22 Day Ancient Egypt & Turkey

Salaam Alaikum! Welcome to Egypt. 

A buzzing metropolis, home to at least 19 million people, Cairo gives you a great feel for Egyptian streetlife. It’s busy – almost frantic – and among the hustle and bustle, it’s an exciting blend of old world and new. Arabs call this city Umm al-Dunya (the mother of the world). There are many beautiful mosques to visit, like the Mohammed Ali Mosque in the Citadel. Or head to the oldest part of Cairo, the Babylon Fortress, to see ancient ruins. For stunning panoramic views of the capital, go up the 187-metre-high Cairo Tower.

Try some street food – lamb shawarma, anyone? – or get a taste of Egyptian street life by visiting a cafe. Sit in an ahwa and sip traditional mint tea. The shisha pipe can be found in many ahwas and restaurants across Cairo.

Arrival airport transfers are included as part of your package. You will be met upon arrival at the airport by a representative who will escort you through immigration, and transferred to your hotel.

If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.

Please note: if you are arriving early and have made your own arrangements prior to your tour commencing, airport transfers will not be included. However, if you are purchasing pre-nights accommodation as part of your Inspiring Vacations package, airport transfers will still be provided to the starting hotel.

This morning, join your group for an introductory briefing where you'll get the chance to meet your fellow travellers.

Later, head out to see some of the world’s most iconic sights – the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx. Explore these structures that have stood tall for some 4500 years and learn about the ancient history of the monuments. The oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact, the pyramids are a sight to behold.

Afterwards, make your way to the Egyptian Museum, home to one of the world's great collections of antiquities. Wander the treasure-filled halls of the museum, a highlight of which is the masses of gleaming artefacts recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Special Information

Any departures after July 3rd 2025 will visit the GEM - The Grand Egyptian Museum - in lieu of the Egyptian Museum. The Grand Egyptian Museum, located near the Giza Pyramids, is a state-of-the-art cultural complex housing the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including the complete treasures of Tutankhamun.

Today we'll drive to the port city of Alexandria, along what is known as the ‘desert road’.

Enroute, we'll visit the Commonwealth War Graves of El Alamein. It is here that two extended battles were fought during World War II. The first began on July 1, 1942, and lasted for 27 days, ending as a stalemate. After three months of holding back the enemy, the allies launched a second attack which lasted for 13 days. The importance of El Alamein was highlighted by Winston Churchill, who said: “Before Alamein we never had a victory.”

Afterwards, we'll continue on to Alexandria to check-in to our hotel and enjoy some free time in this seaside city.

Today your guide will take you on a tour of the city, known for its broad beaches and corniche (seafront promenade) dotted with sun loungers and cafes.

Afterwards, prepare to delve into the catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa. Heading underground, you’ll get to view the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, complete with burial chambers, labyrinth alleyways and entertaining rooms for families coming to visit the dead.

The crypts are 20 metres below street level and date back to the Greco Roman period. What likely started as a small family tomb grew into a large number of graves that could accommodate more than 300 bodies. The tombs are organised around a central spiral staircase that leads down through several levels.

We then drive back to Cairo. On arrival, check into your hotel located close by the airport in preparation for your flight to Aswan in the morning.

This morning, take an early flight from Cairo to Aswan.

On arrival in Aswan, you will be transferred to the port where you will board a boat to take you to the Philae Temple complex, home to the Temple of Isis which was rescued from the rising waters of the Nile and relocated on Philae Island in the 1960s. It’s a marvel of decorative pylons featuring some of Egypt’s finest carvings – definitely one of the real gems of Upper Egypt.

Philae Temple is situated on an island just south of Aswan. It was built by the last dynasty of ancient Egypt, the Ptolemaic. The temple is dedicated to Isis - the goddess of healing, magic and birth, her husband Osiris and their son Horus.

Following our visit, we check into our hotel with time to relax before we enjoy sailing the Nile in a traditional wooden boat (felucca) in the afternoon followed by an authentic dinner at one of the Nubian houses.

