Self-Launched Essential Egypt – 9 Days

Touch down in Cairo and check into your budget hotel or hostel near downtown or Zamalek. Spend the afternoon acclimatising — wander the chaotic, electric streets of central Cairo and perhaps visit the nearby bazaars. In the evening, head to a local spot for koshari (Egypt's legendary street food of lentils, pasta and spiced tomato sauce) — try Koshary Abou Tarek near Tahrir Square for an authentic, cheap feed (under £2). No guided welcome meeting needed — download Maps.me or Google Maps offline and read up on your first full day. Optional: visit the Coptic Museum (~£5) or The Citadel (~£12) if you arrive early.

🚌Cairo International Airport to city centre: Cairo Metro Line 3 to downtown (~£0.30) or shared taxi/Uber (~£5–8)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in central Cairo (e.g. Cairo Gate Hostel, Mina Hostel, or equivalent) — ~£12–18/night

• →Explore downtown Cairo streets and local bazaars independently
• →Dinner at Koshary Abou Tarek or equivalent local koshari restaurant (~£2)
• →Optional: The Citadel entrance (EGP550, ~£10)
• →Optional: Cairo nightlife — rooftop bars in Zamalek or Downtown

Head to Giza early (before 9am to beat the heat and crowds). The Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx are bookable directly at the gate — the site entrance covers the Sphinx and the plateau. Take the public minibus from Tahrir Square to Giza for pennies, or grab an Uber (~£4). Spend 2–3 hours exploring the complex. Entrance to the Great Pyramid interior is an optional add-on (~£28). In the afternoon, visit the Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square (£5–8 via direct booking). In the evening, make your way to Cairo Ramses Station and board the overnight sleeper train to Aswan — book through Egyptian National Railways (enr.gov.eg) or use a local agent. The train takes around 14 hours and includes dinner and breakfast. Berth cabins are air-conditioned with bedding provided. Bring toilet paper and a snack if you're vegetarian.

🚌Public minibus or Uber to Giza Pyramids (~£0.50–4). Cairo Ramses Station → Aswan overnight sleeper train (~£25–35, book via Egyptian National Railways or local agent)

🛏Overnight sleeper train (cabin with bunk beds, bedding included) — cost included in transport estimate

• →Pyramids of Giza plateau and Sphinx — entrance ~EGP600 (~£11)
• →Optional: Great Pyramid of Cheops interior — EGP1500 (~£28)
• →Optional: Grand Egyptian Museum — EGP1590 (~£30)
• →Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square — ~£5–8
• →Overnight sleeper train Cairo → Aswan (dinner & breakfast included) — ~£25–35 per person

Arrive in Aswan in the morning and check into your guesthouse. Aswan is one of Egypt's most relaxed and colourful cities — stroll the famous Aswan bazaar independently (the vendors are friendly and the produce is vibrant). Visit an oil and perfume merchant in the souk for a fascinating aromatic education. In the afternoon, book a kayaking session on the Nile through your guesthouse or a local operator — many offer 2–3 hour guided paddles past Elephantine Island and local villages for ~£15–20. In the evening, consider an optional Nubian village dinner with a local family (~$20/£16) — bookable through your accommodation or at the dock.

🚌Aswan train station to guesthouse: short walk or local taxi (~£2). Local felucca or motorboat to Philae (~£3–5 return)

🛏Budget guesthouse or hotel in Aswan (e.g. Nubian Oasis Guesthouse or Keylany Hotel) — ~£15–22/night

• →Self-guided wander through Aswan bazaar and souk
• →Visit an oil and perfume merchant in the market
• →Kayaking on the Nile — 2-3 hours, book locally (~£15–20)
• →Optional: Philae Temple entrance (EGP550, ~£10) + boat to island (~£3)
• →Optional: Nubian village dinner with local family (~£16)

Today is yours to use as you wish in Aswan. The highlight option is a very early morning trip to Abu Simbel — the colossal rock-cut temples of Ramses II, 280km south of Aswan near the Sudanese border. The cheapest way is to join a shared minivan organised through your guesthouse (~£25–35pp including entry), departing around 3–4am for the 3-hour drive. You'll need at least 2 hours to explore before heading back. Entry is EGP1100 (~£20). Alternatively, spend the day at the Nubian Museum (EGP400, ~£8), relax by the Nile, or rent a felucca to cruise around Elephantine Island at your own pace (~£8–12/hour).

🚌Shared minivan to Abu Simbel (arranged through guesthouse) — ~£25–35 return, or local taxis for Aswan sights (~£2–5)

🛏Budget guesthouse or hotel in Aswan — ~£15–22/night

• →Optional: Abu Simbel shared minivan day trip — ~£25–35 transport + EGP1100 (~£20) entry
• →Optional: Nubian Museum — EGP400 (~£8)
• →Optional: Hire a felucca around Elephantine Island — ~£8–12/hour
• →Optional: Unfinished Obelisk — EGP220 (~£4)
• →Relax by the Nile corniche and enjoy local cafés

This morning you have free time to explore Aswan or relax. In the afternoon, board your overnight felucca — Egypt's iconic traditional wooden sailboat. You can book this independently through your guesthouse, a dockside operator, or via GetYourGuide (~£35–50pp for the overnight trip including food). The felucca drifts gently downstream as you pass small Nubian villages, palm groves and ancient temples. Meals are cooked on board by the crew. After sunset, lay out on the open mattress deck under a blanket of stars — this is one of the most magical experiences Egypt has to offer. Bring a sleeping sheet, insect repellent and a sense of adventure.

