This Egypt itinerary article has the following sections below. There is some initial arrival information (why visit, safety if any areas are currently closed to tourists). Afterwards the itineraries based on your time available, airports and interests.
- Why Visit
- When to Visit
- Safety
- Top 5 Things in Egypt
- Four Chunks of Egypt
- Cairo or regional airport?
- Egypt itinerary 7 days
- Egypt itinerary 10 days
- Diving, beach or desert extensions?
- Egypt itinerary 14-21 days
- Transportation
- Costs
- More Information about Egypt
- Useful Arabic Words
Overall, I think an optimal Egypt itinerary is based on three questions:
- Your available time. This is obvious. 7, 10, 14, 21 or maybe even 28 days?
- Your arrival and departure airport. The traditional Cairo in and Cairo out is not the only one approach. It is possibly not even the best connection. For the same price, you can fly to Egypt and have a free weekend in London or another major European city
- Your interests. Beyond the historical sites, are you interested in diving or snorkelling? What about the desert trips? Do you want to go on a multi-day Nile cruise boat? How about a day on the Red Sea beach?
Based on your responses above, we will see a few different tailor-made itineraries.
Why Visit
First of all, out of approximately 195 countries in the world, why would you want to go to Egypt? There are many other interesting destinations in the neighborhood such as Jordan, Israel or Iran. Or Uzbekistan, Pakistan or India a bit further out eastwards. Alternatively, going south to Zimbabwe, Namibia or Tanzania sounds great as well.
However, Egypt has been on the traveller’s target list for hundred of years. For proof, read the graffiti on the ancient monuments in Abu Simbel or Luxor (a special mention to Monsieur Le Caros visiting Abu Simbel in 1875).
Pyramids&Company
And there are good reasons for tourists’ permanent interest. The archeological sites are world-class and have been a magnet for visitors from all around the planet.
Pyramids in Giza near Cairo. Temples and tombs in Luxor. More temples and tombs in the more-relaxed Aswan. The chaotic metropolis of Cairo, which usually inspires either love or hate (or both at the same time).
Less visited Sinai with the desert and St. Catherine’s monastery. Alexandria established by the founder of one of the biggest empires in the history of mankind (Alexander the Great). Siwa, Dakhla or another oasis for the ultimate Egyptian Sahara experience.
Balmy weather
Moreover, in the peak tourists season of October-February, the weather is awesome with 20-25C during the day and around 10-15C at night. Sunny, with little rain and no fog (hello, London).
Some Egyptians are truly nice, hospitable and ready to help, when met in a private setting. Those conversations were some of the highlights of my Egypt trip.
Unfortunately, in spite of the steady tourist flows, you will also encounter a significant hassle factor in Egypt. The unemployment rate here is high and everybody needs to feed their family. I tried to consider that as an additional price to pay for the impressive archeological sites and the balmy weather.
Now, if you are also concerned about crowds, this issue can be solved in Egypt. Most tours pursue the same itinerary focusing on the top must-see sites. Secondly, they usually visit in the same order every day. And they usually leave off lesser-known venues, which are just not in the top 5 in a marketing brochure.
When to Visit
October – February is the best. The day temperatures will be 20-30C, sunny and clear skies. December and January will be cooler, a hoodie or jacket required.
Due to the high temperature differences between day and night, please take both flip flops and a jacket and a scarf.
For Sahara camping, you will need hats, gloves and a warm sleeping bag as well.
At this time there will be many sun-starved tourists from Europe. But it is still better than basking in the 50C heat in July and August, when you would be recommended to drink at least six litres of water per day.
Safety
Sadly, Egypt has had safety and security issues, some also involving the foreign tourists. However, there are currently no highly-publicized safety accidents including visitors.
Secondly, I am not aware of any tourist sites closed off to tourists due to security reasons.
Overall, given the importance of the tourism economy, all corresponding areas are under strict and constant supervision. You will go through tens of police road checkpoints. Soldiers in full gear with guns will be watching you. You will see armored military vehicles with machine guns.
All this is normal.
In the more supervised areas (e.g., Sinai, close to Libya), your driver will leave your name and country, and his license plate in some checkpoints. You will be tracked while travelling, especially if at night. When at a checkpoint, a simple “hello” or “salam” (same in Arabic) to the border security is usually sufficient.
Also, your vehicle might be scanned also underneath on a special platform for any hidden cargo, for example in Sinai when approaching the Sharm el-Sheikh airport.
