Local Living Tours & Trips in Nile Valley

Six included lunches in Cairo, Aswan, Edfu, and Dendera let you try traditional Egyptian dishes. Stay overnight in the Nubian Village near Aswan with its colorful houses along the Nile, and take a camel ride to the Monastery of Saint Simeon. Walk through the souk near Luxor Temple and the caravanserai in Esna.

At the Nawaya Project near Giza, you'll meet small-scale farming families and learn sustainable cultivation practices before preparing culturally important Egyptian dishes in a community kitchen. Visit Funtasia, a G Adventures-supported project on Luxor's West Bank, for tea and discussion led by local student guides. Spend an afternoon with a Cairo family who share traditional meals and authentic flavors they've perfected over generations.

This Nile Valley cruise takes you on a 5-star vessel to the UNESCO-listed Karnak and Luxor Temples on the East Bank. You'll see the unfinished obelisk ordered by Hatshepsut and the relocated Philae Temple as you cruise past Esna. There's an optional trip to Abu Simbel's colossal temples, and the tour has a qualified Egyptology guide.

Cruise down the Nile Valley with stops at the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Kom Ombo Temple, shared by gods Sobek and Haroeris. Visit UNESCO-listed Philae Temple on an island in the Aswan Low Dam reservoir and check out Luxor Temple on the East Bank. Tour the High Dam, the world's largest embankment dam, and sail past Elephantine Island.

You'll visit a traditional Nubian village in Aswan where local guides welcome you into their homes to share stories of a culture dating back to 2000 BC. Then there's a classic wooden felucca sail on the Nile, the same timeless river journey that's sustained communities for thousands of years. Stay at a Red Sea resort and check out local markets while trying traditional dishes like ugali and fresh Nile fish.

You'll stay in a traditional Nubian-style hotel in Aswan and wander through the village, checking out brightly painted houses with symbolic patterns. Then sail the Nile on a 5-star deluxe cruise, stopping at the Temple of Horus in Edfu and the double temple of Kom Ombo along the way.

Spend 7 nights aboard the 5-star Royal Signature cruise sailing the Nile Valley from Luxor to Aswan and back, then stay at the Hilton Pyramids Golf Hotel in Cairo. You'll see the UNESCO-listed Memphis with its massive Ramses II statue and check out the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara.

You'll cruise the Nile from Luxor to Aswan on a 5-star boat with nice cabins, stopping at temples along the way. There's a trip to the 4th-century Monastery of St Macarius in Wadi El Natrun, where Coptic Orthodox monks still follow old traditions. In Aswan you'll ride a traditional felucca past Elephantine Island and see local life along the river.

You'll stay at Hotel Steigenberger El Tahrir Cairo, right in the city center and close to the Egyptian Museum, then board a 5-star Nile cruise to see how real Egyptian life unfolds along the river. Sail on a traditional felucca past small riverside villages and check out the local markets in Aswan where you can find spices and handmade crafts.