Primordial Egypt 2026: Wisdom of the Ancients Tour! 16 days, 7 Special permission ‘private visits,’ 5* hotels, 4 night Nile Cruise!
Join myself (Ben van Kerkwyk from UnchartedX), Kyle and Russ Allen from The Brothers of the Serpent Podcast, as well as expert guide Yousef Awyan on an epic journey exploring the varied mysteries of ancient high technology across the iconic sites of Egypt on the annual UnchartedX Primordial Egypt Tour! Full itinerary details below.
This tour will be the trip of a lifetime! It’s a packed itinerary, 16 days, built around 7 ‘private permission’ visits into normally closed areas, 5 star hotels, and a 4 night Nile Cruise. Come explore the mysteries of Ancient Egypt with a friendly and fun group of interested, open minded people. As has become tradition, our tour will also feature live music from your hosts!
Register for the 2026 Primordial Egypt tour waitlist here: Primordial Registration Form
Price (Egypt trip): US$9,200
(per person, dual occupancy)
non-refundable $1,000 deposit required for registration.
Single Supplement: US $1,845 (for single room)
*due to the high level of interest in these tours, once you sign up you will have 2 weeks to pay the deposit to secure your spot, otherwise we may release it and offer it to other customers. Full terms and conditions below.
For Egypt tour questions, Please contact Sandy at info@selectegypt.com
Feel free to copy the hosts (Ben/Kyle/Russ) at tours@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.
We are expecting around 60-65 guests on this trip.
We supply radio 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.
The Egypt tour is run by a licensed tour operator (Select Egypt) who facilitates the tour and takes payment.
Below is a detailed day-by-day itinerary, pricing details, and terms and conditions. Not everything is listed below, there will be some surprise events, and opportunities for live music and lectures.
Price does not include flights to/from Egypt. The tour begins and ends in Cairo.
Included meals are shown each day as B | L | D (Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner).
Testimonials:
Detailed Itinerary:
DAY 1: SUN, December 06, 2026 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 $30 USD (or 30 euros) obtained easily after de-boarding. It's how Ben does it every time. Please bring exact change! 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 at the hotel. Please ensure your flights land in Cairo by 3:00PM, as the Introductory meeting will commence at 5pm and dinner will be at 6:00PM.
Please note, hotel check in commences at 2:00PM. 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 at info@selectegypt.com to arrange this.
Overnight at the 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
D
DAY 2: MON, December 07, 2026 Cairo Giza Plateau, Valley Temple and Private Visit into Sphinx Enclosure. Public Entry into Menkaure Pyramid.
After an early breakfast, we depart for the Giza Plateau for opening hours. It's worth getting here early! We start the day with private access within the Sphinx Enclosure for one hour. Then 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. Public Entry to the third pyramid included, then a late lunch at a nearby restaurant.
Overnight at 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L
DAY 3: TUE, December 08, 2026 Cairo Private Visit to Abu Rawash, then to the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum!
After breakfast, we will depart for the northern most of the Old Kingdom pyramid sites, Abu Rawash. Closed to the public and only accessible via special permission, the remnants of the pyramid here give unique insight into the construction techniques used to create these massive monuments. Abu Rawash is also home to some of the most impressive examples of advanced machining into granite. After our special permission access, we will visit the impressive Grand Egyptian Museum before having a late lunch.
Overnight at the 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L
DAY 4: Wed, December 09, 2026 Cairo Saqqara, the Serapeum, and Private Visit to the Step Pyramid
After breakfast we will depart for our visit to Saqqara, where we will have the opportunity to enter the Unas Pyramid, before our special private entry inside the Step Pyramid and its many passages and chambers below the structure. We will then continue to the incredible Serapeum where we see the mysterious 70 to 100 ton boxes made of granite and basalt. We will then enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, before returning to the hotel.
