King Ramses Sun Festival Oct 2026 - 13 days

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13 daysDuration

Group TourJoin a group of travelers

24 peopleMaximum group size

18 - 80 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Starts

Cairo, Egypt

Ends

Cairo, Egypt

Highlights

Hurghada - Enjoy R&R at the Red Sea, swim and opt to snorkel or scuba dive in the clear coastal waters

Abu Simbel Sun Festival - Witness the grand accomplishment and feat of precision mastered by King Rames II at the Abu Simbel Sun Festival

Cairo - Marvel at the legendary Pyramids of Giza, explore the Necropolis of Saqqara and see King Tut's treasures at the vast Grand Egyptian Museum

Luxor West Bank - Discover exquisite tombs at the Valley of the Kings, see the towering Colossi of Memnon and explore the beautiful Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

Luxor - Roam around the colossal Temple of Karnak and take an optional tour of the beautifully illuminated Luxor Temple at night

Aswan - Take a leisurely boat trip to Agilika Island to explore romantic Philae Temple and wander around the colourful souqs

Nile cruising - Spend 3 nights on board a 5 star Nile cruiser and cruise the River Nile

Kom Ombo - Visit the Nile side Temple of Kom Ombo

Aswan - Take a leisurely boat trip to Agilika Island to explore romantic Philae Temple and wander around the colourful souqs

Nile cruising - Spend 3 nights on board a 5 star Nile cruiser and cruise the River Nile

Kom Ombo - Visit the Nile side Temple of Kom Ombo

Itinerary

SUN FESTIVAL TOUR: See the mighty Pyramids of Giza, witness the spectacular Sun Festival at Abu Simbel and explore Aswan, then cruise the Nile on board a 5-star river cruiser. Followed by sightseeing in Luxor and relaxation on the beach in Hurghada. Bliss!

day 1 - Cairo

Sunday 18 Oct 2026. Welcome to Egypt! Upon arrival at Cairo airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to spend at your own leisure. Tonight, your Welcome Meeting will be held at 7pm.

OverNight:Cairo

day 2 - Pyramids & Saqqara

Today visit to the legendary pyramids and iconic Sphinx at the Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction. Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. Continuing to Saqqara, we can explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s step pyramid - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC.

Meals:1 Breakfast

OverNight:Cairo

day 3 - Grand Egyptian Museum

Cairo - Aswan. Today we embark on a guided tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum, an extraordinary 490,000 sq.m complex that houses over 100,000 artefacts and will eventually showcase a giant exhibition featuring the complete treasures of King Tutankhamun. Many items already on display are being exhibited for the first time, gathered from across Egypt and around the world. Wander through vast galleries filled with statues, sarcophagi, everyday objects, and beautifully restored antiquities that bring Egypt’s ancient civilisation to life.

Among the highlights is Tutankhamun’s collection, including iconic pieces such as his golden funerary mask, regal chariot, ornate jewellery, and ceremonial treasures, offering an unforgettable look into the world of the boy king.

Later today we fly south to Aswan and transfer to our hotel for the night.

Meals:1 Breakfast

OverNight:Aswan

day 4 - Aswan & the Philae Temple

Aswan - Abu Simbel - Nile Cruiser. This morning we enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island for Philae Temple - dedicated to the goddess Isis. Returning to Aswan we visit a perfume oil emporium, then check-in on board the Nile Cruiser, home for the next three nights. There is free time to perhaps enjoy some shopping in the colourful souks and markets or simply relax in this attractive town which straddles the River Nile.

At midnight we board our coach to the Grand Temples of Abu Simbel (journey time, approximately 4 hours). Upon arrival we await the first rays of sunlight, which will signify the start of the Sun Festival of the mighty King Ramses II.

Meals:1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

OverNight:Nile Cruiser/Coach journey to Abu Simbel

day 5 - SUN FESTIVAL - TEMPLE OF KING RAMSES II, ABU SIMBEL

22 October. Abu Simbel - Aswan - Nile Cruiser. Possibly the most awe-inspiring temple in all ancient Egypt, the great Sun Temple of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel was constructed between 1290 and 1224 BC to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler himself. Ramses the Bold, Ramses the Great, Ramses the Narcissist are perhaps all apt titles for one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful rulers.

Built by Ramses II to demonstrate his political clout and divine backing to the ancient Nubians, Abu Simbel is an incredible self-tribute. Guarding the entrance to the temple, hewn into the side of a mountain, are four colossal statues of the pharaoh himself. Over the centuries, the desert sands imperceptibly shifted until the temple was all but lost to humanity. It was rediscovered by chance in 1813 by a Swiss explorer called John Lewis Burkhardt. Only one of the heads of the pharaohs was showing and a small part of the rest of the temple peeked above the desert sands. It wasn’t until the British happened upon the temple and started excavating that the full glory of Abu Simbel was revealed to the modern world. The other rock cut temple at Abu Simbel is the Temple of Hathor, which is fronted by six massive standing statues. Four of them represent King Ramses II, whilst the other two are of his beloved wife, Queen Nefertari.

