King Tut Egypt Self-Launched: 8 Days Cairo, Luxor, Sleeper Train & Red Sea
8 days · Egypt
Egypt Best Holidays charges £710
No-markup version: ~£418 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, self-launched version of Egypt Best Holidays' "King Tut Egypt: 8 Days" tour — the same route (Cairo & Giza → overnight sleeper train → Luxor east and west banks → Hurghada on the Red Sea → back to Cairo) without the group tour price tag. You'll book your own hotel near the pyramids, ride Egypt's Watania sleeper train to Luxor, hire local guides or self-guided audio at the big sites, use Go Bus/air-conditioned coaches down to the Red Sea, and pick your own optional extras (hot air balloon, diving, snorkelling). Costs are rough backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude international flights; entrance fees for Giza, the Egyptian Museum, Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings are included below.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo, transfer to Giza
Cairo / Giza
Land at Cairo International Airport (CAI) and make your own way to Giza. Cheapest: take the airport shuttle or local bus towards downtown, then a Careem/Uber the last stretch (roughly £4–7 total, ~1 hour). A pre-booked private airport transfer via Klook or GetYourGuide costs about £10–15 if you'd rather have someone waiting with a sign. Check into a budget hotel or guesthouse in the Giza/Nazlet El Semman area with a pyramid-view rooftop — the equivalent of the tour's Pyramids Planet Hotel. Spend the evening acclimatising, grab dinner at a local koshari joint (£2–3) and confirm tomorrow's tickets and sleeper-train booking.
🚌Airport bus + Careem/Uber to Giza (~£4–7) or pre-booked transfer via Klook (~£10–15)
🛏Budget Giza hotel/guesthouse with pyramid-view rooftop (private twin ~£20–28/night, dorm beds ~£8–12)
- →Arrival and check-in
- →Pyramid-view rooftop sunset
- →Koshari dinner in Giza
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Egyptian Museum & overnight sleeper train
Giza → Luxor (sleeper train)
Get to the Giza plateau early (7:30–8am) to beat the heat and crowds. Buy the site ticket at the gate (roughly £11; extra for entering inside a pyramid). Walk the Great Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus, the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple — either self-guided with a good audio app or with a licensed local guide hired at the gate or pre-booked via GetYourGuide (~£20–30 per person for a half-day). In the afternoon, head to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (ticket ~£10) and see the Tutankhamun collection (note the royal mummies have moved to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation). Evening: board the Watania overnight sleeper train from Cairo Ramses station to Luxor (~£60–70 for a single-occupancy cabin including dinner and breakfast — book online at the official Watania site or via a local agent well in advance, cabins sell out). Alternatively take the daytime train or a Go Bus for less.
🚌Uber/Careem around Cairo (~£4) + overnight Watania sleeper train Cairo–Luxor (~£60–70)
🛏Watania sleeper train — single cabin (included in train fare)
- →Great Pyramids of Giza (Cheops, Chephren, Mycerinus)
- →Great Sphinx & Valley Temple
- →Egyptian Museum incl. Tutankhamun galleries
- →Overnight sleeper train to Luxor
Luxor East Bank — Karnak & Luxor Temple
Luxor
Arrive in Luxor mid-morning and check into a budget hotel or guesthouse on the east bank near the corniche or Luxor Temple (many clean private rooms from ~£15–20). Freshen up, then visit Karnak Temple (ticket ~£8) in the late afternoon light — it's a 20-minute walk or a £1 microbus ride from the centre. Follow the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple (ticket ~£6) and stay for sunset when the site is beautifully lit. Hire a local guide or use an audio guide for the history. Dinner on the east bank: grilled fish or a set mezze meal for £4–6.
