Authentic Egypt: 10 Days of Immersion Between Pyramids, Temples and Felucca Sailing on the Nile

0 Reviews
Top Rated
Authentic Egypt: 10 Days of Immersion Between Pyramids, Temples and Felucca Sailing on the Nile
Authentic Egypt: 10 Days of Immersion Between Pyramids, Temples and Felucca Sailing on the Nile
Authentic Egypt: 10 Days of Immersion Between Pyramids, Temples and Felucca Sailing on the Nile
Authentic Egypt: 10 Days of Immersion Between Pyramids, Temples and Felucca Sailing on the Nile
Authentic Egypt: 10 Days of Immersion Between Pyramids, Temples and Felucca Sailing on the Nile
Duration
10 Days
9 Nights
Destination
Immersion / Nature / Adventure
Group Size
2-15 People
Category
Felucca

The Journey

Egypt is not visited: it is crossed, felt, embraced. Your adventure begins in Cairo, where the centuries intertwine. Dive into the grandiose world of pharaonic Egypt: the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the treasures of the museum. In Coptic Cairo, walk in the footsteps of Egypt's first Christians. In Islamic Cairo, the exuberance of centuries-old mosques will seize you between minarets, madrassas and colourful markets.

In Aswan, the epic opens under new horizons. Aboard a felucca, sail billowing in the wind, you glide on the sacred Nile. The murmur of the wind, the lapping of water against the hull: everything invites surrender. Here the modern world fades. Time stretches. Each bend of the river reveals a new scene: a forgotten temple, an ochre clay village under the palms, a herd of buffalo crossing the bank at dusk.

Then, by vehicle, you reach Luxor, where majestic temples and ancient remains sing the greatness of the pharaohs.


The Felucca

Aboard our traditional felucca - a lateen-sail boat without a motor, around ten metres long - you navigate as the ancient Egyptians did, in harmony with the currents of the Nile and the southern winds. The experienced crew of captain, sailor and cook ensures your comfort throughout. The deck is arranged with thick mattresses and comfortable cushions. In the evening, a protective canvas is installed for a peaceful night. All meals are prepared and served on board: full breakfast, picnic lunch with mixed salads and mezze, and a hot cooked dinner each evening.


What Is Included in the Price

  • 3-star hotel in Cairo and Aswan
  • Homestay accommodation in Luxor in individual rooms or shared twin rooms
  • All transfers in a private air-conditioned vehicle
  • All entry tickets to all archaeological sites listed in the programme
  • All meals from day 2 to day 9 (full board)
  • Hot drinks during the felucca stay
  • Sleeper train tickets between Cairo and Aswan
  • Local team of drivers, felucca sailors and cooks
  • French-speaking Egyptologist guide throughout the entire stay
  • All service fees and taxes


What Is Not Included in the Price

  • International and domestic flights
  • Egypt entry visa (25 EUR, payable in cash on arrival)
  • Drinks during meals (except hot drinks served on the felucca)
  • Personal expenses
  • Single room supplement in hotels
  • Tips for the entire local team: guide, drivers, felucca crew
  • Optional Abu Simbel excursion (85 EUR, entry tickets not included, approximately 15 EUR)
  • Hot air balloon over Luxor (85 EUR per person)


Included

  • Nights in traditional homestays at the heart of Egyptian hospitality in Luxor
  • Pharaonic and spiritual Cairo: pyramids of Giza, Grand Egyptian Museum, mosques and Coptic quarter
  • Discovery of Aswan and Nubia with colourful villages and genuine Nubian warmth
  • Peaceful felucca cruise: sailing at the wind's pace, sleeping under the stars
  • Mythical temples: Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut
  • Immersion in contemporary Egypt: meals with locals, lively markets, charming accommodations
  • All transfers, accommodation, meals and site entry fees included
  • Passionate French-speaking Egyptologist guide throughout the journey

Excluded

  • International and domestic flights
  • Egypt entry visa 25 EUR
  • Drinks during meals except hot drinks on felucca
  • Personal expenses
  • Single room supplement in hotels
  • Tips for guide, drivers and felucca crew
  • Optional Abu Simbel excursion 85 EUR (entry tickets approx. 15 EUR extra)
  • Hot air balloon Luxor 85 EUR per person

