This guide to Egypt independent travel has the following sections below.
All basic information (e.g., when to visit, visas, safety, Covid-19 restrictions, transportation, accommodation) is in Egypt.
- Rewarding But Challenging
- Aswan
- Abu Simbel
- Kom Ombo
- Edfu
- Luxor
- Dahab
- More Information about Egypt
- Useful Arabic Words
Rewarding But Challenging
If you are reading this, you are thinking (or already in the process of) visiting Egypt independently.
Travelling independently is usually more eye opening, authentic and direct than a tour. Even more so in Misr (Egypt in Arabic). Travelling around Egypt independently will definitely make a stronger impact on all your senses. You will meet some incredibly friendly and helpful Egyptians across the country. Street food is best. And you will see the local neighborhoods, villages and towns away from the standard tourist path.
As on any trip, the trade off is the flexibility and cost versus convenience. If you like it, you can stay at this temple or Sahara camp longer. If you do not like this city, you might even not stop here overnight but move on. We have to pay for this flexibility with more upfront research and speed. Being on a tour will probably be faster but potentially more superficial. Not to mention it will be much cheaper than taking the tours.
Strenuous
Now, to be absolutely honest, independent travel in Egypt will be challenging.
It will be more trying than Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Jordan, Algeria, India or even Morocco. Some people will try to overcharge you, frequently put you on a camel or a boat, or accompany you to a restaurant or your hotel. However, please also remember that the unemployment rate is high and everybody has to feed their family.
Still independent travel in Egypt
Looking back, am I happy that I opted for the independent trip and all those difficulties and not a tour?
Absolutely yes.
Was it difficult at times?
Yes, it was.
Would I do it again independently?
Yes, definitely. This uncontrolled chaos with the stunning archeological sites and nature is pretty irresistible.
Aswan
Aswan was one of the my favorite places in Egypt. A more relaxed city located in a stunning location on the Nile and full of first-class archeological sites. Plus it is drivable to the impressive Abu Simbel described below.
Arrival
If you arrive on the train (highly recommended), you will come to the main Aswan station. It is clearly labelled and you will not miss it, as there will be many other passengers getting off as well.
Before you leave the station area, rehearse again your destination and your budget. Before you depart for Aswan, ask your hotel how much a taxi should be from the Aswan station. This is a standard question and each hotel will respond with a reasonable number. They might also offer to organize a taxi to pick you up. If you accept their price, it will save the negotiations at the station.
With all this in mind, follow everybody and exit the station building. As in all Egyptian stations, 10 drivers will immediately approach you asking where you are going or trying to help carry your bag(s). Do NOT let this happen as this decrease your negotiation position.
Your price plus 50%
Mention your destination and price. Given your number will be reasonable, some more aggressive drivers will turn away and look for easier prey. Fortunately, more sensible ones will approach you and most likely ask for your number plus 50%. In other words, you are already making progress. If you are firm, they will probably decrease it. Overall, the Aswan taxi drivers are much more friendly than their Luxor or Cairo cousins (I have not seen any ladies driving taxis there). A taxi ride 15 minutes away from the train station was EGP50.
With all this done, you will probably arrive in your hotel soon. On your way back you might even travel independently. The train station is located in the city center next to the main road along the Nile. There are many minibuses on this route for EGP2 one way. The long-distance bus station is about 7-10 minutes ride away.
In Aswan you will probably go to West Aswan for the small and nice Sarenput II tomb, St Simeon monastery, Aga Khan mausoleum and a nice desert walk.
West Aswan
Getting to West Aswan is straightforward. On the main promenade next to Nile, walk past McDonald’s and immediately afterwards on your left you will see steps down to the public ferry. You will pay EGP5 in cash to the gentleman at the table, no ticket issued.
Most probably you will see many people waiting with women sitting on the left and men on the right. The next ferry will probably arrive in up to 15 minutes. It is customary to let the women board first and take their seats at the back of the boat.
Amazingly, the whole boarding operation is impressively efficient with everybody in and seated within 60 seconds. The Nile will offer great views, especially around sunset, and, unfortunately, the ride will be over in 5 minutes.
Sarenput II, st simeon monastery and aga khan
Once you disembark, follow everybody on the path up, turn left to buy the EGP60 ticket for the Sarenput II tomb (highly recommended) in the booth. Look around the ruins, you will see some engravings still intact. The grave is to your left and I liked it a lot. Small but atmospheric and with colors well preserved. Most likely you will be there by yourself, which was the nicest part.
Afterwards you can visit the monastery of St Simeon and the Aga Khan mausoleum. To visit the mausoleum you will need a permit arranged before, which might take even a few weeks. I did not have it but even the views from there towards the Nile and Aswan were great.
