6 Days Cairo And Riyadh Tours 2026 — Pyramids, GEM & Diriyah UNESCO

The Best of Egypt and Saudi Tour pairs two of the most historically significant cities in the Arab world — Cairo and Jeddah — with a day that most international visitors to Saudi Arabia rate as the single most moving experience in the country: a high-speed train to Madinah, the second holiest city in Islam and the final resting place of the Prophet Muhammad. Two days in Cairo covering the Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and Khan El-Khalili. Then three days in Jeddah covering the Tayebat Museum, the King Fahd Fountain, the Floating Mosque on the Red Sea, and the Al-Balad historic district — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of 20th-century coral-stone merchant houses. And on Day 5, the 450km/h Haramain high-speed railway to Madinah.

Egypt For Travel operates the Egypt leg fully privately with a licensed Egyptologist guide. In Saudi Arabia, a local English-speaking guide covers Jeddah and a local Madinah guide covers the holy sites. ETA Licence Category A No. 1947.

6-Day Best of Egypt & Saudi — At a Glance

Entrance Fees 2026 — Included in Your Tour Price

What Makes Madinah Different from Other Historical Sites

Madinah is the second holiest city in Islam and the site of the Prophet’s Mosque — where the Prophet Muhammad is buried. Non-Muslim visitors are welcome in Madinah and in the streets and exterior areas of the mosque complex, though the interior of the prayer hall itself is for Muslim worshippers. What makes the Madinah day on this itinerary significant even for non-Muslim travelers is the International Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic Civilization — a world-class museum with over 1,600 artefacts tracing Islamic history from its origins, including manuscripts, scientific instruments, and objects from the Prophet’s era. And the 450km/h Haramain high-speed train from Jeddah — one of the fastest trains in the world, completing the 450km journey in approximately 2 hours — is itself an experience worth noting.

Cairo vs. Jeddah — Two Very Different Islamic Cities

Both Cairo and Jeddah are great Islamic cities with deep Arab history, but they feel completely different. Cairo is layered and dense — its Islamic quarter was built over a thousand years from the Fatimid 10th century through the Ottoman 18th century, with medieval mosques, madrasas, and markets surviving side by side. Jeddah’s Al-Balad district is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of coral-stone merchant houses with ornate wooden balconies (Rawasheen), built by the Red Sea trading families of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The two cities are complementary rather than repetitive — seeing both in one trip gives a far richer picture of Arab-Islamic urban culture than either alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can non-Muslims visit Madinah?

Yes — non-Muslim visitors are welcome in Madinah city, including the area around the Prophet’s Mosque complex and the Museum of the Prophet’s Biography. The interior of the mosque itself is restricted to Muslim worshippers. Egypt For Travel’s local Madinah guide accompanies the group throughout and advises on which areas are accessible.

What is Al-Balad in Jeddah?

Al-Balad is Jeddah’s old historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014 — a district of 19th and early 20th-century coral-stone merchant houses distinguished by their elaborately carved wooden bay windows (Rawasheen). The district was the trading heart of pre-oil Jeddah, when the city was the primary entry point for pilgrims arriving by sea for the Hajj. Several historic houses have been restored as museums; others are still occupied.

Do I need a visa for Saudi Arabia?

Most Western nationalities (USA, UK, EU, Canada, Australia) can obtain a Saudi e-visa at visa.visitsaudi.com. Egypt For Travel advises on the current process for your nationality at booking. See our Egypt Visa Guide 2026 for Egypt visa information.

Book the Best of Egypt and Saudi Tour — Cairo, Jeddah & Madinah from $2,199 per person (triple, May–Sep).

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Most travelers who combine Egypt and Saudi Arabia choose Cairo and Riyadh or Cairo and Jeddah — practical, accessible, and impressive. The Egypt and Saudi Discovery goes further. It adds the full Nile cruise on the Egypt side, and on the Saudi side it adds AlUla — the ancient Nabataean city of Hegra (Madain Saleh), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the single most significant archaeological discovery in Saudi Arabia’s tourism opening.

The connection is worth making explicit: the Nabataean civilization that built Petra in Jordan also built Hegra in Saudi Arabia — same rose-red sandstone tombs, same carved-cliff facades, same mastery of hydraulic engineering in a desert environment. While Petra has been on the international tourist map since 1812, Hegra was effectively closed to international visitors until 2019. It now rivals Petra in scale and surpasses it in solitude: you can stand alone in front of a 2,000-year-old royal tomb that receives a fraction of Petra’s daily visitor count. This is what Egypt For Travel means by “Discovery.”

The Egypt leg covers Cairo, a 4-night Nile cruise from Luxor covering the Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, and the Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan. The Saudi leg covers Riyadh (Diriyah, Masmak Fort, National Museum), then a domestic flight to AlUla for Hegra (Madain Saleh), the Dadan Lions Tombs, Jabal Ikmah, Elephant Rock, and the AlUla Old Town oasis. Egypt For Travel operates the Egypt leg fully privately; the AlUla tours run as small expert-guided groups given the UNESCO site’s controlled-access requirements. ETA Licence Category A No. 1947.

