Travel Ideas: Egypt

At the heart of our office is an Idea Lab: a space in which we are constantly innovating, dreaming, and designing new ways to enhance your travels. It may be our network of contacts that allow us to bring all these ideas to life, but it is you – our clients – who keep us challenged and having fun. Whether your trip is straightforward, over-the-top, or anywhere in the middle, we are always in our lab and ready.

Adventure & Adrenaline

• Explore one of the natural wonders of the Sinai – the Colored Canyon – a maze of sandstone rocks in hues of yellow, purple, red, magenta, and gold reaching 130 feet in the air.
• Dive Ras Mohammed, a cape in South Sinai of coral reefs with more than 1,000 species of fish, indisputably one of the most beautiful dive spots in the Red Sea.
• Get up-close and personal to the Sphinx, the Valley Temple, and the Great Pyramids on a quad bike tour around the Giza Plateau.
• Enjoy an invigorating morning or sunset kayak cruise on the Nile River in Cairo around Maadi and Dahab Islands.
• Kitesurf Buzza Beach at the popular resort town of El Gouna on the Red Sea.
• Explore the scenic route through the ancient Nubian site of St. Simeon Monastery in Aswan by camel.
• Dive the world-famous ‘Blue Hole’, a spectacular coral site, home to fans, eels, and dozens of fish species.
• Trot through the waters of Lake Qarun in the El Fayoum oasis on horseback.
• Sandboard the world’s third-largest dune field in the Great Sand Sea of the Sahara Desert.
• Visit the Bedouin villages and fabulous oases west of Hurghada by camel.
• Dive amid two British ships sunk by German bomb attacks in World War II accompanied by a wreck historian.

Golf

• Tee off from over 15 top-rated golf courses located in Egypt’s major cities.
• The awe-inspiring site of the pyramids on the Giza Plateau forms a backdrop to the Mena House Golf Course, creating one of the world’s most extraordinary golfing experiences.
• Both of El Gouna’s 18-hole championship courses boast year-round golf in the midst of stunning mountains with endless sea views.

Celebrations

• End your multi-generational family trip with dinner under the stars in the exotic gardens of the historic and glamorous Hotel Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor, retracing the steps of Howard Carter, Agatha Christie, the Agha Khan, and Sir Winston Churchill.
• Invite your 14 closest friends to celebrate your birthday on a Nile Cruise aboard a sail-driven luxury Dahabiya, traveling the historic route between Luxor and Aswan.
• Ask her or him to marry you over a starlight romantic dinner for two in the Western Desert.
• Party on a ‘dinner boat’ with unequaled views of Cairo and be entertained by whirling dervishes.
• Celebrate that special anniversary with a candle-lit dinner in the 1902 Restaurant in Aswan.
• Honor your child – or grandchild’s – graduation with an early morning exclusive visit ‘between the paws’ of the Sphinx on the Giza Plateau.

Bragging Rights: Signature Experiences

• Dive in Cleopatra’s Palace in the eastern harbor of Alexandria.
• Take traditional British Afternoon Tea at the legendary Victorian Palace Terrace at the Hotel Sofitel Legend Old Cataract in Aswan.
• A private tour of the Pyramids and the Sphinx on the Giza Plateau with a world-renowned archaeologist and Egyptologist.
• Exclusive dinner at the historic 1902 Restaurant in Aswan.
• Private visit to the restoration laboratories at the new Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza Plateau.
• Private felucca lunch on the Nile River in Cairo.
• Enjoy a special Bedouin tea during sunset at Zwara eco-lodge in the desert oasis of El Fayoum.
• Stargazing with Bedouins in the desert west of Hurghada.
• Exhilarating 12-mile quadbike trip to Wadi Belliye, a picturesque Bedouin village, to watch the sunset as you refresh yourself with tea and ‘shisha’.
• Private cruise onboard an eco-friendly catamaran, stopping at two secret reefs in the Red Sea where you can swim, snorkel, or just relax.
• Personalized Turkish-style Hammam treatment and full body massage at your luxury resort in Cairo.
• Flowers, candles, and a personalized, four-course menu set the mood for an intimate, romantic dinner in a private pergola on the beach in Alexandria.
• Luxuriate at a private beachfront mansion on the Red Sea. Decorated with influences from Italy, Turkey, Syria, and North Africa, the residence offers a serene and timeless escape for your family and friends.

