Nile Odyssey Self-Launched: Luxor, Aswan & Abu Simbel in 5 Days

Fly or train into Luxor (train from Cairo is ~£28 in a 2nd class air-conditioned seat; flights from Cairo are often ~£40–60 one-way if booked early). Check into a guesthouse on the West Bank or near Luxor Temple — the West Bank (e.g. Gezira, Al Bairat) is cheaper and quieter, with a public ferry across the Nile for about 5 EGP. Drop your bags and head to Karnak Temple in the afternoon (~£9 entry, open until around 5:30pm) — far quieter after 3pm than the morning coach rush. Cross back into town for Luxor Temple at sunset (~£7), beautifully lit and best after dark. Eat at a local West Bank eatery — koshari, ful and grilled chicken are £3–5 a meal.

🚌Arrive Luxor by train from Cairo (~£28) or flight; local ferry and shared minivan taxis across town

🛏West Bank guesthouse double/single, e.g. budget guesthouses in Al Bairat (~£18–25/night)

• →Karnak Temple self-guided visit (audio guide or GetYourGuide small-group tour ~£15–25)
• →Luxor Temple at sunset (lit after dark)
• →West Bank ferry crossing

If you want the balloon, book it independently via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£75–95 for a first-flight sunrise ride, versus US$125 through the operator) — pick-up around 4:30–5am from the West Bank. Alternatively, a shared minivan from the West Bank ferry dock to the Valley of the Kings costs about 10–20 EGP each way. Buy the Valley of the Kings ticket (~£13 for 3 tombs; Tutankhamun and Ramesses V/VI cost extra) plus the optional photography pass. Combine with Hatshepsut's mortuary temple (~£6) and the Colossi of Memnon (free) — a local driver can cover all three in a half day for ~£12–15 if shared. In the afternoon, take the sleeper or evening train to Aswan (Wagon Lit ~£70 one-way, but the far cheaper option is a morning 2nd class train the next day at ~£10–14 — or the public bus ~£8). Overnight in Luxor or board the late train.

🚌Shared minivan / bike hire on the West Bank; overnight or morning train Luxor–Aswan (~£10–14 second class, ~£70 sleeper with cabin)

🛏West Bank guesthouse (~£18–25) or night train to Aswan

• →Sunrise hot air balloon flight over the West Bank (book via GetYourGuide, ~£75–95)
• →Valley of the Kings (3-tomb ticket)
• →Temple of Hatshepsut
• →Colossi of Memnon
• →Optional guided tour of the West Bank with a licensed Egyptologist (~£30–40 shared)

Take the morning train from Luxor to Aswan (~3.5–4 hours, ~£10–14) and hop off (or arrange a shared car) at Edfu, where a horse carriage from the station to the Temple of Horus costs ~£3 each way (agree the price first) and entry is ~£8. Continue south by train or shared minivan to Kom Ombo for the beautifully sited double temple of Sobek and Haroeris (~£6, right on the riverbank) — most trains stop either at Edfu or Kom Ombo, so a shared minivan between the two (~£5–8 per person split) is the practical option. Arrive Aswan in the late afternoon, check into a Nubian guesthouse or budget hotel near the Corniche, and eat at a local restaurant in the souq (~£5).

🚌Luxor–Edfu–Kom Ombo–Aswan train plus shared minivans (~£20 total per person)

🛏Aswan budget hotel or Nubian guesthouse (~£20–28/night)

• →Temple of Horus, Edfu (by horse carriage or tuk-tuk)
• →Kom Ombo double temple
• →Sunset walk along Aswan Corniche and souq

Book a seat on a shared dawn minivan to Abu Simbel the day before (via your guesthouse or a local agency) — roughly £18–25 per person return, departing Aswan around 4–4:30am for the 3.5–4 hour drive (the operator's own review notes the standard shared vehicle is tight, so request a front or window seat). Entry to the Great Temple of Ramesses II and Nefertari's temple is ~£13. You get about 2–2.5 hours on site; consider the sound-and-light show or a local guide for context (~£10). Back in Aswan by early afternoon — rest, then take a public felucca sail around Elephantine Island at sunset (~£5–8 shared, or £15 private) and visit a Nubian village by boat.

🚌Shared minivan Aswan–Abu Simbel return (~£18–25); public felucca on the Nile

🛏Aswan budget hotel or Nubian guesthouse (~£20–28/night)

• →Abu Simbel temples (Ramesses II & Nefertari)
• →Sunset felucca sail on the Nile
• →Optional Nubian village visit by boat

Start early at Philae Temple (~£8 entry plus ~£4 boat across to Agilkia Island — agree the boat price before boarding; go at 8am to beat the groups). Combine with the Unfinished Obelisk quarry (~£3) and the Aswan High Dam (~£3), easily chained by shared taxi or a half-day local driver (~£10–12). Grab a cheap lunch from the Aswan souq, then depart from Aswan airport or take the day train back to Luxor/Cairo (~£10–14).

🚌Shared taxi or local driver for the half-day circuit (~£10–12); train or flight onward from Aswan

🛏None (departure day)

• →Philae Temple by boat
• →Unfinished Obelisk quarry
• →Aswan High Dam viewpoint