Austin
·
August 27th, 2025
I would give Egypt Highlights by Timeless Tours a 4.5/5 stars.
TLDR:
You will always feel safe and secure with Timeless Tours. All tourist locations are heavily policed in Egypt and the company has a good rapport with the staff and security at all of the sites.
Accommodations are more than adequate. A little less glam than you'd get at the White Lotus, of course, but you're in Egypt. If you like Middle Eastern food, your meals will be consistently good. There's a lot of get-up-and-go, but you'll spend the most leisure time on the cruise ship and at Jaz Pyramids, both of which are very comfortable.
Goes without saying: Don't drink tap water and be careful where you eat. Luckily, Timeless will not take you anywhere with unhygienic food!
This tour itinerary packs in a HUGE amount of sightseeing - so it can feel arduous at times. Luckily, the cars are air conditioned, you always have access to water, and if you have Mina you will have the benefit of a very professional and entertaining tour guide. Summer is also an excellent guide and a great communicator.
Travel (bus and planes) are always satisfactory. The schedule runs like clockwork and is very efficiently planned and timed.
The Hurghada portion will be too long and the hotel will not be relaxing if you're a solo traveler, but it's a good opportunity to hire a third party company to take you on an extra trip. (The Hurghada hotel is the reason I'm giving 4.5 stars instead of 5.)
Scams are everywhere in Egypt. Do not buy anything until you get to the fixed price shops in Hurghada and always decline "coffee breaks." Learn about 20 ways to say "no thank you" or "I don't want it" or "go away" in Arabic. Don't talk to approaching strangers, ever!
If there is something that you want to see which isn't on the itinerary, just ask and Timeless will try to put something together for you at an additional (but reasonable) cost.
Read up on Egypt before you come - you'll be able to get a lot more out of the sites. I would recommend both of Barbara Mertz's classic Egypt books as well as Toby Wilkinson's Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, and the Pantheon book on Egyptian Art.
Day 0 (early arrival)
I arrived at Cairo airport and was helped through customs and baggage claim by Osama - very helpful. Then I was brought directly to JAZ Pyramids, about a 45 minute drive across Cairo and over the Nile. This is a hotel you will get to know well - it's a sprawling and quiet compound of one-level bungalow-style rooms and desert gardens with a beautiful pool. I was able to get a nice dinner at the hotel and slept very peacefully. It's a very nice hotel!
Day 1 (early arrival + Alexandria!)
Today, I met Mina, who would be my guide for the following week. Mina is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. He has been doing these trips for years and he runs it like clockwork. He always gives good advice about traveling in Egypt, the correct prices to pay, the way to deal with scammers and street venders, etc. A great guy and a very good guide.
Today I was able to take a trip to Alexandra, about 3hrs from Cairo, for an extra fee. We drove early and were able to see the famous Roman catacombs, the citadel, and the Alexandria library/museum. The catacombs were my first experience with an archaeological site and it did not disappoint. Whenever we went to a new site, Mina gave us a historical introduction and a thorough discussion of all the points of interest, before walking us around a little bit and then giving us time to ourselves to explore and take pictures. Alexandra is stunningly beautiful and a very lively city, less stressful and touristy than Cairo. Mina also brought us to a local spot for a very rich lunch.
We returned to the JAZ to rest. By the way - JAZ's food is really good. A huge buffet breakfast with delicious global options is included, and dinner is extra - a little pricey, but worth it because it's trustworthy and safe to eat and convenient.
Today Timeless collected a $75 tipping kitty to cover the drivers, servers, hotel maids, and sailors who will help you on this trip. It doesn't feel like enough! I always carried small bills (EGP and USD) to give out tips to non-tour staff, as well as tour staff who did something extra helpful.
Day 2 (Giza)
This was a once-in-a-lifetime morning at the famous pyramids and Sphinx. We had plenty of time to explore the site individually, chat with other travelers, and for an extra fee go inside the Great Pyramid - much recommended. We then went to a local buffet restaurant managed for tourists, $10 per person, with drinks extra. (Drinks are always extra in Egypt.) These tourist buffet restaurants were good.