Overnight at the 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L
DAY 5: THU, December 10, 2026 Cairo and flight to Luxor Cairo Museum and Flight to Luxor
After breakfast, we will check out of the hotel and visit the amazing Cairo Museum, still one of the greatest Ancient Egyptian museums in the world, and full of examples of remarkable ancient technology. We will stop for lunch enroute to the airport for the short flight to Luxor in Upper Egypt, and the 5-star Steigenberger Nile Palace hotel.
Overnight at the Steigenberger Nile Palace
B | L
DAY 6: FRI, December 11, 2026 Abydos and Luxor Temple of Seti I, and Private Visit into the Osirion
After breakfast we will board our luxury coaches for the drive to Abydos, home to the incredible Temple of Seti I, and something even more remarkable behind it. We will enter the megalithic Osirion, for our special private 2 hour visit. The Osirion was flooded for many years and permanently closed to the public, but we will have special permission access to go down into the site on this trip. We will have lunch at House of Life, before driving back to Luxor.
Overnight at 5* Steigenberger Nile Palace
B | L
DAY 7: SAT, December 12, 2026 Luxor Dendera
After breakfast 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”. This tour includes the optional extra tickets to visit both the crypts and the roof of this amazing structure! We will then drive back to Luxor for a late lunch.
Overnight at 5* Steigenberger Nile Palace
B | L
DAY 8: SUN, December 13, 2026 Luxor 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 drinks will be supplied, and you will return to the hotel in time for the full breakfast buffet. All other guests can enjoy breakfast and the hotel at their leisure. We will visit some reputable stores and experience the unique shopping experience in Luxor, have lunch nearby, and in the late afternoon visit the incredible Luxor Temple - home to some of the best examples of huge granite statues and artifacts in Egypt.
Overnight at 5* Steigenberger Nile Palace
B | L
DAY 9: MON, December 14, 2026 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 several of the beautiful royal tombs. This tour includes all the optional 'extra' tickets to see the best tombs in the valley - Seti I, Ramses 5/6, and Tutankhamen! Afterwards we will visit the amazing 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
DAY 10: TUE, December 15, 2026 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
DAY 11: WED, December 16, 2026 Nile Cruise Edfu
In the morning we will visit Edfu and the Temple of Horus, an impressive temple that is one of the best preserved of the ancient Egyptian period, and the inscriptions on its walls provide important information on language, myth and religion. We will then return to the cruise ship and enjoy a day sailing towards Aswan!
Overnight on 5* Nile Cruise
B | L | D
DAY 12: THU, December 17, 2026 Nile Cruise Elephantine Island
INCLUDED OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Early Morning visit to Abu Simbel or Nubian Museum
After docking in Aswan overnight, guests who wish to visit Abu Simbel will depart early in the morning (around 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 nearby Nubian Museum in the morning. Both optional activities are included at no additional cost. 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 explore the Nile river and return to the cruise ship at sunset.
Overnight on 5* Nile Cruise
B | L | D
DAY 13: FRI, December 18, 2026 Aswan, fly to Cairo Aswan Quarry, Philae Temple, Flight to Cairo
After breakfast, we will check out of the Nile cruise and visit Aswan Quarry where you will have the opportunity to see quarrying techniques, the amazing evidence for massive, ancient extractions, as well as the Unfinished Obelisk, which would have weighed nearly 1,200 tons once completed. After the quarry we will continue and visit Philae Island – the Temple of Isis, via motorboat. After Lunch, we will transfer to Aswan airport for our afternoon or evening flight back to Cairo.
Overnight at 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L
DAY 14: SAT, December 19, 2026 Cairo Private Visits to Abu Sir, Abu Ghorab
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 late lunch / sunset dinner at a local restaurant overlooking the Abu Sir pyramids.
Overnight at the 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L
DAY 15: SUN, December 20, 2026 Cairo Giza Plateau, Private Visit to Great Pyramid, Airport Transfer
OPTIONAL ACTIVITY Osiris Shaft
In the morning, guests will have the the opportunity to visit the amazing Osiris Shaft as an optional extra (price TBD)! Lunch at a nearby restaurant, and then at the appointed time we will enter the Great Pyramid of Giza for our private, 2 hour access inside 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! Farewell Dinner at the Pyramids Restaurant, and Return to the Hyatt Regency West for our last night in Cairo.
