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Egypt, oh Egypt. I’ve written this intro in my head probably over 50 times because Egypt really left me feeling some type of way. After traveling to nearly 50 countries, I’ve always returned home feeling refreshed and so in love with a new country; but that just wasn’t the case for Egypt. It’s a country so beautiful and charming, but fell a little short of perfect to say the least.
I felt my safety and security threatened, up to the point I even had to pull out Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to figure out where I was at. Lol, true story. With that being said, I know that traveling isn’t always perfect. Traveling is about seeing this beautiful but messed-up world we live in, but that includes both the good and the bad (and that’s a story for another day). Still, I invite you to see Egypt with your own eyes. I will leave my own personal thoughts for another blog post, but today I will just be sharing the itinerary I used for my own trip so you can plan your own.
Fresh off the plane, I’m ready to dive into my full Egypt itinerary. The 12 days I spent in Egypt really took me out of my comfort zone, but allowed me to really appreciate what I’ve been blessed with. This post will break down my journey through the country day by day and give you some tips on how to plan your own Egypt itinerary based on your interests and how much time you have. So without further ado, let’s begin!
Where is Egypt?
Okay, I’ll admit – prior to this, I always thought Egypt was in the Middle East. But Egypt is actually located at the northeastern edge of the African continent, bordering countries like Israel, Sudan, and Libya with the Mediterranean Sea to its North and the Red Sea to its East. Egypt is often combined on a trip with Jordan & Israel as they’re all very close to each other.
How do I get to Egypt?
Probably the best and only way to get to Egypt is via flight. The main international airport you’ll fly into in Egypt is the Cairo International Airport (airport code: CAI). Egypt is well served by international airlines that fly direct from around the world. You can fly to Cairo from most major international airports throughout the world including two US airports: New York-JFK and Washington-Dulles. Other major cities to reach Cairo include London, Paris, Frankfurt, Dubai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Toronto.
If you’re coming from Europe, you can also fly direct to the Red Sea coastal airports like Sharm Al Sheikh Airport, Hurghada International Airport, and Luxor International Airport.
There are currently no train or ferry routes to Egypt.
How do you get around Egypt?
Most of Egypt’s landscape is still desert, and roads aren’t the best, but the main cities are still relatively well-connected. There are a few ways to move around Egypt: by car, by flight, by train, or by cruise.
Distances between most cities in Egypt are rather long – the trip from Cairo to Luxor takes about 8 hours, without factoring in delays from police blocks (yes, there are many) and traffic delays – so driving around everywhere isn’t advisable. We did do a 4-hour drive from Marsa Alam to Luxor that turned into a 6-hour drive because of the aforementioned delays, but that was because there were no flight options.
Otherwise, flying might be the best option. The flight from Cairo to Aswan (which is probably the southernmost part of Egypt you will be traveling to) is only 1.5 hours and should cost less than $100.
While the trains are cheap, they involve long rides and typically have extensive delays or just take way longer than scheduled (hence the delays). We were very keen to try the overnight sleeper train from Aswan to Cairo, but were strongly discouraged by our tour organizers, and were warned that delays could take up to 5 hours which would completely throw off your plans, especially if you’re on a tight schedule.
Another option which is also my favorite is to cruise down the Nile River. Cruises operate between Luxor and Aswan and usually take 3 to 4 nights, depending on your schedule. I will share more about this in detail later on.
Is Egypt safe?
This may be the #1 question I’ve come across when doing my research. YouTube is littered with videos warning travelers about the scams in Egypt, which almost got me canceling my own trip.
After returning from Egypt and having my own experience, I can answer with a rather weak yes? (with a question mark and a wince). Besides getting thrown a rock at in Edfu and getting groped while walking a quiet street in Aswan (with my family around!), I guess I can’t say anything major happened. I felt safe at most tourist attractions as we always had a guide with us, and it was usually packed with other tourists. But I personally would not walk around the streets of Egypt by myself.
