Majestic Egypt: Nile & Red Sea — Self-Launched Budget Version

Land at Cairo International Airport, grab a visa on arrival (single-entry tourist visa, roughly £20–25 / US$25 payable in cash or by card at the bank kiosk before immigration) and buy a local SIM from Vodafone or Orange in arrivals for data and ride-hailing apps. Take a Careem or Uber from the airport into Downtown Cairo (roughly £5–7) rather than an unmarked taxi. Check into a Downtown hostel or budget hotel, then take an easy evening walk along the Corniche or grab koshari (Egypt's cheap national dish, £1–2) to settle in. Sort your train ticket for Luxor for Day 5 on the Egyptian National Railways website or app tonight.

🚌Careem/Uber from CAI to Downtown (~£5–7)

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel dorm or budget private room (£12–20)

• →Cairo airport visa on arrival and local SIM purchase
• →Careem/Uber transfer to Downtown Cairo
• →Evening walk on the Corniche
• →Koshari dinner

Take an Uber or the Cairo Metro (Line 2 to Giza, then a short taxi) out to Giza early — gates open around 08:00 and you want the cooler air and smaller crowds. Buy the site ticket plus a separate ticket to enter inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu if you fancy it (around £12–15 extra). The plateau is walkable, or use a horse/camel cart if you want it (agree the price firmly in advance). Book a half-day guided tour via GetYourGuide if you want context (roughly £20–30 for a shared tour). Lunch at the 9 Pyramids Lounge as in the original itinerary runs roughly £15–20 for a couple of dishes — cheaper options exist at nearby local restaurants (£3–5).

🚌Metro + taxi there and back (~£3–4)

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel dorm or budget private room (£12–20)

• →Giza Plateau self-guided visit (Great Pyramid of Khufu, Pyramid of Khafre, Sphinx)
• →Optional Great Pyramid interior entry
• →Optional shared GetYourGuide tour
• →Lunch at 9 Pyramids Lounge or a local restaurant

Dedicate the day to the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza, which opened fully in late 2025 — the Tutankhamun galleries alone are worth half a day. Book timed tickets online in advance (roughly £20–25) to skip queues. Spend the afternoon either back in Downtown or at the old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square if you want the classic collection too (roughly £5). Evening: eat at a local ahwa (café) or try ful and ta'meya for a £3 dinner.

🚌Uber to Giza and back (~£4)

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel dorm or budget private room (£12–20)

• →Grand Egyptian Museum (timed online ticket)
• →Optional Egyptian Museum in Tahrir
• →Downtown café evening

Saqqara is best done as a shared day tour — book a small-group GetYourGuide trip covering Saqqara (Step Pyramid of Djoser), Dahshur's Red and Bent Pyramids and Memphis for around £25–35, which is cheaper and easier than negotiating taxis for the day. Alternatively hire a driver privately for about £30–40 shared between two or three travellers. Back in Cairo late afternoon, wander Khan el-Khalili bazaar — haggle, drink mint tea at El Fishawy, and eat at a local restaurant in the lanes (£4–6).

🚌Shared GetYourGuide day tour or private driver (~£28–38)

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel dorm or budget private room (£12–20)

• →Saqqara Step Pyramid of Djoser and tombs
• →Dahshur pyramids (optional add-on)
• →Khan el-Khalili bazaar and El Fishawy café

Take a morning or daytime train from Cairo to Luxor. The comfortable air-conditioned 'Watching' / Talgo services take about 9–10 hours; a second-class seat costs roughly £10–15, and first class about £20. Book online or at the station a day ahead. (If you prefer to save time, Egyptair flights Cairo–Luxor are often £40–60.) Arrive in Luxor, check into a West Bank or Corniche-side hostel, then walk Luxor Temple at sunset (ticket around £4) and visit Karnak Temple Complex in the late afternoon or early evening when it's cooler and lit up (around £6). A self-guided audio app or a shared guide at the gate (£10–15) works well here.

🚌Second-class train Cairo–Luxor (~£12)

🛏Luxor hostel or budget guesthouse (£12–22)

• →Cairo–Luxor train journey
• →Karnak Temple Complex
• →Luxor Temple at sunset

Instead of a full-board luxury cruise, do the Nile in affordable pieces. Take a shared felucca sail or a short local boat ride on the Nile in the morning (roughly £8–12 per person for a two-hour sail), then travel south by train to Edfu (about 1.5 hours, £2–3) or on a shared minibus. Check into a budget guesthouse in Edfu town and visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu — one of Egypt's best-preserved temples — ideally in the late afternoon (£4). If you want the classic multi-night Nile cruise on a budget, book a 3–4 night Luxor–Aswan 5-star cruise directly at £70–100 per night full board; the DIY version here is far cheaper.

🚌Felucca + second-class train Luxor–Edfu (~£12)

🛏Edfu budget guesthouse (£12–18)

• →Shared felucca sail on the Nile
• →Train to Edfu
• →Temple of Horus at Edfu

Take the train from Edfu to Kom Ombo (about 45 minutes, £1–2) or a shared minibus with other travellers, drop bags at a café near the station, and visit the riverside double temple of Kom Ombo — one half dedicated to Sobek the crocodile god (£4). Then continue on the train to Aswan (roughly 2 hours, £2–4). Aswan is the most relaxed city on the Nile: check into a budget hotel near the Corniche or on Elephantine Island, and spend the evening on the waterfront drinking tea and watching feluccas.

