Egypt: 14 days, December 3-16, 2025!
To Register, click here: Registration link
Join myself (Ben van Kerkwyk from UnchartedX), and expert guide Yousef Awyan on an epic journey exploring the varied mysteries of ancient high technology and the amazing Dynastic Egyptian civilization, across the famously iconic sites of Egypt! Full itinerary details below!
This tour will be the trip of a lifetime! It’s a packed itinerary, 14 days, including ‘private permission’ visits into normally closed areas, 5 star hotels, and a 4 night Nile Cruise. We’ll explore pyramids, temples, incredible architecture and artifacts, as well as visiting world famous museums like the Cairo Museum, and the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum! Come explore the mysteries of Ancient Egypt with a friendly and fun group of interested, open minded people.
For Egypt tour questions, Please contact Sandy at info@selectegypt.com
Feel free to copy the hosts (Ben and Yousef) at primordial@unchartedx.com on any correspondence, or for any questions.
We will be organizing a zoom call for attendees 6-8 weeks prior to the trip to help get everyone ready, and answer any questions! We will also set up a Telegram group for everyone to communicate prior to, on and after the tour.
Price (Egypt trip): US$6,790
(per person, dual occupancy)
Non-refundable $1,000 deposit required for registration.
We will contact you with deposit information after you fill out the registration form here.
Single Supplement: US $1,400 (for single room)
We are expecting between 30-40 guests for this trip.
We supply radio receivers and headphones sets for each person so that everyone can hear the speakers as we explore the sites. Please look after the radios as we need to return them at the end of the tour, and there will be a $100 charge for any lost radios. They use the normal 3.5mm audio jacks (just a regular headphone plug), and while we supply ear buds, you might want to consider bringing your own to use with the radios!
The Egypt tour is hosted by Select Egypt, a licensed tour operator who facilitates the tour and takes payment.
Below is a detailed day-by-day itinerary, pricing details, as well as terms and conditions. Not everything is listed below, there will be some surprise events, and opportunities for live music, lectures and Q&As with our hosts. Please do fully review the itinerary as well as the terms and conditions!
Price does not include flights to/from Egypt. The tour begins and ends in Cairo. See terms and conditions for a full list of inclusions and exclusions. Included meals are shown each day as B | L | D (Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner).
Testimonials:
For more testimonials, please check out the ‘Future Tours and Testimonials’ page here.
Detailed Itinerary:
DAY 1: WED, December 3, 2025 Cairo Guests Arrive & Welcome Dinner
Guests arrive at Cairo International Airport, where they will be met by one of our representatives who will assist with obtaining the tourist visas and help you through customs. Visas for visitors from many countries are $25 USD, obtained easily after de-boarding (it's how Ben does it every time). You can also obtain them on-line, check with your local Egyptian Embassy in your country. You will then be transferred by private bus to our hotel. We will have an Introductory Meeting and welcome dinner that evening. Please ensure your flights land in Cairo by 2 PM, as the Introductory meeting will commence at 5pm and dinner will be at 6 or 7 PM.
Please note, hotel check in commences at 2 PM. If your flight arrives overnight, early in the morning or the night before, you would need to book an additional night accommodation, please contact Sandy for help with this.
Overnight at the 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
D
The 5-star Hyatt Regency West
DAY 2: THU, December 4, 2025 Cairo Giza Plateau, Valley Temple, Causeway, Exploration around the Pyramids.
After an early breakfast, we depart for the Giza Plateau for opening hours. It's worth getting here early! We will visit the beautiful Valley Temple, and the viewing platform for the Great Sphinx, walk up the Khafre causeway to the megalithic Middle Pyramid, and explore the site around both the Great and Middle Pyramids, before heading to the 3rd pyramid. Then a late lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Overnight at 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L
The Great Pyramids of Giza
DAY 3: FRI, December 5, 2025 Cairo, and flight to Luxor Museum and Flight to Luxor.
After breakfast, we will check out of the hotel and explore the treasures housed inside the Cairo Museum, still one of the greatest Ancient Egyptian museums in the world. It is full of examples of remarkable ancient technology, including incredible displays of ancient hard stone vases. We will stop for lunch en-route to the airport for the short flight to Luxor in Upper Egypt, and the 5-star Steigenburger Nile Palace hotel.
Overnight at the Steigenburger Nile Palace
B | L
The Cairo Museum
DAY 4: SAT, December 6, 2025 Luxor Abydos, Osirion, and Dendera.
