Egypt Self-Launched: Cairo, Nile Cruise & Hurghada
9 days · Egypt
Nourbelle Tours charges £1,250
No-markup version: ~£542 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day version of Nourbelle Tours' Cairo–Nile–Hurghada circuit, done independently: budget guesthouses in Cairo, a sleeper train or cheap flight south to Aswan, a small-group-shared 3-night felucca or budget Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor, local trains and shared minibuses on the ground, and a Red Sea beach finish. You book each site ticket yourself (or join a cheap GetYourGuide day tour where a guide really adds value), use Uber/Careem in Cairo instead of private transfers, and swap the all-inclusive Red Sea resort for a Hurghada guesthouse near the beach. Expect early starts — that's true of the original too — but full control over your time and roughly a third of the price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — settle into Downtown
Cairo
Land at Cairo International (CAI). Skip the operator's private airport transfer and either take the airport bus or an Uber/Careem to Downtown Cairo (roughly £4-7). Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel near Talaat Harb / Talat Harb Square. Spend the afternoon acclimatising: walk the Nile Corniche, grab koshari for dinner at Abou Tarek (about £2-3), and buy a local SIM (Vodafone/Orange, ~£5 for data) so you can book Ubers and site tickets. Arrange your Giza day tour tonight for tomorrow or the day after.
🚌Airport bus or Uber/Careem from CAI to Downtown, ~£4-7
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Downtown Cairo (e.g. around Talaat Harb St)
- →Nile Corniche walk
- →Koshari dinner at Abou Tarek
- →Buy local SIM card
Islamic & Coptic Cairo on foot
Cairo
Do the original's Cairo city day independently. Start at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation in Fustat (~£4 entry) to see the royal mummies hall. Then walk or take a short Uber to Coptic Cairo: the Hanging Church, St George Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue and the Coptic Museum (small combined ticket). Break for lunch in Old Cairo. Late afternoon head to Khan el Khalili bazaar for tea at El Fishawy and souvenir browsing. Optionally add a mosque visit (Sultan Hassan or Al-Azhar) — cheap entry, modest dress required. Uber between stops costs £1-2 each.
🚌Uber/Careem between sites, ~£4-6 total
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Downtown Cairo
- →National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation
- →Coptic Cairo: Hanging Church, St George, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Coptic Museum
- →Khan el Khalili bazaar & El Fishawy cafe
- →Optional mosque visit
Pyramids, Sphinx & Grand Egyptian Museum
Giza / Cairo
Full day at Giza. Take an Uber to the Pyramids plateau early (7:30-8am) to beat heat and crowds — entry to the plateau plus one pyramid interior is roughly £12-15. Walk the Sphinx and Valley Temple viewpoints. In the afternoon move to the Grand Egyptian Museum near the pyramids (book tickets online in advance, ~£20-25 for foreigners); allow 3-4 hours. A licensed guide for a half-day Pyramids tour via GetYourGuide costs roughly £25-35 per person if you want context, otherwise read up and self-guide. Evening: dinner in Zamalek.
🚌Uber to Giza and back, ~£5-7 total
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Downtown Cairo
- →Great Pyramids of Giza plateau (Cheops, Chefren, Mykerinus)
- →Sphinx & Valley Temple
- →Grand Egyptian Museum
- →Optional GetYourGuide half-day guide (~£25-35)
Cairo to Aswan — sleeper train or cheap flight
Aswan
Travel south overnight or on an early flight. Options: the Watania sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan (single cabin ~£60-80, book at watania.com or at Ramses station a few days ahead) departing evening and arriving morning; or a one-way budget flight on Nile Air/Air Cairo/EgyptAir from CAI to ASW for roughly £45-70 if booked early. On arrival in Aswan, check into a Nubian guesthouse on Elephantine Island or in the Nubian village (basic but atmospheric, £12-20/night). Freshen up, then take a public ferry to Philae Temple (~£8 entry + boat), or join the sound-and-light show if you like. Book your Nile cruise segment tonight — 3-night Aswan–Luxor budget cruises sell locally for ~£140-220 per person sharing.
