Self-Launched Nile Valley: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan & Abu Simbel by Sleeper Train
7 days · Egypt
Egypt Gift Tours charges £850
No-markup version: ~£520 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 7-day self-launched version of Egypt Gift Tours' 4-night Nile cruise and Abu Simbel package. Instead of a guided cruise cabin, you ride the same overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor, base yourself in budget guesthouses and hotels in Luxor and Aswan, and use locally booked day tours, shared minibuses and public transport to hit the same headline sights: Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Abu Simbel and Philae. You lose the ship's sundeck and included meals, but you gain total flexibility and pay roughly half the operator's price. Costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP; Egypt's tipping culture (baksheesh) deserves its own small cash budget.
Day-by-day
Cairo to Luxor by overnight sleeper train
Cairo / Luxor
Spend the day in Cairo seeing what the tour skips — the Pyramids of Giza and the Egyptian Museum are a cheap taxi or metro ride from downtown. Arrange an e-visa before you fly (about £25) and sort your Ramadan/seasonal train tickets early. In the evening head to Ramses Station for the Watania sleeper train to Luxor (departs around 20:00-21:00, arriving early morning). Book a single cabin or share a double cabin — book via the Watania Sleeping Trains site or at the station a few days ahead. Buy snacks and water at the station; dinner on board is included in the sleeper fare but is basic.
🚌Watania sleeper train Cairo Ramses to Luxor, approx £45-60 one way for a single cabin
🛏Overnight sleeper train cabin (Watania)
- →Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx (self-guided, ~£7 entry)
- →Egyptian Museum, Tahrir Square (~£4)
- →Khan el-Khalili evening wander
Luxor: Karnak and Luxor Temple
Luxor
Arrive Luxor early morning and check into a guesthouse on the West Bank or near Luxor Temple. Drop your bags, have a proper Egyptian breakfast (ful, ta'ameya, tea) and head to Karnak Temple — go early to beat heat and crowds, entry around £7. In the afternoon explore Luxor Temple, which is stunning lit up after sunset (entry ~£6). The two temples are linked by the Avenue of Sphinxes, a pleasant 3km walk. A local licensed guide for a half-day is around £20-30 if you want context; otherwise a good guidebook or audio app covers the essentials.
🚌Public microbus/taxi from station to hotel, ~£1-2; local walking and taxis
🛏West Bank guesthouse, private room (~£15/night)
- →Karnak Temple complex
- →Luxor Temple (evening light is best)
- →Avenue of Sphinxes walk
Luxor West Bank: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Memnon
Luxor
Take the public ferry across the Nile (a few pence) and hire a bike or share a taxi with other travellers for the West Bank circuit. Start at the Valley of the Kings at opening (entry ~£10 including three tombs; Tutankhamun's tomb costs extra). Then the striking terraced Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut (~£6) and a quick photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon. Add the Valley of the Queens or Medinet Habu if you have energy. Optional sunset hot-air balloon the next morning can be booked on GetYourGuide for around £70-90.
🚌Public ferry across Nile plus shared taxi or bike hire on West Bank, ~£5
🛏West Bank guesthouse, private room (~£15/night)
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon photo stop
Train to Edfu and Kom Ombo, on to Aswan
Edfu / Kom Ombo / Aswan
Take an early local train or shared minibus from Luxor to Edfu (roughly 1.5 hours). From Edfu town, a shared horse carriage or tuk-tuk takes you to the Temple of Horus (~£2-3 with a bit of haggling). Continue south by train to Kom Ombo (about an hour) and visit the twin temple of Sobek and Haroeris right beside the station (~£5). Catch the late afternoon train onward to Aswan (about 1.5 hours, ~£4-6 in 2nd class). Check into a Nubian guesthouse or budget hotel near the Corniche.
🚌Luxor-Edfu train, Edfu-Kom Ombo train, Kom Ombo-Aswan train, total approx £12-15
🛏Aswan budget hotel or Nubian guesthouse (~£15/night)
- →Temple of Horus, Edfu
- →Kom Ombo double temple
Abu Simbel day trip
Abu Simbel / Aswan
The classic option is the shared convoy minibus from Aswan, leaving around 4am and returning mid-afternoon (~£15-20 per person booked at any Aswan hotel or on GetYourGuide, entry ~£11 extra). Alternatively fly with EgyptAir if you want a later start. Spend two to three hours at the rock-cut temples of Ramses II and Nefertari — go early for the light. Back in Aswan in the afternoon, rest, then take a felucca sail at sunset (~£5-8 shared, or ~£15 private for an hour).
🚌Shared minibus convoy Aswan-Abu Simbel return, ~£17
🛏Aswan budget hotel or Nubian guesthouse (~£15/night)
- →Abu Simbel temples
- →Sunset felucca on the Nile
Aswan: Philae Temple and High Dam, sleeper train to Cairo
Aswan / Cairo
Morning visit to Philae Temple (Temple of Isis) — take a local taxi or microbus to the boat dock and a small motorboat across (~£3-5 split), entry ~£6. Optionally stop at the Aswan High Dam viewpoint (~£2). Spend the afternoon in the Nubian village on Elephantine Island via public ferry, or wander the Aswan souk for spices and textiles. In the evening board the Watania sleeper train back to Cairo (around 17:30-18:30 departure, arriving Cairo early next morning, ~£45-60).
🚌Local taxis/boats ~£5; Aswan-Cairo sleeper train ~£50
🛏Overnight sleeper train cabin (Watania)
- →Philae Temple (Temple of Isis) by motorboat
- →Aswan High Dam
- →Elephantine Island and Nubian village
Arrive Cairo
Cairo
The train rolls into Cairo early morning. Breakfast on board or grab koshari at a downtown shop. If your flight is later, drop bags at your hotel or a luggage store and visit Islamic Cairo (Khan el-Khalili, Al-Azhar, the Citadel) or Coptic Cairo before heading to the airport. Metro to the airport area is cheap; a taxi or Uber is around £6-10.
🚌Airport taxi or Uber ~£8
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional Islamic or Coptic Cairo wander
- →Koshari breakfast
Self-launched vs. Egypt Gift Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Egypt Gift Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£520 | £850 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £330 per person (39%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Egypt Gift Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£520
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 Nile Valley: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan & Abu Simbel by Sleeper Train cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £520 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 Egypt Gift Tours?+
Yes — Egypt Gift Tours charges around £850 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £520 — a saving of roughly £330 (39%) 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, adventure, budget 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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