Self-Launched Nile Valley: Aswan to Luxor with Abu Simbel (Independent Version)
4 days · Nile Valley, Egypt
Luxury Tours Of Egypt charges £544
No-markup version: ~£330 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of the popular 4-day/3-night Aswan-to-Luxor Nile cruise itinerary. Instead of a 5-star cruise ship with a private guide, you'll move along the Nile by a mix of shared minibus, the budget-friendly 1st/2nd-class train and a short local felucca, staying in Aswan and Luxor guesthouses and possibly one night in a mid-range Nile cruise cabin if you book a cheap last-minute berth. You'll still see every headline sight — Philae, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut — self-paced, booking site tickets and shared tours direct through GetYourGuide/Klook or your guesthouse. Plan the whole trip for roughly a third of the advertised tour price, assuming you pay for the Abu Simbel excursion, entrance tickets and daily food separately (which the operator also charges extra for). Costs here are estimates for a solo budget traveller in shoulder season; expect variation by season and negotiation.
Day-by-day
Arrive Aswan – Philae Temple, Unfinished Obelisk & sunset felucca
Aswan
Land at Aswan Airport and take a local taxi or shared minibus (about £4-6) to a guesthouse in the Nubian-style West Bank or central Aswan (e.g. budget guesthouses near the Corniche, £12-18/night single). Drop your bags and take a public ferry or local motorboat (about £1-2) across to Agilika Island to see the Temple of Philae — buy your ticket on arrival (£6-8) or pre-book a half-day Philae + Unfinished Obelisk tour on GetYourGuide for ~£20-30. Walk or take a short taxi (about £2) to the Unfinished Obelisk at the northern granite quarries. In the late afternoon, flag down a felucca captain on the Corniche for a sunset sail around the islands — negotiate £6-10 for around an hour. Dinner at a local restaurant near the souk (koshari or grilled fish, £4-6) and browse the Aswan market. Book your Abu Simbel shared minibus for tomorrow morning through your guesthouse tonight.
🚌Airport taxi/shared minibus ~£5; local ferry and motorboat to Philae ~£2; felucca ~£8
🛏Budget guesthouse in Aswan (single room, £12-18/night)
- →Temple of Philae via Agilika Island
- →Unfinished Obelisk at the granite quarries
- →Sunset felucca sail around Aswan islands
- →Evening stroll through Aswan souk
Sunrise Abu Simbel – sail/train to Kom Ombo & Edfu
Abu Simbel / Kom Ombo / Edfu
Join a shared minibus convoy to Abu Simbel departing around 4am (the classic pre-dawn departure; shared tours bookable via GetYourGuide or your guesthouse for ~£25-40 including transport; entry ticket ~£16-18 paid separately). You'll arrive around sunrise and have roughly 2 hours at the twin temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari before heading back north. If you book the shared tour, ask to be dropped at Kom Ombo; otherwise return to Aswan and take a 2nd-class train north to Kom Ombo (about £2-3). Explore Kom Ombo Temple (Haroeris and Sobek, plus the crocodile mummy room) with a £6-8 ticket. Continue to Edfu by shared minibus or train (about £2-4) and check into a simple Edfu hotel (£10-15). Alternatively, if you'd rather cruise the river, look for a last-minute 2- or 3-night Aswan–Luxor cruise berth in Aswan (often £50-90 per night, bookable direct with the boat or via local agents) rather than the operator's 5-star package.
🚌Shared minibus Abu Simbel ~£30; 2nd-class train Aswan-Kom Ombo ~£3; shared minibus Kom Ombo-Edfu ~£3
🛏Simple hotel in Edfu (£10-15/night) or budget Nile cruise cabin if you choose that option
- →Abu Simbel temples at sunrise (shared minibus excursion)
- →Kom Ombo Temple and crocodile mummy museum
- →Optional: last-minute Nile cruise berth as a budget alternative
Temple of Horus, train to Luxor & Karnak at golden hour
Edfu / Luxor
Start early at the Temple of Horus at Edfu (ticket ~£6-8) — it's a 10-minute walk or a £1-2 tuk-tuk from the centre, and mornings are far cooler and quieter. Then take a train north to Luxor (2nd-class around £3-5, roughly 1.5-2 hours) and check into a guesthouse or budget hotel near Luxor Temple on the East Bank (£12-20/night). In the afternoon, walk or take a £1 microbus to Karnak Temple (ticket ~£10-12) and spend 2-3 hours wandering the Great Hypostyle Hall, the obelisks and the sacred lake. Come back into town for Luxor Temple, which is especially atmospheric after sunset and floodlit (£7-9). Dinner on the East Bank (£5-8) and book your West Bank tour or Valley of the Kings ticket for tomorrow.
🚌2nd-class train Edfu to Luxor ~£4; local microbus/taxi ~£2
🛏Budget guesthouse near Luxor Temple, East Bank (£12-20/night)
- →Temple of Horus at Edfu
- →Train journey north along the Nile
- →Karnak Temple and the Great Hypostyle Hall
- →Luxor Temple after dark
West Bank: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & Colossi of Memnon
Luxor
Cross to the West Bank by public ferry (about £0.30) or shared motorboat (about £1) and hire a shared minibus or local driver for the day (£8-15 per person if split; solo travellers can join a half-day shared tour on GetYourGuide/Klook for ~£20-30). Start at the Valley of the Kings (site ticket ~£10-12 covers 3 tombs; the separate Tutankhamun ticket is ~£8 extra, paid on the spot — worth it if you're interested). Continue to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari (~£7-9) and stop at the Colossi of Memnon (free). Return to Luxor, collect your bags, and take a local taxi or bus to Luxor Airport or the train station (~£5). Book onward flights/trains after 3pm to match the operator's own guarantee of a 1pm finish.
🚌West Bank ferry ~£0.50; shared minibus with driver ~£10; taxi to airport/train station ~£5
🛏None included (onward travel day)
- →Valley of the Kings (3-tomb ticket)
- →Optional Tutankhamun tomb extra ticket
- →Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →West Bank ferry crossing
Self-launched vs. Luxury Tours Of Egypt
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Luxury Tours Of Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£330 | £544 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £214 per person (39%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Luxury Tours Of Egypt-style trips? Check them out here.~£330
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: Aswan to Luxor with Abu Simbel (Independent Version) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £330 per person for 4 days in Nile Valley, 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 Luxury Tours Of Egypt?+
Yes — Luxury Tours Of Egypt charges around £544 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £330 — a saving of roughly £214 (39%) per person.
How long is the Nile Valley, Egypt trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Nile Valley, 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 Nile Valley, 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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