Istanbul, Athens & Cairo — Self-Launched 11-Day Version
11 days · Istanbul, Athens & Cairo
Remaz Tours GmbH charges £2,815
No-markup version: ~£1,355 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, independent version of Remaz Tours' 11-day Istanbul–Athens–Cairo loop: three iconic ancient cities connected by budget flights, with the same headline sights (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi, the Acropolis, the Pyramids and Coptic Cairo) but on your own timetable using hostel/guesthouse stays, public transport and self-booked walking tours. Expect to spend roughly a third to a half of the packaged price while moving at your own pace — the only thing you give up is someone else herding the group.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Istanbul — settle into Sultanahmet
Istanbul
Land at Istanbul Airport (IST) and take the Havaist airport bus to Sultanahmet (around £4, ~70-90 min) or the M11 metro to Gayrettepe then Marmaray onward. Check into a Sultanahmet hostel or guesthouse — the old city is walkable and puts every headline sight on your doorstep. Spend the late afternoon wandering the Hippodrome and the courtyards around the Blue Mosque, grab a cheap balık ekmek (fish sandwich) at Eminönü, and if you want the nightlife version of the tour's optional Bosphorus cruise, book a dinner cruise via GetYourGuide (~£30-40) or simply take the public ferry to Kadıköy for sunset at a fraction of the cost.
🚌Havaist airport bus IST to Sultanahmet ~£4; walking locally
🛏Sultanahmet hostel or family guesthouse (dorm or private budget room)
- →Hippodrome square
- →Blue Mosque exterior at golden hour
- →Eminönü waterfront and fish sandwiches
- →Optional: public ferry to Kadıköy for sunset
Old city big four: Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi, Grand Bazaar
Istanbul
Do the tour's classic Day 2 self-launched. Start early at Hagia Sophia (book a timed entry online; ~£22), cross to the Blue Mosque (free, dress modestly), then spend 2-3 hours in Topkapi Palace including the Harem (~£30 combined). Break for lunch at a cheap esnaf lokantası (tradesmen's canteen) near Sirkeci (~£6). Finish in the Grand Bazaar before it closes around 19:00. If you want a guide's context, a GetYourGuide small-group old-city walking tour runs £30-45 — otherwise the excellent free audio guides and signage carry you fine.
🚌All on foot within Sultanahmet/Eminönü
🛏Sultanahmet hostel or family guesthouse
- →Hagia Sophia entry
- →Blue Mosque visit
- →Topkapi Palace + Harem
- →Grand Bazaar browsing
- →Optional small-group walking tour
Spice Bazaar and Bosphorus by public ferry
Istanbul
Replace the packaged Bosphorus sailing with the local version. Morning at the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar, then walk to Eminönü pier and take the public Bosphorus commuter ferry toward Anadolu Kavağı (~£2-3 each way) — it passes the same palaces, fortresses and Golden Horn views as the tourist boats for pocket change. Hop off on the Asian side, climb (or bus) to Çamlıca Hill for the panorama, or visit Beylerbeyi Palace (~£8). Return by ferry, and end with a traditional Turkish dinner in Kadıköy's market streets (~£10). Optional: a hammam session at a neighbourhood bathhouse (~£20-30).
🚌Public ferry Eminönü–Anadolu Kavağı ~£5 return; trams and buses ~£3
🛏Sultanahmet hostel or family guesthouse
- →Spice Bazaar
- →Public Bosphorus ferry
- →Çamlıca Hill viewpoint
- →Beylerbeyi Palace (optional)
- →Kadıköy food market dinner
Fly Istanbul to Athens — first evening in Plaka
Athens
Book a low-cost flight (Pegasus or Aegean) from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen or IST to Athens, typically £50-90 if booked a few weeks out. From Athens airport take metro Line 3 to Monastiraki (~£8, 40 min) or the X95 express bus (~£5.5). Check into a Monastiraki/Psirri hostel or budget hotel. Use the evening to do your own version of the tour's night walk: Anafiotika's whitewashed lanes, the lanes of Plaka, and Thissio with the lit Acropolis overhead. Dinner of souvlaki and Greek salad in Psirri (~£12).
🚌Flight Istanbul–Athens ~£70; Athens metro airport line ~£8
🛏Monastiraki or Psirri hostel / budget hotel
- →Anafiotika and Plaka evening walk
- →Thissio viewpoint of the Acropolis
- →Psirri dinner
Acropolis, Acropolis Museum and the neoclassical centre
Athens
Pre-book a timed Acropolis ticket online (~£25 with the museum combo) and arrive at opening to beat the heat and crowds. Walk up through the Propylaea to the Parthenon, then descend to the Acropolis Museum (~included in combo / ~£12 solo) for two hours. In the afternoon, follow the tour's panoramic route on foot: Panathenaic Stadium (~£5), Hadrian's Gate, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the changing of the guard on the hour. Dinner in Monastiraki (~£12). A GetYourGuide Acropolis guided entry is £35-50 if you want narration.
🚌Walking; occasional metro hops ~£2
🛏Monastiraki or Psirri hostel / budget hotel
- →Acropolis and Parthenon
- →Acropolis Museum
- →Panathenaic Stadium
- →Hadrian's Gate and Syntagma guard change
Saronic Gulf islands by public ferry
Athens / Saronic Islands
Do the tour's optional island cruise independently and cheaper. Take the metro to Piraeus and a regular ferry to Aegina (~£12-15 each way, ~1h15) — rent a bike or take the local bus to the Temple of Aphaia and the pistachio groves, or push on to Agistri for swimming coves. Alternatively, a one-day island-hopping excursion via GetYourGuide (Hydra–Poros–Aegina) runs £70-90 with lunch, versus a private cruise. Back in Athens by evening for a cheap gyros (~£4).
