Solo-ish Egypt

Welcome to Egypt! Arrive by 2:00 pm for your included arrival transfer from the airport. Then join your CEO and group for this evening’s adventure. After your welcome moment, head to downtown Cairo for a walking food tour with stops at local favourite establishments. Learn more about Egyptian cuisine as you wander the bustling streets and taste street food from fava beans to falafel sandwiches. Witness first-hand how food has the power to bond strangers together and enjoy yourself during this G unique family-style dinner.

TRANSPORT: You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.

ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

ACTIVITY: Food is a universal language, and there's no better way to get to know a new friend, or a new community, than by breaking bread together and digging in to a delicious meal. Join your fellow Solo-ish travellers in an immersive street food walking tour in downtown Cairo. Savour local Egyptian flavours and stroll through bustling streets to iconic spots and sample dishes like falafel sandwiches and Koshary. Other stops may include mango fruit slices, fresh juices, and rice pudding dessert.

Wake early to beat the heat and enjoy a visit to the awe-inspiring Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. We’ve all “seen” the pyramids, but your first glimpse will always take your breath away. Learn more about the structures from your CEO and certified Egyptologist and feel as if you’ve stepped back in time. Then head to a cultural farming project outside the city that boasts a female-led community kitchen. Attend a bread making demonstration before having lunch here with the women of the project to hear how their work is preserving their traditions, culture, and ways of life, while allowing them to independently support their families. Afterwards, pass through the barren desert and fertile farmlands to Sakkara, the site of the county’s first pyramids. Spend the rest of the evening on your own back at the hotel.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: With your incredible CEO at the helm, get to know the local community and your Solo-ish travel mates on a day packed full of interesting and engaging adventures. First witness the magnificent great pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx and listen as a qualified Egyptologist, your CEO, discusses all of the facts about these massive structures. Then travel to Nawaya, a community project dedicated to empowering females and preserving the deep heritage of small-scale farming families across Egypt, while fostering sustainable development, cultivation, and cooking practices. Enjoy a bread-making demonstration and sit down with the women who run the community's kitchen. Then, travel through desert and farm lands to visit Sakkara, the necropolis of the old kingdom of Ancient Egypt, where you will delve into the history of one of Egypt’s most important archeological sites.

Prepare to experience what G Adventures does best and enjoy an adventurous day in Cairo with a surprise G twist occurring somewhere along the way. Spend the morning at the Egyptian Museum, which houses over 10,000 pieces from every period of Egyptian history, making it a fantastic place to learn about the country. From priceless artifacts to mesmerizing mummies, there are millennia of Egyptian heritage on display. Travel onward to The Hanging Church, also known as Saint Virgin Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church, and one of Egypt’s oldest churches. Break up the day with lunch at a local spot in Khan el-Khalili, a famous bazaar and souk in the historic centre of Cairo. Visit two mosques after lunch that are very cherished and of great historical significance to the Muslim community. As you observe the allure of these places for yourself, know you are experiencing the true essence of old Cairo. Be on the lookout for today’s surprise! The evening will be spent aboard an overnight train to Aswan.

Please note, before tonight's travel the group will return to the hotel where there will be time to shower and freshen up. The overnight train is a modern air-conditioned sleeper, with twin-berth beds. There is no shower in the cabin, but each cabin does have a sink. The shared toilet is at the end of each carriage. A basic airline-style tray meal for dinner and breakfast is included. Attendants can serve drinks in your compartment at extra cost or there is a bar car for socializing.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle between today's stops.

ACTIVITY: With your Solo-ish travel mates and CEO, explore some of the world's coolest activities alongside new friends. It's not just an epic day of fun, its chock full of incredible experiences and a surprise G element along the way to take your day to an 11. Start the morning at the Egyptian Museum and enter a captivating journey of Cairo's history through the millennia of heritage on display from every period of the country's history. Finish the morning at The Hanging Church dating back to the 3rd century AD. Known for its blend of Coptic and Byzantine design, the church is adorned with ancient icons, a carved wooden sanctuary screen, and a marble pulpit. It remains a place of pilgrimage and cultural significance today. Lunch will break up the day at a local spot in the famous bazaar in the city centre. The second half of the day focuses on mosques of Islamic significance and discusses the past and present Muslim culture in Egypt.

TRANSPORT: Stretch out and get some well-earned rest en route to the next stop.

As one of the important destinations in Egypt and the premier location at the far southern end of the country where the Nile widens and the Sahara Desert meets its flowing water. For thousands of years it has been a crucial trade route between Egypt and Africa and today it offers a fusion of cultures, landscapes, and some striking architecture. After arriving on the overnight train, the group will travel to the beautiful Philae Temple. Sail across the Nile to the island of Agilkia to explore this temple complex. Sail back to the mainland and have free time for lunch back at the hotel before reconvening for a short walk to the boat launch point. Cross to one of the many Nile islands and visit a Nubian village. Walk around the small community, then enjoy a traditional dinner at a local family in their home.

