramic Cairo City Tour
  • Airport – Hotel – Airport transfers
  • Turkish-speaking guide service
  • TURSAB mandatory professional liability insurance
  • Travel and health insurance (a surcharge applies for passengers over 65).
Not included
  • Fees for foreign departure stamps, visas, and similar personal and official items
  • All personal expenses and hotel extras
  • All services not explicitly stated in the program and included services
  • Entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites not explicitly stated as “visited” in the program
  • Optional tours and activities, if any, in the program
  • Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages consumed with included meals, if any, in the program
  • Domestic connecting flights and domestic transportation costs
Tour Program
Istanbul – Cairo – City Tour – Cairo
Our tour begins with a meeting at the International Departures Terminal of Istanbul Airport. After completing our ticketing, baggage, and boarding procedures, we depart for Cairo on an Air Cairo flight. Upon arriving in Cairo around noon, we begin our Panoramic Cairo City Tour with our private vehicle waiting for us. First, we take a panoramic view of the Old Cairo city center, which reflects the city’s centuries-old Islamic heritage with its historic mosques, madrasas, stone buildings, and lively streets. We then visit the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, also known as the “Alabaster Mosque” due to its grand dome, slender minarets, and alabaster-clad interiors, rising within the Citadel of Saladin. Continuing our tour, we see the Unknown Soldier Memorial, built to commemorate the soldiers who lost their lives in the October War of 1973 and regarded as one of the symbolic structures of modern Egyptian history. Afterwards, we take a panoramic view of Baron Empain Palace in the Heliopolis district, one of Cairo’s most distinctive buildings with its extraordinary design inspired by Indian and Khmer architecture, rich reliefs, and towered appearance, and enjoy a photo stop. We then visit Tahrir Square, one of the best-known squares in modern Egyptian history and an important center of the city’s administrative, political, and social life. In the final part of our tour, we head to Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, located in the heart of historic Cairo. Free time is provided at this colorful bazaar, known for its narrow streets, traditional handicraft shops, spice vendors, souvenir stalls, and lively atmosphere, allowing you to shop and explore the surroundings. After the free time, we transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
Cairo – Grand Egyptian Museum – Pyramids – Sphinx – Cairo
After breakfast at our hotel, we will have free time. Guests who wish may join the optional Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids and Sphinx Tour with lunch (EUR 150), organized by our guide. We set off to explore Cairo’s and Ancient Egypt’s most important landmarks. Our first stop will be the Grand Egyptian Museum, located near the Giza Pyramids and regarded as the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilization. Bringing together contemporary architecture and the magnificent heritage of Ancient Egypt, the museum offers an in-depth look at the different periods of Egyptian civilization through thousands of years of artifacts, including the Tutankhamun galleries, statues of pharaohs, mummies, objects from daily life, royal treasures and the funerary boats of Cheops. Following our museum visit, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we proceed to the Giza Pyramids area, home to the pyramids of Cheops, Khafre and Menkaure, including the Pyramid of Cheops, the only surviving structure of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We will see the pyramids, built as monumental funerary complexes for pharaohs during the Fourth Dynasty, admire the impressive desert landscape surrounding them and take photo breaks at designated points. Our tour continues with a visit to the Great Sphinx of Giza, carved from a single block of limestone and symbolizing the power and wisdom of the pharaohs with its human head and lion’s body. Rising majestically in front of the Pyramid of Khafre complex as though guarding the Giza Plateau for thousands of years, this monumental structure is one of the most mysterious and iconic works to have survived from Ancient Egypt to the present day. Following the tour, we will transfer back to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
Cairo – Aswan
