Discover Egypt: Self-Launched Cairo, Aswan & Luxor Adventure
10 days · Egypt
G Adventures charges £2,295
No-markup version: ~£790 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day self-launched version of G Adventures' National Geographic "Discover Egypt" journey — same route (Cairo → Aswan → Luxor → Cairo) but booked independently at backpacker prices. You'll see the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, Sakkara's Step Pyramid, fly south to Aswan for Philae Temple and a felucca sunset to a Nubian village, day-trip to Abu Simbel, cruise the Nile road north via Kom Ombo and Edfu to Luxor, explore the Valley of the Kings and Karnak, then fly back to Cairo for Coptic Cairo, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili and a street-food crawl. Instead of an Egyptologist Expedition Leader, use licensed local guides from GetYourGuide or directly from hotels, public and shared transport in place of private vans, and cheap guesthouses in place of hotels. Costs are rough estimates based on current budget-traveller rates and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Cairo — settle into downtown
Cairo
Land at Cairo International Airport and sort your visa on arrival (£30 / US$36 — pre-register online at visaonarrival.gov.eg before you fly to speed things up). Skip the private transfer and take an airport taxi or Uber/Careem to downtown Cairo for roughly £5-8. Check into a budget guesthouse near Tahrir Square or Talat Harb, then spend the evening getting your bearings: a walk along the Nile corniche, a cheap koshari dinner (Egypt's national dish of rice, lentils and pasta — about £2), and an early night ahead of a big day.
🚌Airport taxi / Uber to downtown Cairo (~£6)
🛏Budget guesthouse in downtown Cairo (e.g. a Tahrir Square area hostel private room)
- →Airport arrival & visa on arrival
- →Evening walk along the Nile corniche
- →Koshari dinner downtown
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & Sakkara
Giza / Sakkara
Get to the Giza Plateau early (arrive by 8am to beat heat and crowds) — take an Uber from downtown for about £4. Book a licensed Egyptologist-guided small-group tour via GetYourGuide (roughly £25-35 including Giza and Sakkara, sometimes with a farm lunch add-on) or arrange a guide directly at the site; the site entry ticket is separate (about £8-10 for the plateau, extra for entering a pyramid). See the Great Pyramid, Khafre and Menkaure, and the Sphinx, then continue ~30km south to Sakkara to explore the Step Pyramid of Zoser and, if you're keen, the decorated 6th-Dynasty Mereruka tomb. For the community-farm element, ask your guide or guesthouse about Nawaya-supported farm visits in the area — some local operators include a cheese-making and bread-baking stop. Return to Cairo by late afternoon; dinner on your own in downtown.
🚌Uber to Giza (~£4), shared/tour van to Sakkara, return to Cairo
🛏Budget guesthouse in downtown Cairo
- →Giza Pyramids & Sphinx with local Egyptologist guide (GetYourGuide)
- →Sakkara Step Pyramid & Mereruka Tomb
- →Optional community farm lunch and bread-baking experience
Fly to Aswan — Philae Temple & Nubian village felucca
Aswan
Take a morning domestic flight from Cairo to Aswan (book ahead on EgyptAir or Nile Air — around £45-70 one-way; morning departures are cheapest). Drop bags at a budget hotel or guesthouse on the Corniche or in the Nubian village area. In the afternoon, take a local taxi or microbus to Philae Temple (entry ~£8 plus a short boat crossing ~£2-3); a local guide at the site costs about £10-15 and is worth it for the Isis mythology. As the sun drops, hire a felucca from the Corniche (around £8-12 per person for a 1-2 hour sunset sail, negotiable) and sail toward a Nubian village on the west bank — arrange a home-cooked Nubian dinner in advance via your guesthouse or a GetYourGuide experience if you want the local-family meal (roughly £12-18).
🚌Domestic flight Cairo–Aswan (~£55), local taxi/microbus, felucca (~£10)
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Aswan (Corniche or Nubian village)
- →Philae Temple with local guide
- →Sunset felucca sail on the Nile
- →Nubian village walk and home-cooked dinner
Abu Simbel day trip & free afternoon
Aswan
The cheapest and most sociable way to reach Abu Simbel is the shared early-morning convoy: minibuses leave Aswan around 4-4:30am from the bus station or your hotel (roughly £18-25 return per person including the 3-hour drive each way plus waiting time) — book through your guesthouse the night before. Entry to the twin temples of Ramses II and Nefertari is about £12. Alternatively, fly (EgyptAir Aswan–Abu Simbel, ~£60-90 return) for a more comfortable but pricier option. Back in Aswan by early afternoon: lunch, then free time to wander the Corniche, the Nubian Museum (~£6) or the Aswan souk. Optional evening: the Philae Temple Sound & Light Show (~£28-35, book via GetYourGuide).
