Egypt Tour Packages Starting from @
Flipping through Egypt tour packages? Make sure it incorporates more than just a Cairo city tour and Nile cruise. We help you shortlist some destinations.
Dubbed the ‘cradle of civilization’, a trip to Egypt is like a journey into the roots of humanity where some of the earliest works in literature, agriculture, religion and urbanisation took place. A country with one of the longest histories and an equally deep cultural heritage, it is no wonder that one of its pyramids – the Cheops Pyramid – is regarded among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Egypt’s strategic location in the northeast of Africa with the Mediterranean Sea to its north, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba to its east and an eastern portion, the Sinai Peninsula, falling in Western Asia, makes it a significant country in the Arab world aside from being an extremely fertile piece of land owing to the Nile River that cuts through its length before draining into the Mediterranean Sea.
And as you round up its iconic monuments from the Pyramid complex of Giza and the Great Sphinx, the ruins of Thebes, Memphis, the Valley of the Kings, to the Karnak temple complex, you will realise that there is much to reflect and absorb.
When sorting through Egypt packages keep these places in mind.
Nile cruiseThe old adage that Egypt is the gift of the Nile still holds some water. The ancient civilization came up and thrived around the Nile which gave the country most of its fertile land, some wholesome food, and not to mention, a lot of electricity. To get into the heart of Egypt and see the stunning ancient ruins along the way while taking in its quaint palm-fringed setting, a cruise down the Nile River is much needed.
There are cruises between Luxor and Aswan as well as Lake Nasser. Along the Luxor and Aswan route, you get a glimpse of the Ancient Upper Egypt which comprises Luxor Temple believed to be the world’s largest outdoor museum, the Karnak temple complex, Philae temple dedicated to the pharaoh who came into prominence in the Ptolemaic dynasty, the Hatshepsut temple dedicated to one of Ancient Egypt’s most successful pharaohs.
Else choose to head into the luxuriant south by careering down Lake Nasser and viewing the grand monuments of Ancient Nubia. With your boat moored beside the Abu Simbel complex, marvel at the colossal rock-cut temples that denote Egypt’s southern boundary. On an Egypt tour, there is no better way to get a sense of the landscape and its history than a Nile River cruise.
The great Egyptian pyramids
Among other things, Egypt holidays are primarily about visiting the pyramid complex in Giza, which is about 18 kilometre from the capital city, Cairo. Looming out over a plateau on the west bank of Nile is the ancient Egyptian pyramid complex, one of the world’s most visited monuments and the greatest in the country.
The Pyramids of Giza are dedicated to its three important pharaohs of which the smallest is the Pyramid of Menkaure built around 2510 BC. Only 213 foot tall, Menkaure is believed to be the fifth pharaoh from the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. The subsequent is the Pyramid of Khafra, the second smallest structure built by the predecessor of Menkaure.
He too was a pharaoh from the Fourth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and also the one to build the Sphinx (around 2500 BC), the Sphinx Temple. The legendary Great Sphinx of Giza made of bedrock limestone is easily the world’s oldest and largest (239 foot) statue representing a reclining Sphinx, a mythical creature with a human head and a lion’s body, one who guards treasures.
The greatest of all pyramids, the Cheops Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu is the oldest and one of the biggest buildings on earth. The pharaoh Khufu’s architect was Hemiunu, his nephew, who planned the pyramid on a core of bedrock and added around 2.3 million hunks of limestone with each weighing up to approximately two and a half tonne.
The monument gets its white blaze in the afternoon sun from the fine limestone blocks that case its facade. Built in the ‘golden age’ of the Old Kingdom between 2580 to 2560 BC during the Fourth Dynasty, its former height was 481 foot and remained to be the tallest man-made structure in more than 3800 years.
While there are several Egypt tour packages from India, make sure it incorporates the best of Egyptian monuments and its glorious ruins.
Monuments and other ruins
To the south of the pyramids plateau in Giza, about 20 kilometre away, lies the ancient city of Memphis along the Nile Delta. The administrative hub of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Memphis was founded by Pharaoh Menes in 3000 BC as the political capital of Egypt. Around Memphis extends a necropolis that houses the remains of pharaohs, their children, wives, head priests among other important courtiers.
The 9000 odd rock-cut tombs trace a funerary cult between the First and the Thirtieth Dynasties of ancient Egypt. Egypt with its mysterious and gigantic pyramids and majestic pharaonic temples excite the explorer in you especially if you are a lover of history. Soak up the stark setting of the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, the place where Tutankhaman’s tomb was discovered or regale yourself with the dazzling finds at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The whole idea that no man has still found an answer to the construction techniques used by ancient builders to erect the pyramids among other colossal edifices in Egypt, adds to the intrigue-factor. A cruise down Lake Nasser is another way of taking a closer look at the waterside temples particularly the Ramses II gems at Abu Simbel.
