Egypt
Ancient History & Archaeological Discoveries in Egypt with WSJ+
When
Price
How long
We’re working with WSJ+ to create entirely customizable and private trips for you, their members. Our Travel Experts are here to make your trip entirely your own. Private, customizable, and totally flexible. This is what we do. Take the trip ‘as is’ or customize it to your heart’s content.
Chosen by The Wall Street Journal as one of their “inspiring escapes” for the post-Covid world as “after such a difficult year, a run-of-the-mill vacation just won’t do.” You can read the full story here.
Embrace ancient history and modern luxury on this eight-night journey along the course of the Egyptian Nile. Blending our favorite destinations, properties, and experiences, we’ll open the doors to some of the country’s most startling landscapes, secrets, and spaces. Starting in Cairo, your journey reaches back into the past as you join archaeologists at invitation-only dig sites in Saqqara and explore the iconic Pyramids of Giza. Tracing the route of the Nile, you’ll continue to Luxor, cycling through the Valley of the Kings and paying your respects at the resting place of Tutankhamun. End your trip in Aswan, before embarking on one last sunset sail down the Nile.
To add extra magic to your time away, WSJ+ members will enjoy a complimentary private lunch on board a traditional felucca sailing boat with a local family. Learn how to make sunbread with Mahmoud before drifting lazily down the Nile in the afternoon sun.
Make this itinerary yours
Each and every Black Tomato trip is tailored exactly to who you are and what you want to do So tell us about yourself and we’ll create something that’s entirely you.
Start PlanningWhat you’ll do
Home to the last remaining Ancient Wonder of the World, Egypt has held an enduring fascination with travelers from around the world. Working with our local guides and contacts, we’ll take you closer than anyone else. In Cairo, we’ll arrange for you to meet with the Egyptian mission tasked with unravelling the history of Saqqara – the sprawling necropolis of Egypt’s ancient capital. In a corner not normally open to the public, you’ll go behind the scenes with the archaeologists, learning about their work and examining their most recent findings. Elsewhere, we’ll send you cycling through the Valley of the Kings, where, tucked between the crags of the mountains, you’ll find 63 burial chambers of the Egyptian Kings, including that of Tutankhamun. An expert guide will bring this iconic place to life, continuing with you to the Valley of the Queens and the ornate Hatchepsut’s temple – the location of Queen Nefertari’s tomb.
At every turn, we’ll have expert guides on hand, tailoring your tour to your interests. In Cairo, follow us through the Old Quarter, along the intricate alleyways of Khan al Khalil market and out to the Pyramids, perhaps timing your visit for Fall to coincide with the opening of the much-anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum. Meanwhile, in Luxor, experience shifting perspectives at a night-time tour of Luxor Temple. You’ll then experience a further dose of culture in Aswan, as you visit the islands of Philae and Elephantine by sailboat, home to both UNESCO-listed heritage sites and an immersive introduction to Nubian culture. From here, there’s just enough time left for a trip out to Abu Simbel, Ramses II’s legendary masterpiece built into a mountain’s face.
Along the way, you’ll dine and share stories with local friends and contacts, gaining a deeper insight into day to day life on the Nile. Whether over a rooftop breakfast or a leisurely lunch on board a felucca sailboat, you’ll be warmly welcomed into these local communities. And to cap things off, we’ll arrange a romantic sunset sail down this fabled river.
Where you’ll stay
Throughout your trip, you will sleep in some of Egypt’s best and most luxurious hotels. Starting off in Cairo, you’ll bed down at the Kempinski Nile Hotel Garden City where, surrounded by tree-lined avenues and a riverfront promenade, you’ll be well-poised to explore the city. In Luxor, things take a more traditional turn with a stay at Al Moudira. Set beneath ochre domes and within hidden garden courtyards, this boutique hotel has the feeling of an impeccably designed private home filled with curated finds unearthed from local souks. Your trip ends on the riverbanks of Aswan at Sofitel Legend Old Cataract, a 19th-century palace set beneath swaying palms and Moorish arches that, over the years, has played host to some of history’s biggest names (including Agatha Christie herself). Settle in on the riverfront terrace and soak the culture in.
What’s included
Our Travel Experts will work with you to devise an itinerary based on your inquiry, budget, group size, and desires. Typically, this will include everything from the experiences you do (and the guides that will take you there) to the hotels you’ll bed down in and the trains, planes and automobiles that will take you in between. We can also help with international flights, if you like.
The price of the above highlight itinerary therefore includes:
- Private transfers and expert English speaking guides throughout
- All experiences detailed above
- Three nights at Kempinski Nile Hotel Garden City
- Two nights at Al Moudira
- Three nights at Sofitel Legend Old Cataract
Anything else?
This experience is yours and yours alone, so feel free to customize it however you wish. Might we suggest a detour to historic Alexandria? Best tucked between Cairo and Luxor, we’d recommend a night at Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano. During your time here, we’ll organize a private tour of the city’s highlights, including its ancient library, memorialized in today’s ultra-modern Biblioteca Alexandria, Jewellery Museum and National Museum.
