This tour of the Egyptian sands will see you exploring ancient desert oases, 4x4 driving through sandy plains, camping under the stars in the White Desert, exploring the Nubian town of Aswan, cruising down the Nile River, plus visiting the Valley of the Kings and the famed pyramids of Giza.
Today we will visit some of Egypt’s most famous sites, including the iconic pyramids and Sphinx of Giza, and the vast ancient burial grounds of Saqqara. Overnight - Cairo (B)
Sandblaster - 13 Days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
Cairo – Bahariyya Oasis. This morning we drive to the ancient green oasis of Bahariyya, where there will be time to explore the area and admire the sunset over the remote landscape. Overnight - Bahariyya Oasis (B, D)
Bahariyya Oasis - White Desert. After breakfast we make our way by 4x4 towards the striking White Desert with pit-stops at the Golden Mummy Museum, Tombs of the Nobles, and the Black Desert. Upon arrival it is not hard to see how the White Desert got its name, as the landscapes unusual limestone formations resemble snowy drifts. We cosy down at our remote West Desert base for the night. Lunch, dinner and overnight - desert camp.
Overnight - free camping White Desert (B, L, D)
White Desert - Dakhla Oasis. On our way to Dakhla we stop off at the Farafra Oasis, where we visit local artist and sculptor, Mr. Badr Aly at the Badr Museum, whose work uses natural materials and coloured sands offering insight into local customs and traditions.
We also take this time to explore the medieval city of Al Qasr. We roam the recently abandoned ghostly mosque, school, court and olive press. Above the doorways of many of the residences kufic Islamic script inscriptions can be seen detailing the names of the builder or occupants who once lived there - some families can even be traced back to 1518. Leaving Al Qasr behind us we continue on to the Roman Temple of Deir al-Haggar, and take a dip in the local, therapeutic hot springs. Lunch and overnight - Dakhla (oasis hotel).
Overnight - Dakhla Oasis (B, L)
Dakhla Oasis - Kharga Oasis - Luxor. We now head towards Kharga, and call at the Temple of Hibis (exterior only) and the tombs and mud-brick crypts of the 4th century cemetery of al-Bagawat. After lunch we head east to Luxor. Overnight - Luxor (B, L)
Luxor - Aswan. In the morning we make our way to Aswan where, after hotel check in, we go on a tour of the impressive High Dam. Later we travel by boat to Agilika Island on Lake Nasser and visit the Temple of Philae. Take the rest of the day and evening to fill your time as you please. Overnight - Aswan (B)
Aswan – Nile felucca cruise. Early-risers can opt for a morning air excursion to the impressive rock temples of Abu Simbel before we embark on our 2-night journey downstream on the River Nile. Overnight onboard the felucca.
If sailing by felucca is not for you, consider upgrading to a 5 star luxury Nile Cruise with our Nile Cruise Upgrade.Overnight - Felucca Cruise (B:2, L:2, D:2)
Kom Ombo - Edfu - Luxor. Back on shore we enjoy a guided tour of the Temple of Kom Ombo and the Temple of Horus at Edfu before continuing on to Luxor. Upon arrival take some time to rest and rejuvenate, and in the evening there is the chance to visit the Temple of Luxor lit up at night (book locally). Alternatively spend the remainder of your time bargaining down at the local market of strolling along the Nile Corniche. Overnight - Luxor (B)
Luxor - Cairo. In the cool heat of the morning we make our way to the famed Valley of the Kings, while early-birds can wake even earlier with an optional hot air balloon excursion . On the West Bank we will visit the Colossi of Memnon, the renowned Valley of the Kings - with its magnificent royal tombs - and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
After lunch and some rest and relaxation, we head to the East Bank where we visit the extraordinary Temple of Karnak, dedicated to the Theban gods. Much more than just a temple the complex is built on a gigantic scale and encompasses sanctuaries, pylons and obelisks. At night we begin our journey back to Cairo on an overnight seater train. It is possible to upgrade to the sleeper cabin. Overnight - Train (B)
Following arrival in Cairo and hotel check in, we take a guided tour of the Egyptian Museum, brimming with historical artefacts and certainly one of the most important attractions in the capital. View the famous solid gold death mask of Tutankhamen, or those with a strong stomach can opt to see the Royal Mummy Room. Spend the rest of your final day in Cairo exploring the city at your own pace. Overnight - Cairo (B)
Sunday. Check out after breakfast, and begin your journey home with an included airport transfer. Happy travels! (B)
5 star Nile Cruise Upgrade
If you’d like to upgrade from the included Nile felucca cruise from Aswan to Luxor, cruise the Nile in style with our 5 star Nile cruiser upgrade.
