Enchanting Egypt: Self-Launched Cairo & Nile Adventure
9 days · Egypt
Planet Tours charges £760
No-markup version: ~£550 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 9-day self-launched version of Planet Tours' "Enchanting Egypt" loop — same Cairo → Aswan → Luxor itinerary, but assembled yourself: budget guesthouses and hostels instead of group hotels, the overnight sleeper train or a cheap flight down to Aswan instead of a five-star Nile cruise, and shared minibuses, local guides and GetYourGuide/Klook day tours instead of a fully guided group. You'll still see Giza, Saqqara, the Egyptian Museum, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Khan el Khalili — for roughly half the operator's price. Costs are approximate backpacker-grade estimates in GBP, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — settle in Downtown
Cairo
Land at Cairo International (CAI). Buy your visa on arrival at the bank counter before passport control (US$25/≈£20 for most Western passports, payable in cash) if you're eligible — otherwise arrange an e-visa online beforehand. Take the airport shuttle bus or Uber/Careem into Downtown (≈£3–5) rather than a pre-booked transfer. Check into a Downtown hostel or budget hotel near Talaat Harb. Spend the evening gently: walk the Corniche, grab koshari from a local shop (≈£2) and get an early night. Optional: Pyramids Sound & Light show if you're not jet-lagged (book via GetYourGuide, ≈£20).
🚌Airport bus or Careem/Uber to Downtown (≈£3–5)
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel or budget hotel, private room or dorm (≈£12–18)
- →Visa on arrival
- →Koshari dinner in Downtown
- →Optional: Pyramids Sound & Light show
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & Saqqara
Cairo / Giza
Get to Giza early — take the Metro to Giza station then a microbus/tuk-tuk to the pyramid complex, or a Careem for ≈£4. Buy the site ticket at the gate (≈£13), and pay the extra if you want to go inside a pyramid or see the Solar Boat Museum. Walk the plateau, the Sphinx and the Valley Temple on your own or join a small-group GetYourGuide tour (≈£25–35 including transport and a guide). In the afternoon, head to Saqqara for the Step Pyramid and the open-air museum at Memphis — a private driver for the half-day costs ≈£20–25 and is shared-friendly if you team up at your hostel. Skip the felucca here; save it for Aswan.
🚌Metro + microbus or Careem to Giza (≈£5); shared driver to Saqqara/Memphis (≈£12 pp)
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel or budget hotel (≈£12–18)
- →Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx (≈£13 entry)
- →Optional pyramid interior (≈£8–12)
- →Step Pyramid of Saqqara (≈£8)
- →Memphis open-air museum (≈£5)
Grand Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo & the bazaar
Cairo
Spend the morning at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) near Giza — book tickets online in advance (≈£20–25, Tutankhamun galleries included). Alternatively the older Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square is cheaper (≈£8) if the GEM is busy. In the afternoon, take a Careem to the Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque (≈£8 entry) for panoramic city views, then wander down through Old Cairo's Khan el Khalili bazaar for tea at El Fishawy and souvenir browsing. Dinner at a local ful/ta'amiya spot (≈£4).
🚌Careem/Uber around the city (≈£6 total)
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel or budget hotel (≈£12–18)
- →Grand Egyptian Museum (≈£22)
- →Citadel of Saladin & Alabaster Mosque (≈£8)
- →Khan el Khalili bazaar & El Fishawy coffee house
Cairo to Aswan — sleeper train or cheap flight
Cairo → Aswan
Two good options: the overnight sleeper train from Cairo Ramses to Aswan (Watania/Ernsting, booked online, ≈£50–70 for a single-berth cabin including dinner and breakfast) or a budget flight with Nile Air/Air Cairo/FlyEgypt (≈£45–70 if booked ahead). A daytime train (≈£15–20 second class) is the cheapest and slowest — around 12 hours. Whichever you choose, arrive in Aswan, check in near the Corniche and spend the afternoon on a felucca sailing around the Nile Cataracts and Elephant Island (book direct with a boat captain at the Corniche, ≈£8–12 per person after haggling) — the same experience the tour includes.