In the afternoon, we went to the old Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Sq, a major landmark for archaeology heads like me, with stunning collections. The country is in the process of transferring some of its collections to the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, but I got to see all its famous pieces - including the colossal statuary in the main hall, the Narmer Palette, the Meidun Geese, and the mask and sarcophagi of Tutankhamun. The museum is not air conditioned but I don't care. Extraordinary place!
Then - my flight to Aswan. Coordinating with baggage at Jaz was easy and I was driven safe and sound to Cairo airport for the trip. Egypt Airlines is perfectly adequate. Some other folks in the group took the train (I think because they were traveling in pairs) and said the accommodations were fine, but that the food was awful. I arrived late at Basma Hotel atop a hill in the center of Aswan.
Day 3 (Aswan)
Basma Hotel is very charming - old world style grand hotel, with a stunning view of the Nile and Elephantine Island. Off-season, so it was pretty empty. Good breakfast.
I was picked up by Mina and brought to the Temple of Philae, the first major temple we visit on this trip. You take a small motorboat there and have plenty of time to explore and learn. This is a temple which was moved through a UNESCO partnership in order to build the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser - a huge accomplishment beautifully achieved. It's a spectacular location and sets the stage for all the incredible temples you will see this week.
Next, Mina took us to a "oil factory." This is a scam and a typical stop on this sort of tour. Mina called it a "coffee break." I am sure that the company gets some sort of benefit from going to these places, but it is a waste of sightseeing time. It is indeed true that oils are part of Egyptian history, but this is not a historic experience - you get a lecture from a friendly salesgirl about various high-quality oils and the chance to sample them as you sip hibiscus tea, and then the pressure is on to buy something. I bought a tiny bottle of something I liked as a gift (way overpriced) and when I took it out of the box later - it was some horrible bland oil with barely any scent. Total scam. If you get the opportunity to say no to these "coffee breaks" - please do. And if you must go, do not buy anything.
This is a good time for a word of advice: Do not buy anything at any tourist sites or random shops and do not interact with folks who come up to you on the street. Just say "la, shukran" - no thanks. People understand and will leave you alone if you are firm and brusque. When you get to Hurghada, you will find all the same souvenirs in FIXED PRICE shops, where there is no haggling or negotiating and you pay next-to-nothing. Otherwise, buy nothing - no oils, papyri, spices, etc.
Then we transferred to the Nile cruise ship! I had a very nice little room with a sliding glass door onto the river. Bed huge and very comfortable. We were all exhausted and wanted to go to bed early because the following morning was our trip to Abu Simbel. Do yourself a favor and get a good night's sleep. There was some kind of Nubian dinner/dancing option but none of us agreed to go, and ate on the ship.
Meals on the ship are good, especially the desserts. It's a small ship (less than 100 passengers) but it has a little pool, a huge deck, bars all over with cheap drinks, and plenty of snacks and water available.
Day 4 (Abu Simbel and Kom Ombu)
Up early for Abu Simbel. A long drive, with a restroom/coffee stop in the desert at a truck stop, which seems to exist only for the tourists making the pilgrimage from Aswan to Abu Simbel. Good to know: Timeless Tours will never put you in a car without air conditioning or a cooler full of water/sodas (50 cents each!). We had enough time for a long historical discussion from Mina about Ramses and Nefertiri and the history of these temples - it is his favorite site! You've surely seen pictures of Abu Simbel all your life, but nothing prepares you for the spectacle of the mammoth royal sculptures towering over the lake. The interiors are rich with detailed offering paintings in good condition. We had enough time to explore but I could have stayed another two hours! Long drive back to Aswan.
Next, we had lunch on the ship and sailed to Kom Ombu, a temple a few hours north. This is a smaller town where the street venders are extremely numerous and aggressive - however the temple is full of extraordinary details and history. Its design is odd because it's split down the middle to tribute two separate gods: Sopek, the alligator god, and Horus, the falcon son of Isis. The temple reliefs contain an ancient calendar and a detailed medical display. Incredible place to take pictures at sunset.
Dinner on board, and sailed to Edfu to dock for the night.