After breakfast, we will board our luxury coaches for the drive to Abydos, home to the incredibly well preserved Temple of Seti I, and something even more remarkable behind it. After exploring the beautiful dynastic temple, we will step outside to view and discuss the incredible megalithic Osirion! After lunch in the village, we will drive to Dendera to visit the Temple of Hathor. This temple has some amazing vividly colored ceilings with zodiacal depictions, that will be explained by your hosts. It is also home to many 'crypts' between and beneath the walls, several of which that can be explored – including the crypt that includes the “Dendera Lightbulbs”. Return to Luxor.
Overnight at 5* Steigenberger Nile Palace
B | L
The Megalithic Osirion
The Temple of Hathor at Dendera.
DAY 5: SUN, December 7, 2025 Luxor Luxor Temple, Luxor Temple, Shopping. OPTIONAL ACTIVIY: Sunrise Balloon ride (price TBD),
Guests who wish to participate in a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the West Bank of Luxor will depart the hotel before breakfast. Snacks and breakfast boxes will be supplied, and you will return to the hotel in time for the full breakfast buffet. All other guests can enjoy breakfast at their leisure, and afterwards we will leave to visit Luxor Museum, a small but important museum with some remarkable artifacts. We will then enjoy lunch, and visit Luxor temple in the afternoon, home to some of the best examples of huge, precision made granite statues and artifacts in Egypt. There will be time for shopping near the hotel after the temple visit.
Overnight at 5* Steigenberger Nile Palace
B | L
DAY 6: MON, December 8, 2025 Luxor & Nile Cruise West Bank, Valley of the Kings, Ramesseum, Tombs of the Nobles, check into Nile Cruise.
After breakfast, we will depart for the West bank of the Nile river, to visit the Valley of the Kings, where you will have the opportunity to visit 3 of the beautiful royal tombs. Guests will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for specific tombs of interest, and our guides will make recommendations. Afterwards we will visit the Ramesseum, a beautiful temple structure home to the remnants of a gigantic, 1000+ ton single piece granite statue. We will also visit the nearby tombs of the Nobles for a look at some unique Ancient Egyptian scenes. After Lunch, We will stop at the Colossi of Memnon, on our way to check into the Nile Cruise.
Overnight on 5* Nile Cruise
B | L | D
The Ramesseum
The Colossi of Memnon
DAY 7: TUE, December 9, 2025 Karnak and Nile Cruise Karnak Temple and Sailing.
After breakfast, we will visit Karnak Temple – the largest known religious complex in the world. Here you will find some incredible megalithic structures and statues, as well as evidence for ancient technology. We return to the Nile Cruise ship for Lunch, and the afternoon will be free to enjoy the journey along the Nile and the amenities of the Cruise Ship.
Overnight on the 5* Nile Cruise
B | L | D
The mighty Obelisk at Karnak Temple
DAY 8: WED, December 10, 2025 Nile Cruise Edfu and Kom Ombo.
In the morning we will visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, an impressive temple that is one of the best preserved temples for the ancient Egyptian Ptolemaic period. The inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth, religion, and connects to the time of Zep Tepi, Atlantis, and the Ancient Egyptian creation stories. We will then return to the cruise ship and sail towards Kom Ombo. You can enjoy lunch and afternoon tea onboard, before the cruise ship docks in Kom Ombo. We will have a late afternoon visit in Kom Ombo (cruise ship schedule permitting!) – a unique temple that is dedicated to two Gods – Horus and Sobek. We will then return to the cruise ship and continue sailing, arriving in Aswan in the late evening.
Overnight on 5* Nile Cruise
B | L | D
Edfu Temple
DAY 9: THU, December 11, 2025 Nile Cruise Elephantine Island
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Early Morning visit to Abu Simbel (price TBD) or Nubian Museum (price TBD).
Guests who wish to visit Abu Simbel will depart at 4 AM, and return to Aswan to meet the rest of the group by lunch time. Other guests will have the chance to visit the Nubian Museum in the morning. Remaining guests will have the morning free to enjoy the amenities of the cruise ship. In the afternoon we will take a motorboat to Elephantine Island – a wonderful ancient site that is less frequently visited by tourists, and home to some remarkable artifacts. We will then return to the cruise ship at sunset.
Overnight on 5* Nile Cruise
B | L | D
Elephantine Island
DAY 10: FRI, December 12, 2025 Aswan, fly to Cairo Aswan Quarry, Isis Temple, Flight to Cairo.
