The mysterious Pyramids of Giza, mystical temples, magicians, and an ancient lost civilization that has captivated and influenced the world…Egypt is truly an adventure, a travel destination unlike any other.
Keep reading this Egypt itinerary guide to explore ancient pyramids, fascinating cities of antiquity and mesmerizing temples along the Nile. This flexible itinerary gives you options to choose from depending on your trip length, including a Nile cruise!
We spent 10 days on our first trip to Egypt, but I would recommend spending longer in Egypt if you can. We loved Egypt so much that we recently returned to live in Cairo for several months. This itinerary has been with optimized based on our experience living here — so you can have an even better experience than we did on our first trip!
An important thing to note though, is that Egypt isn’t exactly the easiest place to travel as a tourist! Read my Egypt Survival Guide for useful travel advice, including tips on money, people, transportation and more!
Regardless of your trip length, be prepared for an unforgettable adventure of a lifetime! I hope this itinerary can help you to plan your dream trip to Egypt, and fall in love this country like we did…!
Cairo:
Where to stay in Cairo:
When we asked some Egyptian friends where to stay in Cairo, they recommended either Giza, or Zamalek. After living here for some time, we’d agree!
Stay in Giza for that pyramid view, and easy transportation to the Giza pyramid complex and Grand Egyptian Museum (day 2 of this itinerary), and day trip to Memphis and Saqqara (day 3). However, it is further from Old Cairo and downtown (day 1), and food choices are more limited.
Zamalek is the fanciest district in Cairo, located on Gezira Island in the middle of the Nile. A favorite among expats, there are great dining options, beautiful Nile views, and easier transportation to Old Cairo and Downtown. Cairo Itinerary:
Day 1: Islamic Cairo, Saladin Citadel, Al Azhar Park
It’s a good idea to ease your way into Cairo and Egypt on your first day.
Morning: Start off by visiting Old Cairo, in the colorful streets of Khan El Khalili. It is a colorful and crowded market, popular with locals. Highly recommend going in the morning as it is less hectic then. You’ll probably be pretty overwhelmed after some time here.
Escape to a peaceful oasis on the street just behind Al-Azhar Mosque (the most famous mosque in Cairo). Here you’ll find very fairly priced juice stalls and street food at local prices. It’s also known for its Islamic booksellers. So you’ll know you’re in the right place if you see lots of Arabic leather-bound books…I got a beautiful gold engraved leather journal here and it’s my favorite journal today.
Have some lunch (either street food behind Al-Azhar Mosque, or at one of the many local grill restaurants).
Afternoon: Afterwards, you can get a tuk-tuk or Uber over to Saladin Citadel. There are several interesting sites in the complex, and this will take you several hours. There are also a number of beautiful mosques near to the Citadel which you can visit.
After your first day in Cairo, you’ll probably be looking for some tranquility! While it’s still light, get a taxi over to Al-Azhar Park. It is an absolutely beautiful garden, and an exceptional oasis amidst the urban desert landscapes of Cairo. The views across the city are unparalleled, especially as the sun sets.
Evening: There are some restaurants in Al-Azhar Park where you can go for a relaxing dinner. We ate at Alain Le Notre, and enjoyed a beautiful sunset view.
Day 2: Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum
Spend the day in Giza. The Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum are located next to each other, and each takes about half a day to explore. The Egyptian weekend is Friday and Saturday, and the pyramids can get very busy on these days. If day 2 of your trip lands on a Friday or Saturday, you can swap it out for day 1 or 3.
Morning: I’d recommend seeing the Pyramids and the Sphinx in the morning, which should take you a few hours. Just outside the Pyramids complex, there are some local restaurants where you can go for lunch while enjoying beautiful pyramid views.
Afternoon: After lunch, get an Uber over to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which recently opened. It’s the largest archaeological museum in the world, and houses over 100,000 ancient artifacts! The Museum will take three hours at least.
Evening: Nile View dinner – The Crimson Bar & Grill at the Marriott in Zamalek, a favorite among expats in Cairo. It’s a good idea to call ahead and make a reservation to get a Nile view seat on the balcony.
Day 3: Dahshur, Memphis & Saqqara Pyramids
An amazing (and in my opinion, unmissable!) day trip out of the city, around an hour’s drive from Cairo. We booked a tour guide and driver with our hotel, but you may also be able to do this with Uber. Visiting these sites should take you the better part of the day, and I’d recommend leaving early in the morning so you have plenty of time.
