Delve Deep: Egypt

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...