Wonders of the Pharaohs: Self-Launched 10-Day Cairo, Aswan & Luxor
10 days · Egypt
Ancient Egypt Tours charges £1,260
No-markup version: ~£745 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of the classic Cairo–Aswan–Luxor pyramid-and-temple circuit. You'll see the same headline sights — Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Philae, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Saqqara/Dahshur and Islamic/Coptic Cairo — but you book your own budget hotels, use Egypt's cheap sleeper train and local transport, and pick up licensed guides or small-group day tours only where you actually want them. Costs here are rough per-person backpacker/mid-budget estimates and exclude international flights; licensed Egyptologist guides for full days typically add £30–60 per day shared between 2–4 people.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — land, settle, first taste of the city
Cairo
Fly into Cairo International, get your visa on arrival (USD 25 / ~£20, card or cash at the bank window before immigration), pick up a local SIM from Vodafone or Orange at the airport (~£8–12 for data), and take a Careem/Uber to your hotel in Giza or Downtown (~£4–7). Book a mid-range Giza guesthouse or Downtown budget hotel with a rooftop view of the pyramids from £15–22 a night for a twin/dorm. Spend the late afternoon wandering the Khan el-Khalili edges or just recovering; eat koshari at a local chain like Abou Tarek (~£2.50). If you want, book a Nile dinner cruise via GetYourGuide (~£18–25) instead of the tour's USD 50 optional.
🚌Careem/Uber from CAI airport ~£5
🛏Giza or Downtown budget hotel / guesthouse (private twin ~£18)
- →Airport transfer by Careem/Uber
- →Local SIM card
- →Evening koshari dinner
- →Optional Nile dinner cruise (GetYourGuide)
Giza pyramids, Sphinx & the Grand Egyptian Museum
Cairo / Giza
Get up early to beat the heat and crowds — gates open around 8am. Take a Careem to the Giza plateau (~£3) and buy your ticket at the gate (~£12; extra for entering inside a pyramid, ~£10–20). Walk the plateau on your own or with a licensed guide arranged through your hotel for 2–3 hours (~£25 shared). Then head to the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza — book timed tickets online in advance (~£22); the Tutankhamun galleries and Khufu solar boat are extraordinary. Afternoon: sleeper train overnight to Aswan. Buy the Watania (Egyptian National Railways) sleeper ticket online in advance — single cabin ~£60–75, shared double ~£40 pp. Eat dinner at the station cafe or on board (~£6). Note the GEM's opening hours and whether the full galleries are open when you book.
🚌Careem to Giza ~£3; sleeper train Giza/Cairo → Aswan ~£40–65
🛏Overnight on Watania sleeper train (single cabin ~£65 / shared ~£40)
- →Giza plateau self-guided visit (ticket ~£12)
- →Optional pyramid interior entry
- →Grand Egyptian Museum (timed ticket ~£22)
- →Overnight sleeper train to Aswan
Aswan — High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk & Philae Temple by felucca
Aswan
The sleeper arrives in Aswan around 9–10am. Check into a budget hotel or guesthouse on the Corniche or Elephantine Island (~£15–20 private, ~£8 dorm) and leave your bag. Take a local minibus or Careem to the High Dam (~£2) and the Unfinished Obelisk quarry (~£3 entry). In the late afternoon take a public motorboat or haggle a felucca from the Corniche to Agilkia Island for Philae Temple (~£5–8 return boat, ~£8 entry) — time it for the last hour of daylight or the sound-and-light show if you like (~£18 via your hotel). Dinner at a Nubian restaurant near the Corniche, ~£6.
🚌Arrive by sleeper train; local minibus/Careem to dam ~£2; boat to Agilkia ~£7
🛏Aswan budget hotel / guesthouse on Corniche or Elephantine (~£18)
- →High Dam
- →Unfinished Obelisk quarry
- →Philae Temple by felucca/motorboat
- →Sunset on the Nile
- →Optional Philae Sound & Light show
Aswan free day — Abu Simbel or Nubian village
Aswan
Choose your own adventure. Option A: join a shared minibus convoy to Abu Simbel, leaving around 4am and back by early afternoon (~£25–35 through your hotel, plus ~£12 entry) — Ramses II's temples are the trip's biggest wow. Option B: take the public ferry to Elephantine Island and walk to Aswan's Nubian villages (~£1 ferry), or a boat to a Nubian village with tea and lunch (~£15). Afternoon: Aswan Museum, the Tombs of the Nobles, or just sit in a riverside cafe with mint tea. Book your onward transport: the morning train or a shared minibus to Luxor tomorrow.
🚌Local ferry ~£1; optional Abu Simbel minibus ~£30
🛏Aswan budget hotel / guesthouse (~£18)
- →Shared minibus to Abu Simbel (optional, ~£25–35)
- →Nubian village boat trip (optional)
- →Elephantine Island walk
- →Riverside cafe afternoon
Aswan → Luxor — Karnak and Luxor Temples
Luxor
Take the morning train from Aswan to Luxor (2nd class ~£6–9, first class ~£12, 3–3.5 hrs), or a shared minibus. Check into a guesthouse in Luxor's East Bank near the Corniche (~£15–20 private, ~£8 dorm) and rent a bike (~£4/day) or rely on Careem. Late afternoon visit Karnak Temple (~£10 entry) — arrive around 3pm for softer light and fewer crowds — then walk the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple (~£8) as it lights up. Dinner on the East Bank, ~£6. If you want a guide for Karnak/Luxor, arrange one through your hotel (~£25 shared).