After breakfast we will check out of the Nile cruise and visit the famous Aswan Quarry, where you will have the opportunity to see some quarrying techniques, as well as the Unfinished Obelisk, which would have weighed nearly 1,200 tons once completed. We will then continue on to visit Philae Island and the Temple of Isis. After Lunch, we will transfer to Aswan airport for our flight back to Cairo.
Overnight at 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L
The Unfinished Obelisk at the Aswan Quarry
DAY 11: SAT, December 13, 2025 Cairo Saqqara!
After breakfast we will depart for our visit to Saqqara, where we will have the opportunity to explore the courtyard and structures around Unas pyramid, as well as the chance to enter the Unas Pyramid to view the pyramid texts. We will also explore around the nearby 3rd Dynasty Step Pyramid, and enter it via the 'Persian Tunnel' to look down on the incredible work in the bedrock beneath the pyramid. We will then continue to the incredible Serapeum where we see the mysterious 70 to 100 ton precision made, single-piece boxes of granite, cyanite and other hard stone types. We will then enjoy a home-cooked late lunch at a local restaurant, before returning to the hotel.
Overnight at the 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L
The Serapeum of Saqqara
DAY 12: SUN, December 14, 2025 Cairo Private Visits to Abu Sir, Abu Ghorub.
After breakfast we will travel to Abu Ghorab & Abu Sir on our private permission visits. These sites are active archaeological sites and permanently closed to the public, so it is a special treat to have the opportunity to see them! After our visit, we will have a sunset dinner at a local restaurant overlooking the Abu Sir pyramids.
Overnight at the 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | D
DAY 13: MON, December 15, 2025 Cairo Grand Egyptian Musueum, Private Visit to Great Pyramid
After breakfast, we will visit the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum! With more than 80,000 artifacts it is the largest museum dedicated to a single ancient civilization in the world. After exploring the museum we will have lunch, and guests will have the afternoon to relax at the hotel. At the appointed time after the Giza Plateau closes, we will enter the Great Pyramid of Giza for our private, 2 hour access to this incredible monument. We will have access to all three chambers, two of which (Queens Chamber and Subterranean Chamber) are always closed to the public - it's a huge highlight to this trip, and always saved for last!
Overnight at the 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L
The Grand Gallery in the Great Pyramid
DAY 14: TUE, December 16, 2025 Departure Departure flights from Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel, check out, and guests leaving the tour will have transfers arranged to the airport to catch their international flights home. Anyone wishing to extend their stay in Egypt can contact Sandy to arrange details.
B
Egypt Tour / Select Egypt Terms and Conditions
Registration link here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSewweDHttplCnPoJitqMBu89KHzDDEHVRmwL7Tx72wewERIsA/viewform?usp=header
Tour Price: $6,790.00 USD per person in a double room
DEPOSIT
Non-refundable Deposit of $1,000.00 per person is required to secure your place on this tour. The deposit will be used to make non-refundable reservations on your behalf.
Optional Single Room Supplement: $1,400.00
NOTE: This is the additional amount you will pay if you choose to have your own private room throughout the journey.
ROOMMATE MATCHING:
If you’re not traveling with anyone you know, we would be happy to assist by pairing you with a fellow traveler. Roommate matching is done a first come, first serve basis.
Per our Terms and Conditions, we will hold the registration open until 15 days before the tour begins (or later if possible) in order to try to match you with someone. If by that date we have not been able to do so, you will be responsible to pay for the single supplement. Please try to register early if you would like to be matched with a roommate.
Your reservation is confirmed when you send your $1,000 Non-refundable Deposit.
Payment in full is required 45 days prior to the departure date from your Country.
Your Land Package Includes:
- Airport ‘Meet & Greet’ services
- Airport transfers (no matter what day/time you arrive and leave Egypt)
- Domestic flights in Egypt: Cairo – Luxor and Aswan – Cairo
- All local transfers by A/C modern private bus.
- 6 nights accommodation at Hyatt Regency on bed & breakfast basis.
- 3 nights accommodation at Steigenberger Nile Place on bed & breakfast basis .
- 4 nights accommodation on Iberotel Crown Empress Nile cruise ( or similar) on full board basis.
- Private entry to Abu sir , Abu Gourab and The Great Pyramid.
- Your Speakers and Hosts, Ben van Kerkwyk and Yousef Awyan.
- Entry tickets to sites.
