16-DAY EGYPT RAIL ADVENTURE

Day 1: Hello Cairo!

Welcome to Cairo! As soon as you land, one of our crew will be there to scoop you up and steer you through the airport chaos, because after a long journey, having someone else deal with the logistics is absolute heaven.

Outside, it’s full sensory overload: the buzz of traffic, a soundtrack of honking horns and the call to prayer… and a skyline that oh-so-casually includes the pyramids. Cairo throws you in the deep end, and that’s what makes it so exciting!

Once you’ve had a moment at the hotel to catch your breath, it’s time for your first group dinner. Eek! If you’re feeling a bit nervous, we’ll let you in on a little secret – so is everyone else. But between the food, the stories and the shared jetlag delirium, it won’t take long for everybody sitting around the table to feel like old friends.

Accommodation: Novotel Cairo El Borg (or similar), Cairo, Egypt
Included: Dinner

Day 2: Three Pyramids, the Sphinx & Grand Museum

You’ve seen the pyramids in textbooks, movies, maybe even in your daydreams, but nothing prepares you for the moment you’re standing in front of them IRL. They’re massive. Majestic. And surprisingly close to the city. Once you’ve had time to soak it all in (and get that iconic selfie with the Sphinx), it’s time for lunch, and boy oh boy, do we have a treat in store for you: Koshar. This carby mix of rice, lentils, pasta, crispy onions, tomato sauce and garlic vinegar is a favourite here in Egypt, and soon you’ll be obsessed too.

After lunch, your Egyptologist guide will take you to the brand-new Grand Egyptian Museum. With their help, you’ll head straight for the greatest hits: Tutankhamun’s gold stash, ancient jewellery, and, of course, a mummy or two thrown in for good measure. Later, head back to the hotel to chill, or to get the gang together and head to your guide’s go-to local dinner spot.

Accommodation: Novotel Cairo El Borg (or similar), Cairo, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Wadi El Rayan & the Valley of the Whales

After a busy start to the trip, it’s time to slow things down. And while today doesn’t feature any trains just yet (don’t worry – they’re coming), it does include Egypt’s only waterfall, two massive lakes in the middle of the desert, and… a desert full of whales! Fossilised ones, anyway.

Wadi Rayan is one of those places that makes you do a double-take. The scenery is surreal, and the fact that it used to be underwater is even stranger. Now, this area is home to dozens of ancient whale skeletons scattered across the sand like it’s the most normal thing in the world. It’s not what you expected when you signed up for a train-themed trip through Egypt, but we bet you’ll still be talking about it weeks from now.

Accommodation: Tunis Pyramids – Fayoum (or similar), Fayoum, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Tunis Village

Welcome to Tunis, Egypt’s unexpected capital of pottery. This little village is a hotspot when it comes to ceramics, with handmade studios lining the streets and wheels spinning from morning ‘til night. You’ll have time to pop into a few workshops, meet the makers, and maybe even snag a one-of-a-kind piece to take home with you.

It’s a three-hour drive to El Minya, your next stop, so settle in and watch the Egyptian scenes roll by. Next time you move destinations, you’ll be swapping four wheels for train tracks!

On arrival, you’ll head straight for Beni Hassan, a cliffside collection of tombs carved straight into the rock. These aren’t the pharaoh-style tombs you’ve seen before, and that’s because they belonged to governors and officials. The wall paintings here are all about real life. Wrestling matches, farming scenes, everyday rituals… the detail is unreal considering they’re over 3,000 years old.

Accommodation: Savoy El-Minya Hotel (or similar), El Minya, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: El Minya: Local and Ancient

Then, history lessons incoming – but not the boring kind. Today, you’ll explore what’s left of Akhetaten, the short-lived capital city built by King Akhenaten (aka Tutankhamun’s dad and ancient Egypt’s biggest rule-breaker). He tried to overhaul the entire religion, ditch the old gods, and build a new city from scratch. It didn’t stick, but what he left behind is seriously intriguing.

Then, it’s on to Tuna El Gabal, a sprawling Greco-Roman burial site that’s filled with oddities, like underground tombs, mummified baboons and half-collapsed temples dating back thousands of years. Seriously weird. This afternoon is all about Minya’s downtown market. Expect plastic buckets stacked next to pyramids of pomegranates, the occasional donkey cart rolling by, and more haggling opportunities than you can count.

By now you’ll have noticed that El Minya isn’t on the typical tourist cruise route. Soak in some more of that authentic vibe this afternoon, as you wander the isles of the local market with your guide – welcome to the real Egypt!  