13-Day Egypt & Saudi Discovery — At a Glance

Entrance Fees 2026 — Included in Your Tour Price

AlUla and Hegra — The Saudi Arabia No Competitor Has Explained Properly

Hegra — also known as Madain Saleh — is the southernmost city of the Nabataean kingdom, the same Arab civilization that built Petra in Jordan. Like Petra, Hegra was cut from the living rock of sandstone cliffs; like Petra, it served as a trading and burial center from the 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD; like Petra, it was abandoned after the Roman conquest of the Nabataean kingdom in 106 AD and forgotten by Western travelers until the 19th century. Unlike Petra, it didn’t appear on the international tourist circuit until 2019. The result: over 100 intact royal tombs in the same rose-red sandstone as Petra, accessible with a small fraction of the daily visitors. On most days, you stand in front of a 2,000-year-old carved facade with perhaps two or three other people in sight. Egypt For Travel includes Hegra on this itinerary specifically because it’s the kind of site that, in ten years, will be on every Egypt-Saudi itinerary. Right now, it’s still a discovery.

How This Compares to the Other Saudi Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AlUla hard to reach?

No — the NEOM-era infrastructure investment has made AlUla highly accessible. AlUla Regional Airport (ULH) receives direct flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, and Madinah. Egypt For Travel books the Riyadh–AlUla domestic flight as part of the package. The flight takes approximately 1.5 hours. Most AlUla hotel options are in the main valley or in nearby glamping/resort properties near the sites.

Is the Nile cruise on this tour the same ship as on the Egypt-only packages?

Yes — the Nile cruise is a 5-star superior vessel (confirm tier at booking; Standard and Deluxe options are available). Full board is included on all cruise days. See our Nile Cruises section for the full fleet.

Is Abu Simbel included?

Abu Simbel is available as an optional group tour on Day 7 for an additional $120 USD per person. It is not included in the standard program price because the itinerary already involves a very full schedule; Egypt For Travel recommends adding it for travelers who won’t return to Egypt separately.

Do I need separate visas for Egypt and Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Egypt: $25 e-visa or on arrival. Saudi Arabia: e-visa via visa.visitsaudi.com for most Western nationalities. See our Egypt Visa Guide 2026.

Book the Egypt and Saudi Discovery Tour — Nile cruise + Riyadh + AlUla Hegra. Standard from $3,339 per person (triple, May–Sep).

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The 10-Day Egypt and Saudi Arabia Tour covers the most complete Saudi circuit available in Egypt For Travel’s catalog at this duration — Riyadh, AlUla, Jeddah, and Madinah all in one trip, combined with two days in Cairo for the Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum. While other Egypt-Saudi programs at this duration cover one or two Saudi cities, this itinerary visits four — moving from Riyadh’s ancient past (Diriyah, Masmak Fort) to AlUla’s Nabataean rock tombs at Hegra, then to Jeddah’s Red Sea heritage and finally to the spiritual center of Madinah by high-speed train.

This is the itinerary Egypt For Travel recommends to travelers who want one comprehensive trip to Saudi Arabia rather than two shorter visits. Each Saudi city is different in character: Riyadh is the business and political capital, anchored by the UNESCO mud-brick complex at Diriyah; AlUla is an archaeological wonder in the northwestern desert; Jeddah is a Red Sea trading port with a UNESCO historic district; Madinah is the heart of Islamic civilization, home to the Prophet’s Mosque. Seeing all four in one trip is genuinely possible in 10 days because of Saudi Arabia’s excellent domestic airline network and the Haramain high-speed railway. ETA Licence Category A No. 1947.

10-Day Egypt & Saudi Arabia — At a Glance

Entrance Fees 2026 — Included in Your Tour Price

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this tour also available without the Riyadh leg?

The tour follows a fixed route that connects Riyadh, AlUla, Jeddah, and Madinah using Saudi domestic flights and the Haramain train. Skipping Riyadh would require a different itinerary structure — contact Egypt For Travel if you’d prefer a customized Saudi routing. The 6-Day Best Egypt and Saudi Tour covers Cairo, Jeddah, and Madinah without Riyadh or AlUla.

What is the Tayebat Museum in Jeddah?

The Tayebat Museum (officially the Tayebat City Museum of International Civilization) is Jeddah’s most comprehensive museum of pre-Islamic Arabian artefacts, Islamic manuscripts, traditional Saudi dress, and Jeddah’s own mercantile history. Its building is itself a restored traditional Jeddawi coral-stone house over four floors. It’s a 2-hour visit and the best single introduction to Saudi Arabia’s pre-oil cultural depth available in Jeddah.

Do I need visas for Egypt and Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Egypt: $25 e-visa or on arrival. Saudi Arabia: e-visa at visa.visitsaudi.com for most Western nationalities. See our Egypt Visa Guide 2026.

Book the Egypt and Saudi Arabia Tour — all four Saudi cities in one 10-day private itinerary. From $3,499 per person (triple, May–Sep).