Cruiser facilities are similar to that of 5 star hotels with their own bar, lounges and restaurant. Your well–appointed, outward facing cabin offers air-conditioning, a private bathroom and views of the Nile as we sail.
The boat deck offers plenty of space for relaxation and a swimming pool. Sightseeing stops to the Temple of Kom Ombo and Temple of Horus at Edfu are made en-route. In the evening, low–key entertainment is on hand. All meals are included, buffet style.
FROM USD $1,369
Prices & Departure Dates
Prices shown are per person travelling. 'Twin/Double' prices per person apply when there are 2 people travelling, sharing a room. The 'Single supplement' applies for single travellers who require their own room and needs to be added to the 'Twin/Double' price.
If you are happy to be paired up with another single traveller of the same sex on your tour, this can be arranged, (if another solo traveller of the same sex is already booked upon the tour), thus avoiding the single person supplement.
All our scheduled tour departures are guaranteed subject to a minimum of 2 travellers.
Sandblaster - 13 Days Go Guide : :Check out the go guide for details of the tour, info on visas, climate, money, what to bring and more!
Bolt-ons
Make the most of your time away! Listed below are the optional activities that are available on this trip. Please note that you will need to book these prior to travel as we cannot always guarantee availability of these activities once you are on holiday.
Discover the Temples of Abu Simbel on a journey from Aswan by road. Egypt, with its gargantuan rock-cut facade is the magnificent Abu Simbel. Guarding the entrance to the temple are 4 colossal seated statues of King Ramses II, staring out across Lake Nasser.
The World War II cemeteries of El Alamein. In 1942 the Allies under Britain’s field Marshal Montgomery halted the German- Italian advance towards the River Nile. Marked as a major victory for the Allies, though not without loss of life, with some 11,000 killed and 60,000 wounded. We visit the Commonwealth cemetery and recently erected memorials funded by the Australian and New Zealand governments. Through the arches and beyond the gardens, 7,000 white headstones commemorate the Australian, New Zealand and British soldiers who fought and died here.
Upgrade from the included Nile felucca cruise from Aswan to Luxor and cruise in style aboard a luxury Nile cruiser. Our 5 star cruiser has a bar and restaurant, whilst your well–appointed, air-conditioned cabin offers a private bathroom. The boat deck offers plenty of space for relaxation and a swimming pool. Sightseeing stops are made en-route. All meals included, buffet style during your onboard stay.
On our Jewel of the Nile, Family tours and many tailor-made itineraries we include the Sleeper Cabin Train as part of your journey. On all other tours (taking the Nefertiti Seater Train) we offer the option to upgrade to a sleeper cabin on the Sleeper train. Cabins are lockable, equipped with 2 bunk beds, linen, washbasin and towel, allowing passengers to relax and stretch out.
Experiences
If you are interesting in trips with similar experiences to this one, then check out some of the ones we've listed below.
Get your adrenaline pumping with our selection of off road adventures. Take an exciting 4x4 ride across the red desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan or the Western Desert in Egypt, or perhaps test out your Quad biking skills by the coast in Morocco.