Day 5 (Cruise to Luxor)
I would have loved to go to the Temple of Edfu, but it's not part of the tour. We left early in the morning to continue sailing up north to Luxor. For the most part, this was a much needed day of relaxation, sun, and reading. I also had a massage on board - a great idea and a fair price.
After docking in Luxor, we went to the Luxor temple and Avenue of Sphinxes. There was not enough time to hit the huge Temple of Karnak - we put it off for the next day. Dinner on board and a good night's sleep before an early morning.
Day 6 (Luxor)
Overnight we received texts that our optional morning hot air balloon ride over the Valley would be cancelled due to wind. I was not too disappointed because I was grateful for the extra sleep.
We then woke up at a reasonably early hour to see the Colossi of Memnon (bigger than you expect!) and the Temple of Hatshepsut - an overwhelming architectural marvel. It starts to dawn on you just how much you've learned in such a short time.
Then we travel a few miles to the Valley of the Kings. The included ticket gets you into three temples - Mina recommended the best ones to take a look into. But you can also get, for $40, entrance to the huge tomb of Seti I. This is the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life. As you go deeper, the paintings are more and more powerful and beautiful, like it was painted last night. You will not regret the extra expense. Getting to see these extraordinary landmarks for a few hours after years of reading about them is one of the highlights of my life.
Another fairly good $10 lunch at a tourist-friendly restaurant.
Next, we returned to Karnak for a few hours of exploring at this vast complex of New Kingdom and Ptolemaic temples. Again - I could have spent hours here, and will do so when I come back to Egypt. There is so much to see on the grounds here that you could spend two days at Karnak alone! Luckily, I think we had about two hours total, which is enough time to see almost everything if you walk fast and are a quick study.
Mina suggested today that we go for a "coffee break" but gave us the opportunity to decline - which we did.
At this point in the tour, the group splits. For some travelers, the tour ends here and they get a transfer to the train station or airport.
I check into the Lotus hotel in Luxor and chill by the pool. I then set out to walk along the Nile to the Luxor Museum (really great collection). Got scammed by a man on the street who claimed he was a chef at the hotel and was going to buy spices for dinner at the local place. I stupidly followed along and was overcharged for what I bought, then looked up what had happened and found out it was a very common scam in Luxor. Watch out. Had dinner at the hotel - it was not great, could have used some local spices maybe! Slept well but had to be up at 5am.
Day 7 (MAJOR TREAT!)
Today was the day of my transfer to Hurghada. Mina very very kindly arranged to have a driver take me hours out of the way to see the temples at Abydos and Dendera - two of the most spectacular temples in Egypt, which I have been reading about all my life. Mina has given tours at both of these temples in the past, so he knows his way around and was able to show me extraordinary things.
We were the only people visiting Abydos this morning, which made the day extra rewarding. It's a very haunting and beautiful sanctuary. Dendera was not much busier, and it's a uniquely palatial temple to Hathor complete with small crypts and tunnels that you will get a chance to explore, as well as a gorgeous roof and fascinating stone staircases. "Staff" at the temples here are less aggressive than the ones at the Valley but they will still try to show you around and take pictures of you in exchange for money.
If there is something not included in the itinerary that you want to see, just ask your tour guide - they will likely try to make it work for you. I was so so glad that Mina arranged this special day for me. Thank you again!
Then I arrived at the Gravity hotel in Hurghada. I got an incredibly good room on the top floor with a view of the Red Sea.
Gravity is my only major complaint about this tour. This was in the middle of August, and this is an all-inclusive beach resort, so the hotel was 95% occupied by families with children on their school holidays. This made the whole stay rather uncomfortable for me as a single male traveler in his 30s who just wanted to relax at the beach in my speedo with a novel. Perhaps it is different at other times of the year, but I wish Timeless had another option for solo adult travelers in these cases. Nevertheless, I made the best of it.
Day 8
I spent the whole day at the Gravity hotel, where I went out early so I could find a spot far away from the crowds of families. The food is decent, but definitely geared towards the German tourists. The drinks are included, but the quality of the domestic alcohol you will find in Egypt is not great.
