Luxor temple illuminated at night

Day Tour Programmes

Single-day and half-day guided heritage experiences led by licensed Egyptologists. Small groups, deep content, genuine access. Choose from Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Alexandria programmes.

Our Current Day Tour Portfolio

Every tour listed here is available year-round, subject to guide and access availability. Peak season (October–March) fills quickly, particularly for the Valley of the Kings extended programme and the Abu Simbel dawn visit. We recommend enquiring at least three weeks ahead during this period. Off-season visits (April–September) offer better guide availability and dramatically thinner crowds at most sites, with the trade-off of higher midday temperatures in Upper Egypt.

All day tours include pre-visit briefing materials delivered by email before your trip. See our visitor tips for general preparation advice applicable to all tours.

Cairo Area Tours

Tutankhamun golden mask, Grand Egyptian Museum

Grand Egyptian Museum Thematic Programme

A four-hour structured walk-through of the GEM organised by theme rather than chronology — beginning with the concept of ma'at and moving through the dynastic galleries with that interpretive framework in place. The Tutankhamun halls receive a full hour. Maximum 10 visitors. Available daily from 09:00. Heritage or Scholar package required; Discovery available for half-day museum visits.

Duration: 4 hours  |  Days: Daily  |  Meeting point: GEM main entrance, Giza

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Step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara

Saqqara, Memphis and the Imhotep Museum

A full-day programme combining the Saqqara Necropolis (step pyramid, mastabas, Unas Pyramid Texts, animal catacombs), the Memphis open-air museum, and the Imhotep Museum. Eight hours, including a lunch stop at a family restaurant in Mit Rahina village. Available Tuesday through Sunday. One of our most consistently praised full-day programmes.

Duration: 8 hours  |  Days: Tue–Sun  |  Lunch: Included

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Egyptian Museum bronze collection

Cairo Egyptian Museum — Royal Mummies and Middle Kingdom

A focused three-hour programme in the Tahrir Square museum concentrating on the two strengths of its remaining collection: the Royal Mummy Room (22 pharaonic mummies including Ramesses II, Seti I and Hatshepsut) and the Middle Kingdom wooden models — miniature dioramas of daily life placed in tombs around 2000 BCE. These models are among the most vivid windows into ancient Egyptian society that exist anywhere.

Duration: 3 hours  |  Days: Daily  |  Entry fees: Museum + Royal Mummies Room extra

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Luxor Tours

Karnak hypostyle hall columns

East Bank — Karnak and Luxor Temple

Starting at Karnak at 07:00 for the quietest morning conditions, this five-and-a-half-hour programme covers both the Karnak complex (two and a half hours, covering the Hypostyle Hall, the Cachette Court, the sacred lake and the Avenue of Sphinxes) and Luxor Temple (90 minutes, covering the colonnade hall, the Ramesses II statues and the buried Roman camp beneath the southern section). Excellent preparation for the Luxor city guide.

Duration: 5.5 hours  |  Start: 07:00  |  Days: Daily

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Valley of the Kings tomb wall painting

West Bank Extended — Valley of the Kings and Deir el-Bahari

Seven hours covering the full West Bank heritage zone: Valley of the Kings briefing at our Al-Gezira base, entry to three selected tombs plus additional premium access (Scholar package), Deir el-Medina artisan village, and the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. This is our most demanding day tour in terms of walking and heat — best in cooler months. Book at least three weeks ahead in peak season.

Duration: 7 hours  |  Start: 06:30  |  Advance booking: 3 weeks minimum

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Luxor temple at night

Luxor Temple Evening Visit

Luxor Temple after dark is a different experience entirely. The stone glows amber, the crowds have thinned, and the processional colonnade — 14 papyrus columns 19 metres tall — creates a truly memorable space. Our 90-minute evening programme covers the temple's ceremonial function (it was visited by the king during the Opet Festival, when the cult statue of Amun-Re was carried in procession from Karnak), the meaning of the Ramesses II statues, and the fascinating layers of later reuse including the Roman fort and the medieval mosque built inside the pylon. Available Sunday–Thursday from 19:30.

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Aswan and Abu Simbel

Abu Simbel temple facade colossi

Abu Simbel Dawn Visit

Departure from Aswan at 04:30. Arrival at Abu Simbel before the main visitor convoys. The Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Nefertari in the quiet of early morning, followed by an extended discussion of the 1960s UNESCO relocation. Return to Aswan by 13:00. Best experience between October and April. See full description in our services section.

Duration: 9 hours incl. travel  |  Departure: 04:30  |  Months: Oct–Apr preferred

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Ancient Library of Alexandria illustration

Alexandria Ptolemaic Heritage Day

An eight-hour programme covering the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the Qaitbay Citadel, a guided walk through the Serapeum area, and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Optional afternoon visit to the Greco-Roman Museum subject to current opening status. Travel from Cairo recommended by Intercity train (approximately 2.5 hours, not included in programme fee). See our Alexandria city guide for background.

Duration: 8 hours  |  Days: Mon, Wed, Sat  |  Lunch: Included

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Archaeologist at excavation site in Egypt

Active Excavation Observation Visit

Subject to seasonal availability and in coordination with active excavating teams, we periodically arrange morning observation visits to ongoing archaeological excavations in the Saqqara and Luxor West Bank areas. Participants spend two to three hours in the field with members of the excavating team, observing recording, conservation and object retrieval processes. These visits are limited to four participants and require Scholar package booking minimum. Availability is announced each season in our newsletter.

Duration: 3–4 hours  |  Group size: Maximum 4  |  Availability: Seasonal, limited

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How to Book a Day Tour

All day tours are booked through our central enquiry process. Use the contact form to specify which tour or tours interest you, your preferred dates, group size and any specific requirements. We will confirm availability and pricing within two working days. Discovery package tours are billed per group; Heritage and Scholar include additional elements as described on our pricing page.

For combined tours — for example, the Karnak and Luxor Temple East Bank programme followed the next day by the Valley of the Kings West Bank programme — we offer a coordination discount of 10% when both are booked together at Heritage or Scholar level.

Visitor Tips

Practical preparation for any Egypt heritage visit — what to wear, bring, and expect at major sites.

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Seasonal Events

Festivals, special access events and seasonal astronomical alignments — what's happening when you plan to visit.

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Family Tours

Adapted tour formats designed to engage visitors of all ages, including children with no prior knowledge of Egypt.

Family options →

Choose Your Tour and Begin the Enquiry

Tell us your dates, the tour that interests you and your group size. We will confirm availability within two working days and send a full proposal.

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