Itinerary

1

Day 1: Arrival at the Airport and Transfer to the Hotel

Meals at own expense
On arrival, a member of our team welcomes you warmly with a sign bearing the agency name and accompanies you through the formalities. A comfortable car then takes you to the hotel where you can relax after your journey.
2

Day 2: Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum

Breakfast Lunch Dinner
After a hearty breakfast, you set off to contemplate the Pyramids of Giza - Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure - the last surviving wonders of the ancient world. Their perfect proportions, the alignment of their faces with the cardinal points and their celestial correspondences reveal an advanced knowledge of mathematics and astronomy. Before the enigmatic Sphinx, whose gaze has fixed the eastern horizon for millennia, silence naturally imposes itself. Your visit continues at the Valley Temple, where you admire the architectural ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians. After lunch in a local restaurant, your immersion continues with an exceptional visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum, one of the largest in the world dedicated to a single civilisation. It houses the celebrated treasure of Tutankhamun: his golden mask, sumptuous jewellery and precious artefacts. Each room plunges you into the beliefs and everyday life of the ancient Egyptians. In the late afternoon, return to the hotel before dinner in a typical local restaurant. Included visits: Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Grand Egyptian Museum.
3

Day 3: Spiritual Treasures of Cairo - Coptic to Islamic Quarter - Night Train to Aswan

Breakfast Lunch Dinner
This day is devoted to the two most emblematic quarters of Cairo. You begin in the Coptic quarter with the famous Hanging Church (Al-Muallaqa), an architectural jewel of the fourth century built above the ancient towers of the Roman fortress of Babylon. You continue with the Church of Saint Sergius, built on the site where the Holy Family is said to have taken refuge during their flight into Egypt. You also visit the Church of Saint George and conclude with the Ben Ezra Synagogue, where thousands of manuscripts from the 10th to the 13th century were discovered. After lunch, you visit the Citadel of Saladin with its stunning Mosque of Mohamed Ali. Nearby, the Sultan Hassan Mosque, a 14th-century masterpiece of Mamluk architecture. Time permitting, a stroll through the Khan el-Khalili souk and the Al-Moez street. Transfer to the station for the overnight sleeper train to Aswan. Dinner and breakfast served on board. Double cabin with two bunk beds, a washbasin and an electric socket. Included visits: Hanging Church, Church of Saint Sergius, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Citadel of Saladin, Sultan Hassan Mosque, Al-Rifai Mosque.
4

Day 4: Arrival in Aswan - Hotel Check-in - Temple of Philae

Lunch Dinner
The train arrives in Aswan late morning. Transfer to the hotel. Lunch in a typical local restaurant with authentic Nubian cuisine flavours. You then depart by vehicle to the banks of the Nile, then board a boat to reach the Temple of Philae, a sacred jewel set between sky and river. The temple was moved stone by stone in the 1970s under UNESCO's aegis and rebuilt on the island of Agilkia. Originally dedicated to Isis, goddess-mother and guardian of mysteries, Philae was one of the last pagan temples still active in the ancient world, until its official closure in 537 AD. Its delicate architecture, the beauty of its hieroglyphic colonnades and the harmony of the whole make it a place suspended outside of time. In the evening, a stroll through the Aswan tourist souk. Night at the hotel. Included visits: Temple of Philae.
5

Day 5: Boarding the Felucca - Walk in Nubian Villages - Optional Abu Simbel

Breakfast Lunch Dinner
In the morning, you head to the embarkation point where your felucca awaits. The crew welcomes you with discreet and warm courtesy. Very quickly, the moorings are raised, the white sails fill with wind, and the boat moves off in silence. After a first sailing moment, you moor for a beautiful two-hour walk through the fields and Nubian villages. Date palms, mango trees, medicinal herbs, Nile birds and farm animals. Dirt paths between children's laughter, colourful houses, harnessed donkeys and friendly greetings. A smile, a cup of tea, a few words: Nubian culture reveals itself in its most beautiful authenticity. Optional: Excursion to Abu Simbel, masterpiece of the Ramesside era, famous for its colossi carved in the rock beside Lake Nasser. Departure at dawn, return late morning. Back on board, lunch is served on deck. In the afternoon, slow navigation along the palm-lined banks. At sunset, you anchor for the night. Dinner under the stars, rocked by the wind and the magic of the river.
6