This was possibly my favorite day in Cairo – these pyramids are less popular, and that makes them very fun to explore!
I’d recommend visiting the pyramids in the order that they were built (outlined below). This way you can get a better appreciation for how pyramid building technology evolved.
Memphis:
Firstly, you can visit Memphis, to learn about and get a feel for the ancient capital of Egypt. Its history extends as far back as 6000 BC! Not a lot of it remains today, but you can see the foundations and some statues in the open air museum.
Saqqara:
As the necropolis of Memphis, Saqqara has a number of significant sites to visit. The Step Pyramid of Djoser is the first pyramid built by the Egyptians, constructed around 4,700 years ago, and is the oldest monumental stone building in Egypt. It is also believed to be the oldest pyramid in the world! There are also a few tombs of Egyptian nobles there, from the Middle and New Kingdoms.
Dahshur:
This was the highlight for me! See the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid, and don’t miss the opportunity to go inside!
The Bent Pyramid was my favorite, where I finally got to live my Indiana Jones moment! Built around 2600 BC under the Pharaoh Sneferu, it is the only pyramid where you can climb up to the very top of the pyramid!
Next, visit the Red Pyramid, which was built after the Bent Pyramid. It was the first smooth-sided pyramid constructed by the ancient Egyptians (the first attempt being the Bent Pyramid).
Evening:
Depending on when you leave and return to Cairo, and your energy levels after your pyramid adventures, you may have the time/energy to see something else in the late afternoon. If you do, you can choose one of the activities from the list below. A great place to eat in Cairo, if you’ve still got beans to check out another area, is Heliopolis (see below).
Regardless, I’d recommend going to try Koshari for dinner – an Egyptian staple and local favorite that can be found in nearly every corner of Cairo. Since living here, we have been absolutely obsessed with Koshari, and have at least one of these per week!
Koshari can be a quick meal, so it’s perfect for the third day if you want to grab a bite to eat before hopping on the sleeper train to Aswan (though there is dinner served on board, it might be a bit late if you’re hungry after all that pyramid climbing)! See next section for more info.
Slow Travel: Other Places to Visit In or Near Cairo:
If you’re visiting Egypt for longer and have the time, here are some other places you can visit in Cairo.
Places to Visit in Cairo:
- Coptic Cairo: visit the oldest part of Cairo, and see the Coptic Museum (largest collection of Coptic art in the world), Hanging Church (UNESCO site), Ben Ezra Synagogue (said to be where baby Moses was found), Mosque of Amr Ibn al-As (the first mosque built in Egypt, and in Africa)
- City of the Dead: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this Islamic era necropolis contains various mosques, mausoleums, and other funerary monuments built over the past 1300 years.
- Garbage City: Quite a few expat friends have suggested visiting, and if you have the time it is really worth seeing. It’s thousands of inhabitants collect and sort garbage from across Cairo, and its recycling rate is over 80% (Germany, the country with the world’s highest recycling rate, recycles only about 66%)!
- Heliopolis: Beautiful old European style colonial buildings, it’s the hip part of Cairo, and known as the foodie district.
- Museum of Egyptian Civilization: Highly recommended, this museum presents a comprehensive view of Egyptian civilization from prehistory to present day.
- Old Egyptian Museum: We visited this museum on our first visit to Egypt, but the best displays have been moved to the new Grand Egyptian Museum. The old museum is a beautiful building though, and may still be worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Day or short overnight trips out of Cairo:
- Alexandria: You can travel easily to the mythical city of Alexandria, and explore Greco-Roman Egypt! Alexandria can be done as a day trip, or 1-2 nights trip to have some more time. There is a train that runs between Cairo and Alexandria that takes around 4 hours, or you can get a car/Uber as well (around 2 hours without traffic).
- Fayoum Oasis: the birthplace of agriculture in Egypt (as early as 5500 BC!) at this vast oasis fed by the Nile. Recommend staying overnight in Fayoum for 1-2 nights to explore temples and some interesting desert formations to the north of the Oasis. Fayoum is around 2 hours by car/Uber from Cairo.
Aswan
Located in Upper Egypt, Aswan has been inhabited since antiquity, where you can explore beautiful nature, Nubian culture and ancient temples. Elephantine Island predates Aswan city, and has been inhabited since around 3000 BC, as an important strategic position for trade and defense.
Getting to Aswan
Either take the sleeper train (we did this and really enjoyed it!) or fly (quicker and often cheaper). Read my other blog post for more information about Egypt transport options and other travel tips!
