Egypt is a fascinating country. It is full of history, mysteries, legends and many interesting places to visit. There are several possibilities to get to know the country. At least I recommend that the route be 8 nights, since with these days you will have time to visit the most essential temples, get to know Cairo, visit the Pyramids of Giza and take a cruise on the Nile. If you want to know the Red Sea and other cities like Alexandria, I recommend a 14-day route.
In this post I tell you about the most complete route to travel through Egypt, from 8 days to 14. On each day I add what to see, taking into account the time you will need to each place, how to move around the country with the best option , accommodation, advice…
COMPLETE ITINERARY THROUGH EGYPT
We start the trip with a direct flight from Barcelona to Cairo. You have direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona (Spain). You can see flight offers here.
DAY 0. Arrival in Cairo
In our case, we arrived in Cairo at 7:00 p.m., so we gave it up for lost that day, and we started the route the next day.
Once you arrive in Cairo, I recommend hiring a private transfer from Cairo airport to your hotel. This way you will invite yourself the first contact with the taxi drivers of Egypt (somewhat prone to take advantage).
I will be adding the approximate costs of everything that it cost us in case it helps you to calculate your budget. Keep in mind that I have traveled in January 2023 and prices may vary depending on the season.
As our flight arrived and departed from Cairo, we decided to split the visit in 2. We dedicated our first 2 days to visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Egyptian Museum.
Our first two nights were spent at the hotel in Giza with a view of the Pyramids from the room.
We stayed at the Panorama view pyramids 3*. It is a simple hotel, but comfortable and clean. The double room with breakfast cost us 42 euros per night. And the views of the pyramids are incredible.
DAY 1. Visit the Pyramids of Giza, an essential thing to see in Egypt
The Pyramids of Giza are located about 18 kilometers from Cairo, the capital of Egypt. Yes, one of the essential places to see in Egypt, without a doubt.
The moment of maximum splendor of the Pyramids was during the 4th dynasty, when the pyramids that we can visit today were built.
At the Giza site we can see 3 main pyramids; The pyramid of Jefu also known as Cheops, the pyramid of Jafra or Khafre and the pyramid of Menkaura also known as mycerin. To these three pyramids are added several more buildings such as other tombs, temples, pits, piers, the mastabas of the royal family of Egypt and the Great Sphinx of Giza.
The pyramids of Giza were funerary places where the bodies of Egyptian pharaohs were mummified along with their personal belongings and in some cases, even their pets, also adding food to accompany them on their journey to eternal life.
Guided tours in the Pyramids of Giza:
Posts about the Pyramids of Giza that may interest you:
DAY 2. Egyptian museum and trip to Luxor
Visit the Egyptian Museum
The second day of the route we took a flight at 4:00 p.m. to Luxor. Our next stop. We take advantage of the morning to visit the Egyptian Museum.
The Egyptian Museum houses the largest collection of Ancient Egyptian period objects. It is located in Tahrir Square and is an essential place to see in Cairo. The museum was built in 1902 to protect the country's treasures, but it was not until 1922 with the arrival of the 3,500 pieces of Tutankhamun's treasure that it became one of the most visited places in Egypt.
The collection has grown as objects stolen or looted during wars have been recovered and found in foreign museums or private collections.
The museum houses the Treasure of Tukankhamen and his famous mask, as well as many priceless pieces such as the figure of the Seated Scribe, the Statue of Djoser and that of Akenaton, the Narmer Palette and the Menkaure Triad.
How to go from Cairo to Luxor:
You have several options to go from Cairo and Luxor. The cheapest option is the bus, it costs about 9 euros for the ticket, but the journey takes about 10 hours. It is a very long option that I do not recommend. In our case we took a flight from Cairo to Luxor, the flight cost us 47 euros and it took us 1 hour. You save a lot of time and the price difference is not much. It is advisable then to adjust the budget a bit in accommodation, than in transfers.
Arrival in Luxor
We arrived in Luxor at 5:00 p.m. and took a private transfer to our hotel. It was still early and although it was dark we went to the center of the city to walk and have something to eat.
We were picked up from the airport to board the 4 night Luxor to Aswan cruise.
If you are thinking of visiting the temples of Luxor on your own, here are the 15 Essential Places to See in Luxor, and I recommend you book the guided tours of the Luxor temples for each of them. It is important to learn about its history, not just visit the temple itself.
