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Sample itinerary

Discover Egypt: Guided Highlights

Cairo, Luxor and Aswan with expert guides: the classic journey along the Nile.

Visiting Egypt 8 days Illustrative sample

The experience

Overview

If you have one week for Egypt, this is the shape most first-time visitors love: a few days in Cairo, then south along the Nile to Luxor and Aswan, where the greatest temples stand.

Domestic flights or an overnight sleeper train link Cairo with Upper Egypt. Between Luxor and Aswan, you can travel by road with temple stops, or slow down on a Nile cruise.

Guides accompany you at the major sites, and a driver handles every transfer, so the only thing to think about is what you are seeing.

Highlights

What it covers

  • Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum

    The Pyramids, the Sphinx and the vast new museum beside the plateau.

  • Karnak and Luxor temples

    Forests of carved columns, and Luxor Temple glowing at dusk.

  • The Valley of the Kings

    Painted royal tombs on Luxor’s West Bank.

  • Aswan and Philae

    Granite islands, feluccas at sunset and the island temple of Isis.

Sample itinerary

Sample day-by-day

One way the week could flow. Dates, pace and stops are all adjustable.

  1. Day 1

    Arrive in Cairo

    Airport pickup and transfer to your hotel. Time to rest.

  2. Day 2

    Pyramids and museum

    The Giza Plateau in the morning, the Grand Egyptian Museum in the afternoon.

  3. Day 3

    Historic Cairo, then south

    Islamic and Coptic Cairo, then an evening flight or sleeper train to Luxor.

  4. Day 4

    Luxor’s East Bank

    Karnak Temple by day and Luxor Temple at dusk.

  5. Day 5

    The West Bank

    The Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut. Optional sunrise balloon flight.

  6. Day 6

    Along the Nile to Aswan

    By road with stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo temples, or aboard a Nile cruise.

  7. Day 7

    Aswan

    Philae Temple, a felucca sail around Elephantine Island, and an optional early trip to Abu Simbel.

  8. Day 8

    Departure

    Fly back to Cairo for your international connection.

Arrangements

What can be included

  • Hotels in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, or Nile cruise cabins
  • Domestic flights or sleeper train
  • Airport and intercity transfers with a private driver
  • Egyptologist guides at the major sites
  • Entry tickets for the sites in your plan
  • A felucca sail in Aswan

Not included

Not included

  • International flights (available on request)
  • Egypt entry visa
  • Travel insurance
  • Optional extras such as the balloon flight unless added
  • Personal expenses and gratuities

Who it is for

Suitable for

  • First-time visitors
  • Travelers with about a week
  • Couples and families
  • Photographers

Gallery

A closer look

Floodlit papyrus-bundle columns of Luxor Temple glowing gold against a deep navy night sky
Floodlit papyrus-bundle columns of Luxor Temple glowing gold against a deep navy night sky
Great Temple of Abu Simbel carved into a sandstone cliff, colossal seated statues of Ramesses II, clear blue sky
Great Temple of Abu Simbel carved into a sandstone cliff, colossal seated statues of Ramesses II, clear blue sky
Painted corridor of tomb KV9 in the Valley of the Kings: colorful reliefs, a blue-and-gold ceiling and a descending walkway
Painted corridor of tomb KV9 in the Valley of the Kings: colorful reliefs, a blue-and-gold ceiling and a descending walkway

Before you go

Good to know

  • This is a sample itinerary for illustration, not a fixed departure. Pricing is quoted for your dates.
  • Hot-air balloon flights depend on the weather and can be cancelled at short notice.
  • Day trips to Abu Simbel by road start very early in the morning.

Destinations

Places on this journey

All packages

Related

Other journeys and services

Visiting Egypt

Guided Sightseeing Tours

Private and small-group tours with licensed Egyptologist guides: the Pyramids of Giza, Saqqara, Luxor’s temples and more.

Sample itinerary 4 days

Cairo & Giza: A Cultural Getaway

Pyramids, museums and the old city: four unhurried days in Egypt’s capital.

Visiting Egypt

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Plan your trip Contact options
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  2. 02

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  3. 03

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