Overnight at the 5* Hyatt Regency Cairo West
B | L | D
DAY 16: MON, December 21, 2026 Departure
Guests leaving the tour will have an easy transfer to the airport to catch their international flights home.
We provide meet-and-greet and airport transfers no matter when you plan to arrive and leave in Egypt. If you wish to stay to continue your adventure in Egypt please contact Sandy to help arrange it!
B
Egypt Tour / Select Egypt Terms and Conditions
Register for the December 2026 UX Primordial Egypt Tour here: https://forms.gle/EKpwqVPoVrTPnrf98
Egypt Tour Price: $9,200.00 per person in a double room.
Optional Single Room Supplement: $1,845.00 *
* NOTE: This is the additional amount you will pay if you choose to have your own private room throughout the journey.
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. Your reservation is only confirmed when your deposit is sent. Due to demand, the deposit must be paid within 2 weeks of being contacted after your reservation. If it is not paid within 2 weeks your place on the tour may be offered to other customers.
Registering for the tour alone does not hold your place – your place is ONLY secured with payment of the deposit, on a first come, first served basis. Once you register, we will contact you via email, and you will have 2 weeks to pay the deposit, after which your place will offered to others who have registered.
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:
1. Airport ‘Meet & Greet’ and assistance service at Cairo Airport
2. All airport transfers
2. Domestic flights in Egypt: Cairo-Luxor and Aswan-Cairo
3. 5-Star hotels in Giza and Luxor, including daily buffet breakfast, hotel taxes and service charges: 7 Nights at Hyatt Regency, 4 Nights at Steigenburger Nile Palace (both on Bed and Breakfast basis)
4. 4 Nights on a Five-Star Cruise ship, including shore excursions, and all meals while on board
5. Meals as indicated in the day-by-day itinerary
6. Baggage handling at airport and hotels
7. Pre-paid gratuities (tips) for your cruise staff
8. Visits to temples and monument sites, including transportation, entrance and tourist police fees and permissions
9. Ben van Kerkwyk, Kyle and Russ Allen, and Yousef Awyan as your Hosts and Speakers
10. Qualified English Speaking Egyptologist and Tour Guide
11. Water and Snacks during road trips
12. Personal radio system (and batteries)
13: 7 Special Permission private accesses: Abu Rawash, Step Pyramid, Abydos (Osirion), Abu Sir, Abu Ghorub, Sphinx Enclosure, Great Pyramid
14: Included ‘Optional’ Extras: Dendera Crypts and Roof access tickets. Valley of the Kings additional tickets to tombs of Seti I, Ramses 5/6, and Tutankhamun. Visit to Abu Simbel, visit to Aswan Nubian Museum.
15: Audio receiver system (and batteries)
14: Tipping for the keepers/inspectors etc on sites.
NOT INCLUDED:
- Roundtrip international airfares
- $30 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 Insurance (highly recommended)
- Meals not included (As indicated in the itinerary)
- Personal expenses (Such as laundry, beverages during meals, telephone calls or any item not listed on the itinerary)
- Tipping for Tour Guides, Tour Staff and Hosts (at your discretion)
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
All travelers need a passport valid for at least six months after the date of entering the country.
BAGGAGE
You are only permitted to travel with one checked bag, up to 50 lbs and 2 small bags on Domestic flights within Egypt. Any additional baggage fees are your own responsibility.
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 and final 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. Guests must have a good travel insurance policy to cover them for these instances.
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. We recommend purchasing non-restricted flight tickets – which allows for cancellations and changes.
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY:
This tour is arranged and operated by Select Egypt Travel Agency. By signing up to the tour you agree to our terms, deposit conditions and waiver. Select Egypt, its agents and our Tour Facilitators have worked diligently to make all of the arrangements for our journey together in Egypt, however, Select Egypt, its agents and our Tour 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.
Please contact Sandy at Select Egypt info@selectegypt.com with any questions.