11 days Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada & Alexandria

Overview

This 11-day itinerary takes an unusual and rewarding arc through Egypt: beginning on the Mediterranean coast at Alexandria, moving south to Cairo and the monuments of Giza and Saqqara, then east to Luxor's temples, and closing on the Red Sea coast at Hurghada. The combination of Alexandria and Hurghada — Mediterranean culture and Red Sea reef — in a single trip to Egypt is rare and positions this package for travellers who want to see more than the standard monument circuit. Every cultural section is guided by a private Egyptologist.

Tour Highlights

◆ Alexandria — Qaitbay Citadel, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Roman Catacombs 

◆ Cairo — Giza Pyramids, Grand Egyptian Museum, Saqqara 

◆ Luxor — Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Hatshepsut Temple 

◆ Mediterranean to Red Sea arc — unusual and memorable routing 

◆ Hurghada — Giftun Island snorkelling, glass-bottom boat 

◆ Private Egyptologist throughout all monument sites 

◆ Recommended for travellers who want a wider Egypt beyond Cairo–Luxor

Who This Tour Is For

• Travelers who want Egypt's pharaonic circuit — Cairo, Giza, Luxor — and want to see a different Egypt as well. Alexandria's Greco-Roman and Mediterranean character is unlike anything in the south, and Hurghada's reef is a different world entirely from the monuments.
• Those who've done a standard Egypt tour before and want the wider version: two coasts, four cities, the country's full geographic arc from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.
• Couples and families who want the monuments done properly but also want beach time built into the same trip, not planned as two separate holidays.
• Anyone drawn specifically to Alexandria, which most Egypt itineraries omit entirely. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa, Qaitbay Citadel, and the Mediterranean waterfront constitute a completely different Egypt from the pharaonic south.
• Travelers with 11 days who want the full geographic spread of the country rather than a deeper focus on fewer destinations.

What Makes This Tour Different

• Two coasts, one trip — almost no Egypt itinerary includes both Alexandria and a Red Sea resort. The typical Egypt tour runs Cairo → Luxor → Aswan, or adds Hurghada at the end. This tour adds Alexandria in the north, giving you the Mediterranean coastline and the Greco-Roman city before the pharaonic south. The geographic arc — from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea — is rare and distinctive.
• Alexandria gets a full day rather than a rushed half-day — the Catacombs of Kom elShoqafa, Qaitbay Citadel, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and the Corniche waterfront require time to do properly. Many Egypt itineraries list Alexandria as an optional day trip and schedule 5 hours. This tour allocates a full-day departure from Cairo.
• Four full nights at Hurghada — not two or three. The standard Red Sea extension on a monument-heavy itinerary is two nights, which barely allows recovery. Four nights at the resort means two full days of snorkelling, reef access, and pool time without the pressure of early departure. Giftun Island snorkelling is structured as a dedicated excursion rather than a rushed afternoon.
• Saqqara on its own day — the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the painted Old Kingdom mastaba tombs are on Day 3 as a dedicated visit, not compressed into the same day as Giza. This is the most frequently underestimated site in Egypt; a full day gives it the time it deserves.

What You'll Experience

Day 1 — Arrive Cairo 

Private airport transfer to your 5-star hotel. Your Egyptologist contacts you to confirm the Day 2 schedule and brief you on the itinerary. Tonight is yours — dinner recommendation provided. No touring obligations on arrival day. 

Day 2 — Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum & Giza Plateau 

The Grand Egyptian Museum in the morning — your Egyptologist leads a session built around the Tutankhamun collection: the golden death mask, the canopic chest, the gilded shrine, four thousand objects from a single tomb. The Royal Mummies hall in the afternoon, if time allows. Giza Plateau: the three pyramid complexes, the Sphinx from the south angle, and the Valley Temple of Khafre. Your Egyptologist explains the construction as a logistics and engineering problem rather than a matter of mythology. A camel ride around the plateau is available. Return to Cairo for the evening. 

Day 3 — Cairo: Saqqara & Old Cairo 

Saqqara in the morning — the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the world's first monumental stone structure, and the Imhotep Museum at the entrance. The painted mastaba tombs of the Old Kingdom viziers: Mereruka, Ti, and Kagemni, their wall reliefs recording daily life in extraordinary detail. This is the site that most repeat visitors to Egypt say they wish they had spent more time on during their first trip. Old Cairo in the afternoon: the Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Coptic Museum, and the Roman fort foundations of Babylon. Two thousand years of history in one walkable neighbourhood, in the oldest continuously inhabited part of Cairo. Evening at leisure. 

Day 4 — Alexandria 

Private vehicle to Alexandria — approximately 2.5 hours via the Desert Road. The Catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa: a three-level Roman-era underground necropolis blending Egyptian and Greco-Roman iconography in some of the most unusual hybrid art in ancient Egypt. Qaitbay Citadel: a 15th-century fort built directly on the foundations of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina: the modern library built on the site of the ancient Library of Alexandria, architecturally striking in its own right. Lunch at a waterfront restaurant on the Corniche — the Mediterranean setting is part of the day. Pompey's Pillar is the tallest ancient column still standing in Egypt. Return to Cairo by early evening. 

