Planning the best Egypt travel itinerary can feel overwhelmingthis is a land steeped in ancient history, sprawling deserts, and some of the world's most iconic landmarks. After personally exploring the country from Cairo to Aswan, and diving deep into both cultural highlights and lesser-known gems, Ive crafted a 1-2 week Egypt itinerary that balances bucket-list experiences with authentic local insight.
Whether youre dreaming of thePyramids of Giza, cruising the Nile River, or wandering the temples of Luxor, this guide delivers a seamless route, backed by firsthand experience and expert research.
With Egypts geographic spread and transportation options, knowing how long to stay in each locationfrom ancient ruins to the Red Sea coastis crucial. Ive optimized this travel plan for maximum value, comfort, and cultural immersion, drawing from interviews with local guides, historical sources, and seasoned travelers. Youll learn how to avoid common pitfalls, which Egypt tours are actually worth it, and how to adapt your trip whether you have 7 days or 14.
From navigating visa requirements to choosing safe and scenic routes, this guide isnt just a listits your roadmap to Egypt. Lets unlock the best of this extraordinary country, with every detail aligned for an unforgettable adventure.
Our top 1 week itinerary to Egypt
Days in Egypt are days squared and time seems to take on a different value. Is a week enough to see the must-see places in Egypt ? No, of course not, but 7 days are enough to see the main places, to fall in love with this exotic land and to want to return more calmly.
Here is this one-week itinerary for Egypt, visiting the country's must-sees:
Day 1: Flight and first contact
We left Madrid and, after a 4-hour flight with Egypt Air , landed in Cairo around 8pm. At the airport we were picked up by Hache, the coordinator of the local company with which we would make the trip: Dunas Travel, with our visas. We got into the minibus and had our first contact with the crazy traffic and incessant honking of Cairo.
Part of the group had dinner included in the program, but we went directly to the Oasis Pyramids hotel , and given the time, it was what we really wanted. We were so tired that we went straight to bed! Tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day.
Day 2: Pyramids and Memphis
Buffet breakfast at the hotel and first visit: none other than the pyramids of Giza . Words cannot explain what it feels like to be touching the oldest buildings in the world The visit lasts about 3-4 hours and has several stops: the Pyramid of Cheops, the Pyramid of Khafre, the smaller but no less interesting Pyramid of Menkaure, a very cool viewing point and finally the Sphinx.
This guided tour is usually included in all organized trips, what you have to pay separately is the entrance fee inside the pyramids (in case you want to go). You can buy them separately at the ticket office at the entrance (be careful, you can only pay there, there are no ticket offices at the pyramids): the entrance to the Cheops pyramid costs 300 EGP and the Chephren pyramid costs 100 EGP. Inside they are the same and we were told that it is not a visit suitable for claustrophobics
If you are visiting on your own, here are a few tips for visiting the Pyramids of Giza .
You can spend the afternoon visiting the Step Pyramid of Zoser in Saqqara and the city of Memphis , which is said to be the oldest in the world. If you have not booked the tour, you can book it online before you go. It includes a guided tour in Spanish to the pyramids of Giza, Saqqara and Memphis.
At night we decided to go and see the sunset and the sound and light show of the pyramids from the rooftop of the Al Hadaba restaurant . We didn't get to see the sun set (our Uber got lost somewhere :-p) but it was wonderful to be able to smoke shisha with the silhouette of the pyramids as a backdrop. Also, the homemade dishes they prepare are delicious, and at good prices. As for the show... for us it's NOT worth paying the expensive ticket to see it, it's better to have a drink from a rooftop.
Day 3: Cairo Tour
The second day in Cairo we spent it getting to know the most interesting spots in the city with a tour. This time it wasn't included, so we decided to book a full tour of Cairo online. We set out early to discover the impressive Citadel of Saladin and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali .
From there we were taken to a boat for lunch and then straight to the Egyptian Museum , where we spent about three hours, and that was almost too short! The general entrance fee (including the Tutankhamun treasure room) is included in the tour, but not the mummy exhibition, which costs 80 EGP. If you want to take photos inside the museum you will have to pay 50 EGP at the ticket office (be careful, because you will not be able to take photos of the treasures or the mummies).
We spent the afternoon walking through the Coptic quarter , where we visited the Ben Ezra Synagogue , where the Holy Family took refuge for 3 months after fleeing Bethlehem from Herod's persecution. We ended up at the Jan el-Jalil Market , a labyrinth of streets full of bazaars and cafes and tea shops. If you don't know where to stop, we recommend El Fishawi , the so-called "Cafe of Mirrors." The tour lasted about 8 hours and includes food, entrance fees, and a Spanish-speaking guide.
