Name: Ultimate Egypt Food and Culture Tour
Brand: Zicasso
Rating: 4.875816993464052 (459 reviews)

What to expect on this itinerary

Experience a more authentic side to Egypt with nine days of food and culture, from contemporary Cairo to Nubian, Berber and Saharan specialities. With gastronomy as the guide you’ll discover a local side to life, as well as exploring Egypt’s famous antiquity. Expect neighborhood food tours, personal cooking classes, unusual gastronomy, and a deep insight into Egypt, both then and now.

Countries Visited

Egypt

Places Visited

Luxor, Aswan, Cairo

Suggested Duration

9 Days

Day 1

Luxor – Culture and History

Start your nine-day Egypt food and culture tour in Luxor, where the wonders of past civilizations are juxtaposed with modern riverbank life. Your hotel is on the River Nile and the rooftop provides a view towards the Luxor and Karnak temples. After a private airport transfer you’ll have some free time to refresh at the hotel, before a short wander around the East Bank. Here you’ll find vibrant city life mingling with towering temples, along with small cafes that showcase Nubian cuisine. And it’s in these small cafes that you can really connect with Egypt’s culture as well.

Accommodation

Transfer

Dinner

Day 2

Luxor – Nubian Cooking Class

A sphinx gazes your way as you wander between the Karnak and Luxor temples. Another statuesque figure gives you the eye. These are two of the planet’s most extravagant temples and the sphinx serve to magnify their importance. After a morning immersed in history you’ll spend an afternoon in the kitchen, cooking up typical Nubian cuisine with a local chef. Bake the all-important bread, concoct a variety of vegetarian stews and dishes, then try out a classic blend of raw camel liver and spices that’s integral to local culture.

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3

Luxor – Sailing a Felucca

This morning you cross to the West Bank, where antiquity stretches out in the lonely desert. The Valley of the Kings extends and you will descend into some of the tombs, before gasping at Queen Hatshepsut’s stepped temple. This afternoon you will continue the Nubian experience, tasting more of gastronomy that is so different from mainstream Egyptian cooking. A platter of small dishes is served on a felucca sailing boat, so you can gain a perspective on how royalty used to dine when they sailed the Nile.

Tour

Accommodation

Dinner, Breakfast

Day 4

Aswan – Home-Cooked Island Delicacies

After a short flight to Aswan, you will spend the day in a felucca, a wooden sailing boat that can expertly navigate to River Nile islands. One of these islands is home to a special kitchen and chef, who will be your guide for the day. The food is a twist on Nubian life, mixing desert recipes with modern influence, along with flavors that came down from Berbers traveling south. Expect a very relaxed day, lounging on the island, sampling all manner of cuisine, and washing it down with traditional wine.

Tour

Accommodation

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5

Aswan – Discovering Saharan Cuisine

Carved into rock then moved 60 meters up a sheer cliff when threatened by flooding, the Abu Simbel temples are a fabulous interpretation of old and new. You will fly here from Aswan and discover the temples, long before the tour bus crowds arrive. Before returning to Aswan, a small Saharan community invites you for lunch. Isolated in the desert, this welcoming oasis is where you can sample the most rudimentary and delicious Saharan food. Based on the growing season and varieties of camel meat, it’s a cuisine that’s surprisingly delicate as well.

Accommodation

Tour

Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6

Cairo – Contemporary Cuisine and Culture

After flying to Cairo you’ll soon be immersed in a country’s modern history. As the starting point of the Arab Spring, back in 2011, Tahrir Square became famous around the world. It’s your starting point for a day of culinary discovery. From mom and pop joints and tiny cafes to Cairo’s swankier edge, you’ll visit seven different places to eat throughout the afternoon and evening. The focus is on the importance of food within local culture and how dining places were at the hub of revolution. Oh, and the food is fabulous, encompassing the full breadth of Egyptian cuisine.

Tour

Accommodation

Lunch, Breakfast

Day 7

Cairo – Pyramids, Artifacts, and Neighborhoods

The Great Pyramids of Giza are unmissable and you will spend your morning with the world wonder, including a journey down some steps inside one of the pyramids. A stop at the Egyptian Museum will further showcase antiquity, before an afternoon exploring a more modern history. Heliopolis can quickly immerse you in 1900s suburbia and it’s the best neighborhood in Cairo for food. The tour mixes cultural tales with five different food stops, along with at least two stops at an Ahwa streetside coffee shop.

Tour

Accommodation

Lunch, Breakfast

Day 8

Cairo – Dining on History in Cairo

In contrast to Heliopolis, Coptic Cairo reveals almost 2000 years of history. Little seems to have changed here since the sixth century, as church bells chime and tiny cobbled streets lead you through a maze of smells. It’s here that you can feast on some of Egypt’s oldest and most traditional cuisine. Nearby Khan el-Khalili continues this experience, a historic marketplace where the aromas tantalize as much as the sights. Here you can explore spices that are so central to all Egyptian cooking, before dining at a small local restaurant deep in the bazaar.

