Cultural & Historic Tours in Egypt

From the Pyramids of Giza to the temples of Luxor and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, Egypt's cultural sites are the reason most people come, and an Egyptologist guide turns bare stone into a story worth the journey.

Where the history is

Cairo and Giza hold the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the medieval old city. Luxor, the ancient Thebes, is the world's greatest open-air museum, with Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple. Aswan adds Philae and the gateway to Abu Simbel, while Alexandria brings a Greco-Roman layer of catacombs, Roman ruins and the great library.

Booking a cultural tour

A guided tour is usually worth it here, not for the entry ticket, which you could buy yourself, but for the transport between spread-out sites, the context an Egyptologist provides, and someone to handle the crowds and touts. Group tours are the best value for solo travellers and couples, while families of four or more often find a private tour works out similar per head and far more flexible. Read the inclusions, since entry fees and separate tickets like the Tutankhamun tomb are often extra.