Off the Beaten Track: Egypt's Pyramids, Alexandria & Fayoum (Self-Launched)
7 days · Egypt
Holiday In charges £565
No-markup version: ~£535 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched take on Holiday In's 7-day Cairo-based loop covering the Giza pyramids, Saqqara, Alexandria's Greco-Roman ruins, Islamic and Coptic Cairo, and a Fayoum desert day. You'll base yourself in a downtown Cairo or Giza guesthouse, use Uber/Careem and the occasional day-hire driver plus the Alexandria train for the day trip, and book individual guides or GetYourGuide experiences only where they actually add value. Expect roughly a quarter to a third of the group-tour price, with far more freedom over your days.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — settle in downtown or Giza
Cairo
Land at Cairo International and make your own way in: Uber/Careem to downtown Cairo is roughly 250-350 EGP (£4-6), or to Giza around 300-400 EGP. Skip the operator airport transfer. Check into a downtown hostel or budget hotel (or a pyramids-view guesthouse in Giza if you want the view). Spend the evening acclimatising — walk the Nile Corniche at sunset, grab koshari from a local chain (Abou Tarek is the classic) for about £2-3, and sort your eSIM and a local SIM if needed. Visa on arrival for most Western passports is US$25 (~£15), payable in cash or card at the airport bank kiosks.
🚌Uber/Careem from CAI airport ~£4-6
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/budget hotel or Giza pyramids-view guesthouse, ~£18-25/night
- →Nile Corniche sunset walk
- →Koshari dinner downtown
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & Saqqara
Giza / Saqqara
Start early (gates open around 8am) to beat the heat and crowds at the Giza plateau. Buy your ticket at the gate — roughly 540 EGP for the plateau plus extra for entering inside Khufu's pyramid if you want it. Walk or take a short camel/horse cart ride to the Sphinx viewpoint and the Valley Temple. In the afternoon, Uber to Saqqara (about 45-60 minutes, £6-8) for the Step Pyramid of Zoser and the wider necropolis — a local guide at the gate typically costs £15-20 for two hours and is well worth it for context. Hire a guide for Giza via GetYourGuide from around £25-35 per person if you want structure, or self-guide with a good audio app. Optional evening: Sound & Light show at the pyramids (book direct, ~£20).
🚌Uber to Giza ~£3, Uber to Saqqara ~£7, return ~£7
🛏Same Cairo/Giza base
- →Great Pyramids of Giza (Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure)
- →Great Sphinx & Valley Temple
- →Necropolis of Saqqara & Step Pyramid of Zoser
- →Optional Sound & Light show
Alexandria day trip by train
Alexandria
Take an early morning train from Cairo Ramses or Sidi Gaber — the air-conditioned Spanish-built express takes about 2h15 and costs roughly 150-250 EGP (£2-3) each way; book at the station or via the Egyptian National Railways app a day ahead. In Alexandria, use the tram or Uber between sites: Pompey's Pillar, the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa (a highlight — go early), the Qaitbay Citadel on the harbour, and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (check opening hours; closed some afternoons). Lunch on fresh seafood near the corniche for £5-8. Take a late-afternoon train back to Cairo.
🚌Return train Cairo–Alexandria ~£5-6, local tram/Uber ~£5
🛏Same Cairo/Giza base
- →Pompey's Pillar
- →Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa
- →Qaitbay Citadel
- →Bibliotheca Alexandrina
Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo & Coptic Cairo
Cairo
Morning at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square (ticket ~450 EGP) — go at opening to see the Tutankhamun galleries before tour groups arrive. Walk or short Uber to the Citadel of Salah El Din for the Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque and city views, then descend into Khan El Khalili for the afternoon — haggle gently, drink mint tea at El Fishawy. Late afternoon, Uber to Coptic Cairo (Mar Girgis metro stop) for the Hanging Church, Church of Abu Serga, St Barbara and the Ben Ezra Synagogue — all clustered together and mostly free or donation-based. Optional evening: felucca sail on the Nile (~£8-12 for an hour, negotiate) or a dinner Nile cruise (~£25-35 booked direct).
🚌Uber/metro across the city ~£5
🛏Same Cairo/Giza base
- →Egyptian Museum
- →Citadel of Salah El Din & Mohamed Ali Mosque
- →Khan El Khalili bazaar
- →Coptic Cairo churches & Ben Ezra Synagogue
- →Optional felucca ride
Fayoum: Wadi Al Rayan & desert dunes
Fayoum
Fayoum is easiest with a shared day-hire car and driver (around £35-45 for the vehicle, split between 2-4 people) — arrange via your hostel or a local driver the day before. Head to Wadi Al Rayan National Park for the Magic Lake and the waterfalls, then out to the Tunis village area or the dunes near Gebel Modawara for sandboarding (board rental ~£5-8 from local operators; note some travellers report the sandboarding is low-key, so set expectations and ask your driver to take you to the actual dunes). Lunch at a Tunis village pottery/craft café. Back to Cairo by early evening.
🚌Shared day-hire car and driver ~£20-25 per person
🛏Same Cairo/Giza base
- →Wadi Al Rayan National Park
- →Magic Lake
- →Sandboarding on desert dunes
- →Tunis village pottery cafés
Grand Egyptian Museum or Red Sea snorkelling (your choice)
Giza / Ain Sokhna
The original tour leaves this day open — use it how you like. Option A: the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza (book timed tickets online in advance, ~£25-30) plus the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation in Fustat (~£8) — a full, brilliant day. Option B: a day trip to Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea for snorkelling — book a GetYourGuide/Klook day tour from around £35-45 including transport and gear, or take a bus and arrange a local boat. Option C: slow day — Cairo's cafés, a hammam, and last-minute souvenir shopping at Wekalet El Ghouri. Pack in the evening for departure.
🚌Uber within Cairo ~£5, or Ain Sokhna tour transport included
🛏Same Cairo/Giza base
- →Grand Egyptian Museum (optional)
- →National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (optional)
- →Ain Sokhna snorkelling day trip (optional)
- →Khan El Khalili last-minute shopping
Depart Cairo
Cairo
Breakfast at the hotel or a local ahwa, then Uber/Careem to Cairo International (allow 3 hours before an international flight given Cairo traffic). No group transfer needed — the ride is £4-6. If your flight is late, store bags at the hotel and squeeze in one last walk along the Nile.
🚌Uber/Careem to CAI airport ~£4-6
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. Holiday In
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Holiday In | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£535 | £565 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £30 per person (5%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Holiday In-style trips? Check them out here.~£535
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 Off the Beaten Track: Egypt's Pyramids, Alexandria & Fayoum (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £535 per person for 7 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 Holiday In?+
Yes — Holiday In charges around £565 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £535 — a saving of roughly £30 (5%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 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, budget, adventure 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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