Egypt: the pyramids of Giza and a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor

The direct flight from Dubai lands in Cairo after about 3.5 hours. Our representative meets you before passport control, helps with the visa formalities and escorts you through the airport to your private car. The transfer to Giza takes 45 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. After check-in, relax at the hotel or take a short evening walk. Your Egyptologist guide calls to confirm tomorrow's 7.30 am start, chosen to reach the pyramids before the tour buses. Overnight in Cairo.

Start at the Giza plateau as it opens: the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, the panoramic viewpoint in the desert, then down to the Sphinx and the valley temple. Entering the Great Pyramid is optional and steep. After lunch, visit the Grand Egyptian Museum nearby, where your guide leads you up the grand staircase of statues to the galleries of Tutankhamun's treasures, including the golden mask. Back at the hotel by 5 pm. Overnight in Cairo.

Drive about 40 minutes south to Saqqara for Djoser's step pyramid, the oldest stone monument of its size, and the painted tombs of the nobles. Visit Memphis, the ancient capital, with its colossal statue of Ramses II. After lunch, head into historic Cairo for the Citadel and the Mohamed Ali mosque, then walk through the medieval lanes to Khan el Khalili, ending with mint tea at a famous old café in the bazaar. Overnight in Cairo.

An early transfer to the airport for the one-hour flight to Aswan. Your guide meets you and drives you to the High Dam, then by motorboat to the island temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and moved stone by stone to save it from the rising waters. Board your cruise ship for lunch. In the late afternoon, sail by felucca around Elephantine and Kitchener's islands, past the Aga Khan's mausoleum, as the sun sets. Dinner on board. Overnight on the cruise ship.

For an optional early excursion, a convoy leaves at 4 am for Abu Simbel, three hours each way through the desert, returning by lunchtime to see the colossal temples of Ramses II. Otherwise, enjoy a slow morning on the sundeck as the ship sets sail. In the afternoon, reach Kom Ombo, a double temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris, with its small museum of mummified crocodiles. Visits are timed for the cooler late afternoon. Overnight on the cruise ship.

After an early breakfast, ride a horse-drawn carriage through the town of Edfu to the temple of Horus, the best preserved temple in Egypt, with its towering pylon and dark sanctuary still intact. Return to the ship by mid-morning and sail north through the countryside, with farmers, water buffalo and palm groves along the banks. In the afternoon, the ship passes through the Esna lock, a fascinating manoeuvre, before arriving in Luxor in the evening. Overnight on the cruise ship.

Cross to the West Bank at 6 am to visit the Valley of the Kings, with entry to three royal tombs included, followed by the terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut beneath the cliffs and the Colossi of Memnon. Disembark after lunch and check into your Luxor hotel. In the late afternoon, your guide shows you the vast temple complex of Karnak, with its forest of columns in the hypostyle hall, then Luxor Temple illuminated after dark. Overnight in Luxor.

Enjoy breakfast with the river view, and an optional dawn hot air balloon over the West Bank, from about AED 420 per person, if you like. Your driver takes you to Luxor airport for the one-hour flight to Cairo, where our representative helps with your connection to the 3.5-hour flight to Dubai. Depending on the flight times, you can be home by the evening. Our operations team tracks both flights and is on call throughout.