ACTIVITY: Sail across the Nile to the beautiful island of Agilkia and explore the Greco Roman history of the Temple of Philae, built as a dedication to the Goddess Isis. This temple complex was moved from its original location on the Island of Philae after the flooding of Lake Nasser, the word "philae" meaning "the end" in reference to this island's placement on what was once the southernmost border of Egypt.

ACTIVITY: Board a local boat, to take a trip along the magnificent Nile, with views of the Aga Khan Mausoleum and Kitchener Island. Stop on one of the inhabited Nile islands in this area, to tour a local Nubian village. Walk through the village and fields and learn more about the life of the Nubian people before enjoying a delicious traditional dinner at a local home.

It’s time for a day that belongs to you! The choice really is all yours. You can join your CEO for a visit to Abu Simbel, one of the most fascinating sights in the area, or you can spend the morning enjoying your own company. The remainder of the day is free to do as you choose. Perhaps, join a half-day tour to an unfinished obelisk and gain insights into Egypt's rich history of monumental construction.Either way, take the itinerary into your own hands and spend some time exploring the area on your own.

ACTIVITY: Traveling solo alongside your new Solo-ish travel mates means there's always something fun to do and new friends to explore with. But the joy of travel can also be about taking time to yourself to recharge, refresh and reflect on the journey. Today, choose to join your CEO for a local activity, or take the time to yourself to enjoy your own company in one of the most incredible places on our planet.

Travel by traditional felucca today along the Nile to Aswan Bridge, where you’ll disembark as a group and transfer to Kom Umbo. Visit this temple right on the banks of the river that is dedicated to the crocodile god before continuing on towards Luxor, the incredible city on the East Bank. Enjoy dinner at a local market restaurant in the city before an evening to yourself; the perfect way to unwind.

ACTIVITY: Board a felucca (local boat), to take a trip along the magnificent Nile, with views of the city. Journey 4 hours on the water to Aswan Bridge. Lunch will be served on board.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a visit to this temple located in a scenic spot, right on the banks of the Nile. It was dedicated to the crocodile god, and you can still see the remains of an ancient mummified crocodile that was worshipped here thousands of years ago.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Prepare for a day of visits to the most impressive sites in Luxor. Begin with the famed Valley of the Kings on a guided tour descending down the narrow corridors to check out the tombs of the pharaohs. Then it’s onward to The Funerary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which seems to rise out of the surrounding limestone outcrops and learn more about how her family members attempted to wipe her memory from history. Finish off the guided visits at the massive 18m (59ft)-high Colossi of Memnon, which is all that remains of this once magnificent ancient temple. Lunch will be had with a local family on the West Bank of the Nile with views over the water. After the meal the group will stop at an Alabaster Factory together to learn more about this type of stone and what it means to Egyptians both ancient and today. The remainder of the late afternoon and evening will be spent at your leisure.

ACTIVITY: Rise early to cross the Nile to the west bank, passing through farmers fields on your way to the Valley of the Kings.

Descend the narrow, rock-hewn corridors and take in the magnificent decoration and designs of the tombs of the pharaohs. While the treasure has now all gone, the tombs contain the incredible paintings of the life of their incumbent and stories from the Book of the Dead.

Continue on to visit to the impressive Funerary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which seems to rise out of the surrounding limestone outcrops - a reminder of the power women held in the Ancient Kingdom. End the day with a stop at the two mammoth statues of Amenophis II at the Colossi of Memnon. Please note, there is an additional 300 EGP fee to take photos in the Valley Of Kings.

ACTIVITY: Sit down to a traditional lunch with a local family on the West bank of the Nile.

TRANSPORT: Sit back and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle between the different site visits in Luxor.

TRANSPORT: Enjoy a ferry ride across the Nile to the West Bank.

Sail by ferry back to the West Bank this morning to meet your student guide. Then, set off on two wheels and pedal through the local village where the group will visit and learn about the Funtasia Project and how it’s benefitting the local community over tea. Round out the day with a stop at Karnak Temple to learn about ancient religious life in Egypt. Then, have a free afternoon all to yourself to explore the bustling bazaar in Luxor at your leisure.

ACTIVITY: After breakfast the group will sail by ferry to the West Bank to meet our student-guide. Together we will bike through the village and visit the Funtasia Project Center where the group will learn about the Planeterra project at this location over tea with our guide.

Funtasia is a local nonprofit that works with young people in the West Bank of Luxor to develop life skills and social consciousness. They work with youth in after school programs that teach art, communication, and social skills.

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a visit to the Karnak Temple, which was once the centre of all religious life in ancient Egypt. Built and extended by successive generations of rulers, admire the amazing architecture, massive columns, and painted hieroglyphs.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Enjoy time on your own in Luxor. Opt to visit the bazaar and shop for some meaningful souvenirs to commemorate your solo-ish adventure in Egypt.

You arrived a solo traveller and are leaving with many new friends. Say goodbye to your fellow Solo-ish travellers and depart at any time.

ACTIVITY: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.