🚌Shared minibus to Abu Simbel and back (~£22)
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Aswan
- →Abu Simbel temples of Ramses II & Nefertari
- →Afternoon at leisure: Nubian Museum or Aswan souk
- →Optional Philae Sound & Light Show
Nile road north — Kom Ombo & Edfu, then Luxor
Kom Ombo / Edfu / Luxor
Skip the private van and take the public route north. The easiest option for a solo traveller is a shared minibus or a local bus from Aswan toward Luxor (roughly £8-12), stopping at Kom Ombo (entry ~£5) to see the riverside temple of Sobek and Horus, then continuing to Edfu for the Temple of Horus (entry ~£6; a short caleche/tuk-tuk ride from the bus stop costs £2-3). If timing public transport feels fiddly, book a shared day-transfer via GetYourGuide or your guesthouse for around £25-35, which includes both temple stops. Arrive in Luxor by evening, check into a budget guesthouse on the East Bank near the Luxor Temple, and eat at one of the cheap local restaurants off the Corniche.
🚌Shared minibus/local bus Aswan–Luxor with temple stops (~£12)
🛏Budget guesthouse, East Bank Luxor
- →Kom Ombo Temple
- →Edfu Temple of Horus
- →Evening stroll past illuminated Luxor Temple exterior
Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple & West Bank
Luxor (West Bank)
Cross the Nile early by public ferry (about 20p) or take a shared microbus to the West Bank. Pick up a licensed local guide at the Valley of the Kings ticket office or pre-book a small-group West Bank tour on GetYourGuide (roughly £20-30 with guide, car and ferry). Valley of the Kings entry (3 tombs included) is about £12; Tutankhamun's tomb costs extra (~£8). Continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut (~£5) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). For the community angle, ask around for Funtasia — a local organisation running student-led bike tours of West Bank villages (often arranged through Luxor guesthouses, ~£12-18) — a great alternative if you'd rather ride than ride a van. Late lunch at a local West Bank family restaurant (roughly £4). Back to Luxor for a relaxed evening.
🚌Public ferry across the Nile + shared microbus / tour van on West Bank (~£5)
🛏Budget guesthouse, East Bank Luxor
- →Valley of the Kings (3 tombs incl.; optional Tutankhamun tomb)
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Optional Funtasia student-led bike tour of West Bank villages
Karnak Temple & Luxor Temple after dark
Luxor
Spend the morning at Karnak Temple (entry ~£8) — the vast Amon-Ra complex is best explored with a local guide from the ticket gate or a GetYourGuide small-group tour (~£12-18). Grab a cheap falafel or fuul lunch back in town, then enjoy free time: the Luxor Museum (~£8), a rooftop cafe, or a lazy afternoon by the pool. In the evening, revisit Luxor Temple (~£7) to see it floodlit — the atmosphere is completely different from daytime. Dinner at one of the local Egyptian restaurants away from the tourist strip (about £4-6).
🚌Walking / local tuk-tuk in Luxor (~£2)
🛏Budget guesthouse, East Bank Luxor
- →Karnak Temple with local guide
- →Luxor Museum (optional)
- →Luxor Temple at night
Fly to Cairo — Coptic Cairo & street food crawl
Cairo
Take a morning flight Luxor to Cairo (around £45-70 one-way, book ahead). Check into your downtown guesthouse and head to Coptic Cairo in the afternoon — metro to Mar Girgis station (about 30p), then wander freely between the Hanging Church, St Sergius Church and Ben Ezra Synagogue (free/very cheap entry, small tips appreciated). In the evening, do your own food tour: the Cairo street food scene is legendary and cheap — start around Tahrir, then work your way through koshari, ta'amiya (Egyptian falafel), ful medames and hawawshi (spiced meat in bread) at local counters for roughly £6-8 total. If you'd prefer a guide, GetYourGuide offers Cairo street-food walks from about £20-25.
🚌Domestic flight Luxor–Cairo (~£55), metro (~£1)
🛏Budget guesthouse in downtown Cairo
- →Coptic Cairo: Hanging Church, St Sergius, Ben Ezra Synagogue
- →Self-guided Cairo street food crawl (or guided food tour)
Grand Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili & Islamic Cairo
Cairo
Take an Uber to the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza (about £5) and budget a good 3-4 hours among the Tutankhamun galleries and the grand staircase (entry roughly £20-25; book a timed ticket online in advance, and consider a GetYourGuide guided visit ~£15-20 extra). After lunch, head to Khan el-Khalili bazaar (~£3 by Uber) — the 14th-century market is free to wander, with hundreds of stalls selling spices, lanterns and souvenirs. Walk along Muiz Islamic Street past the medieval gates, mosques and restored mansions, stopping for mint tea at El Fishawy or a cheap local meal in the market (about £4-6). Return to your guesthouse in the evening and pack.
🚌Uber across Cairo (~£8 total)
🛏Budget guesthouse in downtown Cairo
- →Grand Egyptian Museum with optional guide
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- →Muiz Islamic Street walk
Depart Cairo
Cairo
Check out and take a taxi or Uber back to Cairo International Airport (roughly £5-8 depending on terminal and traffic) — allow 3 hours before an international flight for security and check-in. If your flight is later in the day, squeeze in one last wander around downtown for coffee and pastries, or pick up souvenirs near Talaat Harb. Safe travels!
🚌Uber/taxi to Cairo International Airport (~£6)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Departure transfer
- →Optional final downtown coffee stop
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£790 | £2,295 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,505 per person (66%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£790
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 Discover Egypt: Self-Launched Cairo, Aswan & Luxor Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £790 per person for 10 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,295 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £790 — a saving of roughly £1,505 (66%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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, foodie 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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