This evening, enjoy your Inspiring Taste as we experience modern Nubian culture first-hand with a visit to Elephantine Island. On your visit you’ll join a Nubian family for dinner and experience true traditional Nubian hospitality. Here, you will encounter Nubian homes, traditional food and an unforgettable insight into the daily life of a Nubian. This is a rare and memorable experience, giving you the chance to become fully immersed in the local culture.

Special Information

Your internal flight for this day is arranged by our local partner. Specific flight details will be provided by your Tour Leader upon arrival and cannot be provided in advance. Please note that these group flights cannot be upgraded, amended, or checked in online. Your Tour Leader will manage the check-in process for the group.  

Today we set out to explore some of Aswan’s other landmarks. We begin with the unfinished obelisk, the largest known ancient obelisk – more than 3,500 years old – located in an ancient quarry in Aswan. 

It was left incomplete and now provides a fascinating look at how these great monuments were constructed.

We'll then continue to the Nubian Museum, which showcases the history, art and culture of the Nubians. This museum enables visitors to understand the complex history of the local area and its people.

Afterwards, we'll visit the Aswan High Dam, which sits behind the mighty Lake Nasser. At the time it was made (the 1960s), it was the largest dam project in the world. The creation of the reservoir necessitated the costly relocation of the ancient Egyptian temple complex of Abu Simbel, which would otherwise have been submerged.

Today you will awake before sunrise for an early morning start.

Sit back and relax as you drive to the ancient Abu Simbel temples, near the southern Egyptian border. You will have an early arrival into Abu Simbel to view this incredible sight. The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Nubian Monuments.

The two enormous sandstone structures were built in the 1200s BCE by Ramses II to commemorate himself and his favourite wife Nefertari. The larger temple, dedicated to three major Egyptian deities, features four large statues of Ramses II on its façade, while the smaller temple is dedicated to the goddess of love, Hathor, with statues designed to embody Nefertari.

Set on the banks of the artificial Lake Nasser, the structures were once in danger of being flooded with the construction of the Aswan High Dam but were saved via an extensive project to cut the temples into pieces and move them to higher ground, where they are seen today.

On our return to Aswan the rest of the day is free for you to make your own discoveries.

Later we'll check in to our Nile cruise – our floating home for the next three nights.

Driving Duration: Approximately 8 hour round trip ( with stops along the way)

Please note that as the sailing distance between Aswan and Luxor is approximately 200km, that it is typical for all cruises operated along the Nile to be docked for majority of the time to conduct sightseeing, with the sailing to occur of an evening. The vessel will be docked either in Aswan or Luxor. Depending on the time of year and number of vessels operating at the same time, you will also find that all vessels are docked beside one another, which is beyond our control.

To ensure that our customers have appropriate expectations prior to their journey, it is important not to compare this experience to that of a European River Cruise, which tend to cover a greater distance and on larger vessels. Instead, you will experience a deluxe stay onboard your vessel, offering a great chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the banks of the Nile while you sit back and relax. Your cruise schedule will be provided once onboard.

Today we’ll journey ashore to visit Kom Ombo Temple. Dedicated to the gods Sobek and Haroeris, this unusual double temple was constructed during the Ptolemaic period, which lasted from 108 to 47 BC. 

Set dramatically on the banks of the Nile, 47km north of Aswan and 168km south of Luxor, the soaring, chunky columns of the Great Temple of Kom Ombo are a magnificent sight as you arrive from the river.

The temple is well preserved, especially detail on the murals and columns. One unique engraving is thought to be among the first representations of medical and surgical instruments. 

Today, Kom Ombo may be a sleepy agricultural backwater surrounded by sugar cane fields, but its prime position along the Nile once made it one of Upper Egypt’s most important centres. Wander through the temple’s colonnades, gazing up at scenes of kingly propaganda, and you’ll catch a feel of this glorious history for yourself.