We arrived at the hotel quite tired and decided to have dinner there. Someone in the group signed up for the Cairo night tour , which seemed quite expensive for what it offers, especially considering that food in Egypt is very cheap, but it is a good option if you want to learn more about the chaotic and dusty capital of the country.
Day 4: Flight to Luxor
This was a lost day, full of relaxation and transportation. We woke up calmly, had breakfast, worked a little and at 13:00 we were transferred to the airport: it was time to go to Luxor and start the Nile cruise . Other people in the same group had different flight times, if you have the possibility to choose, it is best to leave as early as possible to have time in Luxor and thus take advantage of this day with some visit. Here you can see the guided tours from Luxor .
Some of those who travelled to Luxor early in the morning visited the Karnak Temple on this day and the next day they took a balloon ride over the city at the same time that we visited the temple. They told us that the experience was great!
After dinner on the cruise we were offered a night tour of Luxor, although it was done in a horse-drawn carriage, so we preferred to go out on our own. And without knowing how (ahem) we found ourselves inside the Luxor temple in the middle of the dance and light show that some Japanese people had booked! That said, it lasted a minute until they caught us and kicked us out XD. There is also a night show at the Karnak complex .
This itinerary is usually for those who have a 4-night cruise, but on agency websites you will see that there is an option for a 3-day cruise. In this case, the flight would be to Aswan, and the visits to the temples and other things would be reversed.
Day 5: Luxor Temples and Valley of the Kings
This was probably the most interesting day of the Egypt travel itinerary of all. We got up very early, around 5 in the morning, to start all the scheduled visits. We headed out to one of the most impressive temples we saw in Egypt, the Karnak Temple . From here we watched the sunrise with our guide's explanations, we got lost among the impressive columns of its hypostyle hall and we were amazed by how big it is (it is the largest temple in the whole country and apparently the second in the world, after Angkor , in Cambodia ).
From there we went to the other great protagonist: the Temple of Luxor . Both were formerly connected by a 3 km avenue lined with statues of 300 sphinxes. We spent another hour discovering the rooms and corners of this impressive site, learning some curiosities about life in ancient Egypt, almost with our jaws hanging open in amazement. Here we tell you which are the 7 best temples in Egypt .
It was time to cross the Nile River and visit the other side. The next stop was none other than the Valley of the Kings . It is a kind of gorge cut into the rock, in the middle of the desert, where the pharaohs found the perfect place to build their tombs and, in theory, rest for all eternity. It was many centuries, but not eternity the site was not hidden enough for the looters, who destroyed almost all the treasures with which the pharaohs were buried. They desecrated all the tombs except one, can you guess? That's right, that of Tutankhamun, who went down in history for his treasures and much less for his significance in the history of Ancient Egypt (he reigned for only 9 years).
With the ticket you can only visit 3 tombs, although there are currently about 5 open. Following the guide's advice, we went into Ramses IV (KV2), Meremptah (KV8) and Ramses IX (KV6). Others also went into Ramses III (KV11) and it seems to be cool too. If you want to visit Tutankhamun 's you will have to pay 100 EGP extra, although they say it's not worth it, as there's practically nothing there (although we say that because we didn't go hehe). Here you can see the map of all the tombs .
What you will find in these tombs is a gallery full of hieroglyphics and polychromatic decorative elements, which are incredibly well preserved, which go down to the room where the sarcophagus with the mummified body of the pharaoh was placed, and the treasures with which he would pass to the afterlife. Crossing its entrance is like entering a time tunnel, and as you go down to the mortuary chambers, it is inevitable to feel a slight chill... and that is even though it is quite warm inside hehe. Without a doubt, it is another experience that you have to live in Egypt!
Taking photos inside the tombs is prohibited, unless you obtain a permit for 300 EGP. Be careful, because the guards are very vigilant and if they catch you, they will make you delete the photos after a reprimand. There are some who bribe them by giving them a tip, but we prefer to follow the rules (we are that good or that lazy, depending on how you look at it).
The morning was not over yet: after passing by a craft factory (you know, touristy) we visited the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut , one of the most peculiar pharaohs in the history of the country - she was a woman! This place is also sadly known as the site where the Luxor massacre occurred, when in 1997 terrorists surrounded the complex and killed more than 60 people who were visiting the complex.