The mud-and-stone St Simeon monastery was built in the 7th and rebuilt in the 10th century. Pretty ruined but atmospheric, a good guide explaining its history will be great. However, I liked the path to the monastery best – a serene Sahara experience. You can either walk or ride on a camel (approximately EGP50 depending on your negotiation skills). The entry ticket is EGP 40.
South Aswan
Many interesting things here. The Nubian Museum (9am – 5pm daily) is close to the main road and is excellent.
Right across is the Unfinished Obelisk in a quarry. Probably queen Hatshepsut ordered it but it cracked during its creation and was abandoned. Its size is gargantuan and shows the engineering ability of the ancient Egyptians. There is little beyond this cracked obelisk but the views are nice. Overall, a short but informative visit.
philae temple
Further down the road is Philae, one of the most impressive ancient temples in Egypt. Ancient Egyptians believed that Philae is the burying place of the god Osiris and one of the most revered places. Given its importance, it was mentioned by many ancient writers including famous Seneca and Pliny.
You can take a minibus south (EGP2, 60 minutes) and walk to the Marina Philae Temple, where you buy your entry ticket (EGP180). Then find a tourist group to share a boat or negotiate a boat to the temple just for yourself. You will probably pay around EGP 200. The Philae temple is stunning but the twenty-minute boat ride and the anticipation of getting there will be another memorable experience. You will probably need more than the standard one hour which is allocated by the boat operator. The temple is nice and the location stunning.
The temple has been relocated in 1974 under the UNESCO program before the construction of the Aswan High Dam. As a consequence, you will notice that the temple is not fully symmetric.
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is one of the top places to visit in Egypt. Its location on the Nile is impressive. The two temples cut out of the rock are unique on a global scale. Add the perfectly blue sky and it will be picture perfect.
However, it is 300 km (190 milies) south from Aswan. Most tourists arrive on a tour organized by all travel agencies and hotels in Aswan. I took the tour with the excellent Go Inn Backpackers for EGP400. Overall, arriving early in the morning is best as most tour buses will be coming in late morning and early afternoon.
So you will probably wake up pretty early (4am) for the four-hour drive (one way) to Abu Simbel. There is some good news though: (1) the road is straight and in good condition, so you can sleep most of the time, (2) if you decide to wake up, the sunrise over the Sahara sands is great, and (3) you will be back in Aswan by 2pm so still time to do more sight seeing.
Two Abu Simbel temples
Abu Simbel (entry ticket EGP275) has two temples: the Great Temple of Ramesses II (above) and the Small Temple of Hathor and Nefertari (Ramesses’ main wife, whose impressive tomb is in the Valley of the Queens in Luxor).
Unbelievably, the temple complex was constructed in about 20 years. Nowadays sometimes zoning or planning applications are taking almost that long.
The larger temple is dedicated to Ra-Horakhty, Ptah and Amun, Egypt’s three state deities of that time. There are also four large statues of Ramesses II in the facade. The statue to the left was damaged in an earthquake, causing the head and torso to fall down.
You will notice also some smaller statues at the bottom, none of them higher than Ramesses’ knees. The persons depict his main wife (Nefertari), mother, first two sons and first six daughters. In addition, there are various protecting gods and symbols of power.
Over the centuries, the site was completely buried in sand. The European explorer Giovanni Belzoni uncovered and excavated (or looted) Abu Simbel in 1817. The story has it that Abu Simbel is the name of the local boy, who showed the way to the site to Belzoni. So definitely not the ancient name of the temples.
The small temple has four statues of Ramesses and two of Nefertari. Queen’s prestige must have been extraordinary as her statue’s height is the same as pharaoph’s.
God among gods
The Abu Simbel site was sacred to the goddess Hathor already before the construction of the temples. To fortify his image and spread the message among his population, Ramesses is depicted as god among other gods.
The temples are also aligned with the east and, twice a year, the sun shines directly into the sanctuary of the Great Temple. It illuminates the statue of Ramesses and Amun, but not the god of the underworld sitting next to them. Amazing.
Kom Ombo
I highly recommend seeing the temples on your ride from Aswan to Luxor: Kom Ombo and Edfu.
Minibus to Kom Ombo
They are easily visited by taking an Aswan-Kom Ombo minibus from the Aswan bus station to Kom Ombo (EGP15, $0.70, 1.5hr). To get to the bus station from Aswan center take the minibus along the Nile for EGP2 ($0.10, 10-15mins).
While approaching Kom Ombo, get off on the road next to the sign “Kom Ombo temple 2km” on the left. A tuk tuk will be another EGP15 ($0.70) and take 5 minutes.
Going back to the Kom Ombo bus station will be EGP20 ($0.90, 15 minutes), it is further away so more expensive.
Overall, no need to take a pre-arranged tour with one of the tour companies charging $70-115 for the experience (or $165 with an English-speaking guide).
