Highlights of Egypt: Cairo, Aswan & Luxor — Self-Launched
6 days · Egypt
Look at Egypt Tours charges £2,130
No-markup version: ~£760 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A do-it-yourself version of Look at Egypt Tours' 6-day Cairo–Aswan–Luxor highlights loop, rebuilt for independent travellers. You'll hit the same big-ticket sights — Giza and the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, Philae, Kom Ombo and Edfu, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and Karnak — but travel on Egypt's cheap domestic flights, overnight sleeper train and shared minibuses instead of a private guided vehicle. Book airport transfers and a couple of half-day guides locally (or via GetYourGuide/Klook) and you can cover the same ground for roughly half the tour price, with much more flexibility. Costs below are approximate per person, assuming shared hostel/guesthouse dorms or budget doubles, street food plus a sit-down meal a day, and second-class or shared transport.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — settle in and get your bearings
Cairo
Land at Cairo International Airport and sort your visa before passport control: most nationalities can buy a 30-day tourist visa on arrival for US$25 (about £20) at the bank counter, or apply in advance via the official Egypt e-visa portal. Skip the tour-arranged pickup and either take the Cairo Airport Shuttle Bus to Tahrir/Downtown (roughly EGP 100, ~£1.60) or an Uber/Careem (EGP 300–450, ~£5–7) — agree the price in the app, not with touts inside arrivals. Check into a Downtown or Zamalek hostel or budget guesthouse, buy a local Vodafone/Orange SIM at the airport (EGP 400–600 for a data bundle, ~£7–10) and spend the evening wandering the Nile Corniche or grabbing koshari from a local chain like Abou Tarek.
🚌Airport shuttle bus ~£1.60 or Uber ~£5–7
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Downtown Cairo / Zamalek (~£12–18/night)
- →Cairo Airport Shuttle Bus or Uber to Downtown
- →Local SIM card at airport
- →Evening walk along the Nile Corniche
- →Koshari dinner at Abou Tarek
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum & Khan el-Khalili
Cairo / Giza
Start early to beat the heat and crowds at Giza. Uber from Downtown to the pyramids (EGP 150–250, ~£2.50–4) and buy your site ticket at the gate (around EGP 700–900, ~£11–14; the Great Pyramid interior is an extra ticket). You can walk between the three pyramids and the Sphinx viewpoint yourself, or hire a camel/horse for a short desert ride — negotiate hard and expect EGP 400–600 (~£6–10) for an hour, cash only. In the afternoon take an Uber to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (ticket ~£10–12) and either self-tour with a guidebook or join a small-group GetYourGuide tour (~£20–30). Finish with a wander through Khan el-Khalili bazaar and mint tea at El Fishawy cafe. Optional: join a day tour from a Downtown operator for ~£35–50 including a guide and transport if you'd rather not organise it yourself.
🚌Uber/Gareem around Cairo ~£6–10 total
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Downtown Cairo (~£12–18/night)
- →Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx (self-guided, tickets ~£11–14)
- →Camel ride at Giza (~£6–10, negotiated)
- →Egyptian Museum, Tahrir (~£10–12)
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar & El Fishawy cafe
Fly to Aswan — Philae Temple & the High Dam
Aswan
Take a cheap domestic flight from Cairo to Aswan (Nile Air / EgyptAir / Air Cairo, booked 3–6 weeks ahead these run roughly £30–50 one-way and save a full day compared with the train). From Aswan airport, hop in a shared taxi or Careem to your guesthouse (EGP 100–150, ~£2). Drop bags and head to Philae Temple — take a local microbus toward the Shellal jetty and pay for the short boat crossing plus the temple ticket (~£8–10 combined; boats are shared and you'll be asked to pay for the whole boat, so team up with other travellers). Combine with the Aswan High Dam viewpoint on the way back. Optional afternoon: a felucca sunset sail (~£8–12 for a shared boat) or a motorboat trip to a Nubian village (~£15–20). Join a Nubian dinner in a local home if you want the cultural evening the tour's optional trip offers.