However, it feels all the controls are in place, but outside Sinai they are pretty lax. A whole minibus would be just waved in without any checks. Nobody ever looked at the trunk or checked luggage on my last trip to Egypt.
Probably a sign that things have been stable lately and no imminent threats are expected.
When going to the desert in Sinai, or the west or the south of the country, you will absolutely need a guide. Non-negotiable for many reasons.
You probably do not want to make history and news headlines for any wrong reasons.
Top 5 Things in Egypt
So after all this tougher introductory stuff, one of the nicest topics. Planning your next trip.
Overall, I think there are actually two separate Top 5 destinations in Egypt.
Traditional must sees
Firstly, those which you have to see because they simply have to be seen as so unique in the world. Pyramids in Giza near Cairo and Luxor with its temples and tombs are on this list.
True, Karnak in Luxor is vast and impressive, but severely ruined over the centuries.
Moreover, pyramids and Luxor will be congested and you will face a lot of hassle in those places. Everybody will want to take you on a tour or a boat. Put you on a camel, horse-drawn carriage or a sunset felucca. Or just sell you all the usual indispensable tourist t-shirts, necklaces or Nefertiti miniatures.
Excellent lesser known sites
Now, once you ticked off all those must-see destinations above, you might do what you really want to do. Go to some amazing temples outside of Luxor. They are in a good condition, less damaged over the centuries, and with almost no tourists. Also, given there are fewer visitors, there are also not as many hawkers. Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Dendera and Abydos temples are excellent examples. In addition, some are located in stunning locations on the Nile. Finally, when driving to Abu Simbel, the Sahara views are already great.
So having said all this, the top 5 on any Egypt itinerary
(1) Aswan in the south of the country as a spring board for Abu Simbel and the adjacent temples of Philae, Kom Ombo or Edfu
(2) Sinai for a different desert experience, diving in Dahab and a visit to Saint Catherine’s Monastery
(3) Luxor with its Karnak and Luxor temples on the East Bank, and Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and temples on the West Bank
(4) Pyramids in Giza
(5) Sahara oasis (e.g., Dakhla, Siwa)
Four chunks of Egypt
So how to fix your itinerary?
First of all, let’s look at the map of all those major tourist sites in Misr (Egypt in Arabic). All tours and independent visitors are covering all or some of those.
Based on the map, we can separate four major blocks:
- (1) Sinai (Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab, St Catherine’s monastery)
- (2) Must sees in the middle (pyramids in Cairo, Luxor temples and tombs)
- (3) Additional great lesser known in the south (Aswan, Abu Simbel)
- (4) Optional north (Alexandria, Siwa Oasis)
(1) Sinai is an add-on to the must sees (2) and (3)
Sinai is totally different from the rest of Egypt.
That’s the place to experience some of the best diving and snorkelling in the world. Secondly, there is an important cultural and religious St Catherine’s monastery. According to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Moses received the Ten Commandments on this mountain. Consequently, the Orthodox tradition continues at the impressive St Catherine’s monastery. Finally, climbing the mountain for the sunrise is excellent.
Also, Dahab in Sinai is probably the most relaxed tourist town in all of Egypt, where nobody will bother you much. This, by itself, is already a big advantage.
(2) Must sees of the Giza pyramids, and Luxor temples and tombs
A cornerstone of all Egypt itineraries and should not be skipped. Impressive and unique on a global scale.
They will be crowded and you will experience some aggressive hawkers, but they are simply too grand to omit from any itinerary.
(3) Additional great but lesser known sites around Aswan
In short, they are impressive. The south with Aswan, Abu Simbel and the adjacent temples (e.g., Kom Ombo, Edfu) is absolutely amazing. Great sites set in stunning locations. Yes, some of them were rebuilt but demonstrate the architectural, engineering and artistic prowess of the ancient Egyptians. Moreover, fewer tourists means fewer hawkers and less hassle.
In comparison, for example, the Karnak temple is vast and impressive. However, it has been plundered and ruined over the centuries a lot. In the south you can see some reconstructed temples (e.g., Edfu, Philae). They convey the scale and feeling of the original buildings.
This was my favorite area on my trip. And this is the place I want to return, not sure about Cairo again.
(4) The optional north (Alexandria, Siwa Oasis)
Interesting but time consuming. It takes 9-12 hours on a (night) bus from Cairo to Siwa Oasis. The oasis is allegedly great but those are a minimum of two nights on the bus. You would probably stay there at least two nights, so 4 nights / 5 days total. If you have two weeks for your Egypt trip, probably skip it.