Egypt’s crime rates are low and you may feel more annoyed than unsafe – the most annoying being pesky street hustlers trying to get every dime out of you. The kids on the street are not afraid to come up to you and poke your arm while begging for money.
Although you’re less likely to experience petty crime like pickpocketing in Egypt than you are in places like France, you’re more likely to experience harassment and scams in Egypt, especially if you’re a woman. If you’re a female traveler, I highly recommend having at least a guide with you at all times. I personally would not travel around Egypt all by myself.
All in all, Egypt is a relatively safe place to visit, as long as you keep your wits about yourself and adhere to the local cultural customs. I’ll be writing about my own personal experience in Egypt in another post soon.
What’s the best month to visit Egypt?
Because Egypt is mostly desert, Egypt in the Summer months can get rather unbearable as temperatures soar to 36°C (96°F). Especially when you are visiting tombs deep in the ground, it can get extremely hot and stuffy. We visited in Winter, and even then, came out sweating as we emerged from the tombs. I could not imagine how much worse it would be in the summer months.
The best time to visit Egypt is during winter from October to April, when temperatures are lower. The busiest and most popular time for Egypt is between December and January when the weather is much more pleasant, but attractions can get very busy, and prices for accommodation and airfare may be more pricey.
March, April, and September are also good months to travel to Egypt if you plan to avoid the crowd. The daytime weather can be quite pleasant and it’s the best time to enjoy water activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and swimming.
We visited in January and found the weather to be very pleasant all around. Daytime temperatures hovered around a very pleasant 22°C (71°F), and dropped to about 8°C (46°F) in the early mornings. We could even go scuba diving where the water temperature was around 22°C (71°F). We also spent a night in the White Desert where the coldest point was 5°C (41°F).
How many days do you need in Egypt?
The minimum amount of time I would recommend in Egypt is 7 days and is ideal for seeing most of Egypt’s highlights like Cairo, Aswan, and Luxor. If you have more time to spare, I would definitely recommend spending more time exploring other sides of Egypt like the coastal cities (Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Sharm Al Sheikh), experiencing the White Desert, and so much more. Here’s a quick rundown of the minimum amount of time needed in each city:
- Cairo/Giza – 2 days
- Luxor – 2 days
- Aswan – 2 days
We spent 12 days and got to see much more than just temples and tombs, and were also able to travel at a leisurely pace without feeling too overwhelmed.
Do you need a visa in Egypt?
Most nationalities can obtain a visa on arrival at Egypt’s international airports. If you prefer to skip the airport queues and dive straight into exploring, you can apply for your visa online seven days in advance via the Egyptian Government’s official e-Visa portal. All you have to do is fill out the online application form and pay.
Citizens of Bahrain, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Macau, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates can enter Egypt visa-free for up to 90 days. Citizens of Malaysia can enter for up to 14 days.
Getting an Egyptian visa requires heading to your local embassy or consulate and applying in person for some nationalities. Those countries include: Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burundi, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Somalia. The visa process may take several weeks.
Can you go to Egypt without a tour?
I personally dislike going on organized tours as I prefer to have flexibility in choosing where to go and when. But halfway through planning my own self-guided Egypt itinerary, I gathered that Egypt wasn’t going to be such an easy feat to conquer on my own. The numerous videos on YouTube warning about scammers all around Egypt’s top attractions were enough to scare me into almost canceling my trip altogether. So the best advice I got was to have a personal guide with us at all times, in hopes that these hustlers would leave us alone.
I did not want to be herded around like sheep, so I handed my itinerary over to a tour organizer to fill in the blanks for me, especially organizing transfers in between cities. This way, I was able to tailor my itinerary to my interests while still having the benefits of a tour guide. Besides, Egypt is so steeped in history that visiting these tombs and temples without an Egyptologist to explain the history and significance of these places would be rather meaningless. So instead of hiring these guides separately at each location, I engaged a tour organizer to arrange all this for me.