Day 5 — Fly Cairo to Luxor · East Bank Temples 

Morning domestic flight to Luxor. Karnak Temple in the afternoon: the largest religious complex ever built. Your Egyptologist explains the 2,000-year accumulation of construction — thirty successive pharaohs adding, enlarging, and occasionally demolishing — turning the overwhelming scale of the site into a legible political sequence. The Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns. Luxor Temple at dusk: the sandstone turns amber in the evening light, and the recently uncovered Avenue of Sphinxes is visible from the entrance. Check in to your 5-star Luxor hotel. Dinner by the Nile. 

Day 6 — Luxor: West Bank in Full 

Valley of the Kings in the morning — three tombs chosen by your Egyptologist for their painted quality and historical significance. The wall reliefs here are a continuation of the iconography seen at the GEM three days ago: by now, the religious logic is legible rather than abstract. Hatshepsut's Temple at Deir el-Bahari: the colonnaded terrace cut into the cliff face, and the story of the systematic erasure of her cartouches from the official record. The Colossi of Memnon on the return. Afternoon at leisure in Luxor. Optional: Luxor Museum, a compact and excellent collection. Felucca ride on the Nile at sunset.

Day 7 — Transfer Luxor to Hurghada 

Private vehicle from Luxor to Hurghada — approximately 4 hours via the Red Sea highway, crossing the Eastern Desert. The drive itself is part of the transition: from the Nile valley and its agricultural strip to open desert, and then the Red Sea coast. Check in to your Hurghada resort. Afternoon at the pool or beach — your first day with no schedule, no guide, no agenda. 

Day 8 — Hurghada: Giftun Island & Reef 

Private boat to Giftun Island — the national marine park off the Hurghada coast, with some of the best-accessible coral reef in the Red Sea. Snorkelling at the reef, a glass-bottom boat section is available. Champagne or soft drinks on board. Return to the resort by mid-afternoon. Evening at leisure. 

Day 9 — Hurghada: Desert Safari 

Private 4WD desert safari into the Eastern Desert — Bedouin villages, sand dunes, quad biking or camel riding. Sunset over the desert with a Bedouin tea stop. Return to the resort for dinner. 

Day 10 — Hurghada at leisure. 

Full free day at the resort. No schedule, no guide, no planned activity. Snorkelling off the hotel's private beach, spa, pool, or simply the beach. The full-board arrangement means all meals are at the resort. Some guests use this day for a private dive, parasailing, or a boat trip to the Dolphin House reef — all available through the resort's activities desk. 

Day 11 — Fly from Hurghada to Cairo · 

International Departure, Domestic flight from Hurghada to Cairo. Private transfer to Cairo International Airport for your international departure. If your international flight is late in the day, luggage storage at a Cairo airport hotel can be arranged; the day is yours until departure time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Alexandria a day trip from Cairo or an overnight? 

On this itinerary, Alexandria is a full-day trip from Cairo — you depart by private vehicle in the morning and return by early evening, staying at your Cairo hotel for all four nights. Alexandria is 220 kilometres from Cairo (approximately 2.5 hours each way via the Desert Road). A full day gives you 5–6 hours in the city, which is sufficient for the Catacombs, Qaitbay Citadel, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and a waterfront lunch without rushing. If you want an overnight in Alexandria — a different, more relaxed way to experience the city and the Mediterranean atmosphere — it can be added as an extension, extending the tour to 12 days. Ask us when you enquire. 

How does the Luxor-to-Hurghada transfer work? 

Luxor and Hurghada are connected by a 4-hour drive via the Red Sea highway through the Eastern Desert. Your private air-conditioned vehicle takes you directly from your Luxor hotel to your Hurghada resort. The drive crosses a striking landscape — from the Nile valley agricultural belt, through the Eastern Desert, to the Red Sea coast. It is not a demanding journey, and most travelers find it a natural transition between the two halves of the trip. If you prefer a short domestic flight, this can be arranged at the time of booking — it reduces the transfer to 45 minutes but adds a flight to the day's logistics. Tell us your preference when you enquire. 

What is the Giftun Island snorkelling actually like? 

Giftun Island is a national marine park approximately 7 kilometres off the Hurghada coast. The reef around the island is considered among the most accessible quality reefs in the Red Sea — coral coverage is good, visibility is typically 15–25 metres, and the water depth at snorkelling areas is 1–5 metres. The private boat takes you directly to the island, bypassing the group snorkel tours that depart from Hurghada Marina. The reef has sea turtles, parrotfish, clownfish, and a variety of coral formations. No prior snorkelling experience is required — equipment is provided, and a guide is in the water with you.

Can we include a Nile cruise on this itinerary? 

Adding a Nile cruise to this itinerary would require adding 4–5 days (Luxor → Aswan, including Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, and Abu Simbel). The resulting tour would be 15–16 days and would route: Cairo → Luxor → Nile cruise → Aswan → Hurghada → Cairo, with Alexandria as either a day trip from Cairo or a dedicated overnight stay. This is essentially the most complete Egypt itinerary available. If this is what you want, tell us when you enquire, and we will build the full circuit. 

Is this tour suitable for first-time visitors to Egypt? 

Yes — and it is well-suited to first-time visitors who want more than the standard Cairo–Luxor circuit. The 4-day Cairo base provides ample time for the GEM, Giza, Saqqara, and Alexandria without rushing. Luxor's two days cover the essential sites on the East and West Bank. The Hurghada ending is a genuine decompression after 6 days of monuments. The one trade-off compared to the standard 10-day circuit is that this tour does not include Aswan or the Nile cruise; if those are priorities, the 10-Day Luxury tour is the more relevant option.