Returning to the cruise boat, we’ll continue travelling upriver, with free time relaxing on the sundeck and taking in the surrounding sights – from fishermen casting nets and farmers working their land to the desert hills that frame the lush riverbanks.

Today we will moor near Edfu – home to ancient settlements and temples, as well as a bustling town centre and a bazaar.

Return to the boat for your final evening on one of the world’s greatest rivers. Tonight we overnight in Luxor.

Please note: the only mode of transport available to visit the Temple of Edfu is by locally managed horse and carriages. As a responsible travel-focused business, animal welfare is extremely important to us and we want to ensure that we are not promoting any activities where the working animals are not properly cared for. Unfortunately, some operators of the horse and carriages have been found to be in breach of our animal welfare guidelines and it is, for this reason, we will no longer include the visit to the Temple of Edfu.

In addition to the animal welfare concerns, we have had a substantial amount of feedback suggesting that the experience itself is quite uncomfortable due to the pushy nature of the vendors and local suppliers outside the site. While we recommend that you do not use the horse and carriage to visit the Temple, the decision is ultimately up to you. Edfu is an included port stop on the Nile River cruise schedule.

Your Nile cruise comes to an end in the open-air museum of Luxor – from the spectacular temple complex of Karnak to the Valley of the Kings, Luxor is full of wonderfully-preserved reminders of the pharaohs.

Today we'll explore the magnificent Karnak Temple, which is perhaps the most impressive of all the ancient pharaohs' monumental works. One of the world's most celebrated temple complexes, Karnak was built over some 200 years and was once known as the 'Chosen of Places'. Your guided tour of this vast temple of impressive pylons, obelisks and chapels will reveal its finest sections, such as the Avenue of Sphinxes and the Great Temple of Amun.

The rest of the day is yours: relax, shop in the excellent bazaar, or perhaps experience the atmosphere of a local teahouse.

Today we'll discover some of the many wonders of ancient Thebes. Our first stop is the Colossi of Memnon, two 17-metre-high statues on Luxor's west bank. Carved from granite blocks, they represent the Pharaoh Amenhotep III and were once part of an impressive colonnade.

We'll continue onto the spectacular royal burial site of the Valley of the Kings. Buried under the arid hills here are the tombs of more than 60 pharaohs, many richly decorated with reliefs and paintings. Explore this sprawling and spectacular place with your guide, where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (16th to 11th century BCE) were secretly interred for all eternity, and where archaeological discoveries are still being made. Your guide will explain the history of and legends surrounding these remarkable people, their funerary rites, and the significance of the many paintings and hieroglyphics, still well-preserved in the deepest tombs.

You will visit three of the most interesting royal tombs and then continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, a stunning colonnaded building set against high cliffs that create a spectacular natural amphitheatre. One of Egypt’s greatest queens, she built this temple to prove her importance – the scale and elegance of her temple certainly proves a point!

The afternoon is yours to explore – perhaps you'd like to shop in the market or visit the world's first Mummification Museum to discover the secrets of pharaonic preservation.

Today we'll bid farewell to the Nile and drive east to the beachside town of Hurghada. The Nile valley's verdant landscape is soon replaced with the barren Eastern Desert. Passing through rocky hills, we'll begin to catch glimpses of the glittering waters of the Red Sea and the rugged bulk of the Sinai Peninsula looms through the haze on the opposite shore.

A vibrant beach resort, Hurghada is by no means a typical adventure destination. Known for its underwater reefs and marine life, it’s a popular diving destination. After checking into your hotel, take a walking tour with your guide to get your bearings, and check out some of the local restaurants and eateries.

You will have the remainder of the evening at leisure, plus enjoy a sumptuous buffet dinner tonight in your 5-star hotel.

Today is yours to relax in this Red Sea beachside town.

Today we'll leave Hurghada and take the short flight back to Cairo.

