Home12-Day Egypt’s Ancient Wonders & Red Sea Wrecks
This Cairo, Nile cruise and Hurghada holiday shows you Egypt above and below the waterline. Begin at the Pyramids of Giza and the treasures of the Grand Egyptian Museum, then fly south to join the Salacia for three nights on the Nile between Aswan and Luxor. From there you head to Hurghada for a Saturday-to-Tuesday mini liveaboard on the AML HAYATY, exploring the reefs and famous wrecks of the northern Red Sea. Two restful nights in Hurghada follow, before a flight back to Cairo for the Citadel of Salah El Din and the lively alleys of Khan El Khalili. In less than two weeks, you’ll experience the monuments, the river and the sea – three quite different faces of Egypt.
The diving part of this trip is aimed at confident, certified recreational divers. The yacht’s route takes in wrecks and optional night dives that won’t automatically suit divers fresh from their Open Water course, so we check your experience before you book, and each dive is subject to the dive leader’s approval.
Why You’ll Love This Trip
- Giza, the Nile Valley and the northern Red Sea – three contrasting sides of Egypt in a single holiday.
- Cairo explored with your own Egyptologist, plus Nile cruise excursions rich in ancient history.
- A short Red Sea diving safari with Dolphin House, Abu Nuhas and the SS Thistlegorm as its planned highlights.
- Comfortable cabins aboard the AML HAYATY, full-board dining and time to unwind between dives.
- A Nile cruise and Red Sea stay in one trip, with two relaxed hotel nights in Hurghada once the safari ends, then a private guided day in Cairo before you fly home.
- Airport meet-and-assist and private land transfers in Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada as listed
- Domestic flights Cairo–Aswan and Hurghada–Cairo, according to the final confirmed schedule
- Two Cairo hotel nights before the Nile cruise and one final Cairo hotel night, with daily breakfast
- Three nights on a selected Nile cruise with full-board meals and the listed sightseeing
- The planned guided dive safari programme, including night dives for qualified divers where suitable and possible
- Three nights aboard the AML HAYATY on full board, with tea, coffee, water, soft drinks and snacks
- Two Hurghada hotel nights after the safari, with the meal plan according to your hotel category
- Private sightseeing with an Egyptologist in Cairo on Days 2 and 11, covering Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Salah El Din, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali and Khan El Khalili, with standard entrance fees and lunch on both days
- Private transfers from Luxor to Hurghada marina, from the marina to your hotel on Tuesday, and from your hotel to Hurghada Airport on Thursday, plus the listed Cairo airport and sightseeing transfers
- National park and marina fees for the mini safari
- Standard diving equipment hire
- International flights, travel documents and the Egypt entry visa, unless clearly included in your confirmed quote
- Special royal tombs, the optional Abu Simbel excursion and any optional sightseeing not listed
- Optional Nitrox and specialist technical or wreck training, unless confirmed separately
- Personal purchases, alcoholic drinks and tips (the yacht crew suggests an optional gratuity of €40)
- Dive insurance, medical clearance and any training beyond the agreed programme, unless your final quote states otherwise
A Memphis Tours representative greets you at Cairo International Airport, helps you through arrival formalities and escorts you to your private transfer. Once you’ve checked in at your hotel, the rest of the day is yours.
Overnight: Cairo
Meals: None
Visits / experiences: Arrival assistance and private hotel transfer
Good to know: Visa requirements vary by nationality and will be confirmed in your final itinerary.
Your private Egyptologist leads you across the Giza Plateau, where the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx reveal the sheer ambition of ancient Egypt. Following lunch at a carefully chosen local restaurant, move on to the Grand Egyptian Museum, whose collections paint a vivid picture of how the pharaohs lived and what they achieved.
Overnight: Cairo
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Visits / experiences: Giza Pyramids, Great Sphinx, Valley Temple and Grand Egyptian Museum
Good to know: Entry inside the Great Pyramid is an optional extra unless your booking specifically includes it.
Take the flight from Cairo to Aswan, where your Memphis Tours representative and Egyptologist are waiting. Visit the ancient granite quarries and the Unfinished Obelisk, then hop on the included motorboat to Agilkia Island and Philae Temple, devoted chiefly to the goddess Isis. Afterwards, join the Salacia for lunch and a leisurely afternoon gazing out across the Nile.
Overnight: Salacia Nile cruise, Aswan
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple
Good to know: The motorboat to Philae is included. Your flight time and the order of visits may shift to suit the ship’s boarding arrangements.
Rise early if you’d like to see the astonishing rock-cut temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari at Abu Simbel, on an optional excursion by road or, where possible, by air.
Prefer a gentler start? Stay on board the Salacia instead. As the ship heads north, stop at Kom Ombo Temple on the riverbank, a perfectly symmetrical temple shared by Sobek and Haroeris. Back on deck, watch villages, palm groves and riverside life slip past as you continue towards Edfu.
Overnight: Salacia Nile cruise
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Kom Ombo Temple. Optional: Abu Simbel by road or air
Good to know: Kom Ombo is a short stroll from the ship’s mooring. Abu Simbel must fit around the Salacia’s actual Thursday sailing time, so it can’t be guaranteed and isn’t part of the base package.
