8-Day Egypt: Pyramids, Nile & Luxor — Self-Launched
8 days · Egypt
Egypt Tours Club charges £1,210
No-markup version: ~£590 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic 8-day Cairo–Aswan–Luxor loop, swapping the guided group tour for DIY logistics: local buses, the overnight sleeper train (or a cheap flight), a 2-night felucca or budget Nile cruise option, and shared taxis with local drivers. You'll hit the same headline sights — Giza, Saqqara, Memphis, Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Alexandria — but book tickets, guides and transport yourself via GetYourGuide, local operators or hotel desks. Costs are backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — Giza orientation
Cairo
Land at Cairo International Airport (CAI), grab a local SIM from the airport (Vodafone/Orange, ~£6 for data), and take an Uber or Careem to your Giza hotel (~£5-8). Skip the airport taxi touts. Settle in, then walk to a rooftop cafe near the pyramids for a first sunset view of the Giza plateau. Book your Giza/Saqqara day tour online tonight (GetYourGuide or a local operator like Emo Tours, ~£45-60 for a small-group day with driver-guide, entry tickets extra).
🚌Uber/Careem from CAI to Giza (~£6)
🛏Budget guesthouse or 3-star hotel in Giza (e.g. Pyramids View area), ~£18-25/night
- →Airport SIM card and Uber to Giza
- →Rooftop sunset view of the pyramids
- →Book Giza/Saqqara day tour online
Giza, Saqqara & Memphis — overnight train to Aswan
Cairo → Aswan
Early start for the Giza Plateau: Great Pyramid of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Great Sphinx and Valley Temple of Khafre (site ticket ~£12, extra to go inside a pyramid). Continue to Saqqara for the Step Pyramid of Djoser (~£10) and Memphis for the Ramses II colossus (~£4). Grab lunch at a local koshari spot (~£3). In the evening head to Ramses Station or Giza Station for the overnight sleeper train to Aswan (Watania sleeper, single cabin ~£55-65 booked direct online; reclining-seat trains are far cheaper at ~£10-15 but less comfortable). Alternative: a one-way flight CAI–ASW on EgyptAir/Nile Air from ~£35-50 if you'd rather skip the train.
🚌Private driver-guide day (~£50 shared), overnight sleeper train Cairo–Aswan (~£60)
🛏Watania overnight sleeper train cabin
- →Great Pyramid of Khufu, Khafre & Menkaure
- →Great Sphinx & Valley Temple of Khafre
- →Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara
- →Memphis and the Ramses II colossus
Aswan — High Dam & Philae Temple
Aswan
Arrive Aswan mid-morning and check into a Nile-view guesthouse on the Corniche or Elephantine Island. Take a local taxi or microbus to the Aswan High Dam (~£3-5), then a motorboat across to Philae Temple (~£8 boat + ~£8 entry). Afternoon: wander the Nubian village on Elephantine Island by public ferry (~£1) or hire a felucca for a sunset sail (~£8-12/hour, split between passengers). Book tomorrow's Abu Simbel trip tonight — shared minibus with police convoy departs ~4am, ~£20-30 per person.
🚌Local taxi/microbus around Aswan (~£5), public ferry to Elephantine (~£1)
🛏Nile-view guesthouse in Aswan, ~£15-22/night
- →Aswan High Dam
- →Philae Temple by motorboat
- →Elephantine Island Nubian village
- →Sunset felucca sail
Abu Simbel (optional) & Kom Ombo — Nile cruise or felucca south
Aswan → Kom Ombo
Optional early-morning shared minibus to Abu Simbel (~£25-35 including entry, 3hrs each way with the convoy) — absolutely worth it if you have the energy. Back in Aswan by early afternoon, board your Nile journey: either a 3-night budget Nile cruise (booked via local Aswan agencies or Booking.com, ~£150-220 pp full board for a 4-star boat — far cheaper than the operator's package) or the backpacker alternative: a 1-2 night felucca sail plus a train/bus to Kom Ombo. Afternoon stop at Kom Ombo Temple (~£6 entry), best at sunset.
