15 Days Ancient Egypt & Lake Nasser — Self-Launched
15 days · Egypt
Vacations to go travel charges £4,700
No-markup version: ~£1,860 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic Luxor–Nile–Lake Nasser–Cairo loop. You'll do the same temples, tombs and two cruises, but you book everything yourself: budget guesthouses and one mid-range Nile cruise cabin, local trains and buses instead of private transfers, and shared or small-group guides booked through GetYourGuide/Klook or directly with licensed local guides. Roughly two-thirds cheaper than the packaged group tour — and you travel at your own pace.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Luxor
Luxor
Fly into Luxor International (LXR) — cheaper and easier than routing via Cairo for this itinerary. Taxi from the airport to the East Bank costs around EGP 200–300 (£4–6); ignore the drivers quoting 'tourist prices'. Settle into a guesthouse near the corniche, then walk the Nile corniche at sunset and eat koshari or grilled fish at a local restaurant on Television Street. Buy your Luxor Pass or individual site tickets online tonight to skip queues.
🚌Airport taxi ~£5
🛏Budget guesthouse on Luxor's East Bank (e.g. Nefertiti Hotel or similar, ~£18/night double)
- →Airport taxi to East Bank guesthouse
- →Nile corniche sunset walk
- →Koshari dinner on Television Street
West Bank: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & the Colossi
Luxor — West Bank
Cross the Nile by public ferry (EGP 10) or the local passenger boat, then hire a bicycle (EGP 100/day) or split a taxi with other travellers to cover the West Bank. Valley of the Kings ticket covers three tombs — pay extra for Seti I or Tutankhamun if you want them. Continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut and stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back. Optional add-ons the packaged tour charged for: Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu and the Ramesseum — all genuinely worth it. Be at the sites by 7am to beat both heat and crowds.
🚌Public ferry + bike hire or shared taxi ~£6
🛏Budget guesthouse, Luxor East Bank
- →Valley of the Kings (3 tombs included)
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Optional: Medinet Habu & Valley of the Queens
Karnak & Luxor Temple
Luxor
A slower day on the East Bank. Walk or take a microbus to Karnak and give it a full morning — the hypostyle hall alone is worth two hours. Rest through the afternoon heat, then see Luxor Temple lit up in the evening (open until around 9pm and far more atmospheric than midday). Optional: pre-book a hot air balloon flight over the West Bank for tomorrow at sunrise via GetYourGuide (~£70–85).
🚌Microbus/taxi ~£3
🛏Budget guesthouse, Luxor East Bank
- →Temple of Karnak
- →Luxor Temple by night
- →Optional: sunrise hot air balloon (book ahead)
Board a Nile cruise in Luxor
Luxor → Nile River
Most Nile cruises sail Luxor–Aswan in 4 nights, so book a cabin on a mid-range boat (book direct with the operator or through a local agent in Luxor — walk-in prices are often 30–40% below online rates). Boarding is usually lunchtime with the afternoon free. If your boat sails late, use the morning for Dendera or Abydos by train. Full board on board, so food costs drop sharply from here.
🚌Walk/taxi to dock
🛏Nile cruise cabin, full board (mid-range 4–5* boat)
- →Board Nile cruise ship
- →Afternoon on deck
- →Optional: Dendera/Abydos half-day
Sailing the Nile
Nile River — Esna to Edfu
A full day of actual sailing — this is the point of the cruise. Pass through Esna Lock in the morning, watch village life from the sun deck, and read up on what's coming. Most boats moor near Edfu overnight ready for an early temple visit. All meals included on board.
🚌On board
🛏Nile cruise cabin, full board
- →Sail through Esna Lock
- →Sun deck day on the Nile
- →Evening mooring near Edfu
Edfu and Kom Ombo temples
Edfu → Kom Ombo → Aswan
Early caleche (horse cart) or walk to the Temple of Horus at Edfu — one of Egypt's best-preserved temples. Sail on and stop at the Ptolemaic double temple at Kom Ombo in the late afternoon, ideally just before sunset when the light on the river is incredible. Arrive in Aswan overnight. If you're doing this leg independently instead of by cruise, trains run Luxor–Aswan in about 3.5 hours for around £8 in second class.
🚌On board (or train alternative ~£8)
🛏Nile cruise cabin, full board
- →Temple of Horus at Edfu
- →Ptolemaic Temple at Kom Ombo
- →Sail to Aswan overnight
Aswan: High Dam, Philae & a felucca
Aswan
Disembark and check into an Aswan guesthouse if you're extending, or join the ship's Aswan excursions. See the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk in the granite quarries, then take a boat across to the Temple of Philae on Agilika Island — go late afternoon for the sound-and-light-free, cooler version. Finish with a felucca sail around Kitchener Island (El Nabatat) — hire a boat privately for ~£15/hour and split it. Overnight on board or in town.
🚌Local boats and taxis ~£8
🛏Nile cruise cabin, full board (or Aswan guesthouse ~£16)
- →High Dam & Unfinished Obelisk
- →Temple of Philae by boat
- →Felucca sail around Kitchener Island
- →Optional: Nubian village visit
Embark Lake Nasser cruise
Aswan → Lake Nasser
Check out of the Nile boat and board a Lake Nasser cruise (Mövenpick Prince Abbas or Steigenberger Omar El Khayam are the two main vessels — book direct or via an Aswan agent; 4-night Aswan–Abu Simbel sailings start around £380–450 pp sharing, much less than the packaged rate). Boarding is early afternoon with lunch on board and sailing south past Kalabsha. Note: cruise departures run on fixed days, so slot your Luxor/Aswan days around them.