Enjoy the great outdoors, getting back to basics and soaking up the scenery. From camping for a night in the Sahara Desert, under a blanket of stars in Jordan's Wadi Rum or even on the snow in Antarctica! We also offer longer camping expeditions through the wilds of Africa. The choice is yours.
Experience breathtaking sunsets, incredible starry skies and the vast, beautiful landscapes of some of the world's most spectacular deserts. See the incredible limestone formations of the White Desert in Egypt, camel trek across the endless rolling sand dunes of the Sahara or India's great Thar Desert and climb Dune 45 in Namibia.
One of the highlights of our Egypt group tours, is felucca sailing on the mighty River Nile. Feluccas are simple, traditional sailboats, with broad sails, that have plied the mighty Nile since ancient times. Sail during the day, taking in the colourful sights of the Nile village life en-route, soak up the sun, relax, jump in for a swim and let the peaceful routine of life aboard allow, you to escape the stress of everyday life! At night sleep ondeck under a blanket of stars! What better way to experience the great outdoors!
Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the amazing pyramids at Giza are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Known as Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus, the pyramids were already more than 2,000 years old when Herodotus the Greek historian visited them (5th century BC).
Highlights & Inclusions
Below is a list of key highlights and what is included on this tour. Further, where appropriate, we have listed the items that are not included in the tour price.
Trip Highlights
Cairo - Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza Plateau, Necropolis of Saqqara, Egyptian Museum
White Desert, Black Desert and Crystal Mountain
Dakhla Oasis/Al Qasr - abandoned Islamic city
Aswan - High Dam, Philae Temple, River Nile
Kom Ombo - Temple of Kom Ombo, Edfu - Temple of Horus
Valley of the Kings, Colossi of Memnon, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
Bahariyya Oasis - Golden Mummy Museum, Tombs of the Nobles, El Heiz - date palm grove and spring
Farafra Oasis - Badr (local sculpter) Museum & Hot springs
Kharga Oasis - El Bagawat - Christian necropolis
Nile felucca cruising - islands en route
Luxor - Temple of Karnak
What's Included
Breakfast daily, 5 lunches, 4 dinners
1 night camping - White Desert
Touring of Cairo, Giza/Saqqara, oases, Aswan, Edfu & Luxor
Swimming in natural hot/cold springs and River Nile
Airport arrival and departure transfer day 1 and day 13
All relevant transfer and transportation in private air-conditioned vehicles
Insight into isolated communities and traditional way of life
Egyptian tour leader/guide degree qualified in Egyptology
What's Not Included
International flights and visa
Entrance Fees: $120-130 USD
Tip for your tour guide and leaders. We recommend you allow $3 - 5 USD per day, per traveller. Tip for your Felucca Crew/ Nile Cruise staff, we recommend you allow $10 USD. Tipping your guide and crew is an entirely personal gesture
Tipping Kitty: $40-50 USD
Hotels
The hotels listed below are ones which we frequently use on this tour. We reserve the right to substitute these hotels to ones of a similar standard when necessary.
Oasis Hotel - Cairo
The Oasis Hotel is surrounded by a palm forest and tropical gardens and boasts a swimming pool and an array of recreational facilities. The rooms are comfortable and spacious, with views over the gardens.
Our Rating : Superior —
Local Rating: 4 Star Hotel
Oasis Panorama - Bahariyya Oasis
A basic hotel, the Oasis Panorama is a clean and comfortable stay. The hotel is set within pretty gardens, a true oasis in the desert.
Our Rating : Standard —
Local Rating: 3 Star Hotel
Steigenberger Nile Palace - Luxor
The Steigenburger Nile Palace is a grand hotel and stylishly furnished. The hotel has a health club with massage rooms, sauna, steam room and fitness room and there is a tennis court on the roof.
The hotel is situated on the banks of the Nile, with the train station is 1.5 kilometres away and the airport 10 kilometres away.
