Luxury Egypt Adventure Tour: Sahara to the Red Sea
Egypt’s ancient landscapes and archaeological sites whisper of the past – and promise adventures to come. Over ten incredible days, you’ll explore the atmospheric streets of Cairo before heading into the Sahara Desert for 4x4 adventures and sandboarding through the dunes. Kayak past ancient temples on Aswan’s boulder-strewn portion of the Nile. Explore in a traditional felucca sailboat, and go snorkelling and diving in the Red Sea.
Trip highlights
- Cruise on the Nile River in a traditional sailboat or felucca
- Hike to the rare desert waterfalls of Wadi El Rayan
- Go sandboarding down giant dunes in the Sahara
- Kayak past Nubian villages and ancient temples in Aswan
- Ride on quad bikes or in a 4x4 to cover swathes of the desert
- Snorkel or dive among reefs and shipwrecks in the Red Sea
Our bespoke trips include
We design one-of-a-kind journeys incorporating luxury in all its forms. Our bespoke trips include:
- Luxury accommodation throughout
- Privately guided tours
- Private transfers
- Meticulously selected experiences
- Expertise and support from your Jacada Concierge
Itinerary in detail
Days 1–3
Launch your Egypt active adventure in Cairo
Egypt’s capital Cairo blends shiny modern towers with ornately carved, ancient minarets – and combines monuments of the past with a palpable sense of adventure.
The city is arranged on the banks of the Nile River, and a journey to the top of Cairo Tower is the best way to appreciate the layers of history showcased by buildings like the seventh-century Mosque of Ibn Tulun and rococo-style Habib Pasha El Sakakini Palace.
Explore on riverside walks, cruise in a traditional felucca sailboat and discover the backstreets and markets of Downtown Cairo on a private night tour.
Make it mine
Night tour
Papyrus shop
Cooking class
An exploration of Downtown Cairo with a local resident
Downtown Cairo really comes to life at night. Your knowledgeable local guide will take you to some of the best food and drink spots on its broad promenades and side streets. Visit cafes frequented by artists, taste koshary – the national dish, a mix of fried rice, pasta and lentils – and eat ice cream as you observe the hum of daily life.
A visit to a historic papyrus store
First created around 3000 BC, papyrus – made from the stalks of papyrus reeds – is considered the world’s first portable writing material. Learn more about its history at a specialist shop in Old Cairo. You’ll be taught how to write some hieroglyphic letters on the paper, finishing by writing your name on a piece you can keep.
A traditional Egyptian cooking class
Delve into the traditions of Egyptian cuisine with this hands-on cooking class. You’ll start at a street market, meeting local vendors as you gather fresh produce and spices. Then, head to a studio where a chef will teach you to cook dishes like ful (fava bean stew) and basbousa – a syrup-soaked semolina cake – learning traditional cooking techniques along the way.
Days 3–5
An Egypt desert adventure in the Sahara
Heading south from Cairo, your Egypt adventure tour takes you into the Sahara, where a sea of sand dunes rolls under endless clear skies. Your base for active experiences here is Fayoum, an oasis city with sugar cane plantations and salt lakes.
Hike around, and up, the giant dunes of Wadi El Rayan, home to rare desert waterfalls. See prehistoric whale skeletons in the museum at Wadi Al Hitan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Try sandboarding down the dunes, and cover great swathes of the desert on exhilarating jeep tours.
Days 5–7
Sailing the Nile in Aswan
Active holidays in Egypt offer a different way to travel through the country’s ancient landscapes. On the banks of the Nile, Aswan is a dramatic tangle of granite cliffs, boulders and tall dunes, home to rock-hewn temples and the Unfinished Obelisk, dating from the 15th-century BC.
During your time here, delve deeper into your otherworldly surroundings on a kayaking tour, paddling past Philae Temple and the brightly painted houses of the Nubian Village. You can also cruise around islands and past desert dunes in a traditional felucca sailboat.
Where you could stay
On the water
Felucca sailing
Kayaking
A ride on a traditional sailboat
Soak in Aswan’s ethereal beauty from the water on board a traditional sailboat or felucca. Your guide will steer the vessel around islands with colourful Nubian houses and botanical gardens, tracing the Nile shoreline of palm trees and temple complexes backed by desert dunes.
Paddle past temples and islands on the Nile
Aswan is on a portion of the Nile River known as the ‘First Cataract’ because its narrow, boulder-strewn passages and rapids often halted ships. Kayaking puts you among this unusual scenery. Paddle around lushly planted islands and pass the Philae Temple, dating to 690 BC.
Days 7–10
Red Sea snorkelling and diving adventures
The Red Sea is known for its long coastline of burnished gold beaches, each one a launchpad for adventures in and out of the water.
Here, private Egypt adventure tours will take you snorkelling around vivid coral reefs. Board a boat for scuba diving in deeper waters with shipwrecks and take stand-up paddleboards to quiet coves.
On dry land, explore the fishing village of Dahab, hike around the black sand dunes and mineral springs of Safaga and ride quad bikes among tall dunes in the Red Sea Coastal Desert.
Where you could stay
Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh
My two week trip to Egypt was executed flawlessly. Grace took my outline of what I wanted to do and prepared an itinerary that was efficient but not hectic. My three guides during the trip were all exceptional. Knowledgeable, personable, and caring every day. They knew the schedules of tour bus and river cruise groups at all the sites and…
Why book with Jacada
Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your personal interests, tastes and preferences, providing honest advice based on first-hand knowledge.
Authentic experiences
Our expert guides and brilliant Concierges are hand-picked for their ability to bring your destination to life with care and passion.
Positive Impact
We seek out unforgettable experiences that benefit both local communities and the environment.
