Private journeys through Egypt
Egypt, privately.
One Egyptologist, one plan, no crowds. We design the whole journey around you, from the first idea to the flight home.
29.9792° N · 31.1342° E · Giza Plateau, 06:40
One Egyptologist
A licensed Egyptologist, with a degree and a national licence, stays with you from the first morning to the last. Not a new face in every city.
Private access
Giza before the gates open, the Grand Egyptian Museum after the day visitors leave, tombs visited by official permit. Arranged where available, never promised blindly.
Dahabiya, not the big ship
Sail from Esna to Aswan on a traditional boat of six to twelve cabins. It moors where the 300-passenger ships cannot, and keeps no docking queue.
The journey, north to south
The shape most first journeys take: ten days, three cities, four nights on the river.
- Cairo & Giza3 nights
The pyramids at opening, Saqqara and Dahshur in the order they were built, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and an evening in the old city.
- Fly southabout 1 hour
Morning flight to Luxor.
- Luxor1–2 nights
The West Bank from 6am: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Medinet Habu. Karnak when the light is low.
- Board at Esna≈ 250 km of river
Four or five nights by dahabiya, sailing south.
- El Kab · Edfu · Gebel el-Silsila · Kom Omboon the river
Quarries, tombs and temples, several of them stops the large ships are not permitted to make.
- Aswan1–2 nights
Philae at opening, the Nubian bank, a felucca at sunset, a historic hotel above the cataract.
- Further south280 km · 45 min by air
Optional.
- Abu Simbela morning, or a night
Ramses II's temples on Lake Nasser, best before 9am or at dusk after the day visitors fly out.
How we work
From your first message to your flight home, one plan and one person to call.
Tell us your dates
Who is travelling, roughly when, and what the journey is for. A few lines is enough.
A plan within 48 hours
A complete private plan in your inbox: hotels, boat, your Egyptologist, private access where available. No obligation.
We hold what is scarce
The guide and the dahabiya cabin first, then flights and hotels around them.
One contact, all the way
One person on WhatsApp, day and night, from landing in Cairo to leaving Aswan.
We plan and manage your journey ourselves. On the ground, it is delivered by licensed Egyptian tour operators, boat owners and guides we select and check. We own no buses and no boats, so we choose the right one for each part of your trip.
Field guides
Twenty plain answers to the questions travellers ask us most, checked against current sources in November 2026.
Planning the journey
- How do you plan a trip to Egypt? A step-by-step guidePlan a private trip to Egypt step by step: dates, dahabiya or cruise, the Cairo–Luxor–Aswan split, guide first, then flights. A 3–6 month timeline.
- How many days do you need in Egypt?Five days covers Cairo and Luxor at speed. Eight days adds a Nile sailing. Twelve lets you breathe. What each length includes and what you give up.
- Best time of year to visit EgyptOctober to April is the season. Temperatures for Cairo, Luxor and Aswan by month, when crowds peak, what Ramadan changes, and the Abu Simbel sun dates.
- Luxor, Aswan or Cairo: how to split your timeA sample 8-day split (3 Cairo, 2 Luxor, 3 on the river to Aswan), how to move between them (fly, train or sail), and how to fit Abu Simbel as a day trip.
- How much does a luxury private trip to Egypt cost?Typical ranges for a private Egypt trip with one Egyptologist, five-star hotels and a dahabiya, and the four things that move the price most.
- What are the Egypt visa and entry requirements for US, UK, EU and Australian citizens?Egypt visa rules in 2026 for US, UK, EU and Australian passports: e-visa vs visa on arrival, typical fees, 30-day stay, passport rules, official portal.
The Nile and the sites
- Dahabiya vs Nile cruise: which is better?A dahabiya carries 6–12 cabins and stops where the big ships cannot. A cruise ship carries hundreds and keeps a schedule. Who should pick which, honestly.
- Can you see the Pyramids of Giza without crowds?Giza opens at 7am and the coaches arrive at 9. Early light, the Great Pyramid interior, the Panorama point, and pre-opening access where available.
- Can you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum after hours or privately?What the GEM is, its 2026 hours, what "after hours" and "private" really mean there, what we arrange where available, and what to see in three hours.
- Valley of the Kings: which tombs to see and can you get private access?Which tombs to see on the general ticket, which need extra tickets (Seti I, Ramesses VI, Tutankhamun), Nefertari, 2026 photo rules and private access.
- Is Abu Simbel worth it, and how do you get there from Aswan?Abu Simbel is worth the detour from Aswan. Fly in 45 minutes or drive 3.5–4 hours, see the Sun Festival on 22 Feb and 22 Oct, and plan 2–3 hours on site.
- Is Cairo worth more than one day?Cairo needs three days, not one: Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, Saqqara and Dahshur, then Islamic and Coptic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili.
- Saqqara and Dahshur: why do serious travellers go beyond Giza?Saqqara and Dahshur hold the oldest pyramid, the Pyramid Texts, the Serapeum and Sneferu's Bent and Red pyramids, with few visitors. What is open in 2026.
Travelling well
- Is Egypt safe for tourists in 2026?Egypt's tourist areas are open and rated "increased caution", not "do not travel". What is risky, what is merely tiring, and what a private guide changes.
- What is a licensed Egyptologist guide and why does it matter?In Egypt a licensed guide holds a degree in Egyptology or tourist guidance plus a state licence. How that differs from a tour leader, and why one guide.
- Private tour vs group tour in Egypt: what do you actually get?The real differences between a private and a group tour of Egypt: pace, guide ratio, flexibility, access and who each suits. A plain comparison.
- How do you plan an Egypt itinerary for an anniversary or milestone trip?How to build an Egypt itinerary around an anniversary, a 60th birthday or retirement: where to place the celebration, which hotels and boats fit, pacing.
- Is Egypt a good trip with adult children or as a multigenerational family?Planning Egypt for three generations: realistic pacing, heat, which tombs have steep stairs, where mobility is a problem and what to skip.
- What should you wear in Egypt as a tourist?What to wear in Egypt for men and women: temples and tombs, mosques, Nile boats, city evenings and the heat. Comfortable, respectful, simple.
- Tipping in Egypt (baksheesh): who, how much, and how to make it painlessA 2026 guide to tipping in Egypt: ranges in EGP and USD for guides, drivers, boat crew, hotels and sites, and how a private guide handles it for you.