In the evening, I changed and took an Uber up to the Hurghada Marina to explore. This is a very safe and tourist-friendly neighborhood by the ports. Dinner at a restaurant called Felucca that was one of the best seafood meals I've ever had.
Tip: NEVER take a local taxi. Always take Uber so you don't have to negotiate the fares and get ripped off. Tip in cash if the driver requests.
Day 9
I took an Uber up to the Cathedral and then walked for four miles across the non-tourist part of Hurghada, which was really eye-opening and interesting. No one bothered me for even a second. Made my way back to the Marina for a fish lunch before riding back to the hotel to nap and swim. I also stopped at the Hurghada museum, which has some interesting collections; it's above a fixed-price mini-mall for souvenirs, and I'd recommend you do your shopping there.
Day 10
I scheduled a third-party tour company to take me to the monasteries of St. Paul and St. Anthony, about three hours north of Hurghada. It was really great to get away from the hotel and have a historical excursion and an opportunity to pray in one of the famous sacred tombs, so I recommend this highly, but I won't dwell on it because it's not a Timeless Tours destination.
Day 11 (travel day)
I was able to sleep in and rest before my flight back to Cairo. I had several hours at the airport, so it was a relatively boring day. Easy transfer to the JAZ Pyramids where I had a nice dinner and a swim.
Day 12 (Cairo)
This morning I met my new guide Summer - absolutely wonderful. Highly educated and passionate about Egyptian history, a great communicator. I'm the only tourist today and tomorrow, so I get a lot of flexibility to plan these days!
She took me first to the Mosque of Mohammed Ali, a breathtaking complex atop the highest point in Cairo and a landmark in the history of Islamic architecture. Next to the Coptic area of the city where the earliest churches still stand, another deeply meaningful location for me to enjoy. Then we had a walk around in the Khan el Khalili.
I asked the tour to drop me off at the new Museum of Egyptian Civilization, which has all the state's collection of royal mummies in a very solemn and informative permanent exhibition. It's also a great building.
Then I explored on foot for a few hours, making my way back to the old Cairo museum and Tahrir Square for a quick visit, before walking over the river to a famous restaurant I'd head about called Abu el Sid, on the island in the middle of the Nile. A fabulous and atmospheric place to stop if you're daring enough to try some Egyptian delicacies like pigeon, in a more cosmopolitan neighborhood. Uber back to the hotel for a swim and a rest.
Day 13 (Saqqara and Dahshur)
Today, Summer took me first to Dahshur, at my special request, so I could explore the Bent and Red Pyramids. If you get a chance to do this, you should - it's great to see the development of the architectural form and look inside. The Bent Pyramid requires strong legs and core to enter and it's not for claustrophobes.
Next, Summer brought me to the huge Saqqara complex. Usually on this tour, the group will get to see the Step Pyramid and a few of the other locations, but because I'm the only tourist and Summer knows Saqqara very well, I buy the all-access pass and Summer shows me the entire area, walking me through at least 10 tombs and giving me plenty of time to ask questions and explore. Saqqara is known for tomb paintings that tell us rich details about daily life and customs. Many of the tombs are in great preservation state and still convey a confounding amount of historical information. All in all, I think we spent about five hours here.
I asked to cancel the Pharoanic Village - I had no interest, and Mina said I would find it redundant after all the real tombs and temples I've seen. Instead, I got a ticket to the Grand Egyptian Museum, the must-see new international hub. This was August 2025, so it was still only partially open, but this still means 11/12 of the main galleries, the cavernous halls of statuary, and great Egyptian restaurants. I was exhausted after the day in Saqqara, so I didn't last long and decided to come back the following morning before the flight. It's only a 5-minute Uber drive from JAZ Pyramids - so if you don't go see it, you're absolutely nuts.
Day 14
My flight was in the late afternoon, so I was able to check out early and leave my baggage with the JAZ staff to go to the Grand Egyptian again and really explore the huge collection with a clear head, in the morning when it's less busy. Then Timeless gave me a very pleasant drive to the Cairo airport for my trip home.
Shukran, Timeless!
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