Egypt Treasures: Self-Launched Pyramids, Nile & Desert Safari
9 days · Egypt
AB Voyages Egypt charges £1,050
No-markup version: ~£580 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A do-it-yourself version of AB Voyages Egypt's 9-day "Egypt Treasures" loop: the Pyramids and Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, an overnight sleeper train south, Philae Temple and a felucca sail on the Nile, Kom Ombo, Karnak and Luxor temples, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's terraced temple, then two days in the Bahariya Oasis camping under the stars in the White Desert and crossing the Black Desert and Crystal Mountain. Everything is bookable independently: sleeper trains between Cairo, Aswan and Luxor, local buses and shared 4x4s in the desert, and self-bookable guides via GetYourGuide or directly at each site. Estimated costs are rough backpacker/mid-range rates in GBP and exclude international flights and the Egypt e-visa (approx £20-25, bought online before travel).
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo & ease in
Cairo
Land at Cairo International Airport and take a pre-booked airport transfer or the public bus/Uber into downtown (Uber is cheap and reliable, roughly £4-6 to Downtown or Zamalek). Check into a downtown hostel or budget hotel near Tahrir Square — a private room with air-con costs about £15-22, a dorm bed £7-10. Spend the afternoon acclimatising: walk the Nile Corniche, grab koshari (Egypt's cheap national dish, about £1.50) and pick up a local SIM from Vodafone or Orange at the airport or downtown for data and Uber. Book your sleeper train ticket for tomorrow evening in person at Ramses Station or via the Watania Sleeping Trains website.
🚌Airport transfer or Uber/bus to Downtown (~£4-6)
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel or budget hotel, private room (~£15-22)
- →Nile Corniche walk
- →Koshari dinner downtown
- →Buy local SIM card
- →Book sleeper train ticket at Ramses Station
Pyramids, Sphinx & Egyptian Museum, then night train south
Cairo to Aswan
Get to Giza early (Uber from Downtown, about £4) before the heat and crowds. Entry to the Giza plateau is around £12 for foreigners; the Great Pyramid interior and the Sphinx viewing area are separate small tickets. Skip the camel touts and walk the plateau between the pyramids instead. In the afternoon head to the Egyptian Museum at Tahrir (entry around £10) or the newer Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza if you prefer — check opening days and pre-book tickets online via Klook or the museum's own site. A self-booked half-day licensed guide via GetYourGuide costs around £25-35 if you want context; otherwise use an audio guide app. Collect your bags and board the overnight Watania sleeper train from Ramses Station to Aswan (departs around 20:00-21:00), booked in a private twin cabin for about £60-75 one way (single supplement applies; shared four-berth is cheaper).
🚌Uber to Giza (~£4); Watania sleeper train Cairo-Aswan (~£60-75)
🛏Overnight sleeper train, private twin cabin
- →Great Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx plateau
- →Optional Great Pyramid interior entry
- →Egyptian Museum (or Grand Egyptian Museum)
- →Overnight sleeper train to Aswan
Aswan: Philae Temple & Nubian village
Aswan
Arrive in Aswan in the morning and check into a guesthouse on the Nile or in the Nubian village of Gharb Soheil (private room around £15-20, dorm £7-10). Rest, then take a local boat across to Agilkia Island to see Philae Temple (entry around £9 plus a shared boat crossing of £3-5). In the afternoon take a public ferry or shared boat to a Nubian village on Elephantine Island or the West Bank for tea, colourful houses and cheap local food — the organised 'Nubian village tour' costs £25-35 but a self-arranged boat and village wander achieves the same for under £10. Evening: stroll the Aswan Corniche and the Nubian Souk for spices and handicrafts.
🚌Local boats and microbuses (~£8-10)
🛏Aswan guesthouse, private room with Nile view (~£15-20)
- →Philae Temple by local boat
- →Nubian village visit on Elephantine or West Bank
- →Aswan Corniche and Nubian Souk
- →Felafel and grilled fish dinner
Abu Simbel option, felucca & Kom Ombo to Luxor
Aswan to Luxor
If you want Abu Simbel, join a shared minibus convoy departing around 04:00 (about £30-40 including entry, bookable the night before through any Aswan hotel or GetYourGuide) — it's a long but worthwhile morning. Otherwise sleep in and take a half-day felucca sail on the Nile (a private 2-3 hour sail costs about £20-30 per boat, split between travellers; the operator version is 'private felucca' but any Aswan captain will take you). Late morning head north by local train or minibus to Kom Ombo (train about £2-3, roughly 45 minutes), visit the twin temple of Sobek and Horus the Elder (entry around £7), then continue to Luxor by train (about £4-6, 2 hours) or shared minibus. Check into a budget hotel on the East Bank near Luxor Temple (private room around £18-25, dorm £8-12).