However, my experience with hiring a tour organizer was not a smooth one. I will detail my experience in another blog post.
Money in Egypt
Egypt uses the Egyptian Pound, abbreviated LE. There are coins and banknotes, but banknotes are much more common. Coins come in denominations of 25p, 50p, and 1LE. There is a 1LE coin that comes with the face of the Sphinx, which makes for a fantastic souvenir! Banknotes are also available in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 LE. However, it’s a good idea to have a change for smaller notes especially if you want to bargain hard in the market!
As tourism is Egypt’s #1 income source, it’s not uncommon for vendors to accept USD as well. We used USD and LE interchangeably. In coastal cities like Marsa Alam, we found that EUR was widely used, as most travelers that fly into the coastal cities come from Europe.
SIM Cards in Egypt
SIM cards are cheap and easy to find in Egypt. The easiest way is to pick one up at the airport. Once you exit the bag collection area, you’ll find three booths to choose from: Vodafone, Orange, and Etisalat.
I went with Orange as they seemed to have the best deal at the time. I paid 210 LE ($11) for 27GB of data, with unlimited Whatsapp and Facebook. Coverage was great even in the desert but was spotty along some stretches on the highway, but this was to be expected. I almost entirely relied on data during this trip as WiFi was spotty at the places we stayed at, and there was no WiFi on the Nile Cruise. But 27GB was more than enough for my 12-day trip.
Alternatively, if you don’t want the hassle of changing SIM cards, you can download the Airalo app, purchase a package, and get connected instantly! This is my favorite way to stay connected as it saves all the hassle of buying a SIM card and messing about with these tiny SIMs. PLUS, you can purchase the package in advance and get connected instantly even when you’re still on the plane! Find out more about Airalo.
Drinking water in Egypt
The tap water in Egypt isn’t safe to drink, so you’ll need to ensure you’re always drinking filtered or bottled water. Bottled water is readily available, and many of our accommodations had either bottled water or filtered water that was easily accessible, however, that adds up to a lot of plastic waste!
The amount of plastic waste we incurred every day was eye-watering, and so when I got back, I found these filtered water bottles for travel that provides clean drinking water anywhere on earth. I’m definitely getting one of these before my next trip!
The Ultimate Egypt Itinerary
As I mentioned earlier, the minimum number of days I would suggest for a trip to Egypt is 7 days. But if you have more time to spare, I definitely recommend doing a 12-day trip, that will allow you to see the many aspects of Egypt, not just the pyramids. Regardless of how much time you have, I highly recommend still taking the cruise down the Nile River. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it’s also the most convenient way to travel. However, if you would prefer not to, I will provide transfer options between cities.
Without further ado, here we go!
7-Day Egypt Itinerary
Let’s start with a 7-day Egypt Itinerary. With 7 days in Egypt, you can visit the main highlights Egypt has to offer: Cairo, Aswan, and Luxor. Most international flights come in and out of Cairo, so I suggest starting your 7-day Egypt itinerary in the capital city.
DAY 1 – 2: CAIRO / GIZA
- Visit all the pyramids in Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur
- Visit the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin, and Khan El-Khalili market.
DAY 3 – 4: LUXOR
- Fly to Luxor and board the Nile River cruise
- Explore Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, and the Temple of Hatshepsut.
- Take a hot air balloon ride and watch the sunrise over the Valley of the Kings
DAY 5 – 7: ASWAN
- Visit the Temple of Philae, Abu Simbel, Temple of Kom Ombo, and the Temple of Horus at Edfu
- Fly back home via Cairo
10-Day Egypt Itinerary
If you have 10 days in Egypt, you can still stick to the 7-day itinerary above and add another city of your choice, depending on whether you’d prefer more history, want to soak up some sun in the Red Sea or go camping in the desert. Here are a few options:
10-Day Egypt Itinerary Option 1: History
If you’re a huge history buff, I recommend spending some time in Alexandria, Egypt’s second largest city, just 3 hours north of Cairo. During the Hellenistic period, it was home to a lighthouse ranking among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World as well as a storied library. It’s also where Cleopatra lived during her time, so you’ll get to learn more about her here. There’s also a beach here, and you have diving options though not the best in Egypt.
