Sunny Egypt Self-Launched: 6 Days Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Luxor & Sleeper Train
6 days · Egypt
Egypt Best Holidays charges £690
No-markup version: ~£575 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on the classic 6-day Egypt highlights loop — Giza pyramids, the Egyptian Museum, Aswan's Philae Temple and High Dam, the Abu Simbel temples, and Luxor's Valley of the Kings and Karnak — using the same public overnight sleeper trains, budget guesthouses, and self-bookable day tours instead of a priced-in guided group package. You book your own entry tickets (Egypt's sites are cheap and easy to buy on arrival), join shared minibus trips for Abu Simbel, and hire a licensed local guide only where it genuinely adds value. Expect a fast, high-mileage trip — and budget for entrance fees and tips, which the original tour also excluded.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — transfer to Giza, sunset at the pyramids
Cairo / Giza
Land at Cairo International Airport (CAI). Buy a tourist visa on arrival ($25 / ~£20 cash USD or EUR) or pre-apply via the Egypt e-visa portal. Skip the hotel-arranged private transfer and take an Uber or Careem from the airport straight to Giza (~£6-8, 45-60 min) — cheaper and easier than haggling with taxi touts. Check into a budget hotel or guesthouse in Giza with pyramid views (e.g. around Nazlet El-Semman), then walk to the Pyramids viewpoint for sunset and a cheap koshari dinner in the neighbourhood (~£3). Exchange cash at the airport or an ATM — Egypt is heavily cash-based and you'll want small notes for tips and tickets.
🚌Uber/Careem airport to Giza ~£6-8
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Giza, private room ~£15-20
- →Visa on arrival / e-visa
- →Sunset at Giza pyramids viewpoint
- →Koshari dinner in Nazlet El-Semman
Giza pyramids & Egyptian Museum, then overnight sleeper train to Aswan
Giza / Cairo
Do the Giza plateau early to beat the heat and crowds: Great Pyramid of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus, the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple. Buy your site ticket at the gate (~EGP 540 / ~£9 for the plateau; extra for going inside a pyramid). Then head to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (ticket ~EGP 450 / ~£7; the Grand Egyptian Museum is the newer alternative if open when you travel). A licensed guide is worth it here — book a half-day Giza guide via GetYourGuide (~£25-35 pp) rather than the operator's included guide. In the evening catch the Watania overnight sleeper train from Cairo Ramses to Aswan (book online in advance; a single-berth cabin is around £55-70, or save more with a 1st/2nd class seated ticket ~£10-15). Dinner and breakfast are served in the sleeper cabin.
🚌Watania sleeper train Cairo Ramses → Aswan, ~£55-70
🛏Overnight sleeper train (single or shared berth)
- →Great Pyramids of Giza & Sphinx
- →Valley Temple
- →Egyptian Museum & Tutankhamun galleries
- →Optional half-day licensed guide
Aswan — High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple
Aswan
Arrive in Aswan in the morning and check into a budget hotel near the Corniche or in the Nubian village area. Take a shared taxi or local minibus to the Aswan High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk in the granite quarries (combined tickets ~EGP 200 / ~£3). In the afternoon take a public motorboat or felucca out to Philae Temple on Agilkia Island (~EGP 200 entry plus ~£3-5 boat share); the temple is beautiful in late-afternoon light and there's an evening sound-and-light show if you want it. If you have energy, add a felucca sunset sail or the Nubian Village boat trip (~£5-10 shared). Grab a cheap Nubian or Egyptian dinner by the river (~£4).
🚌Shared taxi/minibus around Aswan plus shared boat to Philae ~£8
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Aswan, private room ~£15-20
- →Aswan High Dam
- →Unfinished Obelisk
- →Philae Temple by motorboat
- →Optional felucca sunset sail / Nubian Village
Abu Simbel sunrise trip, then train to Luxor
Aswan → Abu Simbel → Luxor
Book a shared minibus or coach day trip to Abu Simbel the night before (most hostels and the Aswan tourist office arrange this, ~£15-25 pp return including police convoy). The 3-4am departure beats the heat and the crowds for the temples of Ramses II and Nefertari by Lake Nasser — entry ~EGP 600 / ~£10 (Abu Simbel requires a separate ticket). Return to Aswan by early afternoon, then take the train from Aswan to Luxor (1st class seated ~£8-12; book via the Egyptian National Railways site or at the station). Check into a budget hotel on the Luxor East Bank near Luxor Temple, and eat cheap along the Corniche (~£4).
🚌Shared Abu Simbel minibus ~£20, train Aswan → Luxor ~£10
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse Luxor East Bank, private room ~£15-20
- →Abu Simbel temples of Ramses II & Nefertari
- →Lake Nasser views
- →Evening walk at Luxor Temple
Luxor — Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Karnak & Luxor Temple, sleeper back to Cairo
Luxor
Book a shared West Bank minibus or private driver for the day (~£15-20 per person shared). Hit the Valley of the Kings early (entry ~EGP 600 / ~£10, plus extra tickets for Tutankhamun or Seti I), then the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Optional sunrise hot-air balloon over the West Bank can be booked via GetYourGuide (~£85-110) — one of the trip's highlights if you'll get up at 4am. In the afternoon cross to the East Bank for Karnak Temple (~EGP 450 / ~£7) and Luxor Temple (~EGP 400 / ~£6) — Karnak is best in golden-hour light. Then board the overnight Watania sleeper train back to Cairo (~£55-70 single berth).
🚌West Bank shared driver ~£18, Watania sleeper train Luxor → Cairo ~£60
🛏Overnight sleeper train Luxor → Cairo
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Karnak Temple
- →Luxor Temple
- →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon
Arrive Cairo — depart or one last dose of the city
Cairo
Arrive at Cairo Ramses station in the morning. If your flight is later in the day, store your bag and add a quick stop: Khan el-Khalili bazaar, the Al-Azhar area, or Coptic Cairo, plus a final cheap mezze or koshari lunch. Take an Uber/Careem to Cairo International Airport (~£6-8, traffic-dependent — allow 60-90 min in the morning). If you're flying out same-day, the sleeper train arrival plus a pre-booked airport transfer works comfortably for afternoon and evening departures.
🚌Uber/Careem to Cairo International Airport ~£7
🛏None (departure day) — day room possible ~£15 if needed
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar (optional)
- →Coptic Cairo (optional)
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Egypt Best Holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Egypt Best Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£575 | £690 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £115 per person (17%) | |
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.~£575
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 Sunny Egypt Self-Launched: 6 Days Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Luxor & Sleeper Train cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £575 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 Egypt Best Holidays?+
Yes — Egypt Best Holidays charges around £690 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £575 — a saving of roughly £115 (17%) 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, budget, 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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