Discover Egypt Self-Launched: Pyramids, GEM, Aswan, Nile Cruise, Luxor & Hurghada
9 days · Egypt
Egypt Skyway Tours charges £900
No-markup version: ~£563 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 9-day self-launched version of a fully guided Cairo–Aswan–Nile–Luxor–Hurghada tour. You build the same route yourself: Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo, a budget flight south to Aswan, a self-booked 3-night felucca or budget Nile cruise boat to Luxor (or the cheaper shared 4-day cruise cabins), local minivans and trains between sights, then a bus across the desert to a Red Sea beach town for a couple of all-inclusive-free beach days. Costs are backpacker/budget estimates in GBP and will vary by season, hotel class and how many optional add-ons (Abu Simbel, hot-air balloon) you take.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — settle into downtown or Giza
Cairo
Land at Cairo International (CAI) and take a metered white taxi or ride-hail (Uber/Careem) into the city — figure on £5–8 to downtown, £8–12 to Giza. Check into a budget hotel in Downtown Cairo (many cheap guesthouses around Talat Harb) or a Giza guesthouse with pyramid views. Change some cash at the airport or an ATM, buy a local SIM (Vodafone/Orange ~£5–7 for a month with data), and grab dinner at a koshari shop (a huge plate for under £2). Early night if you're jet-lagged.
🚌Airport taxi/Uber to city (£5–12)
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse, Downtown Cairo or Giza
- →Airport transfer to central Cairo
- →Local SIM card and cash
- →Evening walk in Downtown Cairo / koshari dinner
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
Cairo / Giza
Get to the Giza plateau early (Uber ~£3–4 from Downtown) before the heat and crowds. Buy your ticket at the gate (~£8–9 entry, extra for going inside a pyramid) and wander the plateau yourself — a local guide at the site will offer a tour for £10–15 if you want context, or pre-book a small-group Giza tour via GetYourGuide for ~£20–30 including hotel pickup. In the afternoon, head to the Grand Egyptian Museum near the pyramids (~£15–16 timed entry, book online in advance). Stay for sunset views of the plateau if you like. Optional: Giza sound-and-light show in the evening (~£15–20).
🚌Uber/Careem to Giza and GEM (~£6–10 total)
🛏Same Cairo/Giza hotel
- →Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx (self-guided or small-group tour)
- →Grand Egyptian Museum (pre-booked ticket)
- →Optional: Pyramids sound-and-light show
Fly Cairo to Aswan — Philae Temple, Obelisk and High Dam
Aswan
Take a morning budget flight Cairo–Aswan (EgyptAir/Nile Air, book weeks ahead for ~£50–80 one-way; ~1h15). Alternatively the overnight sleeper train from Cairo (~£60–80) if you prefer overland. From Aswan airport a taxi to town is ~£5. Drop bags at a Nubian guesthouse on Elephantine Island or a budget hotel near the Corniche (£12–20/night). In the afternoon take a local taxi or the public ferry + short boat to Philae Temple (~£8 entry plus ~£3 boat), then the Unfinished Obelisk (~£3) and the Aswan High Dam viewpoint (~£3). Evening: stroll the Corniche and eat at a Nubian restaurant.
🚌Domestic flight Cairo–Aswan (~£50–80), airport taxi, local taxis and boats
🛏Nubian guesthouse or budget hotel, Aswan
- →Philae Temple
- →Unfinished Obelisk
- →Aswan High Dam
- →Aswan Corniche evening walk
Abu Simbel day trip or Nubian village — board the Nile boat
Aswan / Nile
Optional early start for Abu Simbel: shared minibus convoys leave ~4am and cost ~£15–25 return plus ~£12 entry (book through your guesthouse the night before). Otherwise have a slow morning, visit a Nubian village by local boat (~£5–8) or the Aswan souk. In the afternoon board your self-booked Nile sailing: either a 3-night felucca trip with a Nubian crew (sleeping on deck, meals included, ~£60–90 pp for the three nights) or a budget 4-day/3-night cruise ship cabin (from ~£150–220 pp including full board — book direct with smaller operators or via Klook/GetYourGuide). Sail toward Kom Ombo at sunset.
