7 days: Cairo and Luxor٧ أيام: القاهرة والأقصر
The shortest trip that does Egypt justice. Two bases, one internal flight, no cruise.
- Day 1 — Arrive Cairo. Settle, and an early night.
- Day 2 — Grand Egyptian Museum in the morning, Giza plateau and the Sphinx in the late afternoon.
- Day 3 — Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur; quieter pyramids and a much better sense of how the form developed.
- Day 4 — Islamic Cairo: the Citadel, Sultan Hassan, Al-Muizz Street and Khan el-Khalili. Evening flight to Luxor.
- Day 5 — West Bank: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon. Afternoon off.
- Day 6 — Karnak early, Luxor Temple at dusk. Optional sunrise balloon.
- Day 7 — Fly Luxor to Cairo and home, or Luxor direct on international routes.
10 days: Cairo, Nile cruise, Aswan١٠ أيام: القاهرة ورحلة نيلية وأسوان
The classic. Same Cairo opening, then the river.
- Days 1–4 — Cairo as above, including Saqqara and Islamic Cairo.
- Day 5 — Fly to Luxor. East Bank temples, board the cruise.
- Day 6 — Luxor West Bank, sail to Esna and through the lock.
- Day 7 — Edfu's Temple of Horus, the best-preserved in Egypt; afternoon at Kom Ombo.
- Day 8 — Arrive Aswan. Philae Temple, the High Dam, a felucca around Elephantine.
- Day 9 — Abu Simbel by air or road, returning to Aswan.
- Day 10 — Fly Aswan to Cairo and home.
14 days: the full picture١٤ يوماً: الصورة الكاملة
Take the ten-day route and add one of these four ends, depending on what you want from the second week:
- Red Sea, 4 nights — fly Aswan or Luxor to Hurghada, or Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh. Diving, snorkelling and recovery time. The most popular ending.
- Alexandria and the Mediterranean, 3 nights — train or car from Cairo; the Corniche, the Bibliotheca, the catacombs and Greco-Roman Egypt, plus El Alamein.
- Western Desert, 4 nights — Bahariya, the Black and White Deserts and Farafra by 4x4, camping under the chalk formations. Needs a licensed operator and permits.
- Slow Nile, 4 nights — replace the standard cruise with a dahabiya and use the extra days on the villages and quarries between Esna and Aswan.
Building your ownخطط رحلتك بنفسك
| Rule of thumb | Two full days minimum for Cairo's pyramids and museums, two for Luxor, one for Aswan, one for Abu Simbel, three to four for a cruise, and four if you want a beach to register as a rest. |
|---|---|
| Internal flights | Cheap and frequent. Use them for Cairo–Luxor, Cairo–Aswan and Cairo–Red Sea rather than driving. |
| Where to lose time | Long road transfers, back-to-back temple days, and shopping stops. Cutting these is how a tight itinerary becomes a good one. |
| Arrival day | Never schedule sightseeing on the day you land in Cairo. Traffic and jet lag will beat you. |
| Booking order | International flights, then cruise cabin and internal flights, then hotels, then day tours. The cruise is the constraint everything else bends around. |
If you would rather hand the logistics over, the tours page covers how packages are put together and what to check before booking one.
Common questionsأسئلة شائعة
Is 7 days enough for Egypt?
Yes, for Cairo and Luxor at a decent pace. It is not enough to add a Nile cruise and Aswan without rushing; for that, plan on ten.
What is the best 10 day Egypt itinerary?
Four nights in Cairo for the pyramids, Saqqara, the Grand Egyptian Museum and Islamic Cairo, then a flight to Luxor, a four-night cruise to Aswan, a day at Abu Simbel, and a flight home from Aswan.
Should I do a Nile cruise or stay in hotels?
A cruise covers Edfu and Kom Ombo, which are awkward to reach otherwise, and means unpacking once. Land-based travel with a driver is cheaper and gives more control over timing at each site.
How far in advance should I book Egypt?
For October to April, three to six months ahead for cruise cabins and well-rated hotels, especially over Christmas, New Year and Easter. Summer can be booked much later.