- Qualified English speaking tour guide.
- Lunches every day during tours.
- Mineral water and light snacks.
- One meeting room for two hours (welcome/intro meeting)
- Radio receivers and Headphones system.
- Tourism police permission
- Tips.
NOT INCLUDED:
- Roundtrip international airfares
- $25 Egypt Tourist Visa to be obtained upon your arrival at the airport in Cairo. Citizens of the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Schengen zone and a list of other nationalities (with certain conditions), are eligible for a tourist visa on arrival. Please check with the Egyptian Embassy in your country to check if your nationality is eligible for an on arrival tourist visa. It is ultimately your responsibility to determine what your country of nationality requires in order to obtain your entry visa into Egypt.
- Travel & Health Insurance (highly recommended)
- Meals not included (As indicated in the itinerary)
- Personal expenses (Such as laundry, beverages during meals, internet service on the cruise ship and telephone calls or any item not listed on the itinerary)
- Tipping for Hosts and Tour Staff (completely optional and voluntary, we will ‘pass an envelope’ for anyone who wants to tip the hard working team from Select Egypt in Luxor and Cairo. Tipping hosts is up to you!)
- Optional tours/experiences. Optional activities will be offered and priced while on tour (price will vary depending on how many people sign up)
Reservation and Cancellation Policies
A non-refundable deposit of $1,000.00 USD per person will be required at the time of booking to secure your place on this tour. To ensure your reservation, final payment will be due 45 days prior the departure dates from your Country. It is the responsibility of the traveler (or agent) to determine that final payment reaches us by the due date.
Bookings made within 30 days of departure date, will require full payment immediately upon booking. No booking will be considered until the final payment is received by the Tour Operator.
Payments can be made via Credit Card or Bank Transfer. Payments made with credit cards via Select Egypt’s online portal will be subject to a 3% fee to cover bank changes, which will be added to your payment total. The Tour Operator will need to create a digital invoice and unique payment link for each guest and payment made by credit card.
Any fees charged for payments made via Bank transfers or credit card will be the responsibility of the sender. Please inquire about this before you make your bank transfer.
CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS
Due to high preparation costs, cancellations must be received in writing within 45 days of travel date.
- Cancellations received more than 30 days prior to departure will have a penalty of $1,000.00 per person (the non-refundable deposit);
- those received between 30 and 25 days will have a penalty of 50% per person on any other amounts paid;
- those received between 25 and 20 days will have a penalty of 75% per person on any other amounts paid.
- Cancellations received 20 days or less before departure will receive no refund.
No refund will be made for transfers, city tours or any other services (including meals, accommodations, or transportation) voluntarily not taken.
It is highly recommended to purchase travel insurance.
CHANGES
This itinerary is subject to changes in sequence, to adapt to possible alterations in domestic flight times or other unforeseen circumstances. The content will remain the same, barring any unanticipated complications, and will include many delightful “extras” and surprises.
INSURANCE
We highly recommend purchasing a good travel insurance policy that can cover you for any changes, cancellations of flights, delays or to cover you in case you are not able to/continue to participate in the tour. A good policy also covers you for any unforeseen circumstances as well as damaged or lost luggage and last-minute flight changes, and medical expenses in case of accident or illness.
We are not responsible for any scenarios that are out of our control, including, but not limited to, if you cancel the trip due to illness, if your international flight is delayed or rescheduled and you miss a day of the activities, or if you choose to not participate in any activity.
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
Your international flights are not included in the main tour price. You are responsible for organizing your international flights from your place of departure to Cairo International Airport.
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY:
By signing up to this tour you agree to our terms, deposit conditions and waiver.
Select Egypt Travel have worked diligently to make all of the arrangements for our journey in Egypt, however, Select Egypt Travel, its agents and Facilitators will not be held liable for delays, theft, damage, injury, or any other irregularities that may occur during the course of the journey. We will not be held liable for any changes or delays in airline schedules or missed connections; injury, loss, or damage to persons or property; additional expenses resulting from changes in exchange rates, tariffs, or itinerary; any transportation issues or problems with vehicles utilized on the tour, additional expenses incurred due to illness, weather conditions, protests, war, terrorism, quarantine, or other causes, and losses due to cancellations not subject to our terms and conditions. By registering to this tour you are acknowledging that you have read and agreed to these terms and conditions.
Please contact Sandy at info@selectegypt.com or Ben at primordial@unchartedx.com with any questions.