DAY 1 – 2: CAIRO / GIZA
- Visit all the pyramids in Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur
- Visit the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin, and Khan El-Khalili market.
DAY 3 – 4: ALEXANDRIA
- Travel by car to Alexandria
- Visit Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Ruins of the Library of Alexandria, Fort Qaitbey, the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Montazah Palace, and walk the Alexandria Corniche
- Soak up the sun at Mamoura Beach or go scuba diving at the most popular dive site in the area in Cleopatra’s Underwater City which is full of sphinx statues and Roman columns.
DAY 5 – 6: LUXOR
- Fly to Luxor and board the Nile River cruise
- Explore Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, and the Temple of Hatshepsut.
- Take a hot air balloon ride and watch the sunrise over the Valley of the Kings
DAY 7 – 10: ASWAN
- Visit the Temple of Philae, Abu Simbel, Temple of Kom Ombo, and the Temple of Horus at Edfu
- Fly back home via Cairo
10-Day Egypt Itinerary Option 2: Snorkeling or Scuba Diving
Egypt has some of the best scuba diving spots in the world, so if you’re a scuba diver, I highly recommend not missing out on this one! There are so many diving spots to choose from that offer a variety of different experiences. Even if you’re not a diver, the corals in the Red Sea are especially beautiful and can be enjoyed with some snorkeling.
DAY 1 – 2: CAIRO / GIZA
- Visit all the pyramids in Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur
- Visit the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin, and Khan El-Khalili market.
DAY 3 – 4: PICK A BEACH LOCATION
There are so many beach locations dotting the Red Sea, I had a hard time picking just one. But here is a short summary to help you decide. To save time, I would suggest flying to any of these cities.
- Marsa Alam: this is the one we ended up going to. We chose this because it was one of the best spots for dugong (sea cow) sightings, and dugongs are one of my favorite marine animals! It’s also closer in proximity to Luxor, and is just a 1-hour flight from Cairo. However, there is really nothing else to do here besides snorkeling or scuba diving.
Popular diving spots include: Elphinstone, one of the world’s most exciting diving spots, featuring wonderful drift dives along deep steep walls, is one for the thrillseekers. Famous for its exhilarating drift dives, abundance of sharks, and unspoiled reef teaming with life, Elphinstone is quite rightly regarded as one of the best sites in the world. - Sharm El Sheikh: is a resort town with much more to do than Marsa Alam, so it is incredibly popular among vacationers and divers. It’s perfect if not everyone in your travel group are divers, and want to enjoy some land activities too. However, Sharm El Sheikh is a little further from Luxor and Aswan, and might require more travel time.
Popular diving spots include: SS Thistlegorm, one of the best wreck dives in the world! The SS Thistlegorm is a former cargo sunk in 1941 during WWII, and has so much to explore! It still contains 2 locomotives, 2 tanks, Motorbikes, riffles and so much more. - Hurghada: is a great place for wreck enthusiasts and is also suitable for beginners divers because of its calm clear water.
Popular diving spots include: wreck dives and liveaboards. SS Thistlegorm can also be reached from here.
DAY 5 – 6: LUXOR
- Travel to Luxor by flight or car and board the Nile River cruise
- Explore Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, and the Temple of Hatshepsut.
- Take a hot air balloon ride and watch the sunrise over the Valley of the Kings
DAY 7 – 10: ASWAN
- Visit the Temple of Philae, Abu Simbel, Temple of Kom Ombo, and the Temple of Horus at Edfu
- Fly back home via Cairo
10-Day Egypt Itinerary Option 3: White Desert
One of my favorite and most memorable experiences in Egypt was my desert camping experience. I’m not sure if anything else compares to falling asleep under the starry sky and waking up to the sun peaking above the desert horizon.