Where to stay in Aswan
We stayed in Aswan, rather on Elephantine Island because we weren’t sure about transportation on and off the island. Looking back, we wish we had stayed on Elephantine Island – it is just so beautiful and tranquil, with very friendly locals. You can take the local ferry to and from Elephantine Island at local prices (very cheap). On the Aswan side, there are two public ferry docks – one near to the KFC, and the other one towards the southern end of the promenade.
Aswan Itinerary
Day 1: Nubian Museum, Elephantine Island, Felucca Ride
If you travel to Aswan by sleeper train, you’ll arrive in the morning. After getting a bit of rest (or while you’re waiting to check into your hotel), you can visit the Nubian Museum, an archeological museum where you can learn about Nubian culture and civilization. It is located on the edge of Aswan town, walkable (10-15 mins), or you can get a taxi. This should take you an hour or two.
Next, head over to Elephantine Island, located in the middle of the Nile. Take a stroll through Nubian villages, and visit the ruins of the Temple of Khnum on the southern tip of the island.
In the evening, you can take a Felucca ride on the Nile for beautiful sunset views. I’d strongly recommend booking through your hotel, or be ready to haggle extra hard, with the expectation that you may not get everything you’d hoped for.
Day 2: Abu Simbel Day Trip
Abu Simbel is a long way (around 3 hours drive each way) from Aswan, and includes the Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Queen Nefertari. The main features at Abu Simbel are the facades – each of the four colossi of Ramesses is 20m high. The size of the monuments are even more impressive given that the whole moment was cut out of the cliff and moved to make way for the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s in an amazing feat of engineering costing 90 million USD!
To save ourselves the effort of booking a separate tour, we signed up for a 4day/3night Nile cruise that included Abu Simbel (an extra night staying in Aswan on board the cruise ship). While it did save us some effort, if we were to do it again, we’d go on our own to have more flexibility and possibly avoid the crowds. You can also book this as a day trip, from your hotel or with a tour operator, either joining a larger group (minibus with 6-8 others), or a private tour (at additional cost).
Day 3: Temple of Philae, the Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan High Dam
Visit the sites close to Aswan. Depending on the Nile Cruise that you choose (if any), the below may be included in the Cruise itinerary.
Temple of Isis at Philae
The Temple of Isis at Philae is in my opinion the most beautiful, and one of my favorites to visit. Originally located on Philae, a tropical island set in the middle of the Nile, the temple was moved to its current location on a nearby island. This temple was moved, stone by stone, to avoid flooding from the Aswan High Dam – its orientation was painstakingly recreated at the new site, and the new host island was even recarved to approximate its original location.
This very special temple is the last place where sacred hieroglyphs can be found, dated at 394 AD, and can be considered the final stronghold of ancient Egyptian religion. As Christianity was spreading, often by force against pagans, Gnostics and other religious groups, the surviving priests were driven back to Philae. Here the cult of Isis held out for more than two centuries with the support of the local Nubian people.
To put things in some context, Isis was still worshipped at Philae even when the Roman Empire fell, and it was not until 550 AD that the temple was converted into a Christian Church during the Byzantine Empire. It was at this point, that the ancient Egyptian religion which had lasted for at least four thousand years, came to its end.
The Unfinished Obelisk
The quarries around Aswan supplied granite for many ancient Egyptian monuments. At the site of the northern quarries, lies the Unfinished Obelisk. If completed, this would have been the largest obelisk in Egypt, at 43m long, weighing 1,168 tonnes! However, the obelisk cracked before it could be lifted and transported, and so we can still see it left in place today, giving us a glimpse into ancient Egyptian stone engineering and art.
Aswan High Dam
Built in the 1960s, Aswan High Dam is one of the largest embankment dams in the world. Apart from controlling the annual Nile floods, it also provides hydroelectric power fulfilling a significant part of Egypt’s electricity demand. Located near Philae Temple, this site is worth seeing because of its transformative impact on Egypt.
Nile Cruise (3-5 days)
If you have the time, it’s worth joining a Nile Cruise, which is an experience in itself! If you’re short on time, or choose not to (read the pros and cons in my other blog post), you can also travel straight to Luxor by train, car or flight. There are a number of different options available for the Nile Cruise, with different lengths that include different sites and some even include a hot air balloon ride in Luxor. We took a 4 day/3 night cruise, which included the sites around Aswan and Luxor. In hindsight, we would have preferred the 3 day/2 night cruise, and explored around Aswan and Luxor in our own time.
