Egypt Tours · Style
Every Egypt tour we sell is private by default – just your party, your own Egyptologist guide, your own driver, your own car. There are no coach-group joins, no fixed departure dates we're moving you to fill seats, no strangers in your hotel. The standard private structure: your guide picks you up at Cairo airport, stays with you through Cairo, flies south with you, escorts every temple visit, and hands you over to a colleague only when you change region. Most private Egypt tours run 7–15 days; the cheapest private 7-day shape starts around $1,500 per person, ground-only.
8 matching tours
The hallmarks
A private Egypt tour is exactly what it sounds like: your party only, your own Egyptologist, your own driver, your own car. Every Egypt tour we sell is private by default – there are no coach-group joins, no fixed departure dates we're moving you to fill seats, no strangers at your hotel breakfast. Your guide picks you up at Cairo airport and stays with you through the whole circuit.
Picture your party of four arriving at the Valley of the Kings at 8am with a personal Egyptologist who lingers an hour on the column you're interested in and skips the one you're not. The 30–50% premium over coach-group prices is, in our experience, what every American client says afterwards was the best money they spent on the trip. Private 7-day trips start around $1,500 per person at 4-star, ground-only – and the per-person price drops as your party size grows.
How to choose
Three pillars determine what 'private' delivers on your specific itinerary. The party size is the biggest economic lever.
Larger parties pay less per person because the guide and driver are fixed costs that split across the party. A family of four at 4-star is around $1,300 per person; a couple is $1,500 per person; eight travelers is $1,150 each. The cruise cost stays the same per cabin regardless. Tell us your headcount and we send the per-person quote upfront with no markup gymnastics.
Every private Egypt tour includes an Egyptologist with you at every temple. The choice is whether to extend the guide to off-temple moments – bazaar shopping in Khan el-Khalili, dinner at Abou El Sid, evening sound-and-light at Karnak. Most clients add Khan el-Khalili and the evening shows. Some add every meal.
The cruise itself runs with other guests on board – you don't get a private ship at standard pricing. What you DO get private on cruise days: your own Egyptologist at temple visits, your own dinner table, your party's preferred timing. For a fully private ship, see our luxury slice – dahabiyas at 6–12 cabins are often chartered exclusively by one party.
MidLuxor
This seven-day Egypt holiday combines Cairo and Giza sightseeing with a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor. In Cairo, our Egyptologist guides you around the Giza Plateau, including the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, and the Sphinx, followed by the Grand Egyptian Museum. The river section includes Philae Temple, the Aswan High Dam, Kom Ombo Temple and Edfu Temple before reaching Luxor. On the Luxor West Bank, visit the Valley of the Kings and the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, then explore Karnak Temple. Domestic flights reduce long overland journeys, while private air-conditioned transfers keep connections straightforward. The cruise vessel is assigned at booking, with the itinerary arranged by a licensed Egyptian tour operator.
Cairo
This 10-day itinerary visits Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Luxor, focusing on Pharaonic, Coptic and Islamic sites. It is led by experienced Egyptologists and includes guided visits to major monuments and museums. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and we arrange domestic flights and the first-class train transfer between Aswan and Luxor. Unlike mass coach programs, we limit daily group sizes and favour guided walking at each site so you have time to study inscriptions and architecture. Expect early starts at major temples and a pace tuned to avoiding midday heat where possible.
Cairo
This 15-day itinerary links Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, a Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor, Luxor and Hurghada, finishing in Cairo. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and we arrange all transfers, domestic flights and Egyptologist-led sightseeing. We do not run large coach-group itineraries; transfers and excursions are by private air-conditioned car with local guides. Unlike short packaged cruises, this trip includes full calls at Kom Ombo and Edfu and time on both Luxor East Bank and West Bank, plus two full days at the Red Sea for snorkeling and a desert quad safari.
BudgetAlexandria
This six-day Egypt itinerary combines Cairo’s ancient monuments, Islamic architecture and museum collections with a full-day visit to Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast. At Giza, our Egyptologist introduces the Great Pyramid of Khufu and the Great Sphinx before the route continues to Saqqara and the Step Pyramid of Djoser. In Cairo, visits include the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, the Citadel of Salah El Din and Al-Muizz Street. Alexandria adds Qaitbay Citadel and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Unlike shorter Cairo breaks, this programme allows time for both Alexandria and Saqqara, rather than treating them as optional add-ons. Discovery Tours Egypt is a licensed Egyptian tour operator arranging the accommodation, private transport and guided sightseeing.