DAY 3. 4-day cruise from Luxor to Aswan, visiting all the essential temples to see in Egypt
To see the temples in the area we booked a 4 nights cruise from Luxor to Aswan. They are complete cruises that include everything; accommodation on the boat, full board, guided tours of the temples and entrance fees. You can choose between 5-star standard and 5-star superior cruises.
DAY 4, second day on the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan
After waking up to sunrise lapping the Nile River, we have breakfast and disembark to visit Luxor City, Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple.
In the afternoon, after eating, we visit the Valley of the Kings and Queens, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
We end the day with a delicious dinner on the boat.
DAY 5, third day on the cruise; we woke up in edfu
After breakfast we set off to visit the temple of Edfu, a temple dedicated to the God Horus. We embark again to head towards Kom Ombo to visit its precious temple dedicated to Sobek and Hareoris. This day you have the opportunity to go more relaxed, since you sail for a long time during the day, rest and enjoy the views.
DAY 6, fourth day on the cruise; we arrived in aswan
After disembarking we visit the city of Aswan, the Philae temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. In the afternoon, we also enjoy a felucca ride on the Nile and enjoy great views of the city from another perspective.
DAY 7. The cruise is over… and visit Abu Simbel
In the morning visit Abu Simbel
Once the cruise is over, in the morning we set off to visit Abu Simbel. We booked the Aun Simbel tour.
In our case we stayed for 2 more nights in Aswan to visit the Aswan dam, the unfinished obelisk, Elephantia Island, the Nubian People, the tombs of the Nobles, the Monastery of San Simeon and the Kalabsha temple. They are not such essential visits to see in Aswan, and in this 8-day route through Egypt I do not include it. But if you are interested, we stayed at the Citymax Hotel Aswan 4* for 54 euros per night in a room. Double and single accommodation.
If you decide not to add more nights in Aswan, take the latest possible flight to Cairo. The airport with direct flights to Cairo is Abu Simbel airport. You have flights for about 100 euros.
Stay in the center to be able to take advantage of the whole day tomorrow touring the city, before your flight back home.
We stayed at the Fairmont Nile City 5* hotel for 3 nights. Although you only need 1 night and 1 day to visit the essential places to see in Cairo.
DAY 8. Visit the center of Cairo
Cairo is a vibrant city with many interesting places to visit. In our case (apart from the first day that we dedicated to the pyramids) we dedicated 2 days to the city of Cairo and 1 day to visit the Fayum desert. Although on an 8-day route through Egypt, with just 1 day you have enough to get to know the center of Cairo and its essential places such as: the Citadel of Saladin, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, the Jan el-Jalili Bazaar, the church pendant of Cairo, the Mosque of Sultan Hassan... among other places.
Cairo posts that may interest you:
Still wanting more? If you want to continue learning more destinations in Egypt, keep reading that we add 6 more days to the route through Egypt.
DAY 9. Visit to Cairo
If you decide to continue adding days to your trip, I recommend that you add one more day to the city. It has many places to visit and it is worth taking it easy.
You can also take advantage and add an excursion to get to know other places:
DAY 10. Excursion to Alexandria
In our case we spend 2 days visiting Alexandria. But honestly, if I had to travel to Egypt again, I would take a 1-day tour from Cairo, instead of doing it on my own. So this is the option that I propose to you.
If you are interested in doing it for free, here is a guide to the 10 essential places to see in Alexandria. We stayed at the Helnan Mamoura Hotel & Events Center 5* hotel on the beach.
Day 11, 12, 13 and 14. Flight to Sharm El Sheikh
On days 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the trip, I recommend that you dedicate them to discovering Sharm El Sheikh and enjoying the beach and rest.
It is the perfect place to snorkel and dive, sunbathe and visit some amazing places like the Sinai desert, the Blue Hole, Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine's Monastery or Ras Muhammad National Park.
After enjoying a few days in Sharm El Sheikh, the 14-day route is over and it's time to go home. In our case, we stayed a few more days in the Red Sea and then we had to make a stopover in Cairo, to catch the direct flight to Barcelona.
Our actual route was 21 days. There were relaxed days, where we had the opportunity to rest more and some visits that we did not consider essential. For this reason, throughout the post, I have detailed an 8-day route to get to know the essential temples to see in Egypt and adding 6 extra days to enjoy Alexandria and Sharm el Sheikh. I have also given you options to extend your trip where I consider it most important, such as Aswan and a few days in Cairo.
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Egypt a lot and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!