🚌Shared minibus to Abu Simbel (~£30), Nile cruise or felucca + train
🛏Nile cruise cabin (full board) or Aswan guesthouse + felucca night
- →Optional Abu Simbel temples excursion
- →Kom Ombo Temple at sunset
- →Board Nile cruise or felucca
Edfu Temple & sail to Luxor
Edfu → Luxor
Morning stop at the Temple of Horus at Edfu (~£6 entry) — reachable by calèche (horse carriage, ~£5 return) or a short walk from the cruise mooring. If travelling independently by felucca/train, Edfu is a quick stop on the Aswan–Luxor railway (~£4 ticket). Cruise continues north through the locks, arriving Luxor late afternoon/evening. Dinner on board or at a local Luxor eatery near the Corniche.
🚌Nile cruise (included) or train Edfu–Luxor (~£4) + calèche (~£5)
🛏Nile cruise cabin (full board) or Luxor guesthouse (~£15-20)
- →Temple of Horus at Edfu
- →Calèche ride through Edfu
- →Sail through Esna lock
Luxor — West Bank & Karnak
Luxor
Disembark and check into a West Bank or Corniche guesthouse. Cross the Nile by public ferry (~£1) and hire a local driver or bicycle for the West Bank loop (~£12-15 for a half-day car): Valley of the Kings with three royal tombs (~£16), Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut (~£8) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). Late afternoon, visit Karnak Temple Complex (~£10) — allow 2 hours and stay for the light-and-sound if you like. Optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank (~£70-90 booked via GetYourGuide). Cheap and excellent dinner at a local fuul/ta'amiya spot.
🚌Public ferry across Nile (~£1), private driver West Bank half-day (~£14), tuk-tuk to Karnak (~£2)
🛏Luxor guesthouse, ~£15-20/night
- →Valley of the Kings (3 tombs)
- →Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Karnak Temple Complex
- →Optional hot-air balloon flight
Train to Cairo & day trip to Alexandria
Luxor → Cairo → Alexandria
Take the early morning EgyptAir or Nile Air flight Luxor–Cairo (~£45-60, 1hr) or the overnight train if you prefer to save a night of accommodation. From Cairo, hop on a Go Bus or the hourly train from Ramses Station to Alexandria (~£5-5 for the train, 2.5hrs). In Alex, take a tram or Uber to the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa (~£5), Pompey's Pillar (~£3) and the Citadel of Qaitbay (~£5, with a great corniche walk). Eat seafood by the harbour (~£8) and return to Cairo in the evening or stay the night in Alex.
🚌Flight Luxor–Cairo (~£50) or overnight train (~£15); train/bus Cairo–Alexandria return (~£10)
🛏Cairo guesthouse in Giza or downtown, ~£18-25/night
- →Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
- →Pompey's Pillar
- →Citadel of Qaitbay
- →Alexandria Corniche walk
Cairo — Egyptian Museum & depart
Cairo
Final morning: visit the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (~£10) for the Tutankhamun galleries (or the new Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza if open — book ahead, ~£20). Pick up last souvenirs at Khan el-Khalili bazaar and grab a final koshari lunch (~£3). Uber to Cairo International Airport (~£6-8) for your departure flight.
🚌Uber to Cairo International Airport (~£7)
🛏None (departure day) or optional extra night ~£20
- →Egyptian Museum or Grand Egyptian Museum
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- →Koshari lunch
Self-launched vs. Egypt Tours Club
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Egypt Tours Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£590 | £1,210 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £620 per person (51%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Egypt Tours Club-style trips? Check them out here.~£590
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 8-Day Egypt: Pyramids, Nile & Luxor — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £590 per person for 8 days in Egypt. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Egypt Tours Club?+
Yes — Egypt Tours Club charges around £1,210 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £590 — a saving of roughly £620 (51%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Egypt.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, budget trip through Egypt, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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