🚌Shared minibus to Abu Simbel or felucca; train Aswan-Kom Ombo-Luxor (~£7-9)
🛏Luxor East Bank budget hotel, private room (~£18-25)
- →Optional Abu Simbel shared minibus tour
- →Half-day Nile felucca sail
- →Kom Ombo Temple
- →Train to Luxor
Karnak & Luxor Temples
Luxor
Start at Karnak Temple (entry around £10) when the gates open around 06:00-07:00 to beat the heat — it's a 20-minute walk or £2 microbus ride from the East Bank. Cross town to Luxor Temple (entry around £8) in the late afternoon when the stone glows gold, and consider staying for the floodlit evening. Optional add-ons: the Karnak Sound & Light Show (about £20, book online) or, if you're an early riser, a sunrise hot air balloon over the West Bank — book via GetYourGuide or directly with a local operator for around £70-90, far cheaper than the tour add-on. Browse the Luxor Museum (£8) or the Mummification Museum (£6) if you have energy left.
🚌Microbus, local taxi or bike hire (~£6)
🛏Luxor East Bank budget hotel, private room (~£18-25)
- →Karnak Temple at opening time
- →Luxor Temple at golden hour
- →Optional Karnak Sound & Light Show
- →Optional sunrise hot air balloon over the West Bank
West Bank: Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut, night train to Cairo
Luxor to Cairo
Cross the Nile by public ferry (about 25p) and hire a bicycle (about £3/day) or shared microbus to cover the West Bank. Buy the Valley of the Kings ticket (around £15 for three tombs, Tutankhamun's tomb extra) and go early — tombs close by early afternoon. Continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari (about £8) and stop at the Colossi of Memnon for free. Lunch at a local West Bank cafe (about £4). Return to the East Bank, collect bags and board the overnight Watania sleeper train from Luxor to Cairo (departs around 21:00-22:00, private twin cabin about £60-75).
🚌Public ferry, bike/microbus (~£6); sleeper train Luxor-Cairo (~£60-75)
🛏Overnight sleeper train, private twin cabin
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →West Bank by bike or shared microbus
- →Overnight sleeper train to Cairo
Cairo to Bahariya Oasis & White Desert camp
Bahariya Oasis / White Desert
Arrive in Cairo early and connect to the Upper Egypt Bus Co. or Go Bus service from Cairo Gateway (Turgoman) station to Bahariya Oasis (about £5-7, 4-5 hours, morning departure). Alternatively pre-book a 2-day White Desert safari with a Bahariya-based operator (around £70-100 per person including 4x4, guide, meals and camp) — this is the same experience the tour sells as an 'included activity'. Stop for a swim at the Bawaiti spring, then head into the White Desert for sunset among the chalk mushroom formations. Dinner is a traditional Bedouin meal cooked over the fire and you sleep in a basic tent or under the stars — bring a warm layer, it gets cold at night.
🚌Public bus Cairo-Bahariya (~£5-7); 4x4 desert safari
🛏Bedouin camp tent or under-the-stars camp in the White Desert (~£25-35 incl. meals via safari package)
- →Bus to Bahariya Oasis
- →Bawaiti cold spring swim
- →White Desert sunset and rock formations
- →Bedouin dinner and desert camping
Black Desert, Crystal Mountain & return to Cairo
Bahariya Oasis to Cairo
Breakfast at camp, then drive through the Black Desert's volcanic dolerite hills, stop at the Crystal Mountain (a quartz ridge you can walk through) and the Valley of Agabat's surreal white sands. Return to Bahariya village by early afternoon and catch the public bus or shared minibus back to Cairo (about £5-7, arrives evening). Check back into your Downtown Cairo hostel or hotel (around £15-22). Cheap dinner in the Khan el-Khalili area — grilled meats and fresh juice for under £5.
🚌4x4 within safari; public bus Bahariya-Cairo (~£5-7)
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel or budget hotel, private room (~£15-22)
- →Black Desert viewpoint
- →Crystal Mountain
- →Valley of Agabat
- →Bus back to Cairo
- →Evening at Khan el-Khalili
Old Cairo & departure
Cairo
Spend the morning exploring Old Cairo independently: the Hanging Church, Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church, the Ben Ezra Synagogue and the mosques of Islamic Cairo around Al-Muizz Street — all free or a few pounds to enter. Wander the Khan el-Khalili bazaar for souvenirs and mint tea at El Fishawy cafe. If your flight is late, pre-book a day room or use a hostel luggage store (about £5). Uber to Cairo International Airport (about £5-7) for your departure — leave 3 hours before an international flight given Cairo traffic.
🚌Uber to airport (~£5-7)
🛏Day room or luggage storage (or onward flight)
- →Old Cairo churches and synagogue
- →Al-Muizz Street and Islamic Cairo
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar and El Fishawy cafe
- →Uber to airport
Self-launched vs. AB Voyages Egypt
| This itinerary (self-launched) | AB Voyages Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£580 | £1,050 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £470 per person (45%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more AB Voyages Egypt-style trips? Check them out here.~£580
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 Treasures: Self-Launched Pyramids, Nile & Desert Safari cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £580 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 AB Voyages Egypt?+
Yes — AB Voyages Egypt charges around £1,050 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £580 — a saving of roughly £470 (45%) 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 adventure, culture, 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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