Fairmont Nile City

Impressions of the Desert

Off-the-beaten-track Adventure + 1 more + 2 more

Visit one of the Western Desert’s most fascinating oases on a circular itinerary from Cairo.

10 days

from £4,560 pp

Luxor and the Red Sea

Family Beach + 1 more + 2 more

An enticing itinerary that allows for plenty of seaside relaxation in addition to the Nile sightseeing.

8 days

from £2,640 pp

Classic Egypt

Classic Express + 3 more + 3 more

Big-name ancient highlights and a classic Nile cruise

8 days

from £2,810 pp

Highlights of Egypt

Classic Cruise + 3 more + 3 more

Culture in Cairo, cruising the Nile and relaxation by the Red Sea

11 days

from £3,415 pp

Ultimate Egypt

Ultimate Cruise + 1 more + 2 more

Egypt’s exceptional diversity of attractions makes long itineraries extremely rewarding, and there is plenty of luxury for those looking to splash out on a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

16 days

from £4,960 pp

Family-Friendly Egypt

Family Beach + 1 more + 2 more

A journey through Egypt’s best bits, designed for all the family.

12 days

from £3,650 pp

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in Egypt

Old Cairo

A tour of Old Cairo provides the chance to see some of the relatively little known but fascinating Christian and Jewish heritage of the city. The Copts (Coptic Christians), thrust into the limelight in 2012 with the election of their new pope, are an ancient Christian church whose language is the only descendent of the language of the Pharaohs. The Hanging Church is one of their most impressive constructions, built over a Roman gatehouse, with the nave situated directly over a passageway. As well as the dramatic setting, the interior holds an assortment of treasures, from ancient icons to delicate frescoes and impressive marble columns. The nearby Coptic Museum is home to many important artefacts, some 15,000 of which are on display and help to unveil the story behind this little-known Christian church. You can also see the Ben Ezra Synagogue, believed to be built on the spot where Moses was found in the bulrushes, a reminder that Egypt has a surprisingly prominent role in both Jewish and Christian history.

The Pyramids & Sphinx of Giza

There are endless clichés and statistics associated with the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza: the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, as old as Stonehenge, and the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years, to name but a few. However, it’s only when you stand between the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Khafre, craning your neck to see their summits and picturing them dazzling white in their original limestone cladding, that you can really appreciate why these ancient tombs have fascinated and captivated people from the moment they were built. Facing away from the Pyramid of Khafre is the Sphinx with its slightly smug and knowing expression. A stone Mona Lisa, it is immediately apparent why it has inspired all manner of myths, riddles and legends. Today, standing on the edge of the Giza Plateau with the suburbs of Cairo curling around their base on one side and the sands of a vast, echoing desert stretching to the opposite horizon, they remain a place that everyone should try and see once in a lifetime.

Grand Egyptian Museum

Poised on the Giza Plateau within sight of the pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum represents a bold new chapter in the country’s custodianship of its ancient past. Designed as one of the largest archaeological museums in the world, the GEM’s striking modern architecture – all sharp lines, warm limestone and soaring internal spaces – serves as a dramatic counterpoint to the timeless monuments on the horizon. Inside, the scale is equally impressive: vast, light-filled galleries have been purpose-built to showcase Egypt’s most iconic treasures with the clarity and reverence they deserve. The full Tutankhamun collection will, for the first time, be displayed in its entirety, allowing visitors to follow the boy king’s story through over five thousand objects, from exquisite jewellery to the famous golden funerary mask. Beyond Tutankhamun, the museum’s thematic approach brings coherence to Egypt’s long history, with masterpieces drawn from across the country presented in spacious, meticulously curated halls. One of the GEM’s most arresting features is its monumental Grand Staircase, lined with towering statues and architectural fragments that rise in procession towards the glass façade. As Egypt’s new cultural flagship, the museum promises an experience that is at once scholarly, elegant and overwhelmingly awe-inspiring – a fitting gateway to the ancient world.

The Pyramids of Dashur

Virtually unknown to the general public, Dashur actually deserves to be almost as famous as the Pyramids of Giza, but this oversight really is your gain. When Giza is seething with tourists, hawkers and numerous purveyors of camel rides, Dashur will be as good as empty. Yet here you’ll find two incredible pyramids, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid. Constructed from an unusual and striking red rock, the Red Pyramid is almost as large as the Great Pyramid itself. Its shallower angle creates a squat appearance which belies its size, but as you approach there is a gathering sense of its vast scale. While the descent into the pyramid can be a nerve-jangling, mildly claustrophobic affair, the rewards inside are well worth it, especially without the jostling and heat of attempting the same at Giza. Further afield on the remote plain is the Bent Pyramid, believed to have been built by the same pharaoh as the Red Pyramid as a sort of trial run. Constructed initially at too steep an angle, halfway through its construction, the engineers realised this, so the top half of the pyramid rises at a shallower angle, creating the bent appearance. Like Saqqar,a this allows you to see the development of pyramid building as it happened. We believe that Dashur, as much as Giza, should be a stop on anyone’s visit to Egypt.