🚌Train Aswan → Luxor ~£8; bike or Careem locally ~£4
🛏Luxor East Bank guesthouse (~£18)
- →Train Aswan → Luxor
- →Karnak Temple
- →Avenue of Sphinxes walk
- →Luxor Temple at sunset
West Bank — Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & Colossi of Memnon
Luxor
Cross the Nile by public ferry (~£0.50) and hire a local taxi or microbus for the West Bank loop for the day (~£12–15 split). Valley of the Kings entry (~£14, includes 3 tombs; Tutankhamun's tomb extra ~£10; KV17 Seti I extra) — go at opening (6am in summer, 7am in winter). Then Queen Hatshepsut's temple (~£7) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). Optional extras: Valley of the Queens (~£6), Medinet Habu (~£5), or the Luxor Museum back on the East Bank (~£5). Afternoon shopping in the Luxor souk. Catch the overnight sleeper train back to Cairo (~£40–65 shared/single) departing around 9–10pm; buy dinner at the station or hotel.
🚌Public ferry ~£0.50; West Bank taxi ~£13 shared; sleeper Luxor → Cairo ~£50
🛏Overnight on Watania sleeper train (~£40–65)
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Optional Valley of the Queens / Medinet Habu
- →Luxor souk shopping
- →Overnight sleeper train to Cairo
Back in Cairo — Coptic Cairo & the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
Cairo
Train arrives in Cairo in the morning. Check back into a Giza/Downtown budget hotel (~£18). Take the metro (2–5 EGP a ride, ~£0.20–0.40) to Mar Girgis for Coptic Cairo — walk Babylon Fortress, the Hanging Church, St Barbara, St Sergius and Ben Ezra Synagogue (all free or donation). Continue to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Fustat (~£8), home of the Royal Mummies hall — genuinely unmissable. In the evening, visit Amr Ibn El-Aas Mosque (free) and eat at a Fustat or Downtown local restaurant (~£6).
🚌Sleeper arrival; metro fares ~£1 total; Careem ~£4
🛏Giza or Downtown budget hotel (~£18)
- →Coptic Cairo churches and Ben Ezra Synagogue
- →National Museum of Egyptian Civilization + Royal Mummies
- →Amr Ibn El-Aas Mosque
- →Metro ride experience
Day trip to Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur
Cairo / Saqqara
Book a shared small-group day tour to Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£35–50, or ~£20 with a private driver split between 3–4 people), or DIY with a Careem to Saqqara (~£12) and local taxis between sites. See the Step Pyramid of Zoser and Imhotep Museum (ticket ~£10), the tombs of Ti and Unas at Saqqara (~£5 each), Memphis with the alabaster sphinx and Ramses II statue (~£4), then Dahshur for the Red Pyramid (walk inside — free interior, ~£4 site ticket) and the Bent Pyramid (~£4). Back in Cairo by late afternoon for dinner (~£6).
🚌Shared day tour or Careem + local taxis ~£30
🛏Giza or Downtown budget hotel (~£18)
- →Step Pyramid of Zoser & Imhotep Museum
- →Saqqara noble tombs
- →Memphis open-air museum
- →Dahshur Red & Bent Pyramids
Islamic Cairo — Citadel, mosques and Al-Muizz Street
Cairo
Take the metro or Careem to the Citadel of Salah El-Din (~£7 entry) for the Mohamed Ali Alabaster Mosque and panoramic city views. Then walk down to Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifai mosques (~£4 combined). Continue into Al-Muizz Street — Bab El Fetouh, El Aqmar Mosque, Qalawoon complex, Bayt El Sehaymi (~£4–6 combined) — either self-guided with a good map or on a cheap walking tour (~£15). Finish at Khan el-Khalili bazaar for souvenirs, mint tea at El Fishawy (~£2) and dinner (~£6). Dress modestly and carry small cash for tickets.
🚌Metro or Careem ~£4
🛏Giza or Downtown budget hotel (~£18)
- →Citadel & Alabaster Mosque
- →Sultan Hassan & Al-Rifai mosques
- →Al-Muizz Street monuments
- →Bayt El Sehaymi
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
Departure from Cairo
Cairo
Final Egyptian breakfast, then a Careem to Cairo airport (~£5). If you have a late flight, squeeze in a last wander around Zamalek or a coffee at a Downtown cafe. Check in for your international flight — most airlines allow 3 hours at CAI. Any leftover Egyptian pounds can be spent at the airport — or save them for next time.
🚌Careem to CAI ~£5
🛏None — departure day
- →Breakfast
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Ancient Egypt Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Ancient Egypt Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£745 | £1,260 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £515 per person (41%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Ancient Egypt Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£745
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 Wonders of the Pharaohs: Self-Launched 10-Day Cairo, Aswan & Luxor cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £745 per person for 10 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 Ancient Egypt Tours?+
Yes — Ancient Egypt Tours charges around £1,260 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £745 — a saving of roughly £515 (41%) per person.
How long is the Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 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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