Excluding the sites at Aswan and Luxor, the Nile cruise stops at the below temples:
Edfu Temple
Dedicated to the god Horus, Edfu Temple is the best preserved temple of the ancient world anywhere. Like all other major temples, it is built on hallowed ground and its construction began in 237 BC.
Kom Ombo Temple
The Temple of Kom Ombo is located in a town of the same name, and construction began in 180 BC. This temple is unusual because it is dedicated to two gods – the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus.
Luxor
There is really something special about Luxor… Located on the site of the ancient capital city of Thebes, there is a palpable magical air in Luxor. It is worth staying in Luxor for at least 3 days, and longer if possible. Like with Aswan, depending on the Nile Cruise that you choose, some of the below sites may already be included in the itinerary.
Our Nile Cruise included the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple. However we stayed in Luxor an extra 2 days to spend longer exploring Karnak Temple and Luxor, as well as getting some rest after a very jam-packed schedule during the Cruise!
Where to stay in Luxor
After an amazing but also exhausting tour around Egypt, we took some time to recuperate in Luxor. We stayed at the Steigenberger, a great hotel with beautiful views of the Nile, and would stay there again! I would also highly recommend the Thai restaurant here – it was absolutely amazing and a much needed change after 10 days in Egypt. The chef is from Thailand, and the food is tastier than many meals I’ve had in Thailand. Possibly the best Thai food I’ve had outside of Thailand (and I grew up in southeast Asia) – highly recommend!!!
Luxor Itinerary
Depending on if you do the Nile Cruise, the sites in days 1 and 2 below may already be included in your tour, and feel free to switch around the days below depending on your preferences. Our Nile Cruise tour ended at Karnak Temple, but we stayed longer in Luxor to explore the temples for longer in our own time, which was very much worth it!
Luxor Day 1:
West Bank – Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Temple of Medinet Habu, Colossi of Memnon
On your first day in Luxor, visit the sites on the west bank of the Nile. Since the sites are a bit out of Luxor, you’ll need to hire a driver and car (best done through your hotel), or take taxis (Uber is available but there may be a long wait). Alternatively, you can get a Nile Cruise that includes these sites – however this means less time flexibility, and you’ll likely be sharing the sites with many other visitors.
Morning: Start off by visiting the Valley of the Kings in the morning, preferably before it gets too hot during midday, and before large crowds arrive (by around 10am). The entry ticket (around 160 EGP) gets you access to three out of the eight tombs, but you can pay more to see additional tombs. The most interesting part of these tombs is the painted scenes on the walls, in various versions of the Pyramid and Coffin Texts, ancient Egyptian funerary texts depicting the soul’s journey through the Duat (underworld).
Next, head over to the Temple of Hatshepsut, built around 1500 BC, and learn about the pharaoh Hatshepsut. Hatshepsut was one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs, and considered the most successful female pharaoh.
Optional: If you are interested in visiting more tombs, you can visit the nearby Valley of the Nobles, and/or Valley of the Queens, which I hear are beautiful and less crowded, though we didn’t have the chance to visit as it wasn’t included in our tour.
Afternoon: After a morning of exploring ancient tombs, you can get some lunch in Medinet Habu and visit the Temple of Amun there. The town was known as Djanet in ancient times and was believed by ancient Egyptians to be the place where the god Amun first appeared. The colorful paint at this temple is one of the most well-preserved in Luxor, and you can see vividly stunning paintings and murals on the ceilings and walls. Many of the temples and obelisks were painted in ancient times, and would have looked much like this temple.
Afterwards, stop by the nearby Colossi of Memnon to see two enormous statues of Amenophis III, built as guardians to the Pharaoh’s temple. Even though the Temple of Amenhotep III was destroyed by a severe earthquake, the two colossal statues remain. The name Memnon comes from Greek mythology – Memnon is the son of Eos, the goddess of dawn. According to legend (and documented by several historians), an earthquake in 27 BC damaged the statues, causing the northern Colossus to ‘sing’ at dawn. Many foreign visitors came to listen to the strange sounds, which were said to bring good luck, including several Roman emperors!
Luxor Day 2: Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple
Spend the day exploring Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple – two of my favorite temples in Egypt! Alexander the Great
Karnak Temple
Karnak Temple was consecrated to creation, and was in a constant state of creation. Nearly every pharaoh from the Middle Kingdom onwards, left their mark at this temple… Be prepared to spend several hours exploring this wondrous complex.
