Egypt Must-See Sites: Cairo & Luxor (Self-Launched, 7 Days)
7 days · Egypt (Cairo & Luxor)
Your Egypt Tours charges £2,160
No-markup version: ~£720 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Your Egypt Tours' 7-day Cairo & Luxor highlights trip. You cover the same headline sights — Giza pyramids and Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo, Karnak and Luxor temples, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple — but using budget hotels and hostels, public and shared transport, and locally bookable guides instead of a fully guided private tour. Costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP based on budget/backpacker rates; visa (£20 approx) assumed paid on arrival.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo – settle in and first taste of the city
Cairo
Fly into Cairo International Airport. Buy your visa-on-arrival sticker at the bank counter before passport control (~£20, cash/GBP/USD accepted for most nationalities). Change a little money at the airport and take an airport taxi or Careem/Uber into downtown Cairo (roughly £5-8, agree the price or use the app). Check into a budget hotel or hostel in Downtown or near Tahrir Square. In the evening, wander the streets for a cheap koshari dinner (£2-3) and get your bearings.
🚌Airport taxi / ride-hailing app to Downtown Cairo, ~£5-8
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Downtown Cairo, twin/dorm, £12-18 per night
- →Visa on arrival at Cairo airport
- →Evening walk in Downtown Cairo
- →Koshari street food dinner
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
Giza / Cairo
Get an early start to beat the heat and crowds. Take a ride-hailing car or minibus to the Giza plateau (£3-5). Pay the site entry plus individual pyramid tickets at the gate — a licensed local guide can be arranged via GetYourGuide or on the spot for around £25-35 for a half day if you want the Egyptologist context. See Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos pyramids, the Sphinx and Valley Temple. In the afternoon head to the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza for the Tutankhamun galleries (tickets ~£15-20). Eat dinner back in Cairo.
🚌Ride-hailing car / microbus to Giza, ~£3-5 each way
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Downtown Cairo, £12-18 per night
- →Giza plateau entry + pyramid interior tickets (~£15)
- →Sphinx and Valley Temple
- →Grand Egyptian Museum (~£18)
- →Optional half-day local guide (~£30)
Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili
Cairo
Morning at the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square (entry ~£5-6) — go early and consider a short licensed-guide tour booked through GetYourGuide (~£20) if you want the stories behind the artefacts. After lunch, head to Islamic Cairo: the Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque of Muhammad Ali (~£5 combined). Finish the day wandering Khan el-Khalili bazaar for souvenirs, tea at El Fishawy and a cheap local dinner. Use the metro and short taxi hops between sites (metro rides ~£0.20 each).
🚌Metro + short taxi hops around Cairo, ~£4 total
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Downtown Cairo, £12-18 per night
- →Egyptian Museum entry (~£6)
- →Citadel of Saladin & Muhammad Ali Mosque (~£5)
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- →Optional short local guide (~£20)
Train south to Luxor – East Bank temples
Luxor
Take the daytime train from Cairo to Luxor (2nd class A/C, roughly £12-18, 9-10 hours) — book seats at the station or via an Egyptian booking site a few days ahead; alternatively a cheap domestic flight (Air Cairo/Nile Air, ~£45-70 if booked early). On arrival check into a guesthouse or budget hotel on the East Bank near the corniche. Late afternoon visit Karnak Temple Complex (~£9) and walk the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple (~£6) as the light softens. Dinner at a local restaurant on the corniche.
🚌Cairo–Luxor 2nd class train ~£15 (or domestic flight ~£50)
🛏Guesthouse / budget hotel East Bank Luxor, £12-20 per night
- →Karnak Temple Complex (~£9)
- →Luxor Temple (~£6)
- →Nile corniche evening stroll
West Bank: Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's Temple
Luxor
Cross the Nile early by public ferry (~£0.30) and pick up a shared taxi or hire a bike on the West Bank to cover the sites (~£5-8 for the day). Buy the Valley of the Kings ticket (~£14) which includes three tombs of your choice, plus the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (~£6) and a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon (free). Optionally add a hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank booked via GetYourGuide or a local operator (~£75-90) — a highlight of many trips. Late afternoon back to the East Bank for a Nile-side stroll.
🚌Public ferry + shared taxi / bike hire on West Bank, ~£7
🛏Guesthouse / budget hotel East Bank Luxor, £12-20 per night
- →Valley of the Kings (~£14)
- →Temple of Hatshepsut (~£6)
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Optional hot-air balloon (~£80)
Return to Cairo – free afternoon or optional Alexandria day trip
Luxor to Cairo
Take the early train or a cheap domestic flight back to Cairo (2nd class train ~£15, or flight ~£50 if time is short). Check back into your Cairo hotel. If you have energy, book a day trip to Alexandria via GetYourGuide (~£40-55 including transport and guide) to see the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, Pompey's Pillar, the Citadel of Qaitbay and Bibliotheca Alexandrina — or keep it simple with a slow afternoon in Coptic Cairo and a felucca ride on the Nile at sunset (~£5-8).
🚌Luxor–Cairo train ~£15 (or flight ~£50)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Downtown Cairo, £12-18 per night
- →Return train/flight to Cairo
- →Optional Alexandria day trip (~£45)
- →Optional felucca ride (~£7)
Last souvenirs and departure
Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel, then a final wander for last-minute souvenirs at a nearby market or the Khan el-Khalili area. Take a ride-hailing car or airport taxi back to Cairo International Airport for your flight home (allow 3 hours before departure for international flights).
🚌Taxi / ride-hailing car to Cairo airport, ~£5-8
🛏—
- →Souvenir shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Your Egypt Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Your Egypt Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£720 | £2,160 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,440 per person (67%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Your Egypt Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£720
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 Egypt Must-See Sites: Cairo & Luxor (Self-Launched, 7 Days) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £720 per person for 7 days in Egypt (Cairo & Luxor). 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 Your Egypt Tours?+
Yes — Your Egypt Tours charges around £2,160 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £720 — a saving of roughly £1,440 (67%) per person.
How long is the Egypt (Cairo & Luxor) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Egypt (Cairo & Luxor).
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 (Cairo & Luxor), 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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