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The 15-Day Egypt and Saudi Tour is Egypt For Travel’s flagship Egypt-Saudi itinerary — the version that combines the full Nile cruise experience with the complete Saudi Arabia circuit. In Egypt: the Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and a 4-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan covering the Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae. In Saudi Arabia: Riyadh with its Diriyah UNESCO heritage site, AlUla with the Nabataean Hegra tombs, Jeddah with the Floating Mosque and Al-Balad district, and Madinah by high-speed train.

This is the itinerary for travelers who refuse to cut either country short. The Egypt leg matches the full Nile cruise itineraries. The Saudi leg matches the most complete Saudi circuit in the catalog. In fifteen days, Egypt For Travel combines what would normally require two separate trips. ETA Licence Category A No. 1947.

15-Day Egypt & Saudi — At a Glance

Entrance Fees 2026 — All Included

How This Compares to the Other Egypt & Saudi Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Abu Simbel visit included on Day 7?

Abu Simbel is available as an optional group tour on Day 7 (after disembarking the cruise in Aswan) for an additional $90 USD per person. It is not included in the standard price. Egypt For Travel recommends adding it — the two temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary sites in Egypt.

Do I need separate visas for Egypt and Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Egypt: $25 e-visa or on arrival. Saudi Arabia: e-visa at visa.visitsaudi.com for most Western nationalities. See our Egypt Visa Guide 2026.

Is 15 days too long for a combined Egypt and Saudi trip?

Only if you’ve already seen the Nile cruise or don’t need AlUla. If you want Egypt done properly — not just Cairo and a flight to Riyadh — and you want all four Saudi cities rather than one or two, then 15 days is exactly the right duration. Shorter versions require choosing between the Nile cruise and AlUla; this version doesn’t.

Book the 15-Day Egypt & Saudi Tour — the most complete Egypt-Saudi itinerary available. From $4,999 per person (triple, May–Sep).

???? WhatsApp: +20 155 555 2466  ·  [email protected] — ETA Licence Category A No. 1947.

The 12-Day Egypt and Saudi Tour combines the full Nile cruise experience in Egypt with the Red Sea and Islamic heritage side of Saudi Arabia rather than the inland desert circuit. Six days in Egypt: the Pyramids of Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and a 4-night Nile cruise from Luxor covering the Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, the Unfinished Obelisk, and Philae in Aswan. Then four days in Jeddah: the Tayebat Museum, the Floating Mosque on the Red Sea, the King Fahd Fountain, the UNESCO Al-Balad district, and a full day to Madinah by the Haramain high-speed train.

The key distinction from the other long Egypt-Saudi programs is the Saudi destination: this itinerary focuses on Jeddah and Madinah rather than Riyadh and AlUla. It suits travelers who are specifically interested in Red Sea heritage and Islamic history — or who have already visited Riyadh and want to experience Saudi Arabia’s coastal side. An optional desert safari is available on the free Day 11. ETA Licence Category A No. 1947.

12-Day Egypt & Saudi — At a Glance

Entrance Fees 2026 — Included in Your Tour Price

Jeddah vs. Riyadh — The Two Sides of Saudi Arabia

This tour focuses on Jeddah and Madinah rather than Riyadh. The two cities represent fundamentally different Saudi experiences. Riyadh is the Najd heartland — conservative, Bedouin in cultural roots, with the UNESCO Diriyah mud-brick capital and the modern financial city towers rising side by side. Jeddah is the Hijaz coast — historically more cosmopolitan, shaped by centuries of Red Sea trade and Hajj pilgrimage traffic, with the UNESCO Al-Balad coral-stone merchant quarter, the King Fahd Fountain (the tallest in the world at 312 metres), and the Corniche seafront stretching 30km along the Red Sea. Travelers who want Riyadh and AlUla should choose the 13-Day Egypt and Saudi Discovery. Travelers who want Jeddah and Madinah — with the Nile cruise in Egypt — should choose this 12-day version.

Frequently Asked Questions

This program says "small group" in the overview — is it private or shared?

The Egypt leg (Cairo and Nile cruise) runs privately with your own Egyptologist guide and private vehicle. The Saudi leg in Jeddah uses private local transport with an English-speaking guide. The Madinah day trip (Day 10) may operate as a small expert-guided group depending on availability. The Nile cruise itself is a shared vessel (the ship carries other passengers), but your daily excursions from the ship are private. Egypt For Travel will clarify the current structure for your specific dates at booking.

Is the optional desert safari on Day 11 near Jeddah?

Yes — the Day 11 optional desert safari uses the desert terrain northeast of Jeddah, approximately 45–60 minutes from the city by private vehicle. Contact Egypt For Travel to add this to your booking; it is not included in the base price.

Do I need visas for Egypt and Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Egypt: $25 e-visa or on arrival. Saudi Arabia: e-visa at visa.visitsaudi.com for most Western nationalities. See our Egypt Visa Guide 2026.

Book the 12-Day Egypt & Saudi Tour — Nile cruise + Jeddah + Madinah. From $2,999 per person (triple, May–Sep).

???? WhatsApp: +20 155 555 2466  ·  [email protected] — ETA Licence Category A No. 1947.