DAY 1 – 2: CAIRO / GIZA
- Visit all the pyramids in Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur
- Visit the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin, and Khan El-Khalili market.
DAY 3 – 4: WHITE AND BLACK DESERT
- Marvel at the effects of Mother Nature at the Black Desert, Crystal Mountains and finally set up camp under the stars at the White Desert
- Go sandboarding and visit the hot springs
DAY 5 – 6: LUXOR
- Fly to Luxor and board the Nile River cruise
- Explore Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, and the Temple of Hatshepsut.
- Take a hot air balloon ride and watch the sunrise over the Valley of the Kings
DAY 7 – 10: ASWAN
- Visit the Temple of Philae, Abu Simbel, Temple of Kom Ombo, and the Temple of Horus at Edfu
- Fly back home via Cairo
12-Day Egypt Itinerary
If you have 12 days or even 2 weeks in Egypt, you can actually combine 2 of the options I’ve outlined in the 10-day itinerary: either head to the beach, soak up more history, or go camping in the desert. My personal opinion is to go for the beach and the desert to have the most wholesome experience in Egypt, and that was the itinerary I went for on my own 12-day trip.
For this 12-day Egypt itinerary, I had to shuffle up the locations a little for logistical purposes. I put the desert tour at the tail end of the trip and it was the perfect way to bookend our trip.
DAY 1 – 2: CAIRO / GIZA
- Visit all the pyramids in Giza, Saqqara, and Dahshur
- Visit the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel of Saladin, and Khan El-Khalili market.
DAY 3 – 4: MARSA ALAM
- Fly to Marsa Alam
- Go diving or snorkeling with dugongs
- Explore the world-famous Elphinstone dive site (for advanced divers only)
- Stay at Wadi Sabarah Lodge (one of our highlights on our trip!)
DAY 5 – 6: LUXOR
- Hire a driver to Luxor and board the Nile River cruise
- Explore Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, and the Temple of Hatshepsut.
- Take a hot air balloon ride and watch the sunrise over the Valley of the Kings
DAY 7 – 10: ASWAN
- Visit the Temple of Philae, Abu Simbel, Temple of Kom Ombo, and the Temple of Horus at Edfu
- Fly back to Cairo
DAY 11 – 12: WHITE AND BLACK DESERT
- Take a guided tour to the desert
- Marvel at the effects of Mother Nature at the Black Desert, Crystal Mountains and finally set up camp under the stars at the White Desert
- Go sandboarding and visit the hot springs
- Transfer back to Cairo and fly home
2 Days in Cairo
Cairo is the ideal starting point for any Egypt itinerary because you’ll most likely be flying into Cairo Airport. Now, a lot of forums have discussed how they would skip Cairo altogether if they could because it’s a dirty, dusty city, but it’s where you’ll find the Great Pyramids of Giza!
I managed to make my Cairo and Giza trip bearable which I will share how below!
Top Things to Do in Cairo
Here’s a checklist of things to do when you’re in Cairo and Giza:
- Giza Pyramids
- Great Sphinx of Giza
- Saqqara Necropolis & the Djoser Step Pyramid
- Egyptian Museum
- Mohammad Ali Mosque
- Coptic Church Hanging Church
- Khan El-Khalili Bazaar
Day 1 – Visit the Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara Necropolis
We’ve all heard of the world-famous Great Pyramids of Giza, but did you know these are not the only pyramids in Egypt? They aren’t even the OG pyramids! The Giza complex consists of three main pyramids, with the Pyramid of Khufu being the largest in all of Egypt. It is also the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still in existence!
But the oldest pyramid in Egypt is located in Saqqara Necropolis, named the Djoser Pyramid. And not far away, you will find the Red Pyramid located in Dahshur. I recommend visiting all these pyramids in one day.