Our Rating : Deluxe —
Local Rating: 5 Star Deluxe Hotel
Pyramisa Isis Corniche - Aswan
The Isis Corniche has panoramic views of the Nile. There is a range of rooms, which have views over the garden or Nile. The hotel has a wellness centre, with sauna, jacuzzi and steam bath.
Our Rating : Standard —
Local Rating: 4 Star Hotel
Felucca Cruise - Felucca Cruise
Feluccas are simple, traditional Egyptian sailboats that have plied the Nile since ancient times. Feluccas carry between 8 - 12 passengers comfortably. The boat’s deck is draped with soft colourful cushions that serve as your lounging and meal area during the day and as your sleeping area at night. You'll need to bring a sleeping bag/sheet and a towel with you. The crew, as well as being experienced sailors, are responsible for the preparation of the included meals, though they welcome helpers! Water, soft drinks and beer can be purchased aboard at a very reasonable cost.
Our Rating : Simple —
Local Rating:
Postcards
Here's what some of our past travellers have written in to us and said about their experiences on this trip.
Sandblaster - 13 Days
Very friendly,highly professional & outstandingly knowledgeable guide!
Vincent Sermanson ,
Sandblaster - 13 Days
I have just returned from your Sandblaster tour and wanted to say how much my family appreciated your guide Mahmoud Ramadan. He really went the extra mile to look after us, which was very much appreciated – especially since my husband was unable to join my daughters and myself for the desert portion of the trip. He was also always fascinating and informative on all of the sites we visited and was great at even making the longer journeys interesting, with the little surprise stops he planned – a tea-break in the desert for Bedouin tea, our own special, secret “crystal mountain” away from the one frequented by other tourists and many other things. His knowledge of Egyptology is very impressive and he is a great ambassador for Egypt, and Islam and a very honest and pleasant young man. We felt completely safe in his care and he represented OntheGo as a company in an excellent light. The two off-road drivers who took us through the desert (Henay and Mohammed were also very good. In addition to being excellent drivers, who made us feel completely safe at all times, they worked really hard and cooked some great desert meals). The whole trip – the desert, the felucca and the monuments - has been memorable and, despite the current electoral situation – we felt completely safe in all locations.
Denise Guest ,
Sandblaster - 13 Days
Dear on the go,
I feel it is only appropriate that I express my gratitude for the Excellent Service received from one of your employees (Alam)
It is not often that one takes the time to write a letter to compliment but rather send one very quickly when you want to complain. In my case I do feel it necessary to ensure that it is known that Alam (as he was known to us during our tour), has exceeded my expectations when it comes to service.
From the moment he gave us the briefing on our first day I realized that this gentleman is very well organized, in touch with his groups and each persons individual needs.
He is a true professional and he is well versed in egyptology. He really took his time to explain the complex world of the ancient egyptians in a way that we not only understood it, but gave us lessons we can take with us forever. This I have never experienced from any other tour I have been on before.
I also feel it necessary to mention that I have travelled with your company in India as well as now in Egypt and I am truly impressed by the details you give attention to. All the staff I encountered through all my trips have been very kind and helpful. You have a great concept and I will surely be using you again very soon indeed. I will recommend you above other tour operators I have used in the past without a doubt.
Odette Olwage,
Sandblaster - 13 Days
No tour company expects a fan letter from someone in their sixties - but that is exactly what I am writing. We have just come back from your Sandblaster tour to Egypt which started in Cairo on the 7th January and lasted for a fortnight. Everything worked smoothly, the guides were very good and the route and sights were fascinating.
But what made our particular trip so very special was our guide Mohamed Hady Mohamed. He has enormous charm, with such an ability to get on with people.
