EGITTO OVERLAND: Luxor and Aswan on the road

After breakfast at the hotel, our Egyptologist will accompany you for a day dedicated to the wonders of Giza and Sakkara. The day will begin with a visit to the Giza Plateau, where the iconic pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus stand, masterpieces of the architecture of the Fourth Dynasty. You will be able to explore the Valley Temple and admire the famous Sphinx, the imposing guardian of this extraordinary complex. Afterwards, lunch in a restaurant near Giza and transfer to Sakkara, located 19 km away, to visit the Step Pyramid of Zoser, the oldest in Egypt (2750 BC). The visit will continue with the evocative Serapeum, an underground complex characterized by imposing granite and diorite sarcophagi made for sacred bulls. After an intense day of discoveries, return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast at the hotel, departure for an immersion in the vibrant atmosphere of Cairo, a metropolis of 23 million inhabitants where history and modernity intertwine. Along the way, panoramic stop at the Citadel of Saladin, built during the Crusades and for centuries a royal residence. Continue to Qarafa, the "City of the Dead", a unique place where Islamic necropolises and daily life merge. In the heart of the ancient city you will visit the famous souk of Khan el-Khalili, the most famous market in Cairo.
After lunch in the city, visit the GEM – Great Egyptian Museum, the most modern museum in Egypt, which houses over 100,000 artifacts. At the entrance you will be able to admire the obelisk and the colossus of Ramses II, and during the visit the most exciting moment will be dedicated to  the treasure of Tutankhamun, the most complete ever found in Egypt. Dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast at the hotel, check-out and transfer to Cairo International Airport for the flight to Luxor, which lasts about an hour.

Once we arrive, complete the arrival formalities and collect our luggage, we will be welcomed by our private vehicle to immediately start an extraordinary day, discovering ancient Thebes.

Our Egyptologist will guide you during a fascinating visit to the temple complex of Karnak, one of the largest and most impressive in ancient Egypt, comparable in size and charm only to Angkor Wat. Crossing its majestic doors, we will find ourselves immersed in a sacred world: monumental facades, soaring obelisks and long avenues lined with sphinxes, including those with the head of a ram, a symbol sacred to the god Amun-Ra. We will then reach the famous "forest of columns" until we reach the sacred lake and the large stone beetle, around which tradition invites you to make seven laps to attract luck and prosperity.

Our journey through time will continue to Luxor Temple, which stands in a scenic position along the banks of the Nile. We'll walk along the Avenue of Sphinxes, once a sacred link between the temples of Karnak and Luxor, and admire Tutankhamun's coronation hall.

Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, check-in at the hotel and free time to relax or explore the city on your own.

Dinner and overnight stay in Luxor, surrounded by the quiet of the evening and the eternal charm of the land of the pharaohs.

After breakfast at the hotel, the day begins with the discovery of Luxor's west bank. The first stop leads us to the Colossi of Memnon, the two gigantic stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that have been silently watching over the Theban necropolis for centuries.

Afterwards, we'll reach the legendary Valley of the Kings, one of the most extraordinary archaeological sites in the world. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this valley holds 64 royal tombs, carved directly into the mountain to ensure eternity for the rulers of the New Kingdom. We will visit some of the most significant burials, including, on request, the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered intact in 1922 by Howard Carter and today one of the most famous symbols of ancient Egypt.

The itinerary continues to the Temple of Hatshepsut, the great queen who dared to be crowned pharaoh. This unique structure, also known as the "Temple of Millions of Years", is set in the rock face of the Theban mountain and stands out for the elegance of its overlapping terraces and delicate wall paintings that tell the exploits of one of the most charismatic rulers in history.

At the end of the visit, lunch awaits us in a local restaurant, where we can savor Egyptian cuisine, recharging our energy after the busy morning.

In the late afternoon, for those who wish, it will be possible to participate in a truly evocative optional excursion: a  visit to the Egyptian Museum of Luxor aboard a carriage, to immerse yourself once again in the thousand-year history of the city and admire precious artifacts from the temples and tombs of ancient Thebes.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel and check-out, we'll set off south, along the Nile through landscapes dotted with palm groves, rural villages, and cultivated fields. In about two hours we will reach Edfu, where one of the best preserved temples in all of Egypt stands: the Temple of Horus, lord of the sky and patron god of the pharaoh.

We will walk along the peristyle and through the offering room, where ancient scents and prayers still seem to permeate the air, following in the footsteps of priests and devotees who lived over two thousand years ago.

At the end of the visit,  we will have a picnic lunch and continue the journey to Kom Ombo, where we will visit a temple dedicated to two deities: Sobek, the crocodile god, symbol of power and fertility, and Horus the Elder, the falcon of justice and royalty.

Among its engraved walls, we will be able to admire depictions of surgical instruments, testimony to the advanced medical knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, a  perfectly preserved Nilometer, used to measure the level of the Nile, and images of Caesars Pharaohs. After the visit, continue to Aswan, where you will arrive in the evening. Check-in at the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

For those who want to have a truly extraordinary experience, the day begins at dawn with a packed breakfast and departure to the majestic Temples of Abu Simbel, located 280 km south of Aswan.

These temples, carved into the rock to celebrate the glory of Ramses II and the love for Queen Nefertari, represent a monumental masterpiece, miraculously saved from the waters of the Nile thanks to an impressive engineering operation carried out by UNESCO. After the visit, return to Aswan for lunch.

In the afternoon, free time or the possibility to take part in an optional excursion by motor boat to visit an authentic Nubian village and discover the culture and traditions of this ancient people, among colorful houses and a warm welcome. We'll pass by Elephantine Island and the iconic Old Cataract Hotel, the luxurious hotel where Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Nile. Dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast and check-out, our last wonder awaits us in the placid waters of the Nile: the Island of Philae, a jewel suspended between myth and history.

To reach it, we'll board a motorboat that will slowly take us between islets and golden reflections, revealing, little by little, the elegant profile of the Temple of Isis, goddess of love, magic and motherhood. Immersed in a picturesque landscape, this sanctuary was for centuries a pilgrimage destination and a sacred place for the last believers of the ancient Egyptian religion.

After the visit, stop for lunch, then transfer to Aswan International Airport for the domestic flight to Cairo (approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes).

Upon arrival in Cairo, assistance with boarding your return flight.

An extraordinary journey comes to an end, bringing with it the magic of an Egypt revealed in its most authentic soul.