Day 6: Daraw Market - Temple of Kom Ombo - Night on the Felucca

Breakfast Lunch Dinner
The morning finds you savouring breakfast on the felucca as it glides over the calm Nile. The boat soon anchors near the town of Daraw. Two hours of immersion in an authentic town: shaded alleys of banana and mango trees, winding alleyways animated by quiet life. The souk opens like a theatre of a thousand scenes: pyramids of ripe fruit, live chickens, hanging meats including camel, emblematic of the region. At every corner, a kaleidoscope of sounds, smells and glances. Back on board, a delicious lunch is served as the felucca glides towards Kom Ombo. En route, a possible stop for a refreshing swim in the peaceful Nile waters. The imposing double temple rises before you: one half devoted to Sobek, the crocodile god of primordial instinct; the other to Horus, the solar falcon, guardian of reason and clarity. This twin sanctuary embodies the Egyptian philosophy of duality. Under its finely carved bas-reliefs: a surprisingly precise list of surgical instruments and a nilotic calendar sculpted in stone. Dinner under the stars. Night on board the felucca to the rhythm of the river. Included visits: Daraw Market, Temple of Kom Ombo.
7

Day 7: Departure by Vehicle to Luxor - Temple of Edfu - Temple of Luxor

Breakfast Lunch Dinner
After a last breakfast shared on deck, it is time to leave the felucca. The sailors bid you a final warm farewell. Departure by road to Luxor. En route, a stop to visit the Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the god Horus. Exceptionally well preserved, this Ptolemaic sanctuary shows the bas-reliefs of Horus's victory over Seth, symbol of chaos. On arrival in Luxor, you are welcomed at your homestay, a traditional house carefully selected for the quality of its welcome and comfort. For those who wish, a cooking class can be arranged amid spice fragrances and gestures passed from generation to generation. In the evening, departure to visit the Temple of Luxor under spectacular night-time lighting. Dinner and night at the homestay. Included visits: Temple of Edfu, Temple of Luxor (evening).
8

Day 8: West Bank Visit - Walk in the Village and Fields

Breakfast Lunch Dinner
The morning is devoted to the west bank of Luxor. You begin with the Valley of the Kings, majestic necropolis where the New Kingdom pharaohs rest. Three carefully chosen tombs open their doors with mythological scenes and sacred texts describing the dead king's journey toward the afterlife. You continue with the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, unique for its terraced architecture integrated into the cliff of Deir el-Bahari. The bas-reliefs recount her coronation and the mythical expedition to the land of Punt. On the way back, a stop before the Colossi of Memnon. You then rejoin your hosts for a traditional picnic lunch. In the afternoon, a walk in the village reveals traditional architecture and rural life. You continue through fertile farmland: date palms, banana trees and sugar cane fields. Dinner and night at the homestay. Included visits: Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon.
9

Day 9: Temple of Karnak - Boat Ride and Banana Island

Breakfast Lunch Dinner
The morning is dedicated to the Temple of Karnak, one of the vastest sanctuaries of ancient Egypt. Spiritual heart of the cult of Amun-Ra, Karnak was enriched by 89 pharaohs whose cartouches French archaeologists have identified. You enter through the famous avenue of ram-headed sphinxes. The exploration leads to the grandiose hypostyle hall, a forest of 134 monumental columns covered in hieroglyphs. The visit concludes at the sacred lake. Lunch at the homestay. In the afternoon, you board a motorboat for a peaceful ride to Banana Island, a small green haven on the Nile. Between swaying palms, banana plantations and Nile birdsong, the place invites rest and contemplation. Dinner and night at the homestay. Included visits: Temple of Karnak, Banana Island.
10

Day 10: Last Day - Departure and Unforgettable Memories

Breakfast
The last day arrives with the gentle light of Luxor. A final breakfast with your host family, a last glance at the Theban hills, the last scents of the Egyptian morning. Transfer to the airport. Egypt remains in you: in the silence of the temples, in the warmth of the encounters, in the slow rhythm of the Nile. A journey that does not end on the return flight.

Prices & Accommodation

Starting Price

Per Person €950.00

Optional Extras

Abu Simbel Excursion (optional, day 5) €85.00 / person
Hot Air Balloon over Luxor (optional) €85.00 / person
Egypt Entry Visa €25.00 / person

Accommodation

Contact us for detailed accommodation information for this tour.