🚌Shared minibus to Abu Simbel (optional), felucca/cruise boat
🛏Felucca deck (or budget Nile cruise cabin)
- →Optional Abu Simbel temples day trip
- →Nubian village boat visit (alternative)
- →Board Nile felucca or budget cruise
Kom Ombo crocodile temple — sail on to Edfu
Kom Ombo / Nile
Morning stop at Kom Ombo Temple right on the riverbank (~£5 entry), including the little mummified crocodile museum inside the complex. Your crew or cruise director handles the mooring; if you're independent, local minivans run Aswan–Kom Ombo for ~£2. Sail on through the afternoon, watching life on the banks — this is the slow, quiet stretch of the river. Meals on board (felucca crews cook, cruise boats have full board). Overnight moored near Edfu.
🚌Nile sailing / cruise boat; local minivan if travelling independently
🛏Felucca deck or Nile cruise cabin
- →Kom Ombo Temple
- →Crocodile mummy museum
- →Afternoon sailing on the Nile
Edfu Temple by horse carriage — arrive Luxor, Karnak and Luxor Temple
Edfu / Luxor
Disembark at Edfu and take the short horse-carriage ride to Edfu Temple (~£3–5 round trip, ~£6 entry) — one of Egypt's best-preserved temples. Then continue to Luxor: minivan/train from Edfu takes 1.5–2 hours (~£3–6). Check into a budget hotel on the West Bank or near Luxor Temple (£12–20/night). Late afternoon: Karnak Temple Complex (~£9) — go around 4pm for cooler light — then walk the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple (~£6) as it lights up after dark. Dinner at a rooftop restaurant on the West Bank.
🚌Horse carriage to Edfu Temple, minivan/train Edfu–Luxor (~£3–6), local taxis
🛏Budget hotel, Luxor (West Bank or centre)
- →Edfu Temple
- →Karnak Temple Complex
- →Luxor Temple at night
Luxor West Bank — Valley of the Kings — bus to Hurghada
Luxor / Hurghada
Beat the heat: cross the Nile by public ferry (~£0.20) and hire a bike (~£3/day) or shared taxi (~£10–15 for the half-day loop) around the West Bank. Valley of the Kings ticket ~£13 (covers 3 tombs; Tutankhamun extra), Temple of Hatshepsut ~£5, Colossi of Memnon free. Optional sunrise hot-air balloon (~£70–95, book via GetYourGuide/your hotel the day before). Mid-afternoon, catch the air-conditioned bus Luxor–Hurghada (~4–5 hours, ~£6–10, several daily departures) or a shared taxi. Overnight in a budget hotel in Hurghada town or a mid-range Red Sea resort (~£20–35).
🚌Public ferry, bike/shared taxi West Bank, bus Luxor–Hurghada (~£6–10)
🛏Budget hotel or mid-range resort, Hurghada
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon
Red Sea beach day in Hurghada
Hurghada
A proper rest day. Use your hotel's beach or pay a day-pass at a beach club (~£8–15, often redeemable on food). Snorkelling trips to the Giftun Islands or nearby reefs run ~£20–30 including lunch and pickup — book through any dive shop on the promenade or GetYourGuide. Cheaper alternative: public beach and a seafood lunch in the old town (Sheraton Road area). Optional desert quad/safari trip ~£20–30. Dinner at a local fish restaurant.
🚌Local taxis / tuk-tuk around town (~£3–5)
🛏Same Hurghada hotel
- →Beach and swimming
- →Optional Giftun Islands snorkelling trip
- →Optional desert safari
- →Seafood dinner
Fly Hurghada to Cairo and depart
Hurghada / Cairo
Morning flight Hurghada–Cairo (~1 hour, ~£35–60 booked ahead) or, for a cheaper slow option, the air-conditioned Go Bus/Blue Bus (~6–7 hours, ~£8–12) if your onward flight is late. If you have hours to spare in Cairo, drop bags at a hotel and revisit Khan el-Khalili bazaar or the Egyptian Museum downtown (~£6). Then transfer to Cairo International for departure.
🚌Domestic flight Hurghada–Cairo (~£35–60) or coach (~£8–12), airport transfer
🛏None (departure day)
- →Flight/bus back to Cairo
- →Optional Khan el-Khalili bazaar stop
- →Airport departure
Self-launched vs. Egypt Skyway Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Egypt Skyway Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£563 | £900 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £337 per person (37%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Egypt Skyway Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£563
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 Discover Egypt Self-Launched: Pyramids, GEM, Aswan, Nile Cruise, Luxor & Hurghada cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £563 per person for 9 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 Skyway Tours?+
Yes — Egypt Skyway Tours charges around £900 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £563 — a saving of roughly £337 (37%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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, beaches 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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