Having said that, I do want to visit on the next trip as all the main sites are done.
Cairo or regional airport?
Your arrival and departure airports will play a major role in fixing your itinerary.
Fortunately, you have a choice of airports in Egypt. You can land in Cairo, the largest and the traditional arrival for long-distance flights on, for example, Egyptair.
Cheap flights from Europe
However, you can do something different. It will be probably cheaper and offer a free weekend in London or another major European city. The European budget airlines (e.g., Wizzair and Easyjet) are flying to the beach towns of Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam.
Sharm is in the south of Sinai. Hurghada and Marsa Alam are close to Luxor and Aswan.
With some planning and luck, you can buy flights from London for £20-50 one way.
Alternatively, you can fly from London to Cairo and Luxor-London open jaw with Egyptair for £400-600. A pretty big difference.
Free weekend in London
In other words, if coming from America or Asia, it is cheaper to fly to and spend a weekend in London. Then hop on a budget Wizzair or Easyjet flight from London Gatwick or Luton. And who doesn’t like a free weekend in London?
If you want the major archeological sites, fly to Hurghada or Marsa Alam. From there it is a four-hour Go Bus ride to Luxor. If you want some time on the beach, do it at the start or end of your trip in one of those.
Alternatively, if you want to dive or snorkel in the Red Sea around Dahab, visit St Catherine’s in Sinai or stay on the beach, fly into Sharm el-Sheikh. From Sharm you can take a Sharm el-Sheikh to Hurghada ferry daily for $60 one way. Alternatively, you can fly directly to Luxor on AirCairo for a similar price (one hour flying time).
Having covered the airports, let’s see some itineraries depending on how much time you have.
Egypt itinerary 7 days
This itinerary is based on the top 5 sites in Egypt. Let’s start at the shortest traditional 7-8 day trip with the sites covered by all tour companies.
It covers the must sees of the pyramids near Cairo with Luxor temples and tombs, and more temples in Aswan.
If taking domestic Cairo-Luxor or Cairo-Aswan flights, you could even theoretically squeeze Abu Simbel in as well.
2 days in Cairo
The individual breakdown would be 2 days in Cairo. You will be busy seeing the three main pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Egyptian Museum. Potentially seeing also the additional sites as well.
2 days in Aswan
2 days in Aswan including the West Aswan with the tomb of Sirenput II, the St Simeon monastery and the Aga Khan mausoleum.
In the south you will probably go to the impressive Philae temple. Afterwards many people like a felucca sunset cruise, the Nile is stunning pretty much everywhere here.
abu simbel
The next day 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 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.
2 days in Luxor
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 top photo is the Karnak temple at sunrise 6:30am).
Secondly, they skilfully built the entry gate conveying the 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.
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 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 (EGP1000). 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.
7 day mad rush
Overall, this seven-day itinerary would be mad rush just skimming the surface of those amazing places. You would also miss some of the lesser known but excellent temples between Aswan and Luxor.
If you have a few days more, your Egypt itinerary will be more relaxed but more insightful and enjoyable at the same time.
Egypt itinerary 10 days
With 2-3 additional days you can spend more quality time in Luxor.
Secondly, you can enjoy a train ride along the Nile, which I liked a lot. Lush fields, great river views, and village life.
Kom Ombo and Edfu
Thirdly, I highly recommend visiting the temples on your ride from Aswan to Luxor. They are easily visited by taking an Aswan-Kom Ombo minibus from the Aswan bus station to Kom Ombo (EGP15, $0.70, 1.5hr). Get off on the road next to the sign “Kom Ombo temple 2km”. 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).
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.
Kom Ombo is deserted, not fully reconstructed, with excellent engravings and in a great location overlooking the Nile.
edfu
Edfu is reconstructed with an impressive structure. Unfortunately, some of the reliefs (especially of the Egyptian gods) have been damaged over the centuries.
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.
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 nice.
When back at the Edfu bus station, the final leg is to take a minibus to Luxor (EGP30, $1.40, 2 hours).
Esna and Dendera are some additional interesting sites. Dendera and Abydos require a full day trip from Luxor though.
Diving, beach or desert extensions?
Beyond this core itinerary, there are a few extensions possible based on your other interests.
Conveniently, the diving/snorkelling and beach extensions are where the European budget airlines (e.g., Ryanair, Wizzair) are arriving. You can take advantage of those low fares and start or finish your Egypt trip in Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada or Marsa Alam.