Tour

Accommodation

Lunch, Breakfast

Day 9

Cairo – Departure

Trip Highlights

Uncover the secrets of Cairo’s culinary heritage during a day of neighborhood eats in Coptic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili
Discover Nubian cuisine with a personal cooking class on the Nile riverbank
Gasp in awe at the scale of Egypt’s historic moments, including the Pyramids of Giza and Luxor Temple
Experience home-cooked Saharan cuisine during a beautiful evening of sailing and dining in Aswan
Fly to the Abu Simbel temples and stop at an isolated Saharan community, for an insight into ancient desert cuisine
Explore contemporary Cairo through its food, with a day of culture and bites in the busting downtown area
Compare Berber recipes to other styles of Arabic cuisine during your three days in Cairo
Sail a felucca on the River Nile, explore the Valley of the Kings and marvel at Karnak Temple

Starting Price

$2,900 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.

4.9

Verified Traveler Reviews

Based on 459 reviews

Egypt Tour Review: Cairo, Luxor, Pyramids, 4-Day Trip

Zicasso's tour operator took care of everything. All we had to do was show up. Our tour guides in Cairo and Luxor were great and very knowledgeable. They took very good care of us. I would definitely recommend this company. We saw everything we hoped for in four short days.

Egypt Vacation Review: History, 7-Day Trip

Everything from the airport meet in Cairo to the airport departure from Cairo was perfect. Each guide was an expert, engaging, and excited to discuss and describe our various sightseeing adventures. The hotels were also fabulous. We could not have expected any more.

Egypt Travel Review: Pyramids, Tombs, Temples, 2 Weeks

Through no fault of Zicasso's tour company, we were not able to do the Jordan portion of our trip due to the outbreak of hostilities between Israel, Iran, and then the US. When learning Jordanian airspace was closed, the company jumped into action to provide us with immediate alternatives to the Jordan portion of the trip, including a full refund for that portion if so desired. But because they had done such a fabulous job on the Egypt portion of the trip, we decided to extend our Egypt trip and spend several days in Alexandria and out in the desert at an oasis.

My wife and I cannot say enough good things about the job Zicasso's travel company did for us. We received first-class service, travel, and accommodations, with help, from the moment we deplaned in Cairo until we went back to the airport to leave Egypt 15 days later.

My wife and I travel each summer to Europe and beyond, and most often do our trips entirely on our own. However, Egypt and Jordan are places I believe American tourists need help with at most stages of the journey ,and our travel company provided that help in an extraordinary way. I would personally recommend this company to all of my traveling friends, as well as anyone else interested in my opinion.

Egypt, Turkey Travel Review: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Cairo, Luxor, Private Guides, 2 Weeks

Our journey through Turkey and Egypt in May 2025 with Zicasso's travel company was nothing short of spectacular. From the moment we landed until our final departure, every detail was thoughtfully arranged, making the experience seamless, immersive, and truly unforgettable.

What set this trip apart was our exceptional tour guides. In both countries, the guides were not only incredibly knowledgeable, but also passionate, warm, and attentive. They brought the rich histories of Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Cairo, Luxor, and beyond vividly to life. Whether we were exploring ancient ruins or navigating vibrant bazaars, our guides made every moment engaging and meaningful.

A special mention must go to our tour organizer. His behind-the-scenes coordination, quick responsiveness, and personal care were evident throughout. He ensured every transition was smooth, every need was anticipated, and every traveler felt individually looked after. His dedication and professionalism elevated the entire experience.

We returned home with a deeper appreciation of these remarkable destinations, lasting memories, and a strong desire to travel again with our travel company. We highly recommended them for anyone seeking a thoughtfully curated, high-touch travel experience.

— Dr. Vishnu P.

Egypt Tour Review: Alexandria, Pyramids, Red Sea, Valley of the Kings, Nile Cruise, 10 Nights

This trip was a trip of a lifetime, and Zicasso's travel company made sure we did everything on our bucket list, from going inside a pyramid to a Nile cruise, the Valley of the Kings, and a couple of days of relaxing at a resort on the Red Sea. They stayed within our budget by listening to us and tweaking the trip (over and over and over, they were so patient with me). I have already referred them to two friends and I can't say enough good things about this travel company. Thanks, Zicasso, for always vetting the best companies!

Egypt, Jordan Travel Review: Luxor, Petra, Hot-Air Balloon, 11 Nights

I recently had the pleasure of traveling with a Zicasso tour company and I was thoroughly impressed by how seamlessly everything was handled from start to finish. Their level of organization was outstanding—every element of the itinerary was clearly communicated in advance and all logistics were executed without a hitch.

What truly stood out was their attention to detail. From tailored experiences to local insights, it was clear they go the extra mile to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey.

The entire experience felt effortless on my end, which is a testament to the behind-the-scenes effort and expertise of their team. I would highly recommend this travel company to anyone looking for a stress-free, well-curated travel experience.

Zicasso in the News

Ultimate Egypt Food and Culture Tour

What to expect on this itinerary

Countries Visited

Places Visited

Suggested Duration

Customizable Itinerary

Luxor – Culture and History

Luxor – Nubian Cooking Class

Luxor – Sailing a Felucca

Aswan – Home-Cooked Island Delicacies

Aswan – Discovering Saharan Cuisine

Cairo – Contemporary Cuisine and Culture

Cairo – Pyramids, Artifacts, and Neighborhoods

Cairo – Dining on History in Cairo

Cairo – Departure

Trip Highlights

Starting Price

What's Included

Verified Traveler Reviews

Customizable Itinerary

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