Palms, Pyramids & Pharaohs Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Cairo

Check in to your hotel (please ask if you require airport transfers or meet and greet services)

Day 2: Giza ride & Cairo museum

Where else could such an epic Egyptian celebration begin other than with a trail ride to the Great Pyramids of Giza! After breakfast overlooking the pyramids we will take a short walk to our stables where our adventures begin.

This is a 2-3 hour introductory trip to meet our teams and horses whilst welcoming you to our home. Once we reach the iconic Pyramids, you will have time to explore these breathtaking structures and the chambers where the Pharaohs were buried before visiting the mythical Sphinx with its body of a lion and head of a human. Once we return back with the horses we will treat you to a typical Egyptian buffet for lunch.

After lunch you’ll have time to shower and change before we head off to Cairo Museum for a non riding tour! Cairo Museum, home to a host of Egyptian artefacts and the world’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities. It plays host to more than 120,000 pieces of ancient Egypt.

After an action packed day we will return to the hotel for dinner and see the iconic Light and Sound show on the roof of our hotel.

Day 3: Riding at Abu Sir – Non-Riding Tour of Saqqara and Memphis – Fly to Luxor

We are back in the saddle for our morning ride across the amazing deserts of Abu Sir. This is one of our favourite spots for really letting our horses go wild. With so much space, there really is the opportunity to open up and fly without wings! Our riding trip is around three hours long and after some lunch, we will continue onto our afternoon adventures.

Ride EgyptWe will visit Sakkara by car and with our Egyptology guide. Saqqara is an amazing display of how tomb and pyramid-building progressed; a necropolis containing burials from different dynasties. It includes both royal and non-royal tombs, mastabas and cemeteries. We’ll also visit the Serapeum of Saqqara where we will enter a series of tunnels to see the sarcophagi of the Apis bulls, sacred to the god, Ptah.

Ptah was the local god of the town of Memphis, our next location. He was a patron of artisans and craftsman and was also considered a creator god. Memphis was founded in 2925 BC and the Egyptian king Menes helped to unite upper Egypt and lower Egypt. In fact, it was the capital during the Old Kingdom. Memphis is an open-air museum with many things to see, such as a statue of Rameses II and the famous 80-tonne Sphinx made from one gigantic piece of alabaster.

At some point in the day we will stop for lunch! We can’t say when as we want to spend as many hours in the saddle as we can for our ride and then the non riding side. Rest assured you will be fed but may end up at the airport in your riding clothes as we are off to our next stop late afternoon / early evening… that’s right! It’s time to head to Luxor!

All guests will need to purchase an internal flight between Cairo and Luxor. We will tell you which one. They are cheap and less than an hour flight time. We usually fly at 5-6pm Cairo time to allow us to arrive in time for dinner in Luxor and some time to relax In the evening.

Day 4: Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun & Hatshepsut Non-Riding tour / Introductory Ride

We start our day by introducing you to the land of the Pharaohs. This non-riding morning gives insight as to why the Valley of the Kings is so important – the Pyramids of Giza and the Nile Delta were the tombs of choice for pharaohs of Egypt’s Old Kingdom but those of the New Kingdom wanted to be closer to the source of their dynastic roots in the south. Consequently they built their crypts in the hills of this barren tract of land which lies west of Luxor, now called the ‘Valley of the Kings’ or the ‘Valley of the Dead’.

You will have the chance to visit four amazing tombs, including the Tomb of Tutankhamun which was discovered in November 1922 by Howard Carter. Tutankhamun is colloquially known as “King Tut” or “the boy king”. His tomb is now considered to be the best-preserved and most intact pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings.

Our morning continues onto the Temple of Hatshepsut, the most famous female in Egyptian history. Hatshepsut was a pharaoh of Egypt from roughly 1479 to 1458 BCE. She not only had the longest reign of any Egyptian female, but is also regarded as one of the most successful rulers in Egyptian history. Under Hatshepsut, Egypt explored, built, and grew. This temple reflects the stunning beauty of these important figures – there are three layered terraces reaching 29.5 metres (97 ft) tall. Each story is articulated by a double colonnade of square piers, with the exception of the northwest corner of the central terrace, which employs proto-Doric columns to house the chapel (the Doric order is a particular type of architecture and this style of column is often associated with Egyptian tombs). The terraces are connected by long ramps which were once surrounded by gardens with foreign plants including frankincense and myrrh trees.

