Egypt: Pharaohs & Pyramids *18-39 YEARS ONLY*

This is your chance to delve deeper, to explore more. To experience a new and exotic
destination to the absolute fullest. Ladies and gents – welcome to Egypt. Spot your
Topdeck Rep at the airport (hint: they’re holding a placard with your name on it). Then:
dump your stuff at the hotel and meet your fellow explorers by the pool. Tonight, we’ll
dig into our first included group dinner at a local restaurant. Time to talk tombs, swap
pharaoh facts, and discover how many times everyone’s watched The Mummy

You’ve read about them in books. Seen them in documentaries. And watched them
play backdrop to movie after movie. But today, you’re gonna experience the AMAZING
Pyramids of Giza in real life. First though, we’ll get the low-down on the world’s largest
collection of Pharaonic antiquities at the Egyptian Museum. Then: prepare to feel
insignificant (in the best possible way) as you stand before the Great Pyramids and
the legendary Sphinx. We mentioned your Trip Leader is a qualified Egyptologist, right?
So, our walking tour is gonna be filled with allll the fascinating facts. Win! After a full
day of exploring, we’ll jump on an overnight coach to Aswan. Note to self: bring a neck
pillow and plenty of snacks – this one’s a long one.

Disembark our noble steed, freshen up at the hotel and slip on your Birks – we’re gonna
take a wander around the jumble of antique storefronts and brightly coloured stalls of
Aswan Bazaar. After, we’re heading out on the Nile for a spot of kayaking. Then? The
rest is 100% up to you. Need some suggestions? Explore the Temple of Isis in nearby
Philae. Then check out the beaut sound and light show at the temple complex. If you’re
keen to delve a bit deeper into the unique culture here, opt to visit a Nubian village and
tuck into dinner with the locals. This is as authentic as it gets.

Crank the ancient history knob a little higher – today we’re exploring the great temples
of Abu Simbel. Carved within the mountains on the bank of the Nile, these babies are
full of WOW factor. Take it alllll in as we wander through the great halls of the Great
Temple of Ramses II and gape at the detail within the Temple of Hathor – dedicated to
Ramses’ favourite wife: Queen Nefertari. Later, get the gang together for a wander
along Aswan’s Corniche in search of a riverside terrace for dinner. Our Trip Leader
knows where to get the best fattah. Or watch the sunset from the Ferial Gardens. This is
livin’.

Imagine: the sun on your back, the wind in your sails and THE BEST people you could
ever hope to meet sharing stories, food and music in one rug-strewn love-in. Today,
we’re ditching the wheels and embarking on a journey down the Nile – aboard a
traditional wooden felucca boat, of course. Pull up a cushion, turn off the tech and lose
yourself in the moment as we watch rural Egyptian life play out along the banks of this
mighty river. After plenty of home-cooked food and games of UNO with the gang –
we’ll spend the night under a star-filled sky. This is the real Egypt.
*Felucca facts: You’re spending the night on a traditional wooden boat. Meaning? No
cabins. The boat’s broad canvas sails offer shade and protection from the elements by
day. And by night, we’ll sleep outdoors on comfy mattresses – so don’t forget a
sleeping bag. And for other… things? DW there’s toilets and somewhere for you to
freshen up on board.

Wake to the sun rising slowly over the Nile and enjoy the fresh air lapping at our felucca
’s sails. After breakfast, there’s an optional pit stop at Kom Ombo for a look at the
Temple and Crocodile Museum. Or why not check out Edfu Temple that’s dedicated to
the mighty Horus instead? Then, it’s onwards to INCREDIBLE Luxor. They say this place is
the world’s greatest open-air museum – and you’ve got all afternoon free to uncover
what ‘they’ mean. Explore the ancient temple of Karnak on an optional visit –stick
around for the sound and light show later if you want. Or do your own thing and head
to Egypt’s largest Pharaonic temple or the fascinating Luxor Museum. Tonight, dinner is
on you – so get the crew together and hunt down a local restaurant for some fiteer
(aka Egyptian pizza). Mmmm.

Another day, another bucket-list item well-and-truly ticked off the list. Insert: Valley of
the Kings. We’ll spend the morning getting schooled on the funerary rites of the ancient
Egyptians and the many hieroglyphics painted throughout three significant royal
tombs – including Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Give a silent salute
to Queen Hatshepsut (who ruled ancient Egypt for 20 years) before we head back to
Luxor for the evening. Dinner plans? Your Trip Leader has all the recs.

Today, we’ve got our GPS set for Hurghada – a coastal city on Egypt’s legendary Red
Sea. When we arrive, you’ll have the rest of the afternoon to explore. Discover the Old
Town of El Dahar, chock-full of local restaurants, shops, and a traditional souk (read:
market) selling leather, spices and shisha pipes. Or spend the afternoon horizontal by
the pool or beachside. And later? Dinner’s on us.

Here’s a whole day to do YOU in Hurghada. An optional walking tour with a local guide
will give you alllll the inside knowledge on this coastal paradise. Or you could always
head back to the Old Town of El Dahar to pick up a few more souvenirs. Heard about
the incredible Red Sea? Yeah, us too. Jump aboard an optional snorkelling boat trip
and explore the abundance of marine life and coral reefs for yourself.

Disclaimer: we’re out of here this afternoon, so don’t waste a sun-soaked second. Belly
flop into that hotel pool one last time (or just flop out on the nearest sunbed).
Waterlogged and sunkissed, we’ll make a beeline back to Cairo for our last group
dinner at a local eatery. What. A. Week.

You came. You saw. You embraced it all. And now, just like that, it’s all over. Get down
to breakfast and swap those digits with your trip mates – you’ll be catching up later for
sure. Where to next? We’ve got Delve Deep trips in Morocco and Turkey, timed perfectly
so you can hop straight over. Just saying...