🚌Walk to Aswan dock or short taxi (~£1–2). Felucca sails downstream toward Edfu/Esna

🛏Overnight felucca (open-deck mattress sleeping under stars, blankets provided — bring a sleep sheet) — cost included in activity estimate

• →Board overnight felucca on the Nile — book through guesthouse or dock operator (~£35–50pp, includes meals)
• →Sailing past Nubian villages and riverside temples
• →Stargazing on the open deck
• →Meals included on board (lunch, dinner, breakfast next day)

Disembark the felucca in the morning and make your way to Edfu. The remarkable Temple of Horus at Edfu is one of the best-preserved ancient temples in Egypt — entrance is EGP550 (~£10). From Edfu, take a shared service taxi or local bus to Luxor (~2–3 hours, ~£3–5). Check into your guesthouse in Luxor and head out to explore the East Bank. Karnak Temple is an absolute must — a staggering complex of sanctuaries, pylons and obelisks built over 2,000 years. Entry is EGP600 (~£11). Walk the Avenue of Sphinxes between Karnak and Luxor Temple at sunset. In the evening, try fiteer baladi (Egyptian flatbread pizza) or shawarma from a local street vendor.

🚌Felucca drop-off to Edfu town: horse carriage or tuk-tuk (~£2). Edfu to Luxor: shared service taxi (~£3–5, ~2 hours)

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Luxor (e.g. Nefertiti Hotel, Bob's Guest House or equivalent) — ~£12–18/night

• →Edfu Temple of Horus — EGP550 (~£10)
• →Shared taxi Edfu to Luxor — ~£3–5
• →Karnak Temple complex — EGP600 (~£11)
• →Walk the Avenue of Sphinxes at sunset
• →Street food dinner — fiteer baladi or shawarma (~£3–5)

Rise early for the West Bank. Take a local ferry across the Nile (~£0.50) then hire a local taxi or bicycle for the day (~£8–12). The Valley of the Kings entrance covers three burial tombs — book at the ticket office (EGP700, ~£13). The optional Tutankhamun tomb is an extra EGP700 (~£13) and is worth it for the gold sarcophagus. Continue to the Colossi of Memnon (free) and the Temple of Hatshepsut/Deir el-Bahari (EGP440, ~£8). Swing by the Luxor Temple on the East Bank (EGP500, ~£9) in the late afternoon before heading to Luxor Station for the overnight sleeper train back to Cairo (~10 hours, ~£20–28). Dinner is served on board.

🚌Local taxi/bicycle hire for West Bank (~£8–12). Luxor → Cairo overnight sleeper train (~£20–28, book via Egyptian National Railways or local agent)

🛏Overnight sleeper train Cairo-bound (cabin with bunk beds, dinner included)

• →Local Nile ferry to West Bank — ~£0.50
• →Valley of the Kings — 3 tombs included in EGP700 (~£13) ticket
• →Optional: Tomb of Tutankhamun — EGP700 (~£13) extra
• →Colossi of Memnon — free
• →Optional: Temple of Hatshepsut — EGP440 (~£8)
• →Luxor Temple — EGP500 (~£9)
• →Overnight sleeper train Luxor → Cairo (~£20–28, dinner included)

Arrive in Cairo in the morning, check into your hotel and freshen up. Take the Cairo Metro (Line 2) from Ramses Station toward Al-Shohada, then walk or take a short taxi to the historic Islamic quarter. Explore the labyrinthine Khan el-Khalili bazaar — Egypt's most famous market — and practice your haggling skills for spices, papyrus, jewellery and souvenirs. Nearby, El Fishawy café has been serving mint tea and shisha for 240 years — the perfect spot to rest your feet. Wander past the Al-Azhar Mosque and the old Fatimid city gates. In the evening, head out for a farewell dinner — try grilled kofta and mezze at a local restaurant. Optional: Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids (~$20/£16 direct, book at site).

🚌Cairo Ramses Station to hotel: Cairo Metro (~£0.30) or Uber (~£4). Metro to Islamic Quarter (~£0.30)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in central Cairo — ~£12–18/night

• →Cairo Metro to Islamic Quarter — ~£0.30
• →Self-guided wander through Khan el-Khalili bazaar
• →Mint tea at El Fishawy café (~£1)
• →Al-Azhar Mosque (free to enter, dress modestly)
• →Optional: Sufi Dance performance at Khan al-Khalili (Wed/Sat, EGP180, ~£3)
• →Farewell dinner — kofta and mezze at local restaurant (~£6–10)

Enjoy a final Egyptian breakfast — ful medames (spiced fava beans), eggs and flatbread at a local café for next to nothing. Check out of your accommodation and head to Cairo International Airport or arrange onward travel. If you have time before your flight, consider one final wander or a visit to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (EGP550, ~£10), which houses the Royal Mummies Room. Cairo Uber to airport typically runs £8–12. Ma'a salama — safe travels!

🚌Hotel to Cairo International Airport: Uber or taxi (~£8–12)

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final Egyptian breakfast at a local café — ful medames and flatbread (~£2)
• →Optional: National Museum of Egyptian Civilization & Royal Mummies Room — EGP550 (~£10)
• →Transfer to Cairo International Airport