Upon our return to the capital we'll enjoy an essential Egyptian experience – a visit to Khan El-Khalili bazaar, a memorable shopping experience in the historic centre of Islamic Cairo. Even if you are not looking to buy, take a walk through the colourful winding alleys of this labyrinth district – you’ll feel like you stepped back in time to an old Arab souk. Selling handicrafts, delicious spices, fabrics and clothes, it’s been a shopping district for thousands of years.

We'll then continue to our hotel for free time.

Special Information

Your internal flight for this day is arranged by our local partner. Specific flight details will be provided by your Tour Leader upon arrival and cannot be provided in advance. Please note that these group flights cannot be upgraded, amended, or checked in online. Your Tour Leader will manage the check-in process for the group.  

Today, bid farewell to your Egypt tour leader and get ready for the next leg of your journey as you are transferred to the airport for your flight to Istanbul, Turkey. On arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the day is yours, free to explore Istanbul.

After breakfast, you enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting the Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace (including Hagia Irene) and the Hippodrome. Take in the majesty of the sixth-century Hagia Sophia, whose stunning construction is said to have changed the history of architecture. When not erecting splendid buildings, the Byzantine Emperors loved a bit of entertainment, and the Hippodrome of Constantinople was their stadium. Inspect some of the decorative statues and obelisks that remain, harking back to a time when this space would play host to thousands of chariot racing fans.

Cruise between two continents on the stretch of water that separates Europe from Asia in the afternoon with an optional half day Bosphorous cruise.

One of the most emotionally touching places in Turkey, today we visit the WWI Battlefields of Gallipoli including Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, Johnston's Jolly, original trenches and tunnels. We'll spend a moment in quiet contemplation, looking down upon the rough hills and gullies that became the graveyard for so many thousands of young men from both sides. We’ll tour the former battlefields and find remnants of trenches used by the Turkish soldiers.

After paying our respects, we continue to Canakkale. Enjoy dinner this evening.

Step back in time today as we visit Troy and its famed Trojan Horse, followed by a tour of the magnificent acropolis of Pergamon. Its impressive temples and library made it a renowned cultural and political centre in its time. You’ll see the remnants of the ancient city walls and the famed wooden horse as you learn about the groundbreaking archaeological digs and how the site has baffled historians.

We continue to Kusadasi where dinner is included tonight.

Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour of Ephesus and a visit to the site of the Temple of Artemis. Marvel at the vast amphitheatre, stroll the marble streets once walked by Cleopatra and Mark Antony, and wander through the gymnasium, baths and beautifully restored Library of Celsus. Feel the mystical atmosphere of the ancient city and theatre before continuing to the former Greek village of Sirince, famous for its fruit wines. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey and at the carpet village we learn how the carpets are made by hand and what determines their value.

This morning we will enjoy a display of locally handcrafted leather goods before heading to the magnificent white calcium terraces, known as Travertines, in Pamukkale where we also tour the ancient city of Hierapolis. Founded by the King of Pergamon in 190 BCE, it had become an important Roman bath centre by the second century CE. The extensive ruins of Hierapolis are well worth exploring and include a theatre, temple, holy area, monumental fountain, bath, basilica and necropolis. Take a dip, amongst ancient columns, in the hot springs that were used in Roman times for their therapeutic powers.

Today you head back to Istanbul. You will be transferred to the airport for your flight and be back in Istanbul, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel in time for a bit of last minute shopping or exploring.

After breakfast, our tour comes to an end. You’ll be transferred to the airport for your onward flight, bidding farewell to the group and the unforgettable experiences shared along the way.

Thank you for travelling with Inspiring Vacations. We hope you had a memorable experience.

Special Information 
Departure transfers are included as part of your package. You will be collected from your hotel at the appropriate time and transferred to the airport to meet your flight. 

If Inspiring Vacations has not provided your international airfares, please ensure you provide your flight details via your Traveller Hub portal no later than 90 days prior to travel so that your transfers can be confirmed.