Begin on the east bank at Karnak, the largest ancient religious site in the world. Your guide introduces the layered construction history spanning over 2,000 years, from the Middle Kingdom through the Ptolemaic period, with highlights including the Great Hypostyle Hall, the Sacred Lake, and standing obelisks commissioned by Thutmose I and Hatshepsut.

Cross to the west bank of the Nile, the ancient necropolis side of Thebes. En route, you may pass the Colossi of Memnon, the two towering seated statues that once marked the entrance to Amenhotep III's mortuary temple.

Descend into the desert valley where Egypt's New Kingdom pharaohs were buried in rock-cut tombs between roughly 1550 and 1070 BCE. Your entry includes access to a selection of open tombs, each featuring preserved ceiling paintings, carved wall texts from the Book of the Dead, and the deep burial shafts explored by early Egyptologists.

Pause at a local restaurant for a traditional Egyptian lunch included in the tour price. This mid-day break offers time to rest before the afternoon visits.

Conclude at the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Hatshepsut, one of the ancient world's most architecturally distinctive monuments. The three-tiered colonnaded structure rises against the dramatic cliff face of Deir el-Bahari and documents Hatshepsut's divine birth, trade expeditions to Punt, and religious dedications to Amun.