In a fit of precision and architectural egotism, Ramses II had the Great Temple carefully angled and oriented in order that the sun’s rays would align twice a year on the date of his ascension to the throne (21 February) and on his birthday (21 October) to illuminate the inner sanctum of the temple. This incredible phenomenon provides for a most spectacular sight, which has come to be referred to as the Sun Festival of King Ramses II. Crowds assemble in the temple before sunrise and watch the shafts of light slowly creep through the inner Hypostyle Hall and through to the Sanctuary. Significantly, the sun illuminates statues of Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ramses the god, whilst the statue of Ptah - the god of darkness, remains in the shadows.

Famously, the temple was re-located in a multi-million dollar operation in 1972, further up from the shoreline of Lake Nasser, which had threatened to erode the foundations of this monolithic temple complex. For this reason, the sun now strikes a day later than Ramses had originally planned, though the event this morning itself is no less stunning.

Returning to Aswan, our Nile Cruiser departs this afternoon and we cruise the River Nile to Kom Ombo where we disembark to visit the temple which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek before returning to the cruiser for the night.

Meals:1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

OverNight:Nile Cruiser

day 6 - Nile Cruise to Luxor

Nile Cruiser - Luxor. Relax, enjoy a swim in the pool and chill out in the sun on deck this morning. Let your troubles melt away as we cruise the River Nile to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Arriving into Luxor this afternoon the rest of the day is free to explore the city before we spend our final night aboard the cruiser.

Meals:1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner

OverNight:Nile Cruiser

day 7 - Luxor

This morning we disembark and check into our 5 star Luxor hotel. The day is free to relax and explore. Tonight, an optional visit available to the Temple of Luxor, stunningly illuminated by hundreds of lights.

Meals:1 Breakfast

OverNight:Luxor

day 8 - Valley of the Kings

This morning we explore the West Bank of the Nile and the legendary Valley of the Kings. Marvel at Colossi of Memnon, the massive stone remains of the temple of Amenophis III, and explore the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and surrounding tombs. After lunch we visit the Temple of Karnak, a spectacular religious complex built on a gigantic scale, where you can lose yourself wandering around the massive stone papyrus columns. Spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Meals:1 Breakfast

OverNight:Luxor

day 9 - Red Sea Riviera

Luxor - Hurghada. Departing Luxor we head east to Hurghada part of the beautiful Red Sea Riviera for 3 days on the beach!

Meals:1 Breakfast

OverNight:Hurghada

days 10-11 - R&R beachside

The next few days are free to independently explore Hurghada or simply relax. There is the option of going snorkelling on day 10 but the rest of the time it's up to you!

Hurghada is one of the Red Sea's most popular resorts and it is easy to see why. Hotels and expanded infrastructure provide holidaymakers with excellent aquatic facilities for sail boarding, yachting, deep-sea fishing, SCUBA diving and snorkelling. Hurghada’s central location provides a gateway to prime offshore reefs, some of which are of the finest in the world. For retail therapy, the town has lots of shops selling knock-off bags and tees, snorkelling gear and suchlike. Hurghada also offers plenty of good nightlife options to choose from. Just outside Hurghada is an ancient Roman quarry called Mons Porphyritis and Port Safarga – a famously windy place and windsurfer's paradise.

Meals:2 Breakfast

OverNight:Hurghada

day 12 - Khan el Khalili Market

Hurghada - Cairo. We drive back to Cairo this morning, upon arrival we check into our hotel. The reminder of today is at your leisure, or you can opt to join our optional visit to the exotic Khan el Khalili Bazaar. It's a top spot to browse and bargain for authentic Egyptian souvenirs, from ornate free-standing tobacco pipes and pharaonic tat, to belly dancing costumes and spices and carpets.

Meals:1 Breakfast

OverNight:Cairo

day 13 - Cairo

Wednesday 30 Oct 2026. Hotel check out and included transfer to airport.

Meals:1 Breakfast

King Ramses Sun Festival Oct 2026 - 13 days

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What's Included

Accommodation

9 nights 4-5 star hotels, 3 nights aboard 5 star Nile Cruiser (en suite cabin)

Meals

Breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 3 dinners

Transport

Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 and day 13All relevant transfers and transportation in private modern air-conditioned vehicles

Guide

Escorted by an Egyptian tour guide degree qualified in Egyptology

Others

Economy class flight from Cairo to AswanOvernight bus journey (3.5 hrs) to Abu Simbel, with Nile Cruiser to freshen up and rest prior to the festival eventTouring - Cairo, Giza, Saqqara, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo and Luxor3 days in Hurghada by the Red Sea - Swim, snorkel and relax

Entrance

Guided visit to Abu Simbel at sunrise for the Sun Festival of King Ramses II including Abu Simbel and Sun Festival entrance fee

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a good tour as it is run by a trusted travel specialist who has received 26 reviews for other tours with an average 4.6rating.

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