🚌Local microbus/tuk-tuk around Luxor (~£2 total)
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse, Luxor east bank (private room ~£15–20)
- →Karnak Temple
- →Avenue of Sphinxes walk
- →Luxor Temple at sunset
Luxor West Bank — Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut, then to Hurghada
Luxor → Hurghada
Optional early hot-air balloon flight over the west bank (~£65–80 booked via GetYourGuide or a local operator — the tour's optional extra). Either way, cross the Nile by public ferry (~£0.30) and hire a taxi or join a shared west-bank tour for the morning. Visit the Valley of the Kings (ticket ~£14 for three tombs; extra for Tutankhamun/Ramesses V–VI), the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari (~£6) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). A licensed guide for the west bank runs ~£25–35. In the afternoon take an air-conditioned Go Bus or Blue Bus from Luxor to Hurghada (~4–5 hours, ~£7–10); book online or at the station. Check into a budget hotel in Hurghada, a short walk from the beach.
🚌Public Nile ferry + west-bank taxi (~£8) + Go Bus Luxor–Hurghada (~£7–10)
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Hurghada (~£18–25/night)
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon (~£65–80)
Hurghada — Red Sea day (snorkelling or diving)
Hurghada
A free day on the Red Sea. The best value is a full-day snorkelling or intro-dive boat trip to the Giftun Islands or the reefs offshore — book via GetYourGuide, Klook or your hotel for roughly £25–40 including lunch, gear and hotel pickup. If you'd rather keep it cheap, swim and snorkel from the public beach near the marina (gear rental ~£5) and eat fresh seafood at a local restaurant (£5–8). The tour's hotel dinners are replaced here by your own choice of local eateries.
🚌Local minibus/tuk-tuk (~£2) or included boat-trip pickup
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Hurghada (~£18–25/night)
- →Snorkelling or intro-dive boat trip to Giftun Islands (~£25–40)
- →Beach time on the Red Sea
- →Seafood dinner at the marina
Hurghada — Bedouin desert evening or free day
Hurghada
Second free day. Options: a quad-bike and Bedouin-dinner desert safari (~£25–35 via GetYourGuide/Klook), a kitesurfing taster lesson, or simply a slow beach day and a wander around the old town and fish market. Budget travellers often just relax — Hurghada's public beaches are free and the promenade is good for an evening stroll. Buy snacks and water from a local shop rather than hotel minibars to keep costs down.
🚌Local minibus/tuk-tuk (~£2–3)
🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Hurghada (~£18–25/night)
- →Optional quad-bike & Bedouin dinner safari (~£25–35)
- →Old town and fish market wander
- →Beach relaxation
Hurghada back to Cairo
Hurghada → Cairo / Giza
Take the morning Go Bus or Blue Bus back to Cairo (~6 hours, ~£9–12) — or, if you're short on time, a domestic flight Hurghada–Cairo on EgyptAir/Nile Air (~£45–70 booked ahead). Arrive in Cairo, transfer to your Giza hotel and spend the evening at Khan el-Khalili bazaar for souvenirs, shisha and a cheap dinner (£4–6), or catch the sound-and-light show at the pyramids if you fancy it. Repack and confirm your airport transfer for tomorrow.
🚌Go Bus Hurghada–Cairo (~£9–12) or domestic flight (~£45–70)
🛏Budget Giza hotel/guesthouse (~£20–28/night)
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- →Optional Pyramids sound & light show
- →Final-night dinner in Cairo
Departure from Cairo
Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel, then transfer to Cairo International Airport by Careem/Uber or airport bus (~£4–7) — allow 3 hours before an international flight given Cairo traffic. If you have a late flight, squeeze in one last visit: the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza (check opening hours and ticket availability in advance) or a felucca ride on the Nile (~£5 per person).
🚌Careem/Uber or airport bus to CAI (~£4–7)
🛏—
- →Optional Grand Egyptian Museum visit
- →Optional Nile felucca ride
Self-launched vs. Egypt Best Holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Egypt Best Holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£418 | £710 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £292 per person (41%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Egypt Best Holidays-style trips? Check them out here.~£418
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does King Tut Egypt Self-Launched: 8 Days Cairo, Luxor, Sleeper Train & Red Sea cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £418 per person for 8 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 Best Holidays?+
Yes — Egypt Best Holidays charges around £710 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £418 — a saving of roughly £292 (41%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 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, 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.