Days 1–10: the classicالأيام ١–١٠
Four nights in Cairo — Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, Saqqara and Dahshur, Islamic and Coptic Cairo. Fly to Luxor, Karnak and Luxor Temple, board a four-night cruise. West Bank, Esna, Edfu, Kom Ombo, arriving Aswan. Philae, the High Dam, a felucca. Abu Simbel on day nine.
Full day-by-day detail on the 10 day itinerary page. With two weeks in hand, add the extra Cairo night on the front and a second Aswan night rather than compressing anything.
Days 11–14: pick oneالأيام ١١–١٤: اختر واحدة
Red Sea. Fly Aswan or Luxor to Hurghada, or Cairo to Sharm. Four nights of diving, snorkelling and doing nothing. The most popular ending and the one that sends you home rested. Hurghada · Sharm.
Alexandria and the Mediterranean. Train up from Cairo for three nights — the catacombs, Qaitbay, the library, Greco-Roman Egypt, seafood on the Corniche, and El Alamein. A completely different country from the south. Details.
Western Desert. Bahariya, the Black Desert, the White Desert's chalk formations and Farafra, by 4x4 with camping. Needs a licensed operator and permits, and it's the most memorable of the four for the right traveller.
Slow Nile. Replace the standard cruise with a five to seven-night dahabiya and spend the extra days on villages, quarries and sandbanks between Esna and Aswan. Dahabiya details.
Choosing between themكيف تختار
| Want to rest | Red Sea. Nothing else on this list is restful. |
|---|---|
| Want more history | Alexandria — Greco-Roman and Ottoman Egypt, which the southern route doesn't touch. |
| Want landscape | Western Desert. Nothing in Egypt looks like the White Desert at dawn. |
| Want the river | Dahabiya, and reshape the middle of the trip rather than the end. |
| Travelling with children | Red Sea, comfortably. Family pacing. |
| Travelling in summer | Red Sea or Alexandria — both are bearable when Luxor and Aswan are not. |
Common questionsأسئلة شائعة
What should you do with two weeks in Egypt?
The ten-day classic — Cairo, a Nile cruise, Aswan and Abu Simbel — plus four nights of either the Red Sea, Alexandria, the Western Desert, or a slower dahabiya in place of the standard cruise.
Is two weeks too long for Egypt?
No. Two weeks is where the trip stops feeling rushed, and there's more than enough to fill it without repeating yourself.
Should I add the Red Sea or Alexandria?
Red Sea if you want to come home rested, Alexandria if you want more history and a completely different side of the country.
Can you visit the White Desert in a two week trip?
Yes — Bahariya and the White Desert take about four days by 4x4 from Cairo, with camping. You'll need a licensed operator and permits.