Also, you will probably hear that the only way to visit Kom Ombo or Edfu is by taking a Nile cruise boat. Of course, it is much more expensive and everybody wants to make a commission, which is understandable. However, the minibus approach was tested by truly yours in November 2022, and is probably alive and well when you are reading this.
Secondly, you might be sitting next to the driver who might speak fluent English. That Kom Ombo-Edfu one-hour conversation was one of the best I had on the entire Egypt trip.
Double Sobek and Horus temple
Kom Ombo is deserted, not fully reconstructed, with excellent engravings and in a great location overlooking the Nile. Some of the original colors are still preserved, especially the black eagles on the ceilings, upper entrance panels or some pillars. Finally, when I was there there were only two (2) other tourists and they left quickly.
This shrine is unusual because it houses two temples dedicated to two different gods. The southern hall was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek. You can see the engravings of this god having a human body and a crocodile head on the tall southern wall and also on the individual stones on the ground of the left hand side.
The northern part was dedicated to the falcon god Horus with many of his depictions. Archeologists have not agreed on the exact reason for the two deities worshipped here. One theory is that the evil god Sobek representing crocodiles threatening humans was paired with a gentler but powerful Horus.
In any case, after the temple visit please go down to the small but modern and interesting Crocodile Museum. There are interesting mummified crocodiles and their various sculptures.
Edfu
Edfu is another temple with an impressive well-preserved structure and one of my favorites. It is relatively young as it was “only” constructed between 237 and 57BC during the Greek Ptolemaic Kingdom. Unfortunately, some of the reliefs (especially of the Egyptian gods) have been damaged over the centuries. Archeologists believe that the early Christians started this destruction of the pagan reliefs.
Beyond that, fortunately, the temple is in a good condition because it was buried under desert sand and only excavated in the nineteenth century. Amazingly, local people have built their houses on top of the buried temple over the centuries. Imagine that standing in front of the 13m entrance pylons.
The Edfu temple was dedicated to the Egyptian god Horus who was worshipped as Apollo in the Hellenistic and Roman times. The same god Horus from the northern part of the Kom Ombo temple as well.
In terms of transportation, you can reach Edfu from the Kom Ombo bus station (EGP15, $0.70, 1 hr). From the Edfu bus station to the temple take a tuk tuk for EGP30 ($1.40) taking 15 minutes and crossing the Nile. You will see the tuk tuks in the middle of the station when arriving.
Walk with the gods
Tip: when standing in front of the sanctuary at the Edfu temple, turn right and follow the steps up. You will be walking in a small passage along the Egyptian gods, whole engravings are well preserved.
That was undoubtedly the intention of the ancient architects. Unfortunately, there is a locked gate at the top of the stairs. Getting up on the roof or a platform would be a nice final step of the journey as performed by two thousand years ago. And you can do it without any other tourists in complete silence. Amazing.
When back at the Edfu bus station, the final leg is to take a minibus to Luxor (EGP30, $1.40, 2 hours).
In summary of the transportation costs, a local minibus in Aswan or Luxor is EGP2 one way. Aswan-Kom Ombo takes approximately 1 hour and costs EGP15 ($0.70), Kom Ombo-Edfu again 1 hour and EGP15. Edfu-Luxor takes 2 hours and costs EGP30 ($1.40). The whole trip will take at least 7-8 hours, leave Aswan early in the morning.
When leaving Luxor, one of the best options is to take a Go Bus. Modern large Mercedes buses with strong air conditioning and allocated seats. You can buy a ticket online or at their office to the left of the main train station. You will see their large yellow buses to the left when standing in front of the train station, a one-minute walk there. Wait for your bus inside with strong air conditioning and comfortable seats.
Luxor
Arrival
If you are arriving by plane, the Luxor airport is small and efficient. However, getting to your hotel or the train or bus station will require some negotiation again.
In the arrivals hall close to the exit door you will see a list of fixed prices to various destinations. Any destination within the Luxor city center should be EGP 80. However, when you exit through the glass door you will probably hear the initial quotes of EGP 200-400. The “fair” price for a non-Egyptian tourist is EGP100-130. Unfortunately, you will probably have to use your best negotiation skills to get to those numbers.
With this task accomplished, time for the amazing Luxor (or Thebes as it was known earlier). The ancient city of god Amun or Amun-Ra, has two separate areas to visit. The East Bank was dedicated to the worship. The West Bank was for the tombs and funerary temples (Theban Necropolis).
East Bank
The East bank consists of the vast Karnak and Luxor temples. The Karnak temple is best visited at sunrise, as the ancient Egyptian architects ensured an eastern orientation (the photo below is the Karnak temple at sunrise 6:30am).