After breakfast, the included horse-drawn carriage takes you from the quay to Edfu’s remarkably well-preserved Temple of Horus, whose soaring pylons and decorated halls bring ancient ceremonies to life. Return to the Salacia and sail on towards Luxor through the Esna area. In Luxor, your Egyptologist guides you around the vast Karnak Temple Complex and the beautiful riverside Luxor Temple, before you head back for dinner and your final night on board.
Overnight: Salacia Nile cruise, Luxor
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Edfu Temple, Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple
Good to know: The Edfu carriage is included. The Esna lock, river traffic and arrival times may alter the order or timing of visits, and the final schedule follows the Salacia’s sailing plan.
Following breakfast, disembark the Salacia and cross to Luxor’s West Bank. Explore the Valley of the Kings, resting place of the New Kingdom pharaohs, then visit Queen Hatshepsut’s striking terraced temple and pause at the colossal Colossi of Memnon. A private, air-conditioned vehicle then carries you across the Eastern Desert to Hurghada, where you board the AML HAYATY, meet the crew, settle into your cabin and enjoy dinner on board. The yacht stays in port overnight, ready for an early start to your diving safari on Sunday.
Overnight: AML HAYATY, moored at Hurghada marina
Meals: Breakfast and dinner; lunch on the road journey as confirmed in your final itinerary
Visits / experiences: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon; private Luxor–Hurghada transfer; boarding the yacht
Good to know: You’ll board after the standard 3pm check-in time, as there’s no diving on Saturday; late boarding, marina access, crew availability and dinner are all confirmed with the yacht before departure. The standard Valley of the Kings ticket covers selected tombs, and Tutankhamun’s tomb and other special tombs are extra.
Set off early from Hurghada towards the northern reefs. The first stop is Dolphin House, where the crew plans a check dive over the coral; wild dolphins may appear, but sightings can’t be promised. Carry on to Siyoul Kebir for a second reef dive and a possible night dive, then spend your first night at sea in the peace of the Red Sea.
Overnight: AML HAYATY at Siyoul Kebir
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Dolphin House and Siyoul Kebir; two planned dives and an optional night dive
Good to know: Night dives are reserved for guests with suitable training and recent experience; the dive leader may substitute a daytime reef dive.
Today is devoted to the northern Red Sea’s dramatic maritime past and some of Egypt’s finest wreck diving. At Abu Nuhas, you’ll dive two of the area’s well-known shipwrecks, which may include the Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K or Kimon M. The yacht then moves on to the legendary SS Thistlegorm, a British supply ship sunk in 1941, for a planned third dive and a possible night dive.
Overnight: AML HAYATY near the SS Thistlegorm
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Visits / experiences: Abu Nuhas wrecks and the SS Thistlegorm; three planned dives and a possible night dive
Good to know: This day is aimed at experienced divers. Currents, depth, enclosed spaces and entering wrecks all call for the right qualifications, and wreck penetration isn’t included as standard. Less experienced guests may be offered a reef dive instead or may need to sit out a dive.
Conditions permitting, begin with another guided dive on the SS Thistlegorm, then continue to Small Gubal Island for a final coral reef dive. Take in the scenery as the AML HAYATY sails back to Hurghada, arriving before sunset, with disembarkation planned for around 5pm. A private transfer then takes you to a comfortable resort for a peaceful night ashore.
Overnight: Hurghada hotel
Meals: Breakfast and lunch; dinner according to your hotel plan
Visits / experiences: Planned Thistlegorm and Small Gubal dives; transfer to the hotel
Good to know: There’s no flying today. Your final dive time is logged so a safe, conservative interval is kept before you fly.
After the thrill of the liveaboard, enjoy a full day of rest at your Hurghada resort. Swim in the Red Sea, laze by the pool, make use of the hotel’s facilities or treat yourself to an optional spa session. With no diving or transfers scheduled, you can unwind completely before tomorrow morning’s flight to Cairo.
Overnight: Hurghada hotel
Meals: Breakfast; other meals according to your hotel plan
Visits / experiences: Free day at the resort; optional non-diving activities at extra cost
Good to know: There’s no diving on Wednesday. The extra night gives you a generous no-fly interval after Tuesday’s final dive.
After breakfast at your resort, transfer to Hurghada Airport for the included flight to Cairo. Your Memphis Tours representative and private Egyptologist meet you for a tour of Islamic Cairo. Explore the Citadel of Salah El Din, perched high above the city, and admire the graceful Mosque of Muhammad Ali within its walls. Then wander through Khan El Khalili, Cairo’s historic bazaar, where narrow lanes, craft workshops and busy cafés reveal another side of the capital. Following lunch at a carefully chosen local restaurant, transfer to your Cairo hotel for your last night.
Overnight: Cairo
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Visits / experiences: Citadel of Salah El Din, Mosque of Muhammad Ali and Khan El Khalili; private guided sightseeing; domestic flight Hurghada–Cairo
Good to know: We’ll select a Hurghada–Cairo flight that leaves enough time for the guided visits, lunch and hotel check-in. The order of visits may change around flight times, opening hours and traffic.
After breakfast, your private transfer takes you to Cairo International Airport for your flight home, carrying memories of ancient monuments, the timeless Nile and the underwater world of the Red Sea.
Overnight: None
Meals: Breakfast
Visits / experiences: Departure transfer
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