Authentic Egypt: Self-Launched Pyramids, Nile & Red Sea Adventure
14 days · Egypt
Alacart Travel Egypt charges £1,565
No-markup version: ~£1,043 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 14-day self-launched version of Alacart Travel Egypt's fully guided Cairo–Aswan–Luxor–Hurghada–Alexandria loop. You'll see the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx, take the overnight sleeper train south, sail a shorter Nile felucca section instead of a full cruise, explore the West Bank tombs and Karnak/Luxor temples, then decompress on the Red Sea before finishing with Cairo's Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo and a day trip to Alexandria. Everything is bookable independently: sleeper trains, Go Bus coaches, local guides on GetYourGuide, and hostel/guesthouse stays in each city. Costs are rough backpacker estimates — expect variation by season and haggling.
Day-by-day
Arrival in Cairo
Cairo
Land at Cairo International Airport and take a Careem/Uber to your hostel in downtown Cairo or Zamalek (roughly EGP 250-350, ~£4-6). Sort a local eSIM or Vodafone SIM at the airport, change some cash (airport rates are poor, so change only a little), and get your bearings with a walk along the Nile corniche at sunset. Early night — you'll be up at dawn tomorrow.
🚌Airport taxi or Careem app (~£5)
🛏Downtown Cairo or Zamalek hostel private room / budget guesthouse (~£14)
- →Nile corniche sunset walk
- →Tahrir Square area orientation
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & overnight sleeper train to Aswan
Cairo → Aswan
Get to Giza for opening time (8am) to beat the crowds and the heat. Book a licensed local guide for the plateau via GetYourGuide (~£35-45 pp including entry to the pyramid area) or DIY it: site ticket ~EGP 540, plus extra for going inside a pyramid. See Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus, the Sphinx and the Valley Temple. Late afternoon head back to Ramses Station for the Watania sleeper train to Aswan (roughly £45-60 in a shared twin cabin, book well ahead on the Watania website — it sells out). Breakfast is served on board.
🚌Careem to Giza (~£4), Watania sleeper train Cairo–Aswan (~£55)
🛏Overnight sleeper train cabin (included in transport cost)
- →Great Pyramids of Giza
- →Sphinx and Valley Temple
- →Optional pyramid interior entry
Aswan: High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple
Aswan
Arrive in Aswan mid-morning and check into a Nubian guesthouse on Elephantine Island or in the West Bank village — far more atmospheric than a city hotel. Take a local taxi or shared minibus to the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk quarry, then a short boat across to Philae Temple (Agilkia Island) — tickets ~EGP 300 plus ~EGP 150 for the boat, which you haggle for. Evening: walk the Aswan corniche, drink karkadeh tea at a Nubian café and watch feluccas on the river.
🚌Local taxi and shared minibus around Aswan (~£8); short boat to Philae (~£5)
🛏Nubian guesthouse, Elephantine Island or West Bank Aswan (~£13)
- →High Dam of Aswan
- →Unfinished Obelisk
- →Philae Temple boat crossing
- →Aswan corniche at sunset
Abu Simbel day trip & Nile felucca sail
Aswan
Book a shared minibus day trip to Abu Simbel through your guesthouse or GetYourGuide (~£25-35 pp including entry). It's a 3.5-hour drive each way with a convoy departing around 4-5am, but the temples at sunrise with far fewer people are worth it. Back in Aswan by mid-afternoon, then take a 1-hour felucca sail around the islands (~£8-10 pp shared, or £20 for a private boat — negotiate directly at the corniche).
🚌Shared minibus to Abu Simbel (~£30)
🛏Nubian guesthouse, Aswan (~£13)
- →Abu Simbel temples day trip
- →Felucca sail around Elephantine Island
Kom Ombo & Edfu temples, on to Luxor
Aswan → Luxor
Take a morning train or shared minibus north to Kom Ombo (about 45 min) and visit the twin crocodile-god temple right on the riverbank. Continue to Edfu by train (~1 hr) for the wonderfully preserved Horus Temple — take a local tuk-tuk from the station (~£2). Then catch an afternoon train to Luxor (~1.5 hrs, EGP 100-250 depending on class). Check into a guesthouse on the West Bank for the next three nights.
🚌Aswan–Kom Ombo–Edfu–Luxor trains (~£12 total), tuk-tuks (~£3)
🛏West Bank Luxor guesthouse (~£12)
- →Kom Ombo Temple
- →Edfu Temple of Horus
Luxor West Bank: Valley of the Kings & Queens
Luxor
Rent a bike (~£3/day) or hire a local driver for the West Bank circuit (~£12-15 for the day). Start at the Colossi of Memnon, then Valley of the Kings (ticket ~EGP 600 covers 3 tombs; Tutankhamun's tomb and the spectacular Seti I cost extra). Add the Valley of the Queens for Nefertari's tomb if your budget allows, then Hatshepsut's terraced temple. Optional: hot air balloon flight over the West Bank at dawn (~£65-80 booked via GetYourGuide — book the night before). Evening sound-and-light show at Karnak if you want it (~£18).