Accommodation: Savoy El-Minya Hotel (or similar), El Minya, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: All Aboard to Luxor!

All aboard! Today is your introduction to the Egyptian rail scene, and we’re kicking things off in style on a first-class ride to Luxor on VIP Train 2010. You’ll board in El Minya at 1:15 PM, settle into your comfy seat, and watch the awe-worthy scenery roll by as you make your way south to Luxor. 

Arrival is expected around 7:20 PM – though fair warning – “expected” is the key word here. Trains in Egypt run on their own time, but that’s all part of the slow travel magic. Your guide will keep the plans flexible to make sure you don’t miss anything, and there’ll be porters at both ends to help with your bags. So, all that’s left for you to do is turn up, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Accommodation: Aracan Eatabe Luxor Hotel (or similar), Luxor, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7: Luxor

The entire city of Luxor is basically an open-air museum, but we’re skipping the warm-up acts and taking you straight to the main event: Karnak Temple complex. This site is colossal. Like, “how-is-this-even-real” levels of big. Built up over 2,000 years by pharaoh after pharaoh trying to outdo the last, it’s got layers upon layers – including one obelisk from Queen Hatshepsut that’s so tall you’ll have to crane your neck to see the top!

For sunset, you’ll head over to Luxor Temple, as nothing bonds a group like watching 3,000-year-old ruins glow gold together. Prepare for goosebumps, maybe a few deep sighs, and at least a few of your MagRailer mates whispering “I can’t believe this is real” for the fifth time today.

Accommodation: Aracan Eatabe Luxor Hotel (or similar), Luxor, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8: Valley of the Kings

Today’s a deep dive – literally – because you’re heading underground, into the Valley of the Kings, to check out three of the grandest tombs in Egypt! These burial sites were full-blown portals to the afterlife, decked out in vivid wall art, a boatload of gold and fancy belongings, and all the essentials a pharaoh might need for eternity.

Next up is the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. This is an absolute masterpiece, no two ways about it. Carved into a cliff face, this bold, ambitious, and totally unforgettable temple has been standing for almost 3,500 years. Quick pit stop on the way: the Colossi of Memnon, another epic photo opp!

Then it’s time to come back down to earth, sharing lunch with a local family. There’s nothing quite like that warm, fuzzy feeling of being properly welcomed into someone’s home as your tastebuds come alive with new-to-you flavours.

Accommodation: Aracan Eatabe Luxor Hotel (or similar), Luxor, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 9: Luxor-Aswan

You’ve earned a slow morning, and day 9 is delivering. After breakfast, you’ll board your second train of the trip: VIP Train 996! First-class, of course – but don’t get too excited by imagining plush and pretty seats in manicured compartments – this is adventure travel, after all! This one runs between Luxor and Aswan, a laidback three-hour ride where you can kick back and watch the Nile drift past palm groves, sleepy villages and sugarcane fields. It’s one of those journeys that reminds you that the getting-there can be just as good as the being-there.

Once you roll into Aswan, you’ll transfer to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the afternoon exactly how you want, so treat yourself to a nap, a swim, or a wander along the riverside. No group activities, no to-do list. Just chill.

Tonight, after some serious “me” time, you’ll regroup for something special – dinner at a nearby Nubian village with a local family. The slower pace of life here makes Cairo feel like a different planet, and the spiced fish and stews hit differently too.

Accommodation: Basma Hotel Aswan (or similar), Aswan, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10: Abu Simbel

You’ll want to set an alarm for this one. Today’s an early start, but there’s no way you’d want to miss what’s ahead! After a 4am departure (we know, we know), you’re heading south to Abu Simbel: a UNESCO World Heritage site and full-blown ancient flex by Rameses II.

These two massive temples were carved straight into the mountainside over 3,000 years ago: one for himself, and one for his queen, Nefertari. Romantic and impressive. It’s a long journey to get here (about four hours each way, hence the early wake up), but the moment you see those colossal statues rising out of the desert, those tired eyes suddenly feel very worth it.

Back in Aswan, you’ll wind the afternoon down with a relaxing sail on a traditional felucca, feeling the wind in your hair, hearing the water lapping against the boat, and getting a front-row seat to life on the Nile.

Accommodation: Basma Hotel Aswan (or similar), Aswan, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 11: Aswan

This morning kicks off with a boat ride across the calm waters between the old and high dams, headed straight for one of Upper Egypt’s most mind-warping sights: the Temple of Isis. Now located on Philae Island, this temple was rescued from rising Nile waters in the ‘70s and painstakingly rebuilt stone by stone. The result is a crazy complex of pylons, hieroglyphs and statues dedicated to Isis, the goddess of health, marriage and wisdom.

