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Prepare to feel like a pharaoh aboard our Nile River gay cruise. The adventure begins with an extended weekend in chaotic Cairo as our private Egyptologist—yes, it’s a thing—guides us on a journey back to the ancient world. He’ll tour us around the Great Pyramids of Giza, regale us with legends of the benevolent Sphinx and even usher us inside the tomb of Khnumhotep & Niankhkhnum—likely, Egypt’s only open gay governors. For the latter half of the journey we’ll board a luxe cruise with other travelers and gently glide down the lush Nile River. Expect extraordinary onboard meals, exceptional amenities, a glistening pool and fascinating tours of the temples and treasures lining the Nile’s banks. Are you in?
If you have a few extra days, consider following in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia on our Jordan extension.
Welcome to Cairo. After exiting passport control, an Out Adventures representative will transfer you to our joining point hotel. Feel free to relax after a long flight before our Welcome Meeting at 5PM where we’ll get acquainted and answer any of your lingering questions. Tonight we have our fabulous Welcome Dinner at a traditional Egyptian restaurant. Bel seha! (With health!)
Good morning! After a leisurely breakfast our day begins with a visit to the Grand Egyptian Museum. Our private Egyptologist will escort us through 7,000 years of Egyptian history, including a special viewing of the golden treasures from King Tutankhamen’s tomb. After zipping through millennia after millennia, we’ll refuel on an authentic Egyptian lunch before visiting the country’s most important attraction, the Pyramids of Giza. Arguably the world’s greatest tourist attraction, the Pyramids of Giza are the only survivors of the original Seven Wonders list. After ample oo-ing and aah-ing, we’ll journey into Giza, taking in the beautiful desert landscape stretching out around us. Our day concludes with a visit to the benevolent Sphinx, an ancient figure shrouded in legend and mystery. Tonight you are free to enjoy dinner on your own—your local guide will have plenty of excellent restaurant recommendations if you require.
Please note: The completion of the Grand Egyptian Museum continues to be delayed, if it’s not open at the time of the trip we will visit the old Egyptian Museum of Cairo instead.
Today we’ll continue to enjoy Egypt’s wondrous ancient history beginning with a visit to the lesser-known Dahshur Pyramids. Here we will visit the bent and red pyramid. Our Egyptologist will escort us to the first unified capital of the ancient world, Memphis, followed by an authentic local lunch. Our last—but far from least—stop today is the pyramid at Saqqara, which is the first limestone structure ever built. It’s here we’ll have the exciting opportunity to actually go inside an ancient pyramid and witness the haunting hieroglyphics. Specifically, we’ll visit (perhaps!) the first recorded same-sex couple’s tomb, Kgnumhotep & NiankhKhnum. After transferring back to our hotel, you’ll have another evening at leisure.
Rise and shine, Gentlemen! Very early morning we’ll catch a short domestic flight south to Luxor. Before boarding our luxurious river cruise we’ll swing by Karnak Temple, a complex built for the god Amon Ra. After our holy saunter we’ll head to the Nile to drop off our luggage and enjoy our first onboard lunch with welcome drinks and a short but required safety briefing. While we’ll be on the ship with other guests, our excursions will be private. Tonight we have a special sunset visit to Luxor Temple to enjoy one of Pharaoh Ramses II’s greatest architectural masterpieces. Dinner will be served on the boat.
Our cruise officially launches this morning, crossing the west bank of Luxor. After you’ve enjoyed breakfast, consider taking coffee on the deck while appreciating the gorgeous Nile River. At 6,600km/4,100mi, the Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world and has historically been the key to Egypt’s lasting power and prosperity. Our first stop today will be the Royal Tombs in the Valley of the Kings where we’ll descend into the depths of these ancient tombs, including Tutankhamun’s. Following this royal excursion we’ll stop at Hatshepsut’s temple—Hatshepsut was the only female pharaoh to dress and rule like a king. Finally, we’ll snap a group photo in front of the epic Colossi of Memnon. Today’s delicious lunch and dinner will be served onboard.
Today will be a calm day of cruising with stops at temples dedicated to the falcon god Horus, the crocodile god Sobek and the hawk god Haroeris. Each of these unique structures will provide a new fascinating look at Egypt’s incredible history. On board we’ll enjoy lunch while sailing to Aswan and then dinner and evening cocktails later in the day.
This morning we’ll wake in lush Aswan. After an early breakfast we’ll take a private, air conditioned transfer 4 hours into the desert to Abu Simbel Temple. These rock temples dedicated to Pharaoh Ramses II and his wife Nefertari are unmissable. They are 3,200 years old and flank the entrance to one of the most impressive temples in Egypt. Enroute back to our boat we’ll enjoy lunch at an authentic Nubian house. This evening you may want to consider some of our ship’s amenities such as a massage. Tonight we’ll enjoy our last dinner onboard and thank our amazing captain and crew.