🚌Bike hire or local driver for the day (~£10)
🛏West Bank Luxor guesthouse (~£12)
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Valley of the Queens (Nefertari tomb optional)
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Optional hot air balloon over Luxor
Karnak & Luxor Temples, then bus to Hurghada
Luxor → Hurghada
Early start for Karnak Temple (go at 6am opening — the hypostyle hall before the tour buses arrive is unforgettable) and then Luxor Temple in the city centre. Afternoon Go Bus coach east across the desert to Hurghada (~4.5 hrs, roughly £7-10). Check into a budget hotel or hostel near the beach in Hurghada.
🚌Go Bus Luxor–Hurghada coach (~£9)
🛏Hurghada budget hotel / hostel near the beach (~£15)
- →Karnak Temple
- →Luxor Temple
Hurghada: Red Sea snorkelling
Hurghada
Book a full-day boat snorkelling trip out to the Giftun Islands or the Dolphin House reefs (~£22-28 pp including gear, lunch and transfers via GetYourGuide or a local dive shop). The Red Sea coral is genuinely world-class. Evening: fresh fish dinner at a local seafood restaurant in the El Dahar district (~£7).
🚌Included in snorkelling trip; local minibus (~£2)
🛏Hurghada budget hotel (~£15)
- →Giftun Islands snorkelling boat trip
Hurghada: desert safari or rest day
Hurghada
Option A: quad bike and Bedouin village desert safari in the late afternoon (~£25-35 pp). Option B: a proper beach rest day — Hurghada's public beaches are cheap, or pay a day pass at a resort. Evening: shisha and street food at the marina or El Dahar.
🚌Local transport / included in safari (~£3)
🛏Hurghada budget hotel (~£15)
- →Optional desert quad safari
- →Beach day
Hurghada: diving the Red Sea
Hurghada
If you're not certified, do a PADI Discover Scuba Diving intro day (~£55-70, includes instruction, two dives and lunch). Certified divers can book a two-tank boat dive (~£45-55) — the wrecks and reefs around Hurghada are excellent. Otherwise another snorkelling trip or a lazy beach day.
🚌Included in dive trip (~£0)
🛏Hurghada budget hotel (~£15)
- →Discover Scuba Diving or two-tank recreational dive
Hurghada to Cairo: Egyptian Museum & Islamic Cairo
Hurghada → Cairo
Morning Go Bus or flight back to Cairo (coach ~6 hrs, £9-14; EgyptAir flight ~1 hr, £40-60 if booked early). Drop bags at your hostel, then hit the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (ticket ~EGP 550) for the Tutankhamun galleries, followed by the Citadel of Saladin and the Muhammad Ali Mosque (great city views), the Hanging Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue in Coptic Cairo — all doable by Careem (~£6 for the afternoon). Note: if the Grand Egyptian Museum is fully open, it's a superb alternative worth the extra ticket.
🚌Go Bus Hurghada–Cairo (~£11), Careem in Cairo (~£6)
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel private room (~£14)
- →Egyptian Museum
- →Citadel of Cairo and Muhammad Ali Mosque
- →Hanging Church
- →Ben Ezra Synagogue
Day trip to Alexandria
Cairo → Alexandria
Take an early morning train from Cairo Ramses Station to Alexandria (~2.5 hrs, EGP 100-250, book on the Egyptian National Railways site or at the station). Visit the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (stunning modern library, ~EGP 70), the Roman Amphitheatre, and walk to where the ancient lighthouse stood — now the Qaitbay Citadel site. Seafood lunch on the corniche is essential (~£6). Evening train back to Cairo.
🚌Return Cairo–Alexandria trains (~£10), local trams/taxis (~£3)
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel private room (~£14)
- →Bibliotheca Alexandrina
- →Roman Amphitheatre
- →Qaitbay Citadel / ancient lighthouse site
- →Alexandria corniche seafood
Cairo: Khan el-Khalili & Khanqa market day
Cairo
A free-form day: wander Islamic Cairo's Khan el-Khalili bazaar for souvenirs and mint tea at El Fishawy café, explore the City of the Dead and Sultan Hassan Mosque, or take a Cairo food tour (~£30 via GetYourGuide) for koshari, ta'ameya and hawawshi. Optional: a sunset felucca on the Nile (~£5). Pack up tonight.
🚌Metro and Careem around Cairo (~£4)
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel private room (~£14)
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- →Sultan Hassan Mosque
- →Optional Cairo street food tour
- →Nile felucca at sunset
Departure
Cairo
Breakfast, last-minute souvenir run, then Careem to Cairo International Airport for your flight home (~£5, allow 3 hrs before an international departure).
🚌Airport transfer (~£5)
🛏—
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. Alacart Travel Egypt
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Alacart Travel Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,043 | £1,565 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £522 per person (33%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Alacart Travel Egypt-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,043
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 Authentic Egypt: Self-Launched Pyramids, Nile & Red Sea Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,043 per person for 14 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 Alacart Travel Egypt?+
Yes — Alacart Travel Egypt charges around £1,565 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,043 — a saving of roughly £522 (33%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 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 adventure, culture, 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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