You’ll also get the chance to enter these pyramids, but bear in mind that not all pyramids are worth entering, as most of the remains of the pyramids have been removed and put into museums. We only entered The Pyramid of Unas at Saqqara, which according to our guide, was the only tomb worth entering (though in hindsight, I’m not sure if I can trust anything these guides say… more on this later). If I could redo it, I would probably just enter the Pyramids of Giza anyway, just for the heck of it, although there isn’t really much to see inside.
Day 2 – Explore Cairo City
There’s quite a lot to see in Cairo itself, but with such limited time, you’ll need to decide on what interests you most. But the two main highlights I would highly recommend are the Egyptian Museum–where you’ll find the largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities in the world, and Khan El-Khalili Bazaar, which is the oldest market in the middle east for Cheap Egyptian gifts. The vendors can be aggressive, and haggling is definitely required, but this is all part of the experience.
At the time of writing, The Grand Egyptian Museum is set to open sometime in 2023, though no exact date has been given. And the opening has been delayed since 2022, so no clue when it will actually open for real!
Visit the Citadel of Saladin for sweeping panoramic views of the city. It also houses the Mohammad Ali Mosque.
Where to Stay in Cairo
Now, this might be my best-kept secret in Cairo and the best decision I ever made on this trip – to stay in Zamalek. Zamalek is an island floating alongside the city of Cairo and is only a short 5-10 minute drive away. But this short distance will grant you a quiet reprieve from the noisy and dusty streets of Cairo.
The hotels in Zamalek also look a lot newer and more modern than the ones in downtown Cairo. Browse accommodations in Zamalek here.
Alternatively, you could stay in a resort close to Giza if you’d like to wake up to the view of these magnificent wonders, but there won’t be much around the area. If you decide on staying in Giza, I recommend the Marriott Mena.
3 Days in Luxor
Luxor is the only city in Egypt where the largest number of ancient attractions is concentrated, most of which are located in the central part, so it will be much easier to find them. In Luxor, you can see all the Egyptian people’s creations: majestic temples, ancient tombs, and huge statues. Luxor has frequently been characterized as the “world’s greatest open-air museum”, as the ruins of the Egyptian temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor stand within the modern city.
How to get from Cairo to Luxor
We actually spent 2 nights in Marsa Alam between Cairo and Luxor–we took a 1-hour flight to Marsa Alam, spent 2 nights in the wonderful Wadi Sabarah Lodge, and then hired a driver to Luxor which took us 6 hours on the road. There are plenty of other options to get to Luxor directly from Cairo.
Flight – The flight from Cairo to Luxor is only about an hour and usually costs less than $100.
Train – The train between Cairo and Luxor takes 9 hours, and there is the option of a day train and a night sleeper train. It’s slightly too long for a day trip and it takes up all your sightseeing hours, and it’s too short for a night of good sleep! Plus, the price is almost the same price as the flight and is much quicker and more convenient.
Things to Do in Luxor
Luxor is conveniently split down the middle by a river, so it’s easy to split your sightseeing into two days: West Bank on the first day and East bank on the second day.
The East Bank is the location of Luxor town. This is where you will find Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. It is where most Egyptians live and work and it is also where you will find the majority of hotels and restaurants.
The West Bank of Luxor is where the ancient Egyptians buried the dead. Each night, the sun sets on the West Bank, so this became the necropolis, the area that is filled with tombs and mortuary temples. This is where the famous Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens are.
Here’s a checklist of things to do when you’re in Luxor:
- Kom Ombo Temple
- Edfu Temple (Temple of Horus)
- Karnak Temple
- Luxor Temple
- Valley of the Kings
- Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
Day 1 – East Bank of Luxor
Start off your Luxor tour by visiting Karnak Temple, which was once the most important religious site in Ancient Egypt, and it was the reason Thebes retained some power after the capital was relocated to Alexandria. Karnak is the second largest religious site from the ancient world, after Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
You’ve probably seen pictures of The Great Hypostle Hall, and it was a marvel to look at! There’s also a scarab statue that will supposedly grant you 7 wishes if you take 7 laps around it!
