The Pharaohs' Road: Egypt by land and Abu Simbel

After breakfast, the Giza Plateau with your Egyptologist: the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Great Sphinx and its Valley Temple, and the panoramic viewpoint over the whole plateau. Lunch at a local restaurant, then the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to the complete treasure of Tutankhamun. Back to your hotel.

Breakfast and check-out, then a flight to Luxor, where we meet you and take you to your hotel by the Nile. In the afternoon, the vast temple complex of Karnak and the elegant Luxor Temple, at its most beautiful as the light softens towards sunset. Night in Luxor.

Cross to the West Bank in the cool of the morning: royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Lunch at a local restaurant, then a free afternoon by the Nile. Night in Luxor.

A private drive south through the green Nile valley. Stop at Edfu for the Temple of Horus, the best preserved temple in Egypt, then at Kom Ombo for the double temple of Sobek and Horus above the river and its Crocodile Museum. Arrive in Aswan in the late afternoon and check in at your hotel.

The High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk still lying in its granite quarry, and a motorboat to Philae, the island temple of Isis. Lunch at a local restaurant, then a traditional felucca sail around the islands of Aswan at sunset. Night in Aswan.

An early start and a private drive across the desert to Abu Simbel: the Great Temple of Ramses II, the Temple of Queen Nefertari, and the remarkable story of how both were moved to save them from the rising lake. Back in Aswan, a flight to Cairo, where we meet you and take you to your hotel.

The Citadel of Saladin and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, then Old Cairo: the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue (when open to visitors). Lunch at a traditional Egyptian restaurant, a walk along historic El Moez Street, and time in the Khan el-Khalili bazaar for its cafés, souvenirs and shopping.

Breakfast and check-out, then a private transfer to Cairo International Airport, with help at departure. Home with unforgettable memories of Egypt.