The visit ended with a quick visit to the Colossi of Memnon , where you basically get off the bus to take a photo, and continue the tour. Around 13-14 we returned to the boat and began sailing towards Edfu, where we would spend the night. It was, without a doubt, the most tiring day of the trip (but also one of the most beautiful).
Day 6: Edfu and Kom Ombo
Luckily, this day was not as tiring as the previous one! In the morning we visited the temple of Edfu , dedicated to the God Horus and with some of the best preserved hieroglyphics in Egypt. In the afternoon, after a few hours of sailing, we arrived at the temple of Kom Ombo to watch the sunset from there. That was the visit we enjoyed the least: between the fact that our stomachs were beginning to suffer from the curse of the pharaohs and the fact that the temple was packed with tourists, the truth is that we were a little disappointed.
However, we have to be honest and objectively, the Kom Ombo temple is super interesting. The complex is divided into two twin temples, each dedicated to a different god: the God Horus and the God Sobek, represented with the body of a man and the head of a crocodile! In short, we were disappointed, so to speak, since it is one of the 7 best temples in Egypt .
After sunset we sail, return to the cruise and head towards our last stop: Aswan . But don't miss the spectacle of crossing a lock from the deck of the ship.
Day 7: Abu Simbel, Philae and Aswan
The alarm clock rings at 1.30 in the morning! The reason is worth it: we are going to the temples of Abu Simbel . 250 km south of Aswan, and bordering on Sudan, are these two temples, dedicated to Ramses II and his wife Nefertari . We should be thankful that we can visit them today, because they have almost disappeared under the waters of Lake Nasser.
When the Aswan Dam was planned, these temples, which were 200 metres below the surface, were almost submerged. But the Egyptian government asked UNESCO for help and, with the support of 54 countries, they were able to move them to a safer place, in a historic feat.
Is it worth getting up early? Absolutely: we visited them alone! In fact, I was the second to enter only Daniela, an Argentinian girl who won the gold medal for the fastest, beat me haha. If you already think their facades are impressive, wait until you see the inside!
In our case, this visit was included in the package, but if you don't have it, we recommend you book it online on this website. As always, in the most important places, you can't take photos (or you can, but you have to pay a permit).
On the way back, we stopped at the Philae temple , very curious for its location in the middle of a small island in the Nile. The only way to get there is by boat, and the visit is quite interesting.
On the way back this day, someone visited the Nubian village . We decided to pass by (there were animals in the way and we were very tired). What we did do was take a ride on a felucca along the calm waters of the Nile, and we enjoyed it quite a bit. Although it may seem very touristy, but since you are there
In the evening we were offered a night tour of Aswan by bus, where we visited a mosque, a Coptic church, a market (which turned out to be a spice shop), smoked a shisha and had tea in the main square of the city. Aswan is a much quieter place than Cairo or Luxor. Famous for its spices, we recommend that you go out and discover it, either with the tour or on your own. You will see that the distances between the cruise port and the city are very small!
We returned and after dinner we went straight to bed the next day we would have another very early morning. Oh, we love to sleep
Day 8: Return flight
We've gained an hour: we just have to wake up at 2.30am, haha. And we thought it was going to be a little trip for retirees ! Tired? Very much so! But it's a trip that everyone, sooner or later, should take. Egypt is such a special destination, so unique, that it's impossible not to love it. It's exhausting. And noisy. And dusty. But it's wonderfully beautiful. We hope to return to continue exploring it.
Oh, and we forgot a previous point 0: take out good insurance! This is essential for every trip, but even more so in this country! Here we tell you what is the best travel insurance for Egypt .
Map of our 1 week route to Egypt
We leave you a map with the location of the stops on our 7-day itinerary in Egypt, so you can locate each site.
Two-week itinerary to Egypt
Do you have more time? Lucky you! We recommend adding 2 stops to the above itinerary:
- An excursion to discover Alexandria (1-2 days). You can easily go there on your own by bus from Cairo, or by signing up for this tour .
- Fly to Sharm El Sheikh (3-4 days), on the Red Sea coast. It is a famous destination for its excellent seabed for diving or snorkelling. There is also a very beautiful mosque, the Al Sahaba.
- Alternatively, a few days in the White Desert are a great option.
This is the itinerary for a one-week trip to Egypt that we suggest. Or two weeks, if you have more time. Do you have any must-do suggestions for Egypt? Tell us about them!