If you are staying on the East bank, you can take a minibus (EGP2) and then walk for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you will have to negotiate with a taxi driver. Please ask at your hotel for the reasonable price from your location.
Alternatively, you can walk. Depending where you are staying, it will probably be a 30-60 minute hike to get to Karnak. If you arrive between 6 and 7am, you will not see any lines to the ticket office or many tourists in general.
Sunrise is the best time to witness the arrival of the sun god in the Luxor temple.
Secondly, the ancient Egyptians skilfully built the entry gate conveying the daily arrival of the sun god Amun-Ra (below). Impressive.
For the sunset, please visit the Luxor temple, which will be almost glowing in the descending sun. As this temple is located closer to the East Bank center, you can walk there (15-30 minutes depending where you are staying).
West Bank
West bank includes the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu, and the Valley of the Artisans. You will see the most elaborate tombs of the kings, smaller of their wives, and smaller still of the artisans decorating the main tombs.
The West Bank sites are well spread out. The options are (1) a day tour, (2) negotiate a taxi for a day, (3) negotiate a taxi in individual sites, or (4) bike. I took a good day tour from the Bob Marley hotel in the East Bank for EGP150.
Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings is the burial place for the pharaophs from the New Kingdom of Egypt (18th-20th dynasties, constructed between 1539 and 1075 BC).
You can currently visit only 8 out of 60 tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Your entry ticket permits you to visit three of out those eight. There are three additional tombs, which you can visit for an additional fee (Ramesses V&VI, Seti I, Tutankhamun whose intact tomb was discovered by the British archeologist Howard Carter in 1922).
It is subjective to say but the tomb of Ramesses V and VI was my favorite. The sheer size and elegance is breathtaking. The engravings and colors are impressive.
Seti I is also stunning but carries a high additional fee (EGP 1,000). Tutankhamun’s tomb is famous. However, it is rather small given the pharaoph died at an early age, so he did not have not enough time to build a magnificent tomb on the level of Seti I or Ramesses V and VI.
In any case, you will not forget those monuments any time soon.
KAM Thai
When you are in Luxor try KAM Thai on the East Bank. After all that falafel and kebab, this clean and authentic small restaurant will be a treat. The cook is a lady from south Thailand and her food is delicious.
Dahab
Dahab is probably the most relaxed town in Egypt. Everything evolves around the beach, water sports and excellent diving and snorkelling. Many tourist hotels on the main road but also in the new city area (20 minutes walking distance from the center). Nobody will bother you much here.
As a tourist said in Dahab, “I am working really hard by doing nothing”. You will see young tourists from everywhere just hanging around and enjoying good life.
In other words, Dahab is similar to Cairns with its Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Gili Islands or Labuan Bajo in Indonesia, or Flores or Antigua in Guatemala.
The closest airport is the touristy Sharm el-Sheikh with its great Wizzair, Ryanair and Easyjet connections. You can take a daily GO Bus from Sharm’s bus station to Dahab ($7), a shuttle ($22-31) or a taxi (around $30-40 one way, 90 minutes).
A popular activity is a St Catherine mountain hike plus a visit to the monastery. You leave at 10pm, drive for two hours and hike for the sunrise. Afterwards you visit the monastery and drive back to Dahab with the arrival at 2pm. EGP450-600 for this standard itinerary. Please bring a windproof jacket, scarf and hat.
When in Dahab, try Yum Yum or King Falafel next to the main promenade. Both very good, many locals eating there as well, always a good sign.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EGYPT
Beyond this guide to Egypt independent travel, general information (visas, Covid-19 restrictions, when to visit, transportation, accommodation, food, etc.) is in Egypt.
Useful Arabic Words
Regardless of your destination, this Egypt independent travel guide guarantees those Arabic words will help on your trip:
sabah al-khayr: good morning
missah al-khayr: good evening
marhaba: hello
keefak: how are you? (what’s the news?)
shukran: thanks
la shukran: no, thanks
kwayees: good
mumtaz: excellent
miya: water
wahed: one
hamza: five
ashra: ten
ashrun: twenty
meah: hundred
WHERE TO GO NEXT
Beyond this Egypt independent travel guide, consider Algeria for an amazing Sahara trip around Djanet. Bonus: you are already in the neighborhood and there will be little tourist hassle.
Or Indonesia for a totally different experience. 17,000 islands, amazing snorkelling and diving, Komodo tour, Mt Rinjani (Lombok) Hike or Bena Traditional Village (Flores).
For the ultimate remote location, fly to Easter Island with its enigmatic moai.
Another up and coming place is Uzbekistan and its stunning Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara. Combine it with mountains and lakes in Kyrgyzstan.
For a list of places with lesser crowds (and how to avoid them): Avoid Crowds When Travelling – Top 21 Tips (2022).