After breakfast, we’ll venture to the island of Philae and a temple dedicated to Isis, the goddess of love and passion. Then we’ll swing back to the boat to pick up our luggage before heading to the airport together for a return flight to Cairo. Upon arrival we’ll walk to our nearby hotel and settle in. The night is yours to enjoy dinner on your own or with the group. You may also want to head into Cairo to further explore.
Feel free to sleep in before we venture to the oldest and largest mosque in Egypt, the Mosque of Ibn Toulon. Together we’ll climb her spiral minaret for an unforgettable bird’s-eye view of Cairo. After another delicious lunch we’ll stretch our legs on a private walking tour of the Islamic Quarter. We’ll finish our tour at Khan El Khalili Bazaar where you’re free to pick up a few last minute souvenirs—the bazaar is reputed to be the largest in the Middle East. After transferring back to our hotel, you’ll have some time to clean up before our spectacular Farewell Dinner. Together we’ll celebrate and reminisce about the unforgettable gay cruise we just enjoyed.
There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart at your leisure. Safe travels and thank you for joining us in Egypt.
Well planned out and our local guide Amr was AMAZING! A once in a lifetime experience. The rich history, beautiful architecture, and friendly people made this a trip we’ll always remember.
Incredible cultural destination. Fascinating to see in person, iconic symbols of Egyptian culture. The local tour guide, Aziz was friendly, knowledgeable and passionate.
Once again, Out Adventures provided the highest caliber adventure we could possibly imagine by attending to every detail — from the daily experiences they offer to all the vendors they hire to the accommodations you stay in — to make absolutely sure you have a once in a lifetime experience.
Great adventure, a safe option for LGBTQ+ people, and reasonably priced. The group was unbelievably easy to get along with which made everything interesting and fun. Our guide Aziz and our host Scott really made this trip!
The trip was very well organized. Our host Scott and guide Aziz were awesome, and I really enjoyed the itinerary.
This was one of the best tours I’ve ever done, and I’ve done quite few. Egypt is Amazing! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and experienced, and our host Scott did an incredible job. The planning and logistics were fantastic from beginning to end.
This trip featured unbelievable sites and treasures to be seen. Our guide was great and helped us avoid large crowds along the way.
Egypt has been on my bucket list for many years, but I never expected to join such a wonderful group of people. Scott and Amr are absolutely fabulous. They took care of everything for us. There was nothing they wouldn’t do to make our experience as enjoyable as possible. I loved it.
Out Adventures came through with flying colours for my bucket list trip to Egypt. They packed all the major sites in, yet left time to relax and explore. I always felt safe despite the current problems in the Middle East. The guides were excellent. Highly recommended!
This trip was fantastic. We don’t know of any way gay men could enjoy Egypt and see everything we saw any better. The logistics of organizing this type of trip would be mind-numbing with all the places we went to and the things we did! We felt so much less anxiety leaving the details to Out Adventures! A complete success and truly bucket list event!
Egypt is home to some of the oldest chapters in human history, lending it natural appeal to history buffs and travel lovers. Here’s why we’re so excited about a visit to the land of Pharaohs and pyramids.
Read MoreAmong the pyramids we visit on our upcoming Egypt cruise lies the necropolis Sakkara. Herein awaits the tomb of (likely) Egypt’s first gay governors!
Read MoreFor our first tour of Egypt in nearly a decade, we wanted to find accommodations fit for a pharaoh. Check out the luxe lodgings we settled on here.
Read MoreAhoy! And welcome to our Big Gay Cruise episode. Peter and Rob call in Ed Salvato to discuss all-things naughty and nautical.
Read MoreToday’s Gay Travel Podcast episode discusses the pros and cons of travelling solo or with a friend/group.
Read MoreWhile these trips typically attract gay men, all genders are welcome, and we encourage friends and family to join the fun as well.
Learn MoreAll accommodations on Out Adventures tours include breakfast and are located in areas central to our activities. All amenities are examples only, and may differ from hotel to hotel.
5-Star Hotels: Truly luxurious, beautifully decorated and spacious rooms complete with extras such a bathrobe and slippers, and often including an evening turndown service. Expect premium amenities such as a fitness centre, multiple pools and restaurants, a sauna and/or spa. Customer service is exceptional, always includes a concierge service, and may include butler service.
Nile River Cruise: Our vessel includes amenities such as a sun deck, pool, dining area, and lounge, and we’ll be sharing her with other travellers outside of our Out Adventures group. For more ship info, scroll down to see more photos.
Learn MoreThis trip is fully booked but cancellations occur. If you’d like to be contacted if space opens up, please click “Book Now”, select the appropriate departure and you will be prompted to provide limited information.
If you are a solo traveller willing to share a room with another solo traveller, please select Shared/Twin Room when booking this tour.
If you are a solo traveller interested in booking a private room, please select single supplement when booking this tour (based on availability). If you are willing to share a room with another solo traveller, please select Solo Shared.
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This departure is open for booking!
This trip is available but we are close to departure and will need to confirm services such as hotels and activities before confirming you on the trip. The process can take up to 5 business days. If you are seriously interested in this trip, please complete the On Request Booking form and one of our team members will get back to you with next steps.