🚌Metro to Piraeus ~£2; ferry to Aegina ~£28 return; local bus ~£3
🛏Monastiraki or Psirri hostel / budget hotel
- →Aegina island day trip
- →Temple of Aphaia (optional)
- →Swimming at Agistri (optional)
- →Ferry deck views of the Saronic Gulf
Delphi day trip by KTEL bus
Athens / Delphi
Swap the tour's optional Delphi excursion for the public KTEL bus from Liosion terminal (~£13-15 each way, 3 hours) or a GetYourGuide day tour (~£45-60 with guide). At Delphi, walk the Sacred Way, the Treasury of the Athenians, the Temple of Apollo and the theatre, then the museum with the Charioteer (~£10 combined ticket). The mountain setting above the Pleistos valley is half the experience. Return to Athens for the evening; if you'd rather have a slower day, substitute a half-day trip to Cape Sounion for the Temple of Poseidon (~£8 entry, bus ~£8 return).
🚌KTEL bus Athens–Delphi ~£28 return
🛏Monastiraki or Psirri hostel / budget hotel
- →Delphi archaeological site and museum
- →Temple of Apollo
- →Optional: Cape Sounion and Temple of Poseidon instead
Fly Athens to Cairo — Khan el-Khalili at night
Cairo
Low-cost flights Athens–Cairo (Aegean, Egyptair or Air Cairo) typically run £90-140 booked ahead. On arrival at Cairo International, buy a visa on arrival if eligible (~£20-25 equivalent) and take the airport shuttle bus or a Careem/Uber to Downtown or Zamalek (~£5-8). Check into a Downtown hostel or budget hotel. In the evening, head to Khan el-Khalili bazaar for mint tea at El Fishawy café and a cheap koshari dinner (~£3) — the bazaar is at its best after dark.
🚌Flight Athens–Cairo ~£110; airport transfer ~£6
🛏Downtown Cairo or Zamalek hostel / budget hotel
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- →El Fishawy café
- →Koshari dinner Downtown
Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
Cairo / Giza
Take an Uber or Careem to the Giza plateau early (~£5, arrive at 08:00 opening) and buy your site ticket plus a separate Great Pyramid interior ticket if you want to go inside (~£30 total). Walk or take a camel/horse cart between the panorama viewpoint, the Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre. A licensed local guide can be arranged on site or via GetYourGuide (~£25-35 for a half day) — otherwise the signage and the scale speak for themselves. Optionally add Saqqara and Dahshur in the afternoon by Uber (~£15-20 return) for Djoser's Step Pyramid. Evening option: the Giza sound-and-light show (~£20) or a Nile dinner cruise (~£20-30).
🚌Uber/Careem to Giza ~£5 each way; optional Saqqara trip ~£18
🛏Downtown Cairo or Zamalek hostel / budget hotel
- →Pyramids of Giza plateau
- →Great Pyramid interior (optional)
- →Great Sphinx and Valley Temple
- →Optional Saqqara and Djoser complex
- →Optional Giza sound-and-light show
Islamic and Coptic Cairo and the Egyptian Museum
Cairo
A self-launched version of the tour's full-day Cairo circuit. Start at the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square (~£10) for the Tutankhamun galleries — note many pieces now sit in the new GEM museum at Giza if you'd rather go there. Then Uber to Coptic Cairo (~£3) to see the Hanging Church, Abu Serga and the Ben Ezra Synagogue inside the Babylon Fortress walls (free/donation). After lunch, climb to the Citadel of Saladin and the Muhammad Ali Mosque (~£8) for the city panorama, and finish with a wander through Historic Cairo's Al-Muizz Street. Dinner at a Downtown ful and ta'ameya spot (~£4).
🚌Uber/Careem across the city ~£8 total
🛏Downtown Cairo or Zamalek hostel / budget hotel
- →Egyptian Museum
- →Coptic Cairo churches and synagogue
- →Citadel of Saladin and Muhammad Ali Mosque
- →Al-Muizz Street in Historic Cairo
Fly home from Cairo
Cairo
Breakfast at the hostel, then a final morning ambling Zamalek's tree-lined streets or picking up souvenirs at the bazaar before your airport transfer. Careem/Uber to Cairo International runs ~£5-8, or use the public airport bus for under £1. Allow three hours before an international departure. If your flight home is late, a day-use room or a left-luggage stop near Tahrir makes the last day easy.
🚌Airport transfer by Uber/Careem ~£6
🛏Departure day — no overnight
- →Zamalek morning walk
- →Last-minute souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. Remaz Tours GmbH
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Remaz Tours GmbH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,355 | £2,815 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,460 per person (52%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Remaz Tours GmbH-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,355
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 Istanbul, Athens & Cairo — Self-Launched 11-Day Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,355 per person for 11 days in Istanbul, Athens & Cairo. 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 Remaz Tours GmbH?+
Yes — Remaz Tours GmbH charges around £2,815 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,355 — a saving of roughly £1,460 (52%) per person.
How long is the Istanbul, Athens & Cairo trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Istanbul, Athens & Cairo.
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, city-breaks, budget trip through Istanbul, Athens & Cairo, 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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