After breakfast at our hotel, we will transfer to the airport for our scheduled Air Cairo flight to Aswan. Upon arrival in Aswan, we will set off in our private vehicle to discover the natural beauty and urban atmosphere of the city. Our first stop will be the Aswan High Dam, one of the most significant engineering projects in modern Egyptian history, built to control the flow of the Nile, regulate agricultural irrigation, and generate electricity. We will learn from our guide about this impressive structure, which stands out with its expansive lake views and strategic location over the Nile Valley. We will then take a panoramic tour of Aswan, one of Upper Egypt’s most characteristic cities, spread across both banks of the Nile and distinguished by its golden desert hills, palm trees, and traditional boats on the river. We will discover the city’s unique atmosphere by observing its colorful urban fabric bearing traces of Nubian culture, its peaceful pace of life, and the daily routines shaped around the Nile. Following our tour, we will transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
Aswan – Abu Simbel – Aswan
After breakfast at the hotel, free time. Guests who wish may join the optional Abu Simbel & Felucca Boat Tour with lunch, organized by our guide (€200). Departing in the early morning, we travel to Abu Simbel, located south of Aswan near the Sudanese border. Commissioned by Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BC and carved directly into a massive rock formation, the Abu Simbel Temple is one of the most magnificent structures of Ancient Egypt, symbolizing the ruler’s power, victories, and devotion to the gods. At the entrance of the temple, four colossal statues of Ramses II, each reaching approximately 20 meters in height, offer visitors one of the most impressive views of the ancient world. The columned halls, wall reliefs, and battle scenes inside the temple convey the grandeur of the reign of Ramses II to the present day. One of the most remarkable features of the structure is the extraordinary astronomical alignment known as the “Sun Miracle,” which allows sunlight to reach the sanctuary in the innermost part of the temple on certain days of the year. Following our visit to Abu Simbel, we return to Aswan and have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we enjoy our Felucca Boat Tour on the Nile, sailing aboard the traditional boats that have been used in the region for centuries. After our boat ride accompanied by the calm waters of the Nile and Aswan’s distinctive scenery, we transfer to our hotel. Afterwards, free time. Overnight at our hotel. Note: In case weather conditions are unsuitable, a motorboat will be used for the Felucca Boat Tour. Note: Guests participating in the Abu Simbel & Felucca Boat Tour will receive their hotel breakfast as a packed meal/boxed breakfast, as the tour departs early.
Aswan – Valley of the Kings – Luxor Temple – Luxor
After breakfast at our hotel in the morning, we will transfer to our hotel in Luxor and have free time. Guests who wish may join the Valley of the Kings & Luxor Temple Tour (€95), which will be optionally organized by our guide. We set off to discover the most magnificent legacies of Ancient Egypt. Our first stop will be the Valley of the Kings, hidden among the steep and desolate cliffs on the west bank of the Nile and used as a burial ground for the pharaohs of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties during the New Kingdom period. We will gain an insight into the belief system of Ancient Egypt through the burial chambers carved deep into the rocks, wall paintings that have largely preserved their colors, hieroglyphs, and scenes depicting the pharaohs’ transition to the afterlife. Continuing our tour, we will proceed to Luxor Temple on the east bank of the Nile, which was expanded over the centuries through the contributions of different pharaohs and served as the center of the Opet Festival, one of the most important religious ceremonies of Ancient Egypt. We will visit the temple complex, which carries the grandeur of the city of Thebes into the present day with its monumental entrance gateway, colossal statues of Ramses II, its magnificent surviving obelisk, columned courtyards, and reliefs adorning its walls. After the completion of our tour, we will transfer to our hotel. Overnight at our hotel.
Luxor – Hurghada
After breakfast at our hotel in the morning, we depart by private vehicle for Hurghada, on the Red Sea coast. Following the journey, we transfer to our all-inclusive hotel and settle into our rooms. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Guests may enjoy the hotel’s beach, pool, and other facilities, or relax in the pleasant atmosphere of the Red Sea. Overnight at our hotel.
Hurghada – Istanbul
After breakfast at our hotel, we will transfer to Hurghada Airport, where we will complete our ticketing and baggage procedures for our scheduled Air Cairo flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival at Istanbul Airport, our tour and services will come to an end.