Some gifts are opened. This one is remembered.
There is a moment, usually around the fourth day, when the person you sent stops taking photographs and simply stands there. Often it is at Abu Simbel, or on the deck of a dahabiya at first light as the west bank turns gold. They will try to describe it to you when they get home. They will not quite manage it, and they will try again at the next dinner party.
That is what you are giving.
How it works
You give the journey. They choose when to go.
Tell us who it is for and roughly what you have in mind, and we will come back with two or three options and a price. You pay a deposit, or the full amount if you would rather it were settled. We then email you a designed folio describing the journey, with their name on it, ready to print at home and seal in an envelope for the day you give it.
After that, they take over. They tell us when suits them, whether they would like the Nile or the desert, and whether they prefer early starts or slow mornings. We build the journey around them. You are not involved in the details unless you want to be, and nothing that costs more than you paid for is added without asking you first.
The dates are theirs to choose, and there is no rush to decide.
What every journey includes
- Private Egyptologists throughout the tour, with expert guiding tailored to each destination
- A private car and driver: no coaches, no groups, no waiting for strangers
- Hotels chosen for their character, not for their star rating alone
- Every entry ticket, internal flight and transfer arranged before they land
- A phone number answered by a person, at any hour, for as long as they are travelling
- A professional photographer on the day itself, if a birthday or anniversary falls during the journey — so they come home with pictures of the day, not only of the places they saw
Gifts for a particular occasion
- A retirement journey — the trip “one day” was always meant to be
- A milestone anniversary — twenty-five years, forty, fifty
- A milestone birthday — fifty, sixty, seventy and beyond
- A gift for your parents — for the parents who have talked about the pyramids for years
What it costs
| Journey | Days | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury Cairo and the Nile | 8 | From USD 4,500 per person, sharing a double room |
| Luxury Egypt in full: Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel | 12 | From USD 5,600 per person, sharing a double room |
| Private luxury Egypt and Jordan | 14 | From USD 8,300 per person, sharing a double room |
| Private dahabiya charter (the whole vessel) | 10 | From USD 19,000 for two |
These starting prices are indicative only. Every gift journey receives its own written quote based on travel dates, travellers, accommodation, availability and confirmed inclusions. Tell us your budget and we will explain what it can include.
Who we are
Egypt Encompassed is small on purpose. Mohamed Ahmed runs it, and if you write to us, it will most likely be him who replies. We arrange a limited number of private journeys each year, with private Egyptologists throughout the tour and local expertise tailored to each destination.
From our arrival at Cairo airport until we departed Jordan for Dubai EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING was taken care of.
Rachael Wingham, November 2024 · Read on Google
Not sure yet?
Write and tell us who it is for and roughly what you had in mind. There is no obligation, and no string of follow-up emails. We will tell you whether we are the right people for it — and if we are not, we will say so.
Tell us about your gift
Share who the journey is for and what you have in mind. We will reply with considered options and a written quote. There is no obligation, and the recipient can choose travel dates later.