Hady did not just have great knowledge and enthusiasm for the world and the Gods of ancient Egypt. He put it over with such enthusiasm that at least two of bthe people on the group went round the tombs and temples in the Valley of the Kings and elsewhere pointing out which gods and pharohs were featured in each one and reproducing the stories which he has told us. Having had to listen to many worthily dull guides in the past made me all the more aware of the skills he had, when taking us round
Details of how ancient Egypt had worked and worshipped in the past was only part of the information Haddy gave us. He also told us just what were realistic prices in the markets – and how to bargain successfully. Moving round and supervising a party of 18 people cannot be easy, but he managed the process so successfully that he hardly noticed he was doing it. We were particularly touched when he asked us to lunch with his wife and family in the oasis town where he lived – an honour none of us is going to forget.
Everyone on the tour recognised how lucky we were to have Hady with us. He made what would have been a very good tour anyway really memorable and all privately agreed that we should write to tell you say so.
Tom Tickell ,
Sandblaster - 13 Days
We have just returned from an excellent Sandblaster trip to Egypt. We left on the 3rd January and returned last Sunday. We were both struck by the efficiency of On the Go as an organisation for everything worked like clockwork. All the staff were very friendly and helpful but I would like to give a special commendation to Mohammed Ahmed Mohammed Abdelhady. He was our guide and he was superb. We were a small party but very mixed; there were a few oldies like ourselves, a couple of teenagers and the majority were in their twenties. He was very concerned that we all should have a good holiday and kept an eye on everyone. He was excellent at explaining what was going to happen, what we needed to do and when. He gave us good advice about diet - no one had a stomach upset - and made sure we were not conned when we went shopping, advising us of realistic prices and to be wary of 50 piasta notes etc. But most of all he was great fun and made the trip incredibly enjoyable. He was clearly very knowledgeable but was never boring and happy to answer any questions. We all found it great fun trying to detect the different gods and felt that we were much more clued up by the end of the holiday than when we started.
His family home was at the oasis that we visited and he gave us a great treat by inviting us all to eat with his family. He was so generous as indeed were they, that we all felt very touched and lucky to have him as our guide. He was always doing just that bit extra to ensure that we had a good time and were safe, offering to wait for us or escort us etc
He ensured that what would have been a good holiday was excellent.
This was our first package tour and we started with a certain wariness but we have had such a good time that I am now converted.
Anne Tickell,
Sandblaster - 13 Days
We had an awesome time with our tour guide Alam on our 13day sandblaster trip through Egypt. It was worth every penny for the tour. The sights were amazing and it was an unforgetable experience. Every aspect of tour was thought out and went to plan. Accomodation and transport all up to standard especially bolt on and upgrades. We left Egypt seeing many wonderful places and made many new friends. We will definately book another on the go tour.
Mrs Maria Tran,
Sandblaster - 13 Days
Hi Ryan -
Well, we're home from our Egypt/Jordan adventure and I'd just like to thank you and On the Go Tours for arranging a flawless trip for us. Everything was orchestrated perfectly and we totally enjoyed our holiday. We'll certainly travel with you again. Hey, I'm ready to go right now!
Our guides were all terrific and so amenable and attentive. The On the Go office in Petra was particularly helpful. We were a bit uncertain about choosing the felucca sail but that turned out to be a highlight of the trip.
Thanks tremendously,
Patti Slaughter ,
Sandblaster - 13 Days
My daughter Rebecca, her friend Sarah and I have just returned from Egypt after spending 13 magical days travelling from Cairo to Aswan. We took the Desert Tour and were completely blown away by the professionalism of the tour leaders, their humour, their friendliness and their incredible knowledge of Egypt’s history. From Willy who met us the airport to Sherif, Mohammed, Mahmoud and Waleed we cannot speak more highly of these wonderful human beings. Over the whole 13 days there was not one mishap. Your company should be proud of these people and the wonderful job they do.
I will have no hesitation in recommending ‘On the Go Tours’ and in the future when I travel overseas again I will be using your company.
Our trip to Egypt exceeded our expectations and I consider it to be one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life.