Next up: a visit to the granite quarries and the enormous Unfinished Obelisk. Still lying right where the ancient stonemasons left it, this 42-metre monster gives you a real feel for just how ambitious the pharaohs could be. This evening, take a wander through the addictive chaos of Aswan’s market before regrouping for a devilishly good meal to round off the day.

Accommodation: Basma Hotel Aswan (or similar), Aswan, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 12: Cairo

This morning, you’ll skip the slow and sweaty overnight train in favour of a short flight back to Cairo. You’re touching down in the city where it all started, and yep, you’re heading straight back to your old hotel. It basically feels like home-away-from-home by now!

But before you settle in, there’s one last essential Cairo experience to tick off: the Khan El Khalili Bazaar. It’s one of the oldest markets in the world, and definitely one of the most dizzying, bursting at the seams with stacks of gold jewellery, towers of spice, and more trinkets than your suitcase can handle.

You’ll weave through the chaos with your guide, learning how to haggle like a pro as well as getting the lowdown on the Al Attarin spice market and the El Sagha gold souq. Need a breather? We don’t blame you! Pull up a chair at a time-warped café, sip a sugary mint tea and let it all sink in.

Accommodation: Novotel Cairo El Borg (or similar), Cairo, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 13: Alexandria

Train time! This morning, you’re catching the Talgo train to Alexandria. Egypt’s rail system is the oldest in Africa, and with the first tracks laid right here between Cairo and Alexandria back in the 1850s, you’re riding a literal piece of history.

A couple of hours later, you’ll roll into Alexandria, where you’ll find a very different vibe from the Cairo chaos. Named after Alexander the Great (you’ve heard of him), this city’s got layers, from ancient Greek roots to Roman leftovers and that Mediterranean flair that makes everything feel a little more relaxed. First up: the Kom ash-Shuqqafa catacombs, followed by the Roman Amphitheatre to scratch that history itch a little more. 

Alexandria’s food scene is kind of a big deal, especially if you’re into seafood, so dinner tonight is kind of a big deal too. What’s better than grilled fish, sizzling prawns and salty air? If you’re not a seafood lover, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered too! 

Accommodation: Romance Alexandria Hotel (or similar), Alexandria, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 14: El Alamein

This morning you’ll follow the coast by road, westward to El Alamein – a name that might not mean much at first, but one that shaped the course of World War II. This quiet patch of land was once the scene of fierce fighting, with thousands of ANZAC soldiers killed or wounded in two pivotal battles. As you walk the grounds and visit the nearby war museum, the scale of it all really starts to sink in. It’s not an easy visit, but it’s one that sticks with you.

Back in Alexandria, things take a lighter turn with a hop-on city tram tour. You’ll glide along the Corniche, Alexandria’s palm-lined waterfront, with front-row seats to everyday life in the city. The tram might be rattly, but it’s the perfect way to get your tourist on without having to move a muscle. Perfect after a big day!

Accommodation: Romance Alexandria Hotel (or similar), Alexandria, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 15: Talgo Train

It’s your last full day of the trip (boo!) so savour this morning with a slow stroll along the Corniche one last time, maybe even squeezing in a strong coffee at a sea-facing café before hopping aboard your final train back to Cairo. You’ve become a bit of a train connoisseur by now, so enjoy the last leg!

This evening, your MagRail journey ends the way all great adventures should: gathered around a home-cooked meal. You’ll enjoy your farewell dinner in a local home, where you’ll dine like pharaohs. Hmm… could that be doughy baladi bread fresh off the griddle you can smell? And molokhia so garlicky it should come with a warning?  Yum! Of course, sharing it all with a table full of the people who’ve become your train-tripping MagRail family is just the icing on the cake.

Accommodation: Novotel Cairo El Borg (or similar), Cairo, Egypt
Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 16: Farewell Friends!

It’s the final morning, and yep, it’s come around fast. After one last breakfast with the crew, it’s unfortunately time to grab your bags and hit the road. No need to worry about the logistics – we’ve got your airport transfer sorted.

As you head off, don’t be surprised if your camera roll starts tempting you into a scroll (again). From pyramids to pastries, boisterous markets to the clickety-clack of trains, you’ve packed a lot in! And hey, if you’re already thinking about the next trip… we won’t judge.

Included: Breakfast