Egypt—it’s the birthplace of civilization, and home to the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the great temples of Luxor.
There’s a reason a visit to the pyramids of Giza appears on every must-see travel list. You need to go and now is the time.
Traveling through Egypt as a solo female traveler can be intimidating, so we’ve created an exclusive small group tour that will deliver an authentic and inspiring experience. Leave the logistics to us, and bring your camera and your sense of adventure on this exclusive women only tour through Egypt.
We have teamed up with a local tourism expert and certified Egyptologist to create the ultimate boutique travel experience through ancient Egypt.
This ultimate Egypt adventure takes you from Cairo to Aswan and features a Nile River cruise with private guided tours of the ancient temples of Luxor. You’ll be talking about this iconic 11-day tour for years to come.
Gratuities included in 2024 trips and beyond ($400 pp value).
Check dates and availabilityTrip Dates | Availability | Price | Payment |
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Welcome to beautiful, historic Cairo! We will be doing airport pickups all day today, and we recommend landing before 6 p.m. if possible. After collecting you from the airport, we’ll walk via Sky Bridge to the hotel. We’re expecting you to be tired from the journey, so we’ll take it easy today.
After some rest, we’ll have dinner as a group.
Meals: D
Hotel: Le Meridien Airport Hotel
Today is all about ancient history—and pyramids!
This morning we will explore Giza, where we’ll see the legendary Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Here, you’ll ride camels to a famous panoramic viewpoint for epic pyramid shots, or, choose to purchase tickets to go inside one of the Great Pyramids.
After a day of exploring this massive complex, you’ll have some time to relax at the hotel before we have dinner as a group.
Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Hyatt Regency Cairo
The Great Pyramids of Giza are the most famous — but they’re not the oldest!
Today, we’re taking you to lesser-known pyramids, to regions that not many travelers get a chance to see, including the ancient burial grounds of Saqqara, where discoveries are still being made today.
After Saqqara, we will make our way to Dahshur.
Dahshur is an ancient royal necropolis located roughly 25 miles from Cairo. The necropolis is home to some of Egypt’s best-preserved pyramids, the Dahshur Pyramids. According to archeological studies, the oldest of the Dahshur pyramids was constructed in 2613 BC while the most recently built pyramid is believed to have been built 2589 BC.
Many historians often refer to the Dahshur pyramids as being “true” Egyptian pyramids, largely because of the fact that they are among the oldest pyramids in the country. In fact, the two oldest pyramids in the country are found at this necropolis. Another remarkable aspect of these pyramids is the variation in design from one pyramid to the next.
After learning about ancient Egyptian history and sightseeing through these fascinating areas, where discoveries are still being uncovered to this day, we’ll have lunch together as a group and return to your hotel for some downtime.
Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Hyatt Regency Cairo
After breakfast, we’ll continue with our ancient Egypt exploration by visiting the Egyptian museum, where you’ll see King Tut’s famous gold mask. Then, we’ll have lunch together, before exploring two very interesting and different neighborhoods of Cairo: Coptic Cairo (also known as the old city) and Islamic Cairo. Highlights include the Mosque of Muhammad Ali and the Hanging Church.
If you’re hoping to do some shopping in the Cairo Bazaar, today is your chance! (Don’t worry, if you’re hoping to buy bigger items, most vendors can ship).
Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Hyatt Regency Cairo
This morning after breakfast, we’ll make our way to the Cairo airport and fly to beautiful Aswan.
Best known for its Nubian villages and for its strategic placement as the gateway between northern and southern Egypt, this Nile River city has played an important role in the development of Cairo and the rest of Egypt.
Enjoy a boat ride down the river as we visit Philae Island, home to some of the best-preserved temples in the area. Later we’ll tour an authentic Nubian village.
TIP: The Nubian Village is a great place to buy spices!
Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Movenpick Aswan
After breakfast this morning, we’ll be visiting a true highlight – Abu Simbel!
This UNESCO World Heritage site was built in the 13th century as a dedication to the sun gods and is among the best-preserved sites in Egypt. We’ll depart after breakfast and drive as a group up to Abu Simbel (a 3-hour drive). When we arrive, you will have plenty of time to explore this massive and incredible complex. It is honestly a must-see!
After a day spent touring this dynamic place, we will drive back to Aswan and relax at the hotel.
Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Movenpick Aswan
This morning, we’ll enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before checking into our Nile River Cruise in Aswan.
Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Mayfair Nile River Cruise
Our Nile Cruise is underway!
Today our key stops include the temple of Edfu, and Kom Ombo (note: they are early morning stops).
