Nile Ancient Kings Self-Launched: Cairo, Aswan, Nile & Luxor in 9 Days
9 days · Egypt
Egypt Best Holidays charges £775
No-markup version: ~£765 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic Cairo–Aswan–Luxor loop: Giza's pyramids and Saqqara, the Egyptian Museum and Islamic/Coptic Cairo, an overnight sleeper train south to Aswan, Philae and Kom Ombo and Edfu temples on the way to Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and Karnak, then the sleeper train back to Cairo. Instead of a guided group cruise package you book your own Giza guesthouse, buy train tickets directly, join small-group day tours via GetYourGuide/Klook for the sites that really benefit from a guide, and use local trains, feluccas and shared taxis in between. Prices are rough budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo, transfer to Giza
Cairo / Giza
Land at Cairo International and take an Uber or the airport shuttle bus to Giza (Uber ~£5-7, shuttle ~£2). Skip the private transfer and pre-book a budget guesthouse in Nazlet El-Semman, the village right under the pyramids — plenty of clean doubles and dorms for £15-25. Buy a local eSIM online before you fly or grab a Vodafone/Orange SIM at the airport (~£5 for 20GB) since everything runs on WhatsApp. Evening: walk down to the pyramid perimeter fence for the sound-and-light show from a rooftop cafe instead of paying for tickets.
🚌Airport Uber or shuttle bus to Giza ~£5-7
🛏Budget guesthouse in Nazlet El-Semman, Giza (£18-25 double)
- →Arrival & SIM card set-up
- →Rooftop view of the Pyramids at sunset
- →Sound & Light Show from a local cafe terrace
Giza Plateau, Saqqara & Memphis
Giza / Saqqara
Get to the Giza Plateau gate for opening (8am) — tickets ~£10-12 for the plateau, extra ~£12 to go inside the Great Pyramid. Walk the plateau yourself: Cheops, Chephren, Mycerinus, the Sphinx and Valley Temple are all signposted. Midday, take an Uber or a Careem to Saqqara (~£10-13, 45 min) and buy the Saqqara ticket (~£10) for Djoser's Step Pyramid and the freshly opened tombs. Add nearby Memphis (~£3 entry, or a quick taxi stop) for the open-air museum. Back to Giza for a cheap koshari dinner (~£3). Camel/quad rides can be haggled on site (~£10-15) but walking is free and better.
🚌Uber/Careem Giza–Saqqara–Memphis ~£20-25 total
🛏Budget guesthouse in Nazlet El-Semman, Giza (£18-25 double)
- →Pyramids of Giza plateau (self-guided walk)
- →Great Sphinx & Valley Temple
- →Step Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara
- →Memphis open-air museum
Egyptian Museum, Coptic & Islamic Cairo, night train to Aswan
Cairo → Aswan
Check out and store bags. Start at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (~£10, Tutankhamun galleries included — book a 2-hour small-group guide via GetYourGuide for ~£20 if you want context). Uber to Coptic Cairo (~£3) to wander the Hanging Church, St Sergius and Ben Ezra Synagogue for free-ish, then on to Islamic Cairo for the Citadel, Mohamed Ali Mosque and Al-Gowhara Palace (~£8 combined). Grab dinner near Ramses Station and board the Watania sleeper train to Aswan, departing ~20:00-21:00 and arriving ~09:00. Book direct on the Watania Sleeping Trains site or at Ramses station — a single-berth cabin is ~£75-90 including breakfast and dinner; a first-class seated ticket is ~£15-20 if you're on a strict budget.
🚌Uber around Cairo ~£10; Watania sleeper train Cairo–Aswan ~£80
🛏Overnight sleeper train to Aswan (single cabin ~£80) or first-class seat ~£18
- →Egyptian Museum & Tutankhamun galleries
- →Hanging Church, St Sergius & Ben Ezra Synagogue
- →Saladin Citadel & Mohamed Ali Mosque
- →Al-Gowhara Palace
Aswan: High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple
Aswan
Arrive Aswan mid-morning and check into a cheap Aswan guesthouse or hostel (£15-22 double), ideally near the Corniche or on Elephantine Island. Freshen up then take a taxi south to the High Dam (~£4) and the Unfinished Obelisk in the granite quarries (~£5 entry). Late afternoon, take a local motorboat to Philae Temple (~£10 entry plus ~£5 boat share from the Shellal jetty) — go around 4pm for golden light and fewer crowds. Evening: felucca sail at sunset (~£8 per person shared, haggle at the Corniche) and dinner at a Nubian restaurant in Aswan bazaar (~£6). Optional add-on for tomorrow morning: shared minibus to Abu Simbel, bookable through any Aswan hotel for ~£15-20 including site entry, leaving ~4am.
