Affordable Egypt in 6 Days — Self-Launched
6 days · Egypt
Egypt Tours Club charges £1,180
No-markup version: ~£560 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Egypt Tours Club's 6-day Cairo–Luxor–Aswan loop, doing the same big-hitters (Giza, Egyptian Museum, Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Philae, plus optional Abu Simbel) on public and day-train transport with hostel/3* budget hotels and locally booked guides. The original sells for US$1,500 (~£1,180) per person; doing it yourself lands closer to £500-600 including entrance tickets and a sleeper-train upgrade if you want it. Costs are approximate backpacker rates, GBP per person.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — Zamalek base & Nile evening
Cairo
Land at Cairo International (CAI) and either take a Careem/Uber to Zamalek or Downtown for £5-7, or pre-book a private airport pickup for £10-12 if you land late. Visa: many nationalities can get visa-on-arrival for US$25 cash (~£20) — check before you fly. Check into a budget hotel or hostel in Zamalek (quieter, leafy) or Downtown (closer to the museum). Afternoon is free: walk the Corniche, grab koshari for dinner (£2-3), and if you want the operator's optional Nile dinner cruise, book it yourself on GetYourGuide or Viator for £20-35 instead of through the tour.
🚌Careem/Uber from CAI to central Cairo ~£5-7; pre-booked private transfer ~£10
🛏Budget 3* hotel or hostel in Zamalek/Downtown, e.g. New Star Zamalek or a Zamalek hostel dorm, £15-22
- →Settle in Zamalek or Downtown
- →Corniche walk and koshari dinner
- →Optional self-booked Nile dinner cruise (~£25)
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & Egyptian Museum → overnight train south
Cairo to Luxor
Book a Giza + Egyptian Museum guided day through GetYourGuide or a licensed local guide (roughly £35-55 for a small group, entrance tickets extra: Giza plateau ~£12, Egyptian Museum ~£10, or the new Grand Egyptian Museum ~£40 if you upgrade). Standard order: Pyramids of Giza (Cheops, Chephren, Mykerinus), the Great Sphinx and Valley Temple of Chephren, lunch at a local restaurant, then a 3-hour Egyptian Museum tour. Evening: head to Ramses or Giza station for the overnight Watania sleeper train to Luxor — book direct on the Watania/ENR site or via a local agent. Deluxe single cabin is roughly £70-85; a VIP cabin is more comfortable if you can get one, and flights (Egyptair/Nile Air) run £35-70 one-way if you'd rather skip the train.
🚌Careem/Uber around Cairo ~£6; overnight sleeper train Cairo→Luxor ~£75-90 (book direct with Watania)
🛏Overnight Watania sleeper train, deluxe or VIP cabin
- →Giza Pyramids (Cheops, Chephren, Mykerinus)
- →Great Sphinx & Valley Temple of Chephren
- →3-hour Egyptian Museum tour
- →Optional Grand Egyptian Museum upgrade
Valley of the Kings, Colossi of Memnon & Karnak → Aswan
Luxor to Aswan
Arrive Luxor early; drop bags and head west bank. Valley of the Kings ~£12 (three tombs included; Tutankhamun and Seti I cost extra), then a quick photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Cross back and tour Karnak Temples ~£10 — a guide here is worth it (~£25-35 split between a small group) for the context. Lunch at a local restaurant before boarding an afternoon day train Luxor→Aswan (~3 hours, £5-9 second class, £10-14 first, book on the ENR app or at the station). Check into a budget hotel near the Nile in Aswan — request a Nile-view room if available.
🚌Local taxi/minivan to west bank and Karnak ~£6; day train Luxor→Aswan ~£10-14
🛏Budget 3* hotel in Aswan near the Nile, e.g. Marhaba Aswan or a Nile-view budget hotel, £15-25
- →Valley of the Kings (3 tombs)
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Karnak Temples with local guide
- →Local-restaurant lunch on east bank
Abu Simbel (optional) & Philae Temple → overnight train to Cairo
Aswan to Cairo
Two options. Budget route: join a shared minibus/coach day trip to Abu Simbel with the 4am convoy, ~£25-35 per person (book via your hotel or GetYourGuide) — Abu Simbel is genuinely a must-see. Private car + guide runs £150-200, skip it. Either way, fit in Philae Temple ~£10 plus a small boat crossing (~£3) — go independently by taxi and boat rather than as a paid excursion. In the evening, board the overnight train back to Cairo (~£75-90 sleeper) or take a domestic flight Aswan→Cairo if you want to arrive rested.
🚌Shared minibus Aswan→Abu Simbel return ~£30; taxi + boat to Philae ~£8; overnight sleeper train Aswan→Cairo ~£75-90
🛏Overnight Watania sleeper train, deluxe or VIP cabin
- →Optional Abu Simbel day trip (early convoy)
- →Philae Temple by boat
- →Markets and Nile terrace in Aswan
Old Cairo, Citadel & Khan El Khalili bazaar
Cairo
Arrive Cairo and check back into your budget hotel. Do the operator's optional Old Cairo day independently: Old Coptic Cairo (Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue), Islamic Cairo and the Citadel of Salah al-Din (~£8), then Khan El Khalili bazaar — the highlight, free to wander and great for coffee at El Fishawy. A licensed guide for the day runs ~£40-60 split between a small group, or use a self-guided walking route. Optional extras bookable solo: a private felucca sail on the Nile (~£10-15/hour, split the boat) or an evening in the desert with dinner (~£30 via Viator).
🚌Careem/Uber around Cairo ~£6-8 for the day
🛏Budget 3* hotel or hostel in Zamalek/Downtown, e.g. New Star Zamalek, £15-22
- →Old Coptic Cairo
- →Citadel of Salah al-Din
- →Khan El Khalili bazaar
- →Optional felucca sail (~£12)
- →Optional desert dinner (~£30)
Departure from Cairo
Cairo
Depending on your flight time, squeeze in a final wander or last-minute souvenir run in Zamalek/Downtown. Take Careem/Uber back to CAI (~£5-7) or a pre-booked transfer (~£10) with 3 hours before an international flight. Budget a tipping kitty: Egypt runs on baksheesh, so keep small notes for guides, drivers and hotel staff (~£15-25 across the trip is a reasonable baseline).
🚌Careem/Uber to Cairo International (CAI) ~£5-7, or pre-booked transfer ~£10
🛏—
- →Last-minute souvenir shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Egypt Tours Club
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Egypt Tours Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£560 | £1,180 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £620 per person (53%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
~£560
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 Affordable Egypt in 6 Days — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £560 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 Tours Club?+
Yes — Egypt Tours Club charges around £1,180 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £560 — a saving of roughly £620 (53%) 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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