Fly to Luxor (flight not included). Transfer to your hotel for the night. Dinner is not included.

UK riders: Flights are available via EasyJet from Gatwick to Hurghada twice a week and it is possible for you to fly to Hurghada on Day 1. The drive from Hurghada to Luxor is very scenic (3,5hrs). Transfer costs from Hurghada to Luxor are not included - please see 'dates and prices'.

Today is the start of your horse adventure. You will travel by tuk-tuk to the stables where the team will introduce you to their home and horses. The Bedouin-style yard, crafted by local Egyptians, is based on the West Bank of the Nile boasting several boxes and lush plantation fields. The 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 the horses in preparation for a full-day trail ride the following day. 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.

Transfer back to your hotel for lunch, before an introduction to the land of the Pharaohs. This non-riding itinerary gives an 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. Then you will continue your tour to 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. The trip will also take you to Carters House, this is rarely visited in standard tourist packages and yet is one of the most interesting buildings to be found in Luxor.

Optional: For an extra £50, you can also visit the Valley of the Queens where wives of pharaohs were buried in ancient times.

Dinner will be at 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!

Your first full day with the 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. You will see farmers working their fields just as their ancestors did. By mid-morning you will be riding 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 the trail home will take us past The Colossi of Memnon, 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.

Rise and shine for a 7am departure, time to tick another item off the bucket list for many visitors to Luxor - a visit to Madinet Habu Temple! Leaving the stables around 7.30am, it takes about 2 hours to ride up to Habu Temple, passing through local villages and sugar cane fields. On arrival, you dismount and tether the horses outside in the shade before heading inside this magnificent complex to explore and learn more about its history. Built as a mortuary temple for Ramses III (1186-1155 BC), one of the great pharaohs of ancient Egypt, Habu Temple was built on land that was considered to have magical powers by local farmers long before his time. Ramses often lived in the adjacent palace but other deities resided at Medinet Habu permanently. During the Libyan invasions of the late Twentieth Dynasty, Medinet Habu sheltered the entire popular of Thebes.

After a light brunch you will ride back in time to change for the afternoon adventures, and a non-riding tour to the East Bank of Luxor, starting with the incredible Karnak Temple. Karnak is the largest religious complex on the planet. Forget all you have come to expect in regard to scale and space and be astonished by the Temples of Amun-Ra and his divine wife, Mut, and their son, Khonsu. You will be shown through the labyrinth and explain the purpose, meaning and history of the amazing ruins of Karnak. Many visitors walk right past one of the treasures of Karnak – its Open Air Museum. You will be introduced to some of the architectural wonders which have been re-erected in all their glory in this museum. Enter the Great Hypostyle Hall built by Seti I, father of Ramesses the Great – over 6000 sqm, 134 columns. The 12 which flank the processional way are 23m tall – words, facts and figures can never do justice to the experience that is Karnak.

After Karnak you will visit Luxor Temple, largely built by the New Kingdom pharaohs Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BC) and Ramses II (1279–1213 BC). This temple is a strikingly graceful monument in the heart of the modern town. Also known as the Southern Sanctuary, its main function was during the annual Opet celebrations when the statues of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were brought from Karnak, along the Avenue of Sphinxes, and reunited here during the inundation. Your tour ends with a tour of Luxor Museum - this wonderful museum has a well-chosen and brilliantly displayed and explained collection of antiquities dating from the end of the Old Kingdom right through to the Mamluk period, mostly gathered from the Theban temples and necropolis. This is one of the most rewarding sights in Luxor and one of the best museums in Egypt. This is your last evening in this region and you will finish your Luxor adventures with a belly dancing show and an Egyptian BBQ, with dinner and music.

No trip to Luxor would be complete without a sunrise balloon ride. You’ll wake up early morning before sunrise and head off in the dark towards Valley of the Kings. On arrival, you’ll be able to witness the colourful break of dawn as the sun rises and the balloons take flight. The riding tour then takes you up to the desert where you can witness a kaleidoscope of magical skies and panoramic views of the farms and mountains.

You’ll return back around 9am for breakfast and have an hour to relax before your transfer to the Red Sea (a 4-5 hour drive), arriving around mid-afternoon for a light lunch and some time to relax at the beach.

Today is a full-day trail ride on the “desert Arabians”. The horses are chosen for their forward-going nature and their ability to gallop endlessly in the deserts. This a superb day of riding including the beach, sea and deserts of Makadi. Lunch is served out and about. For less experienced or less fit riders, there is an option to divide the day, riding two hours in the morning and then riding again in the afternoon with lunch at your hotel in between.

Today takes you away from the land and into the crystal blue waters of the Red Sea where you will spend the day lapping up the sunshine and relaxing. However, this isn’t any old boat trip! Today you will have the opportunity to meet new underwater friends at Dolphin House where you will have the chance to swim with wild dolphins and stop off at two stunning snorkelling spots to see an array of beauty around the reefs of Hurghada – a truly once in a lifetime experience. Not only that, you will also be treated to an exquisite seafood lunch by the wonderful crew on board.

No trip would be complete without swimming with horses in the Red Sea! After breakfast you will collected from your hotel and taken to the stables. This is a full morning ride with some exhilarating canters before arriving at the sea.

On arrival you will dismount and take off the saddles in preparation for a swim your horse. Afterwards, you’ll have some time to dry off in the sunshine before riding home.

Please note: swimming with the horses is weather-dependent. If the weather is too cold then alternate activities or riding will be offered.

Check out from the hotel is at 12pm and fly home. A late check out is possible on request at the hotel.