Diving or snorkelling
If you want to dive or snorkel on your trip, Egypt is the right place to do it. They are excellent in the Red Sea with the abundant marine life and good wrecks.
Broadly speaking, you can do it either on the western shore of the Red Sea or in the Sinai peninsula.
SINAI
In Sinai, you will probably want to go to Sharm el-Sheikh, Dahab or Ras Mohamed. I prefer Dahab, because it is less crowded and there is almost no hassle there. Nobody bothers you with tours or dives, and leaves you alone. In addition, the Blue Hole there is pretty cool. This 300 feet deep submarine sinkhole is impressive.
Sharm el-Sheikh has 30 great dive spots, but it will be pretty crowded and touristy. Also, expect the usual hawkers waiting for you pretty much everywhere.
MAINLAND
On the western side of the Egyptian mainland, good spots are Hurghada or Marsa Alama. Unfortunately, they are both similar to Sharm el-Sheikh. Busy, crowded and touristy with fewer good wrecks. However, they are closer to Luxor and Aswan than Sinai (unless you take a one-hour AirCairo flight from Sharm el-Sheikh to Luxor for about $50).
El Quseir, Ras Gharib or Safaga are other good but smaller places on the mainland.
Beach
The main beach resorts are the juggernauts of Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam. Hundreds of (all inclusive) hotels, tourist bars and restaurants, night markets for spices, and inexpensive copies of some brands.
A bit similar to Antalya or Bodrum in Turkey. If this is your thing, you will have a good time in any of those.
Alternatively, any small town or village on the shore would be nice. Sure, there will be less tourist infrastructure, but they will be more quiet and authentic.
Desert trips
Unfortunately, I did not manage to go to one of the desert oasis on my last trip. However, I heard other tourists raving about the Siwa oasis. Remote, floating ponds, authentic. I have read that 30,000 tourists visit Siwa, so it seems the word got out a long time ago.
Reachable by bus from Alexandria or Cairo. Unfortunately, it is an approximately ten-hour ride, which can be also done overnight.
Beyond Siwa, other oasis include Bahariya, and Fayoum, or Farafra, Dakhla, and Kharga. Bahariya and Fayoum are closer to Cairo (Bahariya: 360 kms), whereas Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga are further south.
Bahariya is close to the White Desert, which looks awesome on photos. Farafra‘s pictures look a bit like Djanet in Algeria, but on a smaller scale. Close nearby is Dakhla, which looks like an ancient town among the palms in the desert.
Fayoum has been called “the garden of Egypt”with a large Lake Qarun. Crowded with visitors from Cairo during weekends, allegedly quiet during the weekdays.
Egypt itinerary 14-21 days
Finally, we could add to the 10 day itinerary the following: Sinai or the north with Alexandria and Siwa oasis.
Transportation
Having fixed our itinerary, once in Egypt, how to get around this huge country?
Overall, there are good transport options with flight, trains, long-distance buses and minibuses. Taxis, minibuses and tuk-tuk available for shorter distances.
Fly, if possible
Egypt is a vast country. Secondly, its main tourist sites are spread out. Giza pyramids to Luxor temples is a day (or night) train, or a long-distance bus away. Luxor to Aswan takes approximately 4 hours one way. Aswan to Abu Simbel another 4 hours one way. Cairo to Siwa oasis in the western Sahara, 9-12 hours on the bus. Dahab to Cairo: 10-12 hours by bus.
Taking one or two of those is usually no problem. However, constant travelling across those distances is exhausting. If possible, take a domestic flight. It might be not more expensive if you incorporate the additional hotels and extra days lost. For example, AirCairo has one direct flight per day connecting Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxor. 60 minutes on an ATR turboprop will save this 10 hour bus ride to Cairo and then another 10 hours to Luxor. Depending on when you book, you can buy this one-way flight for $35-80.
Second option: trains
Trains take approximately the same time as buses or series of minibuses, but are more comfortable. Bear in mind, the Egyptian railways cannot boast the same punctuality record as some of their cousins in Europe, and not to mention Japan. It is not unusual for a train to be 30-90 minutes late.
However, the solution is straightforward: the previous train is probably also late. Therefore, it turned out I was travelling from Luxor to Aswan on the previous train. It departed around the time my original train was supposed to.
Secondly, there are a few types of trains in Egypt. Ordinary, which tourists are not encouraged to take. “Spanish trains” are more spacious but look relatively vintage of the 1980s variety. However, for their advanced age they are still pretty agile and comfortable. Just do not expect a Spanish Talgo train as in Uzbekistan, as I had mistakingly done.