🚌Dock transfer ~£3
🛏Lake Nasser cruise cabin, full board
- →Transfer to Lake Nasser cruise dock
- →Board and sail south
- →Afternoon on deck
Kalabsha Temples and Wadi El Seboua
Lake Nasser
Morning excursion to the Kalabsha Temples — rescued from the rising lake in the 1960s and now on a headland you reach by boat. Sail on to Wadi El Seboua and visit its temple complex, moved and rebuilt on higher ground. Evenings on Lake Nasser are almost silent, which is the whole reason this stretch is worth the money.
🚌On board
🛏Lake Nasser cruise cabin, full board
- →Kalabsha Temples
- →Wadi El Seboua temples
- →Lake Nasser sailing
Amada, Derr and Pennut's Tomb
Lake Nasser — Amada
A dense day of Nubian monuments: the Temple of Amada (oldest temple on the lake), Derr and the rock-cut Tomb of Pennut. In the evening the boats usually lay on a Nubian music and dance show on deck — included, and genuinely good. Bring a headtorch for the tomb interiors.
🚌On board
🛏Lake Nasser cruise cabin, full board
- →Temple of Amada
- →Temple of Derr
- →Tomb of Pennut
- →Nubian show on board
Abu Simbel and Kasr Ibrim
Lake Nasser → Abu Simbel
Sail past Kasr Ibrim (viewable only from the water) and arrive at Abu Simbel for the temples of Ramses II and Nefertari — arriving by lake means you're there ahead of the dawn coach crowds. Optional evening Sound & Light Show (~£20, book at the site or via GetYourGuide). If you're skipping the cruise, Abu Simbel is easily done by the twice-daily convoy bus from Aswan (~EGP 200 each way) or a shared minibus for ~£12 return.
🚌On board (or convoy bus ~£10)
🛏Lake Nasser cruise cabin, full board (or Abu Simbel guesthouse ~£18)
- →Abu Simbel temples
- →Kasr Ibrim from the water
- →Optional: Sound & Light Show
Fly Abu Simbel to Cairo
Abu Simbel → Cairo
Disembark after breakfast and fly from Abu Simbel to Cairo via Aswan (EgyptAir, roughly £70–110 one way if booked a few weeks out — the packaged tour bundles this into its price). Cairo airport to Downtown is EGP 250–400 by taxi or around £2 on the airport bus. Stay Downtown near Talaat Harb or Zamalek for easy metro access; hotel options from ~£22 for a decent double.
🚌Abu Simbel–Cairo flight ~£90 + airport transfer ~£4
🛏Downtown Cairo hotel (e.g. a 3* near Talaat Harb, ~£25/night double)
- →Fly to Cairo
- →Check into Downtown hotel
- →Evening walk along the Corniche or Zamalek
Giza, Saqqara and Memphis
Cairo — Giza & Saqqara
Uber to Giza for opening time (8am) — the plateau gets brutal by 11. Entry to the pyramids themselves is a separate ticket (Khufu ~EGP 900); honestly, the exterior and the plateau are the main event. Then take an Uber to Saqqara for the Step Pyramid of Djoser and, if time allows, nearby Memphis. A licensed guide for the day booked direct runs £40–60 and is worth splitting two or three ways. Back to Cairo for dinner in the evening.
🚌Uber all day ~£15
🛏Downtown Cairo hotel
- →Giza Pyramids & Sphinx
- →Step Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara
- →Memphis (time permitting)
- →Optional: licensed guide, split cost
Egyptian Museum, Old Cairo and Khan El Khalili
Cairo
The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) near Giza is now the main draw — book a timed ticket online (~£10–12). If you want the classic Tahrir collection instead, the Egyptian Museum is cheaper and less crowded. Afternoon in Coptic Cairo for the Hanging Church, then finish at Khan El Khalili bazaar and a walk down Al Muiz Street after dark — go with a local guide or just keep your wits about you and enjoy it. Mint tea at El Fishawy is mandatory.
🚌Metro + Uber ~£8
🛏Downtown Cairo hotel
- →Grand Egyptian Museum or Egyptian Museum
- →Hanging Church, Coptic Cairo
- →Khan El Khalili bazaar
- →Al Muiz Street after dark
Depart Cairo
Cairo
Last breakfast, pick up any souvenirs on Talaat Harb, and take an Uber or the airport bus to Cairo International. Allow three hours before an international flight — Cairo security is slow. If you have a late flight, the GEM is a comfortable place to burn a few hours with luggage storage.
🚌Uber or airport bus ~£5
🛏—
- →Souvenir shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Vacations to go travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Vacations to go travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,860 | £4,700 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,840 per person (60%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Vacations to go travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,860
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 15 Days Ancient Egypt & Lake Nasser — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,860 per person for 15 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 Vacations to go travel?+
Yes — Vacations to go travel charges around £4,700 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,860 — a saving of roughly £2,840 (60%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 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, slow-travel 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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