To complete the history circle our last stop is at Carters House – this is rarely visited in standard tourist packages and yet is one of the most interesting buildings to be found in Luxor. Although far from glamorous, we never tire of visiting the house where Howard Carter lived during his search for Tutankhamun’s Tomb and his excavation of the Valley of the Kings. It’s a simple but mesmerising piece of history, a step back in time and a house full of actual happenings. You can see the photo lab he used, along with his cameras and other photography equipment. His original desk is still in the house, as is the library he kept and items relating to the excavation of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb which are on display. It’s a very special feature for us in our Luxor itinerary.

Optional Extra ticket: £50 Our trip has an optional extra to visit Valley of the Queens (Arabic: وادي الملكات Wādī al Malekāt) where wives of pharaohs were buried in ancient times. In those days it was known as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning “the place of beauty”. There are few figures from ancient Egypt who have captured our imaginations as vividly as Nefertiti. Living in the mid-14th century BCE, Nefertiti was the model of ancient Egyptian beauty and a one of the most powerful queens of the ancient world. As wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten, Nefertiti may have helped influence Egypt’s adoption of the monotheistic worship of the sun deity Aten. Traditionally believed to be the stepmother of Tutankhamun, she helped raise the famous boy-king. This is one of the most stunning tombs in all Egypt and although an expensive entry fee, this should not discourage visitors from witnessing such unimaginable beauty so well preserved.

The afternoon sees the beginning of our first horse adventures together. You will travel by tuk-tuk to the stables where we will introduce you to our home and our horses. Our Bedouin style yard, crafted by local Egyptians, is based on the West Bank of the Nile boasting several boxes and lush plantation fields. Here you will find our carefree Arabian horses grazing happily in the glossy green fields and almost sparkling in the sunshine against the backdrop of the mountains. Our facility is home to horses, donkeys and camels and very much holds a “farm atmosphere”.

The first riding trip is relaxed and gives you a chance to get to know us and our horses in preparation for a full day trail ride the following day. We ride through the villages on horseback under the palm trees along to the River Nile. The Nile is incredibly peaceful and you can see the buffalo grazing along the banks. On return you will transfer back to your hotel. Dinner will be around 8pm at a local Egyptian feast, eating with your hands whilst sitting on the floor on plush cushions is a must when in Luxor! Riding time 2-3 hours.

Day 5: The ULTIMATE trail ride through the land of the Pharaohs

Your first full day with our horses – prepare to fall in love with both Arabian and Baladi (local breed) horses who are famed for their beauty and endurance. These wonderful breeds are chosen for their ability to form a cooperative relationship with humans and they are good-natured, quick to learn and willing to please. Longer trails encourage you to experience our horses and country life. You will see farmers working their fields just as their ancestors did. Mid-morning you can prepare to be amazed as our sure-footed horses will take you behind the Valley of the Kings and to the top of Mount Thebes so you can see panoramic views of Luxor.

Lunch will be served at a local restaurant and our trail home will take us past The Colossi of Memnon (Arabic: el-Colossat or es-Salamat) which are two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who reigned in Egypt during the Dynasty XVIII. They have stood in the Theban Necropolis for the past 3,400 years (since 1350 BC)! This is a wonderful opportunity for photos together with the horses. This ride is approx. 6 hours end to end.

After Karnak we will visit Luxor Temple and Luxor Museum before finishing at the Mummification Museum.

Day 6: Sunrise trail ride – transfer to the Red Sea

Sunrise riding trip with the horses to valley of the kings has become one of our most famous trips!

Watch in awe as the sunrises over valley of the kings whilst hot air balloons light up the sky. We will ride past ramesseum temple, the Cossal of Memnon and the giant statues of Tutankhamuns grandfather. Breakfast will be out with the horses overlooking Habu Temple. You will return to your hotel around 11am.

Ride EgyptAfter showering and changing it’s before starting our drive to the Red Sea and Hurghada. We always aim to arrive for sunset to our enjoy sundowners overlooking the beach. The end to a fun packed day!

Day 7: 4 hour trail ride

You will have the morning off to relax and enjoy the sea or kick back in the pool! After an early lunch we will pick you up to Explore the eastern desert by horseback. Egypt offers some of the most spectacular sunsets you will ever witness, be prepared for a kaleidoscope of colours as the last of the day’s rays dance across the desert and glisten on the lapping waves of the sea. Dinner by the sea.

Day 8: Swimming with horses and departure

No trip would be complete without our famous swimming with horses experience. This is the grande finale to an amazing week.

Check out is at 11.30am. For those wishing to stay for lunch or later departure are most welcome to stay on for an extra charge payable locally.

There is also an option to stay on an extra day and do our full day boat trip to Dolphin House where you can snorkel in the Red Sea and swim with wild dolphins. This is an extra £150 per person and includes all meals and an extra night with check out on day 9 at 11am. Please ask if you require airport transfers.