As you travel around Egypt, around its cities or to as far as the Roman trading outposts in the desert, keep a radar for ancient treasures you might stumble upon.
The syncretic Cairo
A country whose cultural heritage is a result of an assimilation of Greek, Arab, Turkish, Roman, Nubian, Ottoman and Persian influences, few know that Egypt was an early centre of Christianity. Though in the 7th century the country was predominantly Islamised, it retained a strong Christian minority. Home to the empire Al Qahira that was based out of Cairo, it is no wonder that the bustling Egyptian capital houses ornate minarets, mosques and medieval schools, some of which are paradigm of medieval Islamic architecture.
But what’s truly fascinating about Cairo is the tradition the native Egyptian Christians have adhered to and the presence of a traditional calender that goes back to the time of the pharaohs. Present day Cairo retains much of its old world feel despite absolute modernisation where honking cars jostle for space with donkey carts on a maze of concrete and dusty lanes flanked by towering Mamluk and Fatimid structures.
A stay in Cairo is pretty pointless if you haven’t winded down the labyrinthine gullies of Khan Al Khalili, a medieval-style souk. The explosion of little shops crammed on narrow courtyards that hawk everything from silks, spices, perfumes, soap powder, silver jewellery, semi-precious stones, alabaster pyramid, to wooden camel toys, will leave you breathless on an early Monday morning.This market begins at around 9 in the morning and goes on till sunset, save Fridays and Sundays.
Souvenir hunters can brace up for a field day here. This 14th century market is still highly sought-after by the locals for its gold jewellery offering. There are still designated quarters for the goldsmith, coppersmith and the spice traders. Bask in its infectious energy before rounding up at a cafe for some sweet biscuits and Turkish coffee.
The Red Sea coast and the sunniest spot in Hurghada
The coral reef network of the Red Sea is one of the world’s most extensive making it a veritable diving haven. With a rather desolate coastline that merges with the rugged desert dunes offshore and a gorgeous cobalt sea shining back at you, for both the sun and surf seeker and an ardent diver courtesy an extended coral wall, there is no better place than Hurghada on the planet.
The transformation this erstwhile fishing village has witnessed from a quiet peaceful sea faring community to the epicenter of Red Sea tourism with a strip of concrete running along its coastline for over 20 kilometre, is phenomenal. Offering ample cabins and luxurious tents for a diving holiday with glimpses into the Nile Valley sites, this coastal town brings out another facet of Egypt and its unique topography.
Best time to visit Egypt
Egypt remains hot and bright for the better part of the year. Winters on the other hand are rather mild with the daytime temperature in Cairo hovering around 20 degree Celsius. After sundown, the temperature plummets to about 10 degree Celsius. The temperature of an average summer day is approximately 35 degree Celsius exacerbated by a stifling humidity.
Best time to visit Aswan and Luxor: This is between May and October provided you don’t decide to venture out in the midday heat and keep your sightseeing restricted to the early morning or even late afternoon hours. Avoid March and May for the possibility of heavy sandstorms.
Best time for a Nile cruise: October to April is the ideal time for a cruise down the mighty Nile where you can make pit-stops to visit the Valley of the Kings in Luxor along with its temples. Whatever time you decide to travel avoid the hot summer months between June and August like plague.
Best time for a beach holiday in the Red Sea: Come anytime between June and September which despite the high summer season in the rest of the country receives cool sea breeze through the day and the temperature stays regulated. At the coastal getaway of Hurghada, the temperature hovers around 29 degree Celsius with a considerably balmy sea at 26 degree Celsius offering perfect conditions for snorkelling, and of course, diving.
The July to August window gets particularly busy in the Red Sea with hotel prices soaring and beaches exploding with colourful parasols.
Getting to Egypt
There are a bunch of airlines operating flights to Egypt from India with at least one stopover. Some of them include Air Arabia, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways, Aeroflot, Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, Egypt Air among others each with flights departing from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and arriving into Cairo via either Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Istanbul.
The journey time including the layover can vary from 10 to 17 hours.
Egypt Travel Note : Tourists must provide a negative PCR test performed 72 hours before departure, or they can provide an “accredited” COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing that they were fully vaccinated 14 days before arrival.
The certificate must be recognized by the health authorities at their countries of origin and include a QR Code. Certificates must not include deletion, alteration, or addition otherwise they will not be accepted.
Egypt Quarantine Packages
Plan and enjoy your travel with 15 days Egypt Quarantine Packages it includes –
– 15 nights and 16 days stay in Egypt with Hotels or, other similar hotels
– Hotel accommodation available at single and twin sharing basis
– 1 free RT-PCR Test per person
– Flight, Transfer, Meal & Airport Transfer included.