The Luxor Temple dominates the center of town in Luxor and really is what gives the city the feeling of being an “open-air museum”. Following the demise of Ancient Egyptian society, the Luxor Temple was gradually buried beneath the sand and forgotten while the city grew on top of it. Fortunately, it has been rediscovered and excavated.
The massive Ramses II statues, as well as the single obelisk, are all impressive. If this obelisk looks familiar, it’s because you’ve probably seen it (or something similar to it) before! The twin lives in Paris’ Place de la Concorde. The Egyptian government presented it to France as a gift, and it arrived in Paris in 1833. Most tour groups come in the evening so it can get quite busy, but there’s something special about seeing the large statues and columns all lit up!
Day 2 – Hot air ballooning and West Bank of Luxor
One of the most magical things you can do in Luxor is to take a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. Unfortunately, we missed this experience as we were told the weather wasn’t good (or our tour organizers just ripped us off, I don’t even know). In any case, you’ll have an extremely early morning call, around 4am, but it’s supposed to be worth every second of sacrificed sleep!
One of the highlights of Luxor is The Valley of The Kings, where most of the great rulers of Ancient Egypt were buried. Here you’ll find intricate and extraordinary tombs, like King Tut’s tomb (where I realized my childhood dream to see his mummy in person!)!
There are 63 tombs here, and archeologists are still working every day to uncover new ones, but your entrance ticket only covers 3. You’ll need to purchase extra tickets to visit any of the other tombs, these include Tutankhamun, Ramses V/VI, and Seti I.
Then, proceed to the Temple of Hatshepsut. (I still struggle to spell and say her name, but our guide told us to just remember ‘Hot Chicken Soup’!). Hatshepsut was the first female Pharaoh of Egypt, and she built the temple to commemorate her achievements and her reign. I was especially intrigued by the story behind Hatshepsut’s rise to power and how she had to try to appear more masculine to gain power. Loving the girl power vibes here!
Day 3 – Kom Ombo Temple, Edfu and Esna
From Luxor to Aswan, there are 3 more important sights you can visit: Kom Ombo Temple, Temple of Horus at Edfu, and Esna. These can be easily done in a day either by car or by Nile cruise. If you opt for the cruise, these will most probably be already included stops on your itinerary. To do the drive, it should take you about 10 hours, which includes all stops and about 6 hours of driving time.
The Temple of Kom Ombo is a double temple that was constructed for two sets of gods. One half of the complex is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile-headed god who is associated with the fertility of the land along the Nile River. The other half is dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god. Next to the Temple of Kom Ombo is the Crocodile Museum, where you can see the mummies of different-sized crocodiles that were discovered around the temple (it is estimated that 300 crocodile mummies were discovered in this area). I found this very interesting!
The Temple of Horus at Edfu is the largest temple dedicated to the god Horus. This is a magnificent temple that is still in excellent condition, despite being over 2,000 years old (although it is relatively young by Egyptian standards). The first pylon is in almost perfect condition and you really get an idea of how these temples looked when they were first constructed. Edfu was a very dusty town, and it felt like we were transported back to the 1930’s with mostly horse cabriolets on the streets. I personally did not like this town at all.
If you’re traveling via cruise, you will be passing the Esna Lock which is an engineering masterpiece built to avoid the gap caused by the waterfalls. It’s quite an interesting feat!
Where to Stay in Luxor
We stayed on the cruise, which I found was the most convenient option instead of having to move hotels almost every night. But if you’re not interested in taking the cruise, you can also easily break up the journey and spend two nights in Luxor.
The biggest debate is whether to stay on the East Bank or the West Bank. Most tourist hotels are on the East Bank, and that’s where Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple are located. There’s a plethora of restaurants and shops here, but it’s also very much tourist-priced.