MidAswan
A 9-day, land-based tour that visits Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan and Luxor with private Egyptologists and a combination of domestic flights and a first-class train. We arrange all airport meet-and-assist, modern private transfers and guides for the major sites named in the itinerary. Unlike large coach programs, every major visit is private and paced to avoid peak crowds whenever possible. We do not run fixed-seat group buses; instead you travel in air-conditioned cars with your Egyptologist. Entrance fees for the listed monuments are included, while pyramid interiors and premium tombs are excluded unless requested.
BudgetAswan
This two-day post-cruise arrangement links your Aswan disembarkation with an overnight stay in Cairo. We coordinate the transfer from your Aswan disembarkation point to Aswan International Airport or another agreed departure point, then arrange your domestic flight to Cairo. On arrival, a representative from our licensed Egyptian tour operator team meets you in the Arrivals hall and arranges your private transfer to the included hotel. Breakfast is provided the following morning. The overnight stay creates practical space between your Nile cruise and onward travel, although Cairo sightseeing, museum visits and entrance fees are not included. Daily departures are available, subject to flight and cruise timing.
MidCairo
This 8-day itinerary combines Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel with two hotel nights in Cairo, one in Luxor and a four-night Nile cruise segment between Luxor and Aswan. You see the Giza Plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Luxor East and West Bank sites, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Abu Simbel, with guided visits and site entrance fees included as stated. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and we arrange domestic flights, transfers and English-speaking Egyptologists. Unlike short packaged cruises that rush river sites, this program allows longer visits at Edfu and Kom Ombo, and a scheduled morning entry to Abu Simbel.
BudgetNile (cruise route)
This 8-day, 7-night Luxor round-trip by Nile visits major temples and river towns between Luxor and Aswan. You will see Karnak Temple, Luxor West Bank including the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut, and make calls at Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and we coordinate transfers, Egyptologists and accommodation on the ground. Unlike rushed one-way cruises, this round-trip schedule allows fuller visits to Edfu and Kom Ombo and morning access at key temples before the busiest hours.
Practical questions
On a private Egypt tour, you and your party have your own dedicated Egyptologist guide, driver, and car for the entire trip. Pace, stops, and meal timing are yours to set. On a group tour, you share a coach and guide with 20–40 strangers, the schedule is fixed, and stops are determined by the itinerary not your interest. We only sell private tours.
For the temple sites – Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel – yes, unequivocally. A private guide will spend an hour on a column you'd otherwise pass in 90 seconds. Cruise segments and pyramid visits feel similar private vs group. The premium runs 30–50% over group prices; most clients say they'd never go back.
Private Egypt tours start around $1,500 per person for 7 days at 4-star with Nile cruise included (party of 2). Private tour pricing scales DOWN with party size – a family of 4 splits the guide and driver fixed costs and pays less per person ($1,200–$1,300 pp at 4-star). At 5-star, 7-day private tours run $2,200–$3,500 per person. International flights from the US are separate. Add 25–35% for Christmas, New Year, and US spring break weeks.
The cruise itself runs with other guests on board – you don't get a private ship at standard pricing. What you DO get private on a cruise day: your own Egyptologist guide who stays with your party at temple visits (so a 10-cabin floor doesn't all flood the same column at Karnak), your own dinner table, and your party's preferred timing for embark / disembark. For a fully private cruise, see the dahabiya option under /egypt-tours/luxury/ – 6-12 cabins, sails under canvas, often chartered exclusively by one party.
Yes – we book ground-only by default (ATOL/IATA-protected international flights aren't required from the US the way they are from the UK), but the planning team will identify the best US-Egypt fare combinations and arrange the flights as a separate booking if you'd like one invoice. Most international clients book their own using miles or a preferred carrier; we coordinate to your arrival time once flights are confirmed.
From the Cairo desk
Every Egypt tour we run is tailor-made – your dates, your party, your pace. Send a short brief or talk to the Cairo desk direct. Replies within one working day.
– Suhaila & the Cairo team · 38 years · 6 offices · IATA #90255546