🚌Local taxis ~£8; motorboat to Philae ~£5
🛏Budget guesthouse in Aswan (£15-22 double)
- →Aswan High Dam
- →Unfinished Obelisk quarry
- →Philae Temple by motorboat
- →Sunset felucca sail
Train to Kom Ombo & Edfu, on to Luxor
Kom Ombo / Edfu → Luxor
Instead of a cruise, ride Egypt's ordinary trains along the Nile. Take the early Aswan–Edfu train (~£3-4, 2 hrs) and hop off in Kom Ombo for the twin temple of Sobek and Horus the Elder (~£6 entry, right beside the tracks). Continue by train or shared microbus to Edfu (~£3), where a calèche (horse carriage, ~£3 return) takes you to the Temple of Horus, one of Egypt's best-preserved (~£7). In the late afternoon take the train or a shared minibus Edfu–Luxor (~£4, 2 hrs) and check in on the East Bank near Luxor Temple (£15-22 double). Cheap dinner of ta'meya and feteer in the bazaar (~£5).
🚌Aswan–Kom Ombo–Edfu–Luxor local trains/microbuses ~£12
🛏Budget hotel on Luxor East Bank, near Luxor Temple (£15-22 double)
- →Temple of Kom Ombo
- →Temple of Horus, Edfu (horse carriage access)
- →Nile-side walk in Edfu
Luxor West Bank: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & Memnon
Luxor West Bank
Cross to the West Bank early by the public ferry (~£0.50) or the local motorboat, then hire a bike (~£4/day) or share a taxi with other travellers (~£12-15 for the loop). Buy the Valley of the Kings ticket (~£12, three tombs; add Tutankhamun or Seti I for extra), then Hatshepsut's terraced temple (~£7) and the Colossi of Memnon (free, roadside). Get the Luxor Pass if you're hitting many sites — it bundles West and East Bank entries at a discount. Afternoon: Medinet Habu or the Valley of the Queens if you have energy. Optional splurge: sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank, bookable on GetYourGuide for ~£70-90 — the single best value upgrade on this trip. Evening: cheap West Bank dinner and early night or sunset at the ferry.
🚌West Bank ferry ~£0.50; shared taxi/bike ~£6
🛏Budget hotel on Luxor East Bank (£15-22 double)
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon (~£75)
Karnak & Luxor Temples, night train to Cairo
Luxor → Cairo
Walk or cycle to Karnak early to beat the tour buses (~£10 entry; the hypostyle hall alone is worth it), then return via the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple (~£7) as the light softens. Grab lunch at a local fuul spot (~£3). Store bags at the hotel and spend the afternoon at the Luxor Museum (~£6) or the mummification museum, or just drink tea by the Nile. Board the Watania sleeper train to Cairo around 21:00-22:00, arriving ~07:00 — book the return leg in advance online or at Luxor station (~£80 single cabin, ~£18 first-class seat).
🚌Watania sleeper train Luxor–Cairo ~£80
🛏Overnight sleeper train to Cairo (single cabin ~£80)
- →Karnak Temple complex
- →Luxor Temple & Avenue of Sphinxes
- →Luxor Museum
Cairo free day: Khan el-Khalili & Islamic Cairo
Cairo
Arrive Cairo, drop bags at a cheap downtown or Giza hotel (£18-25), and use the day your way. Ride the Cairo metro (~£0.30 a trip) to Khan el-Khalili for the bazaar and El Fishawy cafe, wander Al-Muizz Street's Mamluk architecture, and visit Bayt al-Suhaymi or the Wekalet al-Ghouri for free or near-free. Late afternoon you could add a GetYourGuide walking tour of Islamic Cairo (~£15) or a street-food crawl (~£20). Alternatively head back to Giza for a quad bike ride or rooftop sunset over the pyramids (~£15-20). Eat cheap and well: koshari, hawawshi, fresh juice (~£8 total).
🚌Metro and Ubers around Cairo ~£8
🛏Budget hotel in downtown Cairo or Giza (£18-25 double)
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar & El Fishawy cafe
- →Al-Muizz Street Islamic Cairo walk
- →Optional Giza quad bike or rooftop sunset
Depart Cairo
Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel, then take an Uber to Cairo International (~£5-7) — allow well over an hour in traffic for daytime flights. If your flight is late, squeeze in the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) near Giza, which is a short Uber from the airport side of town and worth the ~£20 ticket. Buy your visa on arrival (~£20-25) if you haven't sorted it online, and keep a little Egyptian cash for the airport.
🚌Uber to Cairo International ~£6
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Optional Grand Egyptian Museum visit before flight
Self-launched vs. Egypt Best Holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Egypt Best Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£765 | £775 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £10 per person (1%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Egypt Best Holidays-style trips? Check them out here.~£765
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 Nile Ancient Kings Self-Launched: Cairo, Aswan, Nile & Luxor in 9 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £765 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 Egypt Best Holidays?+
Yes — Egypt Best Holidays charges around £775 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £765 — a saving of roughly £10 (1%) 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 culture, adventure, backpacker 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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