“How often has it been written and how often must it be repeated that the great hall of Karnak is the noblest architectural work ever designed and executed by human hands. There is in truth no building in the world to compare to it. The pyramids are more stupendous. The Colosseum covers more ground. The Parthenon is more beautiful. Yet in nobility of conception, in vastness of detail, in mystery of the highest order the Hall of Pillars exceeds them, every one. This doorway, these columns are the wonder of the world.”
(Amelia Edwards, Egypt Described by Great Writers, ed. Esther Singleton.)
Luxor Temple
From Karnak Temple, an avenue of sphinxes which extends nearly two miles to Luxor Temple. When you arrive at Luxor Temple, the ticket booth is to one side. Don’t look at the Temple just yet – walk away from the Temple down the avenue of human headed sphinxes for several hundred yards, then turn around and approach the temple as it was originally intended. Walking down with some inner attention, and seeing the repeated image of the sphinx, has a meditative and hypnotic effect as you approach the temple.
Luxor Temple is architecturally unique compared to all other Egyptian temples, containing scarcely any right angles. Designed upon three separate axes, each wall, hall and colonnade in the temple is aligned to one of these axes. Schwaller de Lubicz, a French egyptologist, found evidence of sacred geometry at Luxor, with mathematical proportions demonstrating a deeply sophisticated and integrated philosophical and religious system, similar to that of Renaissance visionaries such as Leonardo da Vinci.
Schwaller de Lubicz called this the Temple of Man. Man is considered the embodiment of the laws of creation, with the functions of different parts of the body regarded as reflections of cosmic processes. In this way, he saw Luxor Temple to be laid out according to the human body, and embodying creation itself. For some ‘alternative’, more detailed and fascinating insights to Luxor Temple and other monuments across Egypt, read The Traveller’s Key to Ancient Egypt, by John Anthony West.
Luxor Day 3: More Luxor Sightseeing, or Day Trip
Choose from a few activities from the list below and enjoy exploring more of Luxor, or visit stunning Greco-Roman temples outside the city. At the Temple of Khnum in Esna, as well as the Temple of Hathor at Dendera, you can see absolutely beautiful, large astronomical ceilings. From Luxor, Esna is located 45 km to the south, while Dendera is located around 70 km to the north. If you are traveling on to Hurghada / Red Sea after Luxor, you can visit Dendera and Abydos on the way.
Recommended Restaurants in Luxor:
Egyptian Cuisine:
- Sofra Restaurant
- El Kebabgy
- Al Sahaby Lane
International Cuisine:
- Steigenberger Nile Palace – Thai Restaurant
- Pizza Roma.It
- 1886
Red Sea
At the end of your Egypt adventures, I’d highly recommend taking some time to relax and recharge at a beach on the Red Sea. We didn’t have time at the end of our 10 day Egypt adventure, and I wish we had done this. Instead, we recovered while back at work over the next week (or two!) , which wasn’t exactly ideal.
Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh, and Dahab are popular beach destinations with crystal clear waters and pristine beaches, easily reachable by air. Each has its own distinct flavor, here’s a breakdown of the differences so you can choose according to your preferences.
Hurghada: A bustling resort town on the Red Sea, known for its extensive beach resorts and vibrant nightlife.
- Beautiful beaches with various water sports (diving, snorkeling, windsurfing).
- Nearby islands like Giftun Island for day trips.
- Access to the Eastern Desert for desert safaris / quad biking/ Bedouin camp experience etc.
- Also reachable by car – you can visit Abydos and Dendera on the way up from Luxor.
Sharm el Sheikh: A well-established resort city, with luxury hotels and beautiful coral reefs.
- A more upmarket, luxury experience
- World renowned dive spots (like Ras Mohammed National Park)
- Visit Mount Sinai
- Naama Bay – shops, restaurants, and nightlife.
Dahab: A smaller, more laid-back town
- More laid-back, bohemian atmosphere.
- World-class diving locations, such as the Blue Hole and the Canyon.
- A more authentic Egyptian experience with local markets and culture.
- Windsurfing, camel rides, explore the Sinai Peninsula
- Community vibe, popular with digital nomads, divers and backpackers.
Each beach destination has its own charm, so the choice depends on what you’re looking for!
(Photos to come soon, we will be going on a Red Sea adventure on our next stint in Egypt in the coming weeks! For now, above is advice from my own research so far…)
I hope this itinerary guide can help you to plan your own unforgettable Egypt adventure! If you have questions or suggestions from your own travels in Egypt, please let me know by commenting below!