12-Day Egypt’s Ancient Wonders & Red Sea Wrecks

Spend an unforgettable day on the Giza Plateau with your private Egyptologist, where the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx show just how ambitious ancient Egypt was. After lunch at a hand-picked local restaurant, explore the Grand Egyptian Museum, where the collections bring the lives and achievements of the pharaohs into sharp focus.

Overnight: Cairo
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Visits / experiences: Giza Pyramids, Great Sphinx, Valley Temple and Grand Egyptian Museum
Good to know: Going inside the Great Pyramid is an optional extra unless it’s specifically included in your booking.

Fly from Cairo to Aswan, where your Memphis Tours representative and Egyptologist guide meet you. See Aswan’s ancient granite quarries and the Unfinished Obelisk, then take the included motorboat to Agilkia Island for Philae Temple, dedicated mainly to Isis. After your sightseeing, board the Salacia for lunch and a lazy afternoon looking out over the Nile.

Overnight: Salacia Nile cruise, Aswan
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple
Good to know: The motorboat to Philae is included. Your flight time and the order of visits may change to fit the ship’s boarding arrangements.

An early start gives you the chance to see the extraordinary rock-cut temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari at Abu Simbel, on an optional trip by road or, when possible, by air. If you’d prefer a slower morning, stay on board the Salacia. As the ship sails north, visit Kom Ombo Temple on the riverbank, a perfectly symmetrical temple dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris. Back on board, watch villages, palm groves and river scenery drift by as the ship continues toward Edfu.

Overnight: Salacia Nile cruise
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Kom Ombo Temple. Optional: Abu Simbel by road or air
Good to know: Kom Ombo is a short walk from where the ship docks. Abu Simbel has to fit the Salacia’s actual Thursday sailing time, so it isn’t guaranteed and isn’t included in the base package.

After breakfast, ride the included horse-drawn carriage from the dock to Edfu’s beautifully preserved Temple of Horus. Its towering gateways and decorated halls give you a real sense of ancient Egypt’s ceremonies. Back on the Salacia, sail toward Luxor through the Esna area. In Luxor, explore the huge Karnak Temple Complex and the stunning Luxor Temple by the river with your Egyptologist guide, then return for dinner and your last night on board.

Overnight: Salacia Nile cruise, Luxor
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Edfu Temple, Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple
Good to know: The Edfu carriage is included. The Esna lock, river traffic and arrival times can change the order or timing of visits, and the final schedule follows the Salacia’s sailing plan.

After breakfast, leave the Salacia and cross to Luxor’s West Bank. Explore the Valley of the Kings, burial place of the New Kingdom pharaohs, then visit Queen Hatshepsut’s striking temple and stop at the giant Colossi of Memnon. A private, air-conditioned vehicle then takes you across the Eastern Desert to Hurghada, where you board the AML HAYATY, meet the crew, settle into your cabin and have dinner on board. The yacht stays in port overnight, and your diving safari starts early on Sunday.

Overnight: AML HAYATY, docked at Hurghada marina
Meals: Breakfast and dinner; lunch on the road journey as confirmed in your final itinerary
Visits / experiences: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon; private Luxor–Hurghada transfer; boarding the yacht
Good to know: You’ll board after the usual 3:00 PM check-in time, as there’s no diving on Saturday; late boarding, marina access, crew availability and dinner are confirmed with the yacht before departure. The standard Valley of the Kings ticket covers selected tombs, and Tutankhamun’s tomb and other special tombs cost extra.

Leave Hurghada early for the northern reefs. Your first stop is Dolphin House, where the crew plans a check dive among the coral; you may meet wild dolphins, but sightings can’t be promised. Continue to Siyoul Kebir for a second reef dive and a possible night dive, then spend your first night at sea in the calm of the Red Sea.

Overnight: AML HAYATY at Siyoul Kebir
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Dolphin House and Siyoul Kebir; two planned dives and an optional night dive
Good to know: Night dives are only for guests with the right training and recent experience; the dive leader may swap in a daytime reef dive.

Today is all about the northern Red Sea’s dramatic maritime history and some of the best wreck diving in Egypt. At Abu Nuhas, you’ll dive two of the area’s famous shipwrecks, which may include the Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K or Kimon M. The yacht then heads to the legendary SS Thistlegorm, a British supply ship sunk in 1941, for a planned third dive and a possible night dive.

Overnight: AML HAYATY near the SS Thistlegorm
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Abu Nuhas wrecks and the SS Thistlegorm; three planned dives and a possible night dive
Good to know: This day is for experienced divers. Currents, depth, enclosed spaces and going inside wrecks all require the right qualifications, and wreck penetration isn’t included as standard. Less experienced guests may need to do a reef dive instead or skip a dive.

If conditions allow, start with another guided dive at the SS Thistlegorm, then head to Small Gubal Island for a final coral reef dive. Enjoy the views as the AML HAYATY sails back to Hurghada, arriving before sunset, with disembarkation planned for around 5:00 PM. A private transfer takes you to a comfortable resort for a restful night on land.

Overnight: Hurghada hotel
Meals: Breakfast and lunch; dinner based on your hotel plan
Visits / experiences: Planned Thistlegorm and Small Gubal dives; transfer to the hotel
Good to know: There’s no flying today. Your final dive time is recorded so a safe, conservative gap is kept before you fly.

After the excitement of your liveaboard safari, take a whole day to relax at your Hurghada resort. Enjoy the Red Sea, lounge by the pool, use the hotel’s facilities or book an optional spa treatment. With no diving or transfers today, you can take it easy before flying back to Cairo the next morning.

Overnight: Hurghada hotel
Meals: Breakfast; other meals based on your hotel plan
Visits / experiences: Free day at the resort; optional non-diving activities at extra cost
Good to know: There’s no diving on Wednesday. The extra night gives you a generous no-fly gap after Tuesday’s last dive.

After breakfast at your resort, transfer to Hurghada Airport for the included flight to Cairo. Your Memphis Tours representative and private Egyptologist guide meet you for a tour of Islamic Cairo. Visit the Citadel of Salah El Din, high above the city, and admire the elegant Mosque of Muhammad Ali inside its walls. Then explore Khan El Khalili, Cairo’s historic bazaar, where old lanes, craft shops and lively cafés show you another side of the city. After lunch at a hand-picked local restaurant, transfer to your Cairo hotel for your last night.

Overnight: Cairo
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Visits / experiences: Citadel of Salah El Din, Mosque of Muhammad Ali and Khan El Khalili; private guided sightseeing; domestic flight Hurghada–Cairo
Good to know: We’ll choose a Hurghada–Cairo flight that leaves enough time for the guided visits, lunch and hotel check-in. The order of visits may change to fit flight times, opening hours and traffic.

After breakfast, take your private transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight home, with memories of ancient monuments, the timeless Nile and the underwater wonders of the Red Sea.

Overnight: None
Meals: Breakfast
Visits / experiences: Departure transfer