Self-Launched Cairo, Luxor & Aswan: Pyramids to Philae in 5 Days
5 days · Egypt
Holiday In charges £690
No-markup version: ~£450 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Holiday In's 5-day Cairo–Luxor–Aswan group tour: Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae — booked independently using budget hotels, a cheap domestic flight, local trains and shared minivans, and self-bookable guides. The commercial tour costs around US$875 (~£690) per person; doing it yourself lands at roughly £430–£470 including the same headline sights, with the option to add the Luxor balloon flight or Abu Simbel. All figures are approximate and vary with season and how hard you shop around.
Day-by-day
Land in Cairo, ease into Giza
Cairo / Giza
Fly into Cairo International (or Sphinx Airport) and take an Uber or Careem to a budget hotel in Giza with a pyramid view — guesthouses on Sphinx Street often have rooftop terraces overlooking the plateau for £15–25/night. Avoid the taxi touts inside arrivals; the ride-hailing app costs around £4–6. Spend the afternoon gently: walk down to the Sphinx viewpoint at sunset, grab koshari (Egypt's cheap national dish, £1.50–2) for dinner and buy a local eSIM or SIM from Vodafone at the airport. Sort out your visa beforehand — e-visa online is around £20 and far smoother than queuing on arrival.
🚌Airport transfer by Uber/Careem ~£4–6; airport SIM/eSIM £5–8
🛏Budget guesthouse/hotel in Giza with pyramid view (e.g. Sphinx Street or Nazlet El-Semman), £15–25/night
- →Sphinx viewpoint at sunset
- →Koshari dinner in Nazlet El-Semman
- →Buy local SIM and set up Cairo transport apps
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
Cairo / Giza
Start early (gate opens ~8am) to beat the heat and the crowds at Giza. Entry to the plateau is about £3–4, with extra tickets for going inside the Great Pyramid of Cheops or the Pyramid of Chephren (£7–8 each). Book a licensed local guide for a half-day via GetYourGuide for £25–35 (split between two people it drops to ~£15 each) — or do it self-launched with a good guidebook. Ride a camel or horse only through official stables if you want it, and agree the price in writing first. After lunch at a local restaurant (£4–6), take a Careem to the Grand Egyptian Museum (£15–18 entry, book a timed slot online in advance), which you can comfortably cover in 3–4 hours. Finish the day browsing Khan el-Khalili bazaar in the evening for cheap souvenirs and mint tea (£2).
🚌Careem between Giza, GEM and Khan el-Khalili ~£4–6 total
🛏Same Giza guesthouse, £15–25/night
- →Giza Plateau and Great Pyramid of Cheops
- →Pyramids of Chephren and Mykerinos
- →Close-up of the Sphinx
- →Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
Fly to Luxor and tour the West Bank
Luxor
Take an early EgyptAir or Nile Air flight from Cairo to Luxor (~£55–70 one-way, 1h15; book 3–4 weeks ahead for the cheapest fares — the overnight sleeper train is a £35–45 alternative but eats a night). Drop bags at a budget hotel near Luxor Temple (Rezeiky-style options or West Bank guesthouses £15–25). Hire a local guide/driver for the West Bank for the afternoon — a half-day car with driver is about £20–30 and can be split. Entry to the Valley of the Kings is ~£12 and includes three tombs (Tutankhamun's tomb is extra); Deir el-Bahari/Temple of Hatshepsut ~£4; Colossi of Memnon are free roadside stops. Late afternoon, cross back to the East Bank for Luxor Temple (~£5) and the Avenue of Sphinxes at dusk.
🚌Cairo–Luxor domestic flight ~£60; local car and driver half-day ~£25 (split if travelling with others)
🛏Budget hotel in Luxor near the temples or a West Bank guesthouse, £15–25/night
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Luxor Temple and Avenue of Sphinxes
Karnak at dawn, then Edfu and Kom Ombo to Aswan
Luxor to Aswan
Optional but highly recommended: a sunrise hot air balloon over the West Bank, bookable through GetYourGuide or local operators for £70–90 — worth it if your budget stretches. Otherwise, start at Karnak Temple when gates open (~6am in summer), around £7 entry, and walk the Hypostyle Hall and the granite statue of Ramses the Great in relative peace and cool air. Then travel south to Aswan: the cheapest option is the local train to Edfu (~£3, 1.5h) or a shared minivan; a private car with driver for Edfu–Kom Ombo–Aswan is ~£45–60 and lets you stop easily. Edfu Temple entry ~£4, Kom Ombo ~£3. Arrive Aswan in the evening; have a cheap dinner of grilled fish or fuul by the Corniche (£5) and stay in a budget hotel or Nubian guesthouse in the city centre (£15–25).
🚌Train/microbus Luxor–Edfu ~£3–5, or private car Edfu–Kom Ombo–Aswan ~£50 total
🛏Budget hotel or Nubian guesthouse in central Aswan, £15–25/night
- →Karnak Temple complex, Hypostyle Hall and granite Ramses statues
- →Edfu Temple of Horus
- →Kom Ombo Temple
- →Optional: sunrise hot air balloon over Luxor (~£70–90)
Aswan High Dam, Philae Temple and return to Cairo
Aswan / Cairo
Early start for Philae Temple — take a taxi to the boat jetty and a short motorboat across (~£3–5 return), entry ~£5; it's gorgeous in morning light. Then the Aswan High Dam viewpoint (~£2). If you have a late flight, the Abu Simbel option is genuinely doable self-launched: a shared minibus leaves Aswan around 4am and returns by early afternoon for ~£20–30 per person plus ~£10 entry — but only attempt it if your onward flight is in the evening. Otherwise, fly Aswan–Cairo (~£50–65, 1h20) and connect home from Cairo or Sphinx Airport. If you need the full day, an extra night in Aswan runs £15–25.
🚌Aswan taxis and motorboat to Philae ~£8; Aswan–Cairo flight ~£55–65
🛏None included — onward flight from Cairo (add an Aswan night if needed, £15–25)
- →Philae Temple by boat
- →Aswan High Dam
- →Optional: Abu Simbel Temples shared minibus (~£20–30 plus entry)
Self-launched vs. Holiday In
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Holiday In | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£450 | £690 |
| Duration | 5 days | 5 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £240 per person (35%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Holiday In-style trips? Check them out here.~£450
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 Self-Launched Cairo, Luxor & Aswan: Pyramids to Philae in 5 Days cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £450 per person for 5 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 £690 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £450 — a saving of roughly £240 (35%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 5 days, covering 5 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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