The Temple of Edfu was buried under centuries of sand and silt until the nineteenth century when French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette rediscovered the site. The complex is one of the most well-preserved sites in Egypt today; its architecture is very much intact, and the building contains a wealth of legible inscriptions on its walls. It is dedicated to the falcon god, Horus.
Kom Ombo temple is unique because it is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus the falcon-headed god. It is amazingly preserved, and includes a small museum where you’ll even see mummified crocodiles – that’s how significant these creatures were!
When we’re not stopping at these fascinating sites, we’re cruising. Relax by the pool, get a massage, or just chill! All meals served on the ship.
Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Mayfair Nile River Cruise
This morning, we’ll explore the sites and temples of Luxor’s East Bank, including Karnak and Luxor Temples.
The Karnak temple complex at Luxor developed over more than 1,000 years, principally between the Twelfth and Twentieth Dynasties, and is the second most-visited complex in Egypt (second to the Great Pyramids). It was, at its peak, the largest and most important religious complex in ancient Egypt. The most significant structure, and the largest religious building ever built, is the Temple of Amun-Ra, considered to be where that god lived on earth with his wife, Mut, and son, Khonsu, who also have temples at the site.
Luxor Temple is one of the best-preserved of all of the ancient monuments containing large amounts of structure, statuary, and relief carvings that are still intact to this day, making it one of the most impressive places to visit in the Luxor area and all of Egypt.
After a morning of exploring these incredible sites, we will have lunch as a group.
Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Mayfair Nile River Cruise
Today is action-packed!
In the early morning, we’ll be taking a sunrise hot air balloon above Luxor (weather permitting), and then exploring the sites and temples of Luxor’s West Bank, including the Valley of the Kings and the temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
The Valley of the Kings is a series of tombs, and 3 of those tombs are included with your entrance ticket. Spend the morning walking through the tombs of pharaohs, or, choose to go into the tomb of King Tut (an additional entrance fee, but fascinating!).
After, we’ll visit the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was the only female pharaoh in the history of Ancient Egypt. She came to power during the New Kingdom after the death of her father, Tuthmose I, and her half-brother and husband, Tuthmose II, who succeeded her father on the throne. She originally served as queen-regent to her husband’s son by another wife, Tuthmose III, but seized the throne from him and managed to hold onto power until her death. Hatshepsut is the only female to rule Egypt, and she was a very successful and beloved pharaoh. Visiting her temple is always a highlight!
Meals: B, L, D
Hotel: Hilton Luxor
Day 11: Departures
Today’s our least favorite day: departure day. It’s hard to say goodbye after sharing our adventures of a lifetime through ancient Egypt, but alas, all things must end.
This morning we will depart for Cairo on Egyptair 63, departing Luxor at 8:10 am, arriving to Cairo at 9:20 am.
Our time together ends at the Cairo airport.
We’re sad to see the trip end, but sure you had memories to last a lifetime!
Meals: –
Hotel: –
Your accommodation will be in a variety of 3-5 star properties throughout Cairo, Aswan and Luxor. Your room on the Nile River cruise will be shared.
This tour is priced for shared accommodation, meaning you’ll be sharing a room with one other gal.
If you’d like your own space, choose the “solo room” option at checkout.
Mostly everything is included (yay!), but you’ll need to cover your own alcohol, shopping, meals not listed, and gratuities.
Most larger places will accept credit cards, but it’s great to have some local currency on hand for the smaller markets and gratuities. ATMs are widely available throughout the country. Just remember to let your bank(s) know where/when you’ll be traveling!
Fly into Cairo (CAI). Plan to arrive before 6:00 pm on Day 1, and depart in the afternoon on Day 11.
Want us to advise on flights? Email us at info@damesly.com
-Passport
-Travel Insurance
-Visa
Damesly Pro Tip: Use the sherpa website to easily determine which requirements apply to you.
This trip will run with a minimum of 4 participants, and will max at 12.
A $500 non-refundable deposit is due at the time of booking, or you can opt to pay for the trip in full.
Once we receive your deposit, our accounting team will set you up with a personal account so you can pay the balance of your trip at your leisure.
Payments are due in full 60 days prior to departure.
Yes. Damesly requires all guests to have travel insurance, and often the countries we visit do as well. We highly recommend opting for the “cancel-for-any-reason” insurance option, but note that this typically needs to be acquired within 21 days of initial booking (i.e. when you submit your deposit).
November is one of the best months to visit Egypt as it is just starting to cool off – you can still expect hot and sunny days (high 70s/low 80s), with cooler temps at night (high 50s).
