Egypt in 7 days: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan
A day-by-day route from the pyramids of Giza to the temples of Abu Simbel, with an activity sheet, official opening hours and prices for every stage.
Seven days up the Nile: Cairo and Giza, Luxor and its two banks, Aswan, then Abu Simbel near the Sudanese border. Every stage links to an activity sheet, where each fact cites its source.
Opening hours and foreign prices come from the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities website, read on 1 November 2026; travel times come from Wikivoyage. Where no source gives a duration, this notebook gives none.
Days 1 and 2 · Cairo and Giza
The Giza plateau holds the Great Pyramid, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure and the Great Sphinx. It is open every day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; adult foreign entry costs 700 Egyptian pounds, pyramid interiors not included. Come very early: the crowds arrive soon after, and they are bigger on Fridays.
On the second day, the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, born in the Mamluk era in Cairo’s historic centre. Al-Muizz Street, which leads to it, is pedestrian-only from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; haggling is the rule.
Day 3 · To Luxor and the Karnak temple
Direct flights from Cairo to Luxor take about 1 hour; the train, following the Nile, takes 10 hours.
Some 2.5 km north of Luxor, Karnak was the main place of worship of the Theban Triad, headed by Amun. Its Great Hypostyle Hall has 134 columns. Open every day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; adult foreign ticket 600 Egyptian pounds.
Day 4 · The Valley of the Kings
On the west bank, the valley is known to contain 65 tombs and chambers, including Tutankhamun’s, discovered in 1922. Open every day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; adult foreign ticket 750 Egyptian pounds for three tombs of your choice.
Arrive early in the morning, especially in summer: temperatures become extremely high by midday. Payment is by card only.
Day 5 · Aswan and the temple of Philae
The train from Luxor to Aswan takes 3 to 4 hours. The temple of Philae was dismantled and rebuilt on the islet of Agilkia, 12.40 m higher, to escape the waters of the dam.
You reach the docks by taxi, tuk-tuk or horse-drawn carriage, then the temple by motor boat or felucca. Open every day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; adult foreign ticket 550 Egyptian pounds.
Day 6 · Abu Simbel
About 230 km southwest of Aswan, Ramesses II’s two temples were moved in 1968 to escape Lake Nasser. From Aswan, at least one convoy runs each way daily, taking 3 hours; there are flights too.
On the bus, sit on the left: sunrise on the way there, shade on the way back. Open every day from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; adult foreign ticket 750 Egyptian pounds, 1,200 pounds on 22 February and 22 October.
Day 7 · Back to Cairo
Aswan lies some 870 km south of Cairo. The railway follows the Nile north to Luxor in 3 to 4 hours, then to Cairo in another 10 hours.
Sources · 13
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