Best of Egypt — Self-Launched (Cairo, Luxor, Nile & Aswan)

Land at Cairo International, clear the visa-on-arrival desk (USD 25 / ~£20, payable in cash), buy a local SIM at the airport and pick up an eSIM if you prefer. Take the Cairo Airport Shuttle Bus or Uber/Careem into Downtown Cairo (~£5-8) rather than a private transfer. Settle into a budget hotel or hostel near Talaat Harb Street, then ease in with an evening walk along the Nile corniche and an inexpensive koshari dinner (a plate costs well under £3). Sort your onward train or flight tickets tonight.

🚌Uber/Careem or airport shuttle bus into Downtown Cairo, ~£5-8

🛏Budget hotel/hostel in Downtown Cairo (e.g. dorm £8-12, private £18-25)

• →Airport-to-city public transport
• →Nile corniche evening walk
• →Koshari dinner in Downtown Cairo

Get to Giza early (Uber ~£4-6, or Metro to Giza then a short taxi) to beat the crowds and the heat. Buy the site ticket (~£10) plus the optional entry inside the Great Pyramid (~£12). Wander the plateau, the Sphinx, and the panoramic viewpoint. Back in central Cairo, visit the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (~£8) for Tutankhamun's treasures — much of the collection moves to the new GEM in Giza, so check which site is currently open. Optionally join a GetYourGuide/Klook small-group or private Giza guide the day before (from ~£25pp) if you want the history context without the full tour price.

🚌Uber/metro to Giza and back, ~£8 return

🛏Downtown Cairo budget hotel/hostel

• →Giza Pyramids and Sphinx (self-guided or join a GetYourGuide guide)
• →Panoramic viewpoint and optional Great Pyramid interior entry
• →Egyptian Museum, Tahrir Square

Ciconia flies Cairo-Luxor; self-launchers can do either. A one-way Egyptair/Nile Air flight booked early runs ~£45-70, or the overnight first-class sitting/sleeper train from Ramses Station takes ~9-10 hours for ~£15-35. Arrive in Luxor, drop bags at a West Bank or East Bank guesthouse, and explore Karnak Temple in the late afternoon (~£6) — the Avenue of the Sphinxes and the Temple of Amun are the headline sights. Optional evening: Karnak Sound & Light Show (~£18, book direct or via Klook).

🚌Fly Cairo–Luxor ~£45-70, or overnight train ~£15-35

🛏Luxor guesthouse/hostel (West Bank dorms £6-10, East Bank private £15-22)

• →Karnak Temple and Avenue of the Sphinxes
• →Optional Karnak Sound & Light Show

Cross to the West Bank by public ferry or local motorboat (~£1). Join a shared minibus day tour (book direct or via GetYourGuide, ~£15-25pp) covering the Valley of the Kings (~£6), Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (~£4) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). Add the optional Tomb of Tutankhamun or Seti I if you want. In the evening, walk Luxor Temple (~£5) when it's lit up. Optional: sunrise hot air balloon over the West Bank (~£60-80) — book the day before with a reputable local operator.

🚌Public ferry plus shared minibus tour on the West Bank, ~£18 total

🛏Luxor guesthouse/hostel

• →Valley of the Kings (shared West Bank tour)
• →Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Colossi of Memnon
• →Luxor Temple at night
• →Optional hot air balloon (~£60-80)

Skip the 5-star cruise and take the local route: a train or shared minibus south to Edfu (~£3-8, about 2 hours). Visit the beautifully preserved Temple of Horus (~£4) — usually quieter in the afternoon. Stay in a local guesthouse, stroll the village streets and eat at a cheap local restaurant (a full meal under £4). This is the independent equivalent of Ciconia's village stroll and cruise stop.

🚌Train or shared minibus Luxor–Edfu, ~£3-8

🛏Edfu guesthouse, ~£12-18

• →Temple of Horus
• →Edfu village walk and local dinner

Continue south by train (~£4-8 from Edfu) and hop off at Kom-Ombo to see the twin Temple of Sobek and Haroeris (~£4), right beside the river. Rejoin the train to Aswan (~£4-8). In Aswan, consider a cheap shared felucca or 3-hour Nile sailing at sunset (~£10-15 for the boat, split between passengers) toward Elephantine/Kitchener Island and the Botanical Gardens. Dinner in the Nubian quarter.

🚌Train Edfu–Kom-Ombo–Aswan, ~£10 total; shared felucca ~£10-15

🛏Aswan budget hotel/guesthouse, ~£12-20

• →Kom-Ombo Temple
• →Sunset felucca sail and Botanical Gardens (Kitchener Island)
• →Nubian quarter dinner

Take a local taxi or minibus to Philae Temple (~£6, plus boat crossing ~£2). Add the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk (~£3) if you want, then visit a traditional Nubian village by public ferry to Elephantine Island (free to wander) for tea and colourful houses. Optional Add-on: an early-morning Abu Simbel trip by shared minibus convoy (~£20-30 for transport plus ~£10 entry), 3 hours each way — book through your guesthouse the day before, and don't schedule it on the same day you fly back to Cairo.

🚌Local taxi/minibus around Aswan, ~£8; optional Abu Simbel shared minibus ~£20-30

🛏Aswan budget hotel/guesthouse

• →Philae Temple of Isis
• →High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk (optional)
• →Nubian village / Elephantine Island by ferry
• →Optional Abu Simbel excursion (~£30-40 all-in)

Fly Aswan–Cairo (~£45-70) or take the overnight train (~£15-35). In Cairo, spend the afternoon in Islamic/Coptic Cairo: the Citadel of Saladin and Mosque of Mohammed Ali (~£6), the Hanging Church (free/donation) and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar for souvenirs, tea and street food. An Uber between sites is only £2-4, or use the Metro to save money. Finish with a rooftop dinner overlooking Old Cairo.

🚌Aswan–Cairo flight ~£45-70 or train ~£15-35; local Ubers ~£5

🛏Downtown Cairo budget hotel/hostel

• →Citadel of Saladin and Mosque of Mohammed Ali
• →Hanging Church
• →Khan el-Khalili bazaar and street food

Final morning for anything missed — a last walk through Zamalek, a coffee at a Downtown café, or souvenir shopping on Sharia Sherif. Take an Uber or the airport shuttle back to Cairo International (~£5-8) for your onward flight. Allow extra buffer for Cairo traffic.

🚌Uber/airport shuttle to Cairo International, ~£5-8

🛏—

• →Last-minute shopping / Zamalek walk
• →Departure