🚌Trains Edfu–Kom Ombo–Aswan (~£6)

🛏Aswan budget hotel near Corniche or Elephantine Island (£15–25)

• →Kom Ombo Temple
• →Train to Aswan
• →Corniche evening walk

Do the classic Aswan trio self-guided. A shared minibus or taxi from town to the High Dam (entry around £2) and on to the Quarries of the Pharaohs (unfinished obelisk, around £2) takes a few hours; then head to the boat jetty for Philae Island, where a shared boat crossing plus temple entry runs roughly £8–10 (boat is often £3–5 shared, entry about £4). A GetYourGuide half-day tour combining all three is about £25–30 if you'd rather not negotiate. Back in town, browse the Nubian market and eat at a local restaurant (£4–6).

🚌Shared taxi/minibus plus boat (~£8)

🛏Aswan budget hotel near Corniche or Elephantine Island (£15–25)

• →Aswan High Dam
• →Unfinished Obelisk at the Quarries of the Pharaohs
• →Temple of Isis on Philae Island (shared boat)
• →Nubian market

Abu Simbel is the big optional splurge. The cheapest reliable route is the shared early-morning convoy minibus from Aswan — roughly £20–30 return including a few hours at the temples (entry around £10). Flights are much pricier (£80–120) and unnecessary unless you're short on time. You'll leave around 04:00 and be back by early afternoon. Later, treat yourself to afternoon tea or a drink on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel (roughly £15–25) — the view over the Nile is the point. Evening: felucca sunset sail if you didn't do one earlier (£8).

🚌Shared convoy minibus to Abu Simbel (~£25)

🛏Aswan budget hotel near Corniche or Elephantine Island (£15–25)

• →Shared minibus to Abu Simbel Temples
• →Afternoon tea at the Old Cataract Hotel
• →Optional felucca sunset sail

Travel back north to Luxor by train (about 3–4 hours, £3–6 second class), or on the comfortable day train. If you skipped Edfu's Temple of Horus earlier, break the journey there again — it's a short walk/tuk-tuk from the station and worth an hour. Arrive Luxor and check back into a West Bank guesthouse. Spend the evening at Luxor's rooftop cafés (£4–6 dinner) and pre-book your Valley of the Kings tickets and, if you want, a hot-air balloon for tomorrow's dawn.

🚌Second-class train Aswan–Luxor (~£5)

🛏Luxor West Bank guesthouse (£12–22)

• →Train Aswan–Luxor
• →Optional Edfu Temple stop
• →Luxor rooftop evening

The big West Bank day. Take a shared microbus or taxi from the ferry dock on the West Bank (roughly £5–8 for the day shared). Valley of the Kings entry is about £8–9 including three tombs; add a Tutankhamun tomb ticket (£10) or Seti I (£20) if you want. Then visit the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari (£6) and stop at the Colossi of Memnon (free). Valley of the Queens (Nefertari's tomb is a pricey but spectacular add-on at £25–30) is nearby. A half-day GetYourGuide tour with guide and transport is around £30–40 and takes the stress out of it. Optional: sunrise hot-air balloon over the West Bank, bookable via GetYourGuide for roughly £60–80.

🚌Shared microbus/taxi across the West Bank (~£8)

🛏Luxor West Bank guesthouse (£12–22)

• →Valley of the Kings (3 tombs included)
• →Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
• →Colossi of Memnon
• →Optional Valley of the Queens / Nefertari tomb
• →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon

The cheapest and most straightforward route to the Red Sea is the direct bus from Luxor to Hurghada — Upper Egypt Travel / GoBus services run several times daily and take about 4–5 hours for around £6–10. Book the day before online or at a kiosk. Arrive in Hurghada and check into a budget hotel or hostel in the Sekalla district (near the marina and dive shops). Spend the afternoon on the public beach or walk the new marina promenade; a local seafood or grilled-chicken dinner is £6–10.

🚌GoBus/Upper Egypt coach Luxor–Hurghada (~£8)

🛏Hurghada budget hotel/hostel in Sekalla (£15–28)

• →Bus Luxor–Hurghada
• →Sekalla district and marina walk
• →Public beach afternoon

Hurghada's reefs are the draw. Book a shared snorkelling day boat via GetYourGuide or a local dive centre for roughly £25–40 including lunch, gear and two or three reef stops (Giftun Islands are the classic). If you're a diver, a two-tank intro or guided dive trip is around £50–70; a PADI Open Water course is roughly £250–350 if you want to spend a few days on it. Alternatively join a shared boat to Orange Bay or Mahmya for beach time (£25–35). Evenings are cheap: eat at a local Egyptian restaurant in Sekalla (£5–8).

🚌Local taxi to the marina (~£2)

🛏Hurghada budget hotel/hostel in Sekalla (£15–28)

• →Shared snorkelling day boat to Giftun Islands
• →Optional diving / PADI course
• →Optional Orange Bay beach trip

A slow day: wander the Hurghada Marina, browse the souk near El Dahar for spices and souvenirs, and settle into a beach club or café for lunch (day passes at budget-friendly beach spots run £5–15). Optional spa or hammam treatment (roughly £15–25). If you're after more water time, a half-day shared dive or snorkel trip can be added for £25–35. This is also the day to sort your onward transport — either a flight from Hurghada to Cairo (£40–70) or an overnight GoBus back to Cairo (£8–12).

🚌Local taxis (~£3)

🛏Hurghada budget hotel/hostel in Sekalla (£15–28)

• →Hurghada Marina
• →El Dahar market
• →Optional hammam/spa
• →Optional second snorkel trip

Check out and head to Hurghada International Airport (a taxi is about £3–5, 15–20 minutes from Sekalla). If your international flight leaves from Cairo, take an early GoBus (about 6 hours, £8–12) or a short internal flight (£40–70) and allow a generous connection — the bus is reliable but slow. Budget an airport departure tax if applicable (usually included in tickets now) and keep some Egyptian pounds for snacks and tips.

🚌Airport taxi (~£4)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Taxi to Hurghada airport
• →Optional domestic flight or bus to Cairo for onward connection