🚌Cairo–Aswan domestic flight ~£30–50; airport transfer and local microbus ~£5
🛏Budget guesthouse on Elephantine Island or in Aswan town (~£15–22/night)
- →Philae Temple & boat crossing (~£8–10)
- →Aswan High Dam viewpoint
- →Optional felucca sunset sail (~£8–12)
- →Optional Nubian village boat trip (~£15–20)
Nile temples: Kom Ombo & Edfu, then on to Luxor
Aswan → Kom Ombo → Edfu → Luxor
Do this leg the local way: book a seat on the morning train or a shared minibus from Aswan to Luxor and break the journey at Kom Ombo and Edfu. The train (Egyptian National Railways, second class ~£3–5) is the cheapest option, but for temple stops the easiest is to join a shared minibus service used by independent travellers (roughly £10–15 for the full Aswan–Luxor run with stops) or arrange a private driver for the day for £35–50 split between 2–4 people. Kom Ombo's twin crocodile and falcon temples plus the Crocodile Museum are a 10-minute walk from the station (ticket ~£6–8). Continue to Edfu for the beautifully preserved Temple of Horus — the ticket is ~£6–8, and a horse-drawn calesh from the town to the temple is a classic local experience (agree EGP 100–150, ~£2). Arrive Luxor by evening; if you go by train you'll have to skip one temple or catch an earlier departure, so budget for the shared minibus if you want both.
🚌Shared minibus or train Aswan–Luxor with stops ~£10–15 (or split private driver £35–50)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel on Luxor's West Bank or near Luxor Temple (~£12–20/night)
- →Kom Ombo Temple & Crocodile Museum (~£6–8)
- →Temple of Horus at Edfu (~£6–8)
- →Horse-drawn calesh ride in Edfu (~£2)
- →Optional Karnak Sound & Light Show (~£15)
- →Evening walk along Luxor corniche
Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & the Colossi of Memnon
Luxor (West Bank)
Cross the Nile by public ferry (EGP 25, ~£0.40) or a shared motorboat to the West Bank and hire a bicycle (EGP 150–200/day, ~£2–3) or jump in a local microbus/tuk-tuk between sites. Buy the Valley of the Kings ticket at the gate (~£12–14, includes three tombs; Tutankhamun's tomb or Seti I cost extra) and go straight to the far end to dodge the crowds — no cameras inside, phone photos are fine. Then cycle or ride to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari (~£7–9) and stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back, which is free. Optional splurge: a sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank, bookable via GetYourGuide or a Luxor operator for £70–100 — worth it if your budget stretches. Eat at a West Bank local cafe and catch sunset from the ferry.
🚌Public Nile ferry, bicycle hire and microbus ~£5–8
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Luxor (~£12–20/night)
- →Valley of the Kings (~£12–14)
- →Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (~£7–9)
- →Colossi of Memnon (free)
- →Bicycle hire on the West Bank (~£2–3)
- →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon (~£70–100)
Karnak & Luxor Temples, then back to Cairo
Luxor → Cairo
Spend the morning on the East Bank. Walk or take a tuk-tuk to Karnak Temple (~£10–12) and give yourself two hours among the hypostyle hall and obelisks — a small-group GetYourGuide guide costs ~£20–25 if you want the history brought to life. From Karnak, the ancient Avenue of Sphinxes leads straight to Luxor Temple (~£7–9), an easy 25-minute walk. Grab a late lunch, then head to Luxor airport for a domestic flight back to Cairo (~£30–50 one-way, booked in advance) to catch your international departure — allow at least four hours between flights. Note that the original tour ends at Cairo airport on day 6, so if your international flight leaves the same evening, book the early afternoon Luxor–Cairo service. Alternative if flights are pricey: the overnight sleeper train to Cairo (roughly £45–70 for a single cabin, or ~£20–30 seated second class), arriving early morning on day 7.
🚌Luxor–Cairo domestic flight ~£30–50 (or sleeper train ~£45–70)
🛏None included — onward international flight, or an extra Cairo airport-area budget hotel if you need a night (~£20–30)
- →Karnak Temple (~£10–12)
- →Luxor Temple (~£7–9)
- →Avenue of Sphinxes walk
- →Optional small-group guided Karnak tour (~£20–25)
Self-launched vs. Look at Egypt Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Look at Egypt Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£760 | £2,130 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,370 per person (64%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Look at Egypt Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£760
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.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Highlights of Egypt: Cairo, Aswan & Luxor — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £760 per person for 6 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 Look at Egypt Tours?+
Yes — Look at Egypt Tours charges around £2,130 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £760 — a saving of roughly £1,370 (64%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 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, 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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