Two Egypts in one week. Start with the icons of the Nile valley — the Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the lanes of Khan El-Khalili — then drive west into the Western Desert to Siwa, the remotest inhabited oasis in Egypt. Float in salt lakes you cannot sink in, stand in the Oracle Temple where Alexander the Great came for a prophecy, cross the Great Sand Sea by 4WD and sleep one night in the desert under the stars.
Your 7-Day Itinerary
Day 1 — Arrival in Cairo
Meet and greet at Cairo International Airport, then a private transfer to your 4-star hotel. Check in, rest and get ready for the week ahead.
- Meet & assist at Cairo International Airport (CAI)
- Private A/C transfer to your hotel
- Overnight in Cairo
Day 2 — Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum & Khan El-Khalili
A full day across the greatest sights of Cairo: the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure on the Giza plateau, the halls of the Grand Egyptian Museum, then the lanes of the Khan El-Khalili bazaar with the Al Hussein and Al Azhar mosques.
- The Pyramids of Giza — Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure
- The Grand Egyptian Museum and its ancient Egyptian collections
- Khan El-Khalili bazaar — the historic market and its traditional shops
- Al Hussein Mosque and Al Azhar Mosque
- Breakfast at the hotel · overnight in Cairo
Day 3 — Cairo to Siwa Oasis & Sunset at Fatnas Island
Morning departure from Cairo for the long desert road west — roughly 9 to 10 hours to Siwa. After checking in, head out to Fatnas Island for sunset over the lake, with Gebel Bayda and Gebel Hamra on the horizon.
- Morning departure from Cairo by private A/C vehicle
- Approximately 9–10 hours on the road to Siwa
- Check-in at your 4-star hotel in Siwa
- Sunset at Fatnas Island (Fantasy Island) over the lake
- Breakfast and lunch included · overnight in Siwa
Day 4 — Oracle Temple, Cleopatra Bath & the Salt Lakes
Stand where Alexander the Great came for a prophecy: the Oracle Temple of Amun, dating to the 26th Dynasty. Then Cleopatra Bath (the Spring of Juba), and an afternoon floating in the mineral-rich salt lakes. The day closes with a Bedouin-style dinner and a night camping under the stars.
- The Oracle Temple of Amun — 26th Dynasty, famously linked to Alexander the Great
- Cleopatra Bath (the Spring of Juba)
- Swimming in the Siwa salt lakes
- Traditional Bedouin-style dinner
- Overnight desert camping under the stars (or the hotel, on request)
Day 5 — Shali Fortress, the Mountain of the Dead & Great Sand Sea Safari
Climb the 13th-century Berber fortress of Shali, wander its passages and mosques and look out over the whole oasis. Visit Gebel al-Mawta, the Mountain of the Dead, with tombs from the 26th Dynasty and the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Then a 4WD safari into the Great Sand Sea — dune bashing, the Bir Wahed hot spring, another swim in the salt lakes and the desert sunset, closing with a Bedouin dinner.
- Shali Fortress — the 13th-century Berber mud-brick citadel
- Its ancient passages and mosques, with panoramic views over the oasis
- Gebel al-Mawta (Mountain of the Dead) — 26th Dynasty, Ptolemaic and Roman tombs
- 4WD safari and dune bashing across the Great Sand Sea
- Bir Wahed hot spring · swimming in the salt lakes · desert sunset
- Traditional Bedouin dinner · overnight at your 4-star hotel in Siwa
Day 6 — Siwa Back to Cairo
Breakfast, check out, and the long road back east to Cairo. Arrive in the evening and check in for your final night. Alexandria sits on this route and can be added as an extra day — see the optional add-on below.
- Breakfast at the hotel, then check out
- Return to Cairo by road
- Overnight in Cairo
Day 7 — Departure
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Your representative collects you from the Cairo hotel for a private transfer to Cairo International Airport (CAI). End of the tour.
- Breakfast at the hotel · check out
- Pickup from your Cairo hotel
- Private transfer to Cairo International Airport (CAI)
Optional Add-On — A Day in Alexandria
- Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
- Pompey Pillar
- Citadel of Qaitbay
- Bibliotheca Alexandrina
What is Included
Included in the price
- 6 nights accommodation in 4-star hotels in Cairo and Siwa
- Daily breakfast, plus the lunches and dinners listed day by day
- All transfers in a private A/C vehicle, including the Cairo to Siwa road journey
- Airport meet & assist on arrival and departure
- Professional guide throughout the program
- 4WD safari across the Great Sand Sea with the Bir Wahed hot spring
- Two traditional Bedouin dinners in Siwa
- One night desert camping under the stars (or the hotel, on request)
Not included
- International flights
- Egypt entry visa
- Travel insurance
- Site entrance fees — please confirm with us when you book
- Lunches and dinners not listed in the itinerary
- Optional excursions, including the Alexandria day
- Single-room supplement
- Personal expenses and tipping
Not quite the trip you had in mind? Siwa also works as a shorter break, and we run other multi-day programs across Egypt.
Siwa Oasis tours & the 4-day package · Cairo 8-Day Tour · All Egypt packages & Nile cruises