Egypt Discovery

October & February Half-Term ·

A British half-term, finished in Cairo by Saturday.

Seven days Saturday to Saturday – Pyramids, a four-night Nile cruise, the Grand Egyptian Museum, dinner near the river, kids back at the school gates Monday morning. The half-term Egypt trip more of our British families rebook than any other shoulder week.

A British family at the Giza Pyramids during half-term

The week, in order · Sat → Sat

Eight days, day by day. The standard half-term shape.

  1. Sat

    Day 01

    London → Cairo

    Morning out of Heathrow on EgyptAir or BA, ~5 hours non-stop. Land Cairo afternoon, transfer to a 5★ hotel at Giza with the Pyramids in the window.

  2. Sun

    Day 02

    Pyramids & GEM

    Pyramids first thing, then the Grand Egyptian Museum for the Tutankhamun galleries. Lunch at a Pyramid-view restaurant. Pool in the afternoon.

  3. Mon

    Day 03

    Fly to Luxor, board cruise

    Domestic flight Cairo–Luxor mid-morning. Embark a 5★ ship. Karnak Temple in the late afternoon when the light goes amber and the coach groups have left.

  4. Tue

    Day 04

    Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut

    West bank in the morning – Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon. Sail to Edfu in the afternoon. Pool deck. Kids' menu at dinner.

  5. Wed

    Day 05

    Edfu & Kom Ombo

    Horse-and-carriage to Edfu Temple at dawn. Sail through to Kom Ombo for the Crocodile Museum. Afternoon sailing. Galabeya party in the evening for whoever's keen.

  6. Thu

    Day 06

    Aswan

    Philae Temple by motorboat. Felucca down to Elephantine Island. Nubian village for lunch with the kids. Optional evening sound-and-light show.

  7. Fri

    Day 07

    Fly Cairo, Khan El Khalili

    Disembark Aswan, fly to Cairo morning. Light afternoon – Coptic Cairo or the Khan El Khalili bazaar. Final dinner with the Pyramids lit at night.

  8. Sat

    Day 08

    Cairo → London

    Morning flight to Heathrow. Land afternoon. Kids back at the school gates Monday morning.

Nile cruise pool deck and terrace

The pool deck. Where the cabin spends most of the afternoon between temple visits.

Three half-term shapes

Full week, cruise-only, or Cairo-only.

  1. Cairo + 4-night Nile cruise

    8 days · 7 nights · the classic

    Cairo + 4-night Nile cruise

    Saturday to Saturday across the half-term. The day-by-day above is this exact trip – most-booked shape we run for British families.

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  2. Just the river segment

    Cruise-only · 4 days

    Just the river segment

    Already arranged Cairo on your own? Slot in the cruise alongside. Sat–Tue Aswan to Luxor, fly back in time for the late half-term return.

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  3. Pyramids + GEM + Khan, no cruise

    Cairo-only · half-term pace

    Pyramids + GEM + Khan, no cruise

    Pyramids, Grand Egyptian Museum, Khan El Khalili – a kid-friendly Cairo-only half-term. One hotel, slower pace, more pool time, no domestic flight.

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Bright morning over Luxor west bank

October half-term sunrise over the west bank. 18°C, no rain, no cardigans.

The questions parents ask

Five things to know about half-term in Egypt.

  1. 01 Does Egypt actually work as a half-term destination?

    Yes, October half-term especially. The weather is past the summer peak (28°C days, 18°C nights in Cairo), Nile cruises are running their full October schedule, and the 5-hour direct flight from Heathrow makes a 7-day trip feel like the kind of length you'd take in Europe. February half-term is the warmest single week you'll find on a UK school calendar – 22°C days, dry, bright.

  2. 02 What's the realistic 7-day shape?

    Saturday: fly out Heathrow morning, arrive Cairo mid-afternoon, hotel near the Pyramids. Sunday: Pyramids and GEM. Monday: fly to Luxor, board cruise, Karnak afternoon. Tuesday: Valley of the Kings + Hatshepsut. Wednesday: Edfu and Kom Ombo aboard. Thursday: Aswan + Philae, evening felucca. Friday: fly Cairo, evening at Khan El Khalili. Saturday: fly home morning. Children back at school Monday.

  3. 03 Are kids welcome on the Nile cruises?

    Yes, particularly on the larger 5★ ships. The Sun Boat IV, the Oberoi Philae and similar tier take family bookings naturally – pool deck, varied dining, kids' menus on request. The dahabiyas are quieter and more romantic – better for older teens or couples than under-10s.

  4. 04 How early do we need to book half-term?

    October half-term: 6–9 months ahead is comfortable. February half-term: 4–6 months. The two UK half-term weeks each year are the busiest single weeks our Cairo office handles for British families, so the better ships and hotels go first.

  5. 05 What does a half-term Egypt holiday cost?

    Family of four, 7 days, 4★ hotels and 5★ cruise, half-term October dates: from £6,200 total ground-only (two adults + two kids 6–12). Same family at February half-term: from £5,800 total. UK flights add £450–£700 pp depending on hub. Prices vary by ship and tier – we always send three quote options so you can see what stepping up actually buys.

Tell us the half-term week and the family. We'll come back with three ship options and a no-obligation hold within a working day.

Start the half-term brief

– Suhaila, with the Cairo team