Your local tour guide for this Egypt trip is Anton Yacoub, an egyptologist and expert in Egypt history and mythology.
You will also have a Damesly Tour Leader on your trip.
Want your own room? We've got you! Request to upgrade to solo or make this tour private.
Krystle Lange –
Egypt is hands down one of the best trips I have ever been on and Damesly made this possible. We started in Cairo and made our way to Aswan, and then Luxor. We saw so many things in the 10 days we were there. Kelly joined us on the trip and she had Jeff who was essentially our guide take care of everything. He was incredibly kind, thoughtful, extremely excited and interested in all Egypt had to offer, and made sure to give us all of his Egypt history knowledge throughout the trip. His presence made this trip magical and unforgettable!!
We had great accommodations and a very comfortable van to travel around in from day to day. I felt incredibly safe the entire time I was there and since Jeff spoke the language clearly he was invaluable in making this trip what it was. We did the Nile boat cruise for two days and my friend and I had spent some time on the Nile while in Uganda, so the only thing we even thought about doing differently was perhaps replacing that time with going to Alexandria or the Red Sea in place of the boat cruise, otherwise IO wouldn’t have changed a thing! The hot air balloon ride in Luxor is a must!!
Every site we saw was incredible. Of course the pyramids were astounding!! We saw temples at sunrise, sunset, the middle of day, and at night. Kelly was very flexible with us as well and we were able to change some things around and make it our own trip. That was greatly appreciated!!
Kelly and Jeff worked very hard to create an itinerary that wowed us! I am so grateful for Kelly and Jeff for making this trip to Egypt one that I will never forget!!! I cannot wait to travel with them again:) If anyone is considering joining for this trip next year, feel free to email me anytime!! I am happy to answer any questions about Egypt or this trip specifically, because everyone should go if they are able!! Email me anytime!! (krystle.n.lange@gmail.com) You will not be disappointed. If you want to travel, Damesly is the place to go to find your dream travel destination and make it a very unique experience!
Jess A. –
Incredible trip! We covered a lot of ground, getting to see so many things and have so many different experiences without ever feeling too rushed. (There were a few early mornings, yes, but to get to see the sunrise over the Valley of the Kings from a hot air balloon—worth it!!)
I usually travel on my own, but it was 100% worth it to go with Damesly for this trip—I never had to worry about my safety or how I was going to get around… not to mention how much more rich the experience was with our own personal local guide who had so much knowledge to share about both ancient and modern Egypt! (And, a huge help to me personally, he was able to explain what “vegetarian” was to our servers at all the delicious local restaurants he took us to!) Anton brought us to places I never would have known about or have been able to find on my own, which made the trip so special. He is an absolute gem!!
The group size is small, which made us much more nimble than the groups on the big tour buses, and making connections among the group was a focus, which made the trip much more than the sum of its parts. I was so sad to leave all my new friends at that end of the trip, and I plan to travel with Damesly again!
Ariel T –
Every day was better than the last. Starting with the Pyramids, and ending in Luxor, our guides, Kelly and Anton, left me wanting more Egypt, more history, and more female energy in my life.
This was my first group trip, and first time to Africa. Never would I have imagined enjoying spending all my days and nights with strangers, but the group quickly became friends with whom I hope to maintain relationships for many years.
Highlights of the trip included Anton’s knowledgeable tours of the Pyramids, museums, and temples, swimming in the Nile and drinking the best coffee I’ve ever had at a local Nubian spot, eating delicious local foods, and replenishing my energy after exploring in luxurious pools that Kelly ensured were available at every accommodation.
What was also impressive was the extent to which Damesly ensured our safety during COVID. I felt safer in Egypt then at home, which was a feat.
This was a life changing trip that I recommend to any woman, even those like me who never imagined traveling to Egypt. Anton individualizes the trip to make sure Damesly guests get to see and experience what is most important to them, even going so far as to help me get pigeon after the official tour was over. Thank you Kelly and Damesly, I can’t wait for my next trip with you!
Martha Marlton –
Highly recommend Damesly! This trip was AMAZING. It was my first time traveling in a group like this, and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I met so many amazing women that I now consider friends.
Every day was better than the next, from riding camels at the Great Pyramids, shopping for spices and herbs, to cruising the Nile in style.
We did ALL the things on this 10-day trip. It was so nice to show up, relax and know that all the details were taken care of.
Anton’s knowledge base and expertise were a big highlight of the trip. He and Kelly went above and beyond to ensure everyone had a unique experience.
Even though we traveled during the height of COVID, safety was never an issue, and everything was seamless. I would definitely go on another Damesly trip!