Moreover, they are inexpensive. Luxor-Aswan costs approximately EGP70-90 ($3.20-$4) depending on the train.
Finally, the Egyptian railways has a good and intuitive website with a well-designed schedule information and an English option. Their website is:
Third option: buses or minibuses
Long-distance buses. Go Bus has many connections and is usually preferred by tourists. Blue Bus is another ok option. Good news that the tourist and local prices are usually the same. Buy a ticket in advance in the office or online to avoid any issues later. Please note some drivers demand an EGP 5-10 fee to load a piece of luggage.
Also, buses offer a pretty reasonable pricing in comparison with taxis as well. You will pay EGP200 for one way ride with Go Bus from Luxor to Hurghada, which takes 4-5 hours. Even after negotiations, a taxi would be multiple of that.
Minibus. They are everywhere and will take you everywhere (if not this one alone, maybe another two or three). Usually the same price for tourists and locals. However, agree the price with the driver before the journey starts. Otherwise, you might be surprised to have to pay a higher price than the local passengers (my experience on my first minibus trip). Secondly, paying in exact change to get the agreed-upon price is always a good idea.
And they are inexpensive. 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).
Taxis: expensive lesson in negotiation skills
Taxis. After the 2022 gas price increases, not a bargain anymore. Sharm el-Sheikh to Dahab one way is $35-40. Dahab to St Catherine’s monastery return with one hour at the destination is $70. Warning: as per the Hassle section, taxi drivers will try to charge you significantly more than the local prices.
Some good tours
Tours. Usually expensive and geared towards tourists. Many Egyptian companies are offering daily or multi-day tours. Pricing depends on the number of passengers.
Overall, I think they are relatively expensive and not unique, as all tours and independent travellers are covering the same itinerary and places.
Having said that, I can see their value in times of instability when safety issues exist. Staying in your minibus or car. Travelling in a convoy of similar tours.
But, luckily, 2022 is not like that. Again, the country feels safe and there is no need for this additional protection. My perception has been that all tourists, no matter where you come from, are welcome.
However, there are some excellent and reasonably priced local tours as well. For example, Gandhi at the excellent Go Inn Backpackers in Aswan is organizing a daily trip to Abu Simbel for EGP400. You will be travelling in a modern, clean and punctual Toyota minibus with other tourists from China, Americas, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. The main Egyptian tour companies would easily charge you three or five times that.
Also, the always helpful Omar at the Bob Marley hotel in Luxor is organizing good Luxor West Bank tours for EGP150 per person.
Costs
Tours vs independent (this Egypt itinerary favorite topic)
There are two alternatives, and the choice is yours.
If you use tourist higher-end hotels and pre-arranged tours, your trip will be relatively expensive.
If you are using local transportation, local restaurants and mid-range tourist hotels, your trip will be unbelievably good value.
As an example, you can visit the amazing Edfu and Kom Ombo temples on your way from Aswan to Luxor within 8-9 hours. You would pay $70-110 with an Egyptian tour agency, excluding the entrance tickets and the inevitable tips (“backsheesh”) for the driver. One even quoted $165 but let’s assume it was an outlier.
Or you organize the trip yourself. You travel on the local Toyota minibuses or a train, and get tuk-tuks to the temples. And you pay approximately $8 for the same but more colorful experience.
Entry tickets
The entry tickets to the individual temples or tombs have increased a lot recently. All the examples below are as of November 2022.
The cheapest one I paid was EGP60 ($2.70) to the tomb of Sirenput II in west Aswan. Kom Ombo is EGP160 ($7.30). Edfu EGP200 ($9.10). Abu Simbel EGP275 ($12.50). Karnak EGP220 ($10). Luxor temple EGP220 ($10).
Cairo pass $100. Luxor Pass $100 again. Premium Luxor Pass (Luxor Pass + tombs of Seti I and Nefertari) $200.
Passes are valid for 5 days.
If you are going to visit all sites in Luxor, the Luxor Pass or the Premium Luxor Pass are worth it. I did not, and opted for the individual tickets.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EGYPT
Beyond this Egypt itinerary, an overall introduction or travel guide is below. In addition, the perennial question if Egypt is safe.
Useful Arabic Words
Wherever you go, those Arabic words will help on any Egypt itinerary. They will break barriers, demonstrate your interest in the local culture, and might even reduce your next taxi price.
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 itinerary, consider Algeria for an amazing Sahara trip around Djanet. Bonus: no tourist hassle and in the neighborhood.
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).