🚌Sleeper train Cairo–Aswan ~£60-80 or flight ~£45-70; local ferry £1
🛏Nubian guesthouse, Elephantine Island or West Aswan
- →Watania sleeper train or budget flight south
- →Philae Temple
- →Sunset on the Nile at Aswan
Abu Simbel (optional) & board the Nile cruise — Kom Ombo
Aswan / Kom Ombo
If you want Abu Simbel, do it the independent way: join a shared minibus from Aswan bus station or a GetYourGuide group day trip (~£25-40 including entry) leaving ~4am — it's a long 3.5h each way but far cheaper than the operator's add-on. Otherwise enjoy a slower morning: Aswan souq, felucca sail, or the Nubian village. Board your budget Nile cruise in the afternoon; it sails to Kom Ombo where you visit the double temple of Haroeris and Sobek (~£6 entry) in the late afternoon light. Dinner and Egyptian-themed evening on board.
🚌Shared minibus to Abu Simbel ~£12 transport or GetYourGuide trip; cruise sail
🛏Budget Nile cruise cabin (3 nights Aswan–Luxor)
- →Optional shared-minibus trip to Abu Simbel
- →Aswan souq / felucca
- →Kom Ombo Temple
- →Evening on the cruise
Edfu Temple & into Luxor — Karnak and Luxor Temple
Edfu / Luxor
Early sail to Edfu (or a short caleche ride from the dock) for the Temple of Horus, one of Egypt's best-preserved temples (~£6 entry). Cruise on to Luxor, arriving midday. Disembark and check into a West Bank or city-centre budget hotel (£15-25/night). In the afternoon visit Karnak Temple (~£10) and, as the sun drops, Luxor Temple (~£8) — both are walkable from the corniche and magical at golden hour. Dinner at a local restaurant in Luxor town; a good Nile-side meal runs £5-8.
🚌Nile cruise; walking/local taxi in Luxor ~£3
🛏Budget hotel in Luxor (city centre or West Bank)
- →Edfu Temple of Horus
- →Karnak Temple
- →Luxor Temple at sunset
Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & bus to Hurghada
Luxor / Hurghada
Option: pre-book a hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank via GetYourGuide (~£75-95 — cheaper than the operator's add-on and genuinely worth it). Then cross to the West Bank: Valley of the Kings ticket (~£14 for three tombs), Temple of Hatshepsut (~£7) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). A shared West Bank taxi or bicycle covers the loop cheaply (£5-8). In the late afternoon take the bus to Hurghada — Go Bus or Blue Bus from Luxor station, roughly 4-5 hours, ~£6-9. Arrive in Hurghada and check into a beach-side budget hotel or guesthouse (£20-30/night).
🚌West Bank shared taxi ~£6; Go Bus Luxor–Hurghada ~£6-9
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse near Hurghada beach
- →Optional hot-air balloon (~£75-95)
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Bus to Hurghada
Red Sea day — snorkelling or diving
Hurghada
A full Red Sea day. Book a snorkelling or intro-dive boat trip via GetYourGuide/Klook or directly with a local dive centre — Giftun Island or Paradise Island day trips with lunch and gear run roughly £25-40 per person; an intro scuba dive is ~£45-60. If you'd rather keep costs low, use the public beach or a hotel beach and swim. Alternatively take a shared boat to Mahmya/Giftun independently. Evening: seafood dinner near the marina (£8-12) and an early night before departure.
🚌Local taxi to marina/beach ~£3-5
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse near Hurghada beach
- →Snorkelling boat trip to Giftun/Paradise Island (~£25-40)
- →Optional intro scuba dive
- →Beach time
- →Seafood dinner at the marina
Depart from Hurghada
Hurghada
Breakfast, a last swim, then transfer to Hurghada International Airport (HRG) for your flight home — the original also ends at HRG, so no backtracking to Cairo is needed. A local taxi to the airport is £3-5. If you're flying back via Cairo, add a domestic hop (~£40-60 booked in advance) and allow a comfortable connection. Confirm your e-visa and any exit requirements the day before.
🚌Local taxi to HRG ~£3-5
🛏N/A (departure day)
- →Last beach swim
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Nourbelle Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Nourbelle Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£542 | £1,250 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £708 per person (57%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Nourbelle Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£542
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 Egypt Self-Launched: Cairo, Nile Cruise & Hurghada cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £542 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 Nourbelle Tours?+
Yes — Nourbelle Tours charges around £1,250 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £542 — a saving of roughly £708 (57%) 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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