🚌Overnight sleeper train (≈£55) or budget flight (≈£55)
🛏Aswan guesthouse near the Corniche (≈£12–20)
- →Felucca sail around the Cataracts & Elephant Island (≈£10)
- →Aswan Corniche evening stroll
Abu Simbel day trip & Kom Ombo
Aswan → Kom Ombo
Leave pre-dawn for Abu Simbel with one of the shared minibus convoys that every Aswan guesthouse books (≈£20–30 per person, plus ≈£10 entry) — the temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari are the highlight of the trip and the tour only offers them as a costly optional. Back in Aswan by early afternoon; visit the Granite Quarry and the unfinished obelisk (≈£4) and, if time allows, the Aswan High Dam. Then take a local train or shared minibus north to Kom Ombo (≈£3, 45 min) and check into a small guesthouse. Late afternoon is perfect for Kom Ombo's twin temples and crocodile museum (≈£8) with far fewer crowds than midday.
🚌Shared Abu Simbel convoy minibus (≈£25); train/minibus Aswan–Kom Ombo (≈£3)
🛏Kom Ombo guesthouse (≈£12–18)
- →Abu Simbel temples & entry (≈£35 combined)
- →Unfinished Obelisk / Granite Quarry (≈£4)
- →Temple of Kom Ombo & crocodile museum (≈£8)
Edfu Temple & on to Luxor
Kom Ombo → Luxor
Take a shared minibus or local train to Edfu (≈£3) and visit the Temple of Horus — one of Egypt's best-preserved temples, entered by horse-cart from town (agree the price first, ≈£3–5 return). Then continue north to Luxor by train or minibus (≈£4–6, 2 hours). Check into a West Bank or city-centre guesthouse. Spend the evening at Luxor Temple, which is beautifully lit after dark (≈£8) — you can see the Avenue of Sphinxes and the obelisks without a guide.
🚌Minibus/train Kom Ombo–Edfu–Luxor (≈£8)
🛏Luxor guesthouse, West Bank or centre (≈£12–20)
- →Temple of Horus, Edfu (≈£8 + horse cart)
- →Luxor Temple by night (≈£8)
Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & Karnak
Luxor
Rent a bike or take a Careem to the West Bank early. Valley of the Kings ticket (≈£15) covers three tombs — add Tutankhamun's tomb (≈£10) or Seti I if you want the premium ones. Then the Temple of Hatshepsut (≈£7) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). In the afternoon cross back for Karnak Temple (≈£12) — go late for cooler air and better light. A local guide for the West Bank can be hired at the ticket office for ≈£15–20 for a half-day and is worth it; or join a Klook/GetYourGuide small-group West Bank tour (≈£25). Optional early-morning hot-air balloon (≈£70) if you want the sunrise views.
🚌Bike hire (≈£3) or Careem and ferry across the Nile (≈£5 total)
🛏Luxor guesthouse (≈£12–20)
- →Valley of the Kings (≈£15)
- →Optional Tutankhamun's tomb (≈£10)
- →Temple of Hatshepsut (≈£7)
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Karnak Temple (≈£12)
Luxor to Cairo — Old Cairo & bazaar
Luxor → Cairo
Fly Luxor–Cairo on a budget airline (≈£40–60, 1 hour) or take the daytime train (≈£15–20, ~9 hours) if you want to save money. Check back into your Downtown hostel and spend the late afternoon in Old Cairo: the Hanging Church, Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Coptic Cairo (free or small donations), then the Mosque of Ibn Tulun. Finish with dinner and last-minute shopping in Khan el Khalili.
🚌Budget flight Luxor–Cairo (≈£50) or daytime train (≈£18)
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel or budget hotel (≈£12–18)
- →Coptic Cairo churches & synagogue
- →Mosque of Ibn Tulun
- →Khan el Khalili evening
Depart Cairo
Cairo
Slow breakfast, a final walk along the Nile or a quick stop at a local bakery for dates and spices to take home. Take the airport bus or Careem to CAI (≈£3–5) allowing 3 hours before an international flight. If your flight is late, consider a half-day Islamic Cairo walking tour (≈£20 via GetYourGuide) or a hammam. Safe travels.
🚌Airport bus or Careem to CAI (≈£4)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Free morning in Downtown
- →Optional Islamic Cairo walking tour (≈£20)
Self-launched vs. Planet Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Planet Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£550 | £760 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £210 per person (28%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Planet Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£550
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 Enchanting Egypt: Self-Launched Cairo & Nile Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £550 per person for 9 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 Planet Tours?+
Yes — Planet Tours charges around £760 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £550 — a saving of roughly £210 (28%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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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