The Arts

• Enjoy a performance of Western European classical music compositions by Egypt’s Al Nour Wal Amal, a Chamber Orchestra formed by 44 blind Egyptian women musicians.
• See Giuseppe Verdi’s iconic Opera – Aida – at the Cairo Opera House.
• Guided visit to Karnak, one of Cairo’s most exclusive jewelry bazaars where you’ll find masterpieces of art and exceptionally high-quality jewelry.
• Private curator lecture at the Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza Plateau.
• A jewelry expert will reveal the unique stories behind the ornate Muhammad Ali dynasty collection at The Royal Jewelry Museum in Alexandria, followed by a private dinner in the palace’s Royal Gardens, set to live music.
• Private expert-led art tour at Zamalek Art Gallery in Cairo.
• Enjoy the Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids and the Sphinx on the Giza Plateau.
• Gaze upon preserved ancient artwork in the tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings.
• Partake in a Nubian wedding ritual by having an artist give you a henna tattoo.

Food and Wine

• Sip a traditional cup of tea at the famous Fishawi’s café in Khan El-Khalili Bazaar.
• Enjoy a private dinner cruise aboard a yacht in the Red Sea.
• Picnic on the West Bank of Luxor, enjoying tasty Egyptian mezes in a uniquely spectacular setting.
• Dine in the local style at the Giza Plateau, overlooking breathtaking views of all three pyramids with a chef and culinary team catering to your taste.
• Join an award-winning Egyptian Chef on a two-day culinary adventure, as he reveals the start-to-finish process of creating his seasonal and locally-inspired menus.
• Partake in a cooking class with a Nubian chef and learn more about their traditional cuisine.
• Immerse yourself in the history of Egyptian wine-making during a visit to the Gianaclis Vineyards in Alexandria, enjoying wine tasting and food pairings.

Bring the Kids

• Enjoy a luxurious hot air balloon flight over the extraordinary landscape of the West Bank Necropolis of Luxor.
• Journey across the Sinai Desert on a family-friendly camel tour, catching the sun as it sets below the horizon.
• Visit the ‘Valley of the Whales’ – Wadi Al Hitan – a UNESCO World Heritage Site of fossilized whales in the midst of the desert.
• Travel to the top of Cairo’s 614 ft. free-standing tower for a 360-degree panoramic view that stretches all the way to the pyramids.
• Participate in a Bedouin-style nighttime feast on the Red Sea beach in Sharm El Sheikh.
• Visit the Hall of Mummies at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
• Walkthrough the Sound & Light Show at the Temple of Karnak in Luxor.
• Enjoy a horse and carriage ride along the Corniche in Luxor.
• Stroll through Kitchener’s Island peaceful botanical garden, a haven for rare exotic birds.
• Meet and interact with Nubian people in the villages of Siou and Koti and learn more about their language, music, and traditions.

Jewish Heritage

• Visit the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Old Cairo, which is celebrated as the site where baby Moses was found in a basket of rushes by the Pharaoh’s daughter.
• Tour the Bassatine Cemetery, Cairo’s most notable Jewish landmark, established in the ninth century and second oldest only to the cemetery on the Mount of Olives.
• Explore the Tomb of Seti I, father of Ramses II, and adoptive father of Moses. KV17 is the longest tomb in the Valley of the Kings, at almost 460 feet.
• Climb Mount Sinai to experience where, according to the Torah, Moses received the Ten Commandments. We recommend an early morning visit to enjoy stunning views of the Sinai Desert at sunrise.
• Visit Saint Catherine’s Monastery, a 6th-century Monastery and UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Tradition holds it is the site of the burning bush where God spoke to Moses.