The West Bank is less common with tourists and has a few smaller guest houses and apartment-style hotels. It’s quieter and the restaurants are a bit cheaper as they see fewer tourists. The Valley of the Kings is located on the West Bank.
2 Days in Aswan
The 2 days in Aswan are actually one day in Aswan and one day in Abu Simbel. Obviously, you could spend a LOT more than a day in Aswan, but if you hustle this is all you’ll need. And after a while, the sights do get slightly repetitive.
How to get from Luxor to Aswan
There are a few ways to get between these two cities with the Nile Cruise being a popular choice (and is the option we chose).
Cruise – I found this to be the most convenient way to travel between the two cities because you won’t need to keep moving from hotel to hotel. It was really convenient for us to disembark, see the sights and return to the boat. There are options ranging from 3 nights to 7 nights depending on your schedule. It’s also much easier to see the sights in between as I mentioned above, namely Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Esna.
Car – You could also hire a private driver to take you on a day trip which includes the stops I mentioned along the way.
Train – There is a train that connects the two cities and only takes 3 hours. It’s cheap, efficient, and relatively comfortable. But you’ll have to forego Edfu and Kom Ombo in between.
Things to Do in Aswan
Here’s a checklist of things to do when you’re in Aswan:
- Unfinished Obelisk
- Philae Temple
- Abu Simbel Temples
- Felucca Sailing (traditional Nile sailing boat)
- Visit a Nubian Village
Day 1 – Philae Temple and Nubian Village
Philae Temple is very important since it is one of the last places where the ancient Egyptian religion survived after the arrival of Christianity until 550 A.D. The first Christians transformed the temple into a church where they disfigured many of the statues of the ancient gods and destroyed their images.
This temple was almost lost in floods when the Aswan Dam was built, and was moved piece by piece which is another engineering marvel.
In the afternoon, take a small boat ride down the smaller passageways of the Nile River to find the colorful houses of the Nubian Village. Here you can visit a traditional Nubian home and learn about their way of life, and walk around the village shopping for spices and souvenirs.
Day 2 – Day trip to Abu Simbel
The twin temples of Abu Simbel require the most effort to visit of any famous structure in Egypt, but it is well worth it. Built by Ramses II for himself and his wife Nefartari, these two massive temples were cut from the mountainside and relocated when the construction of the Aswan High Dam threatened their existence. The temples are not only beautiful, but they are also an engineering marvel!
Because Abu Simbel is so far from Aswan, it gets quite crowded in the morning between 8 and 11 am. I was also told that it can be crowded right when it opens at 5 am, because that is when cruise ship passengers usually arrive! The best time to visit is between 7-8 am (after the cruise ship passengers have left and before the day trippers arrive), or after 11 am (after the majority of the day trippers have left).
We arrived at Abu Simbel at 11 am and had the temple almost to ourselves!
Nile Cruise: Worth it or not?
Nile Cruises are typically between Luxor and Aswan. Some operators do sail from Cairo but are significantly longer and more expensive. The average duration of a cruise between Luxor and Aswan is 3-4 nights long. They can travel in either direction, but we started in Luxor and ended in Aswan because of our itinerary. The cruises will typically stop between Luxor and Aswan at cities like Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Esna.
I know many people would feel like they’re being herded by sheep if they join a cruise, but you actually get more flexibility than that. Your tour guide is actually independent of the cruise itself, so you won’t be on the same schedule as other people on your boat. Though, you will be in the same cities at the same time. You can request to visit certain locations at quieter times.
There seems to be a bit of confusion when it comes to which Nile Cruise to choose, and how all the details pan out but I will detail them in another blog post.
With that said, I highly recommend anyone visiting Egypt to go on a Nile Cruise. It’s relaxing and convenient, and definitely, a one-of-a-kind experience cruising down what was the longest river in the world. I had the opportunity to see the most beautiful sunsets onboard the cruise.
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