The Pharaonic Kingdoms

Upon your arrival at Cairo International Airport, you receive VIP tarmac reception, expediting you through customs and baggage claim with ease. A private guide transfers you in a luxury, air-conditioned vehicle to your palatial Nile-side hotel — The St. Regis Cairo.

If you arrive before 4:00 PM, you are treated to a private guided city tour of the historic district of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO World Heritage site, including the Mosque of Muhammad Ali on the Citadel hill. The day culminates in an exclusive welcome dinner overlooking the illuminated Nile, where you meet your private Egyptologist guide for a briefing on the journey ahead.

A crowd-free morning with your private Egyptologist guide exploring the Giza Plateau, home to the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. You stand before the Great Pyramid of Khufu, constructed over 4,500 years ago from over 2 million limestone blocks, and explore its interior chambers. You also visit the Great Sphinx, the monumental limestone guardian of the necropolis.

In the late afternoon, chilled champagne and local hibiscus canapés are served from a private carpet-and-majlis tent on a secluded desert ridge facing the Pyramids, as the sun drops behind the ancient stones — an unforgettable sundowner. You return to your hotel for a gourmet dinner.

A private, after-hours VIP tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum — one of the largest museums in the world. You explore the vast collection of over 100,000 artifacts, including the complete Tutankhamun collection displayed in its entirety: the golden death mask, intricate jewelry, and royal chariots.

You also visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization's Royal Mummies Hall, coming face-to-face with the preserved remains of Ramses II and Hatshepsut. The day culminates in an elegant lantern dinner served under the stars on an open-air terrace overlooking Islamic Cairo and the Citadel.

After breakfast, you are transferred to the private aviation terminal for a charter flight south to Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes, with dramatic aerial views of the Nile Valley. Upon arrival, you embark onto your ultra-luxury Nile cruiser, the Oberoi Philae or Oberoi Zahra, welcomed with chilled champagne.

In the afternoon, you cross to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, with private entry into the tombs of Tutankhamun and Seti I. You also visit the Temple of Hatshepsut carved into the cliffs of Deir el-Bahri, and the Colossi of Memnon. Dinner is served as you sail along the Nile.

Rising before dawn, you board a hot air balloon for a sunrise flight over the Valley of the Kings and the Colossi of Memnon, watching the temples emerge from the morning river mist. After a gentle landing, a white-linen gourmet breakfast with a live-cooking chef awaits under the palms on the West Bank.

In the afternoon, you visit the massive Karnak Temple Complex, walking through the Great Hypostyle Hall's 134 towering columns and exploring the sacred lake and obelisks. In the evening, your cruise sets sail toward Edfu.

You dock at Edfu and arrive by private horse-drawn carriage at the Temple of Horus, the most exceptionally preserved temple in Egypt, dedicated to the falcon-headed god. Your guide explains the reliefs depicting the mythological battle between Horus and Seth.

You re-embark and cruise to the dual Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris, exploring its unique symmetrical design and the mummified crocodile museum. Dinner is served as you continue sailing toward Aswan.

You sail into Aswan, the southernmost city of ancient Egypt, set against the dramatic Nile cataracts. A private water-taxi carries you to the floating Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, on the island of Agilkia — painstakingly relocated in the 1960s to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

Your Egyptologist guide explains the myths of Isis and Osiris and the temple's role as a centre of pilgrimage. You return to your cruiser for a relaxed afternoon and gourmet dinner.

A private charter flight carries you south to the colossal rock-cut temples of Abu Simbel. You stand before the Great Temple of Ramses II, with its four colossal statues over 20 metres high carved into the sandstone cliff, aligned so that twice a year sunlight illuminates the inner sanctuary. You also visit the Temple of Hathor, dedicated to Queen Nefertari.

You return to Aswan in the afternoon. The day culminates in a dramatic torch-lit bonfire dinner on a private granite island amid the Nile cataracts, listening to traditional local music under the desert stars.

A traditional wooden felucca carries you to a non-commercial, indigenous Nubian village on Elephantine Island, where community elders welcome you for a dignified exchange. You learn about the ancient Nilo-Saharan language and the distinct mud-brick Nubian architecture, painted in vibrant colours.

You also discover Nubian craft traditions including basket weaving and beadwork, and hear traditional oral storytelling. The day concludes with a celebratory multi-course farewell dinner on board paired with vintage wines.

A relaxed luxury breakfast on deck watching the Nile flow gently by. You check out and board your private charter aircraft back to Cairo, where you are transferred to your city hotel for a complementary spa session.

Your airport transfer for the connecting international flight home is timed precisely to your departure schedule, whether your flight leaves that evening or the following morning.