Egypt itinerary: 10 days with Abu Simbel and the Nile, day by day
The short answer: Three days in Cairo for Giza, the historic city and Saqqara; fly to Aswan for two nights, with a felucca afternoon and Abu Simbel; then a three-night cruise to Luxor and a balloon at dawn before you fly home.
The ten days
Day 1The pyramids and the Grand Egyptian MuseumGiza
The plateau and the Sphinx, then the museum beside it.
- The tour
- Giza Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum · from USD 60 per person
- Night
- Cairo or Giza
Day 2Historic CairoCairo
The Citadel, Coptic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili.
- The tour
- Historic Cairo in a day · from USD 60 per person
- Night
- Cairo or Giza
Day 3The first pyramidsSaqqara
Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the colossus of Ramesses II at Memphis, and the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur: where pyramid building began.
- The tour
- Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur · from USD 45 per person
- Night
- Cairo or Giza
Day 4Fly to Aswan, then a feluccaAswan
A morning flight, and in the afternoon a sail to Elephantine Island and the botanical garden.
- The tour
- Aswan by felucca · from USD 34 per person
- Night
- Aswan
Day 5Abu SimbelAbu Simbel
An early start for the two temples Ramesses II cut into the rock above Lake Nasser, and back to Aswan in the afternoon.
- The tour
- Abu Simbel from Aswan · from USD 115 per person
- Night
- Aswan
Day 6Board the cruiseAswan
The cruise begins with Philae and the High Dam.
- The tour
- Nile cruise, Aswan to Luxor, 3 nights · from USD 670 per person
- Night
- On board
Day 7Kom Ombo and EdfuThe Nile
The double temple of Kom Ombo and the temple of Horus at Edfu.
- Night
- On board
Day 8Both banks from the shipLuxor
The Valley of the Kings and the West Bank, then Karnak and Luxor Temple.
- Night
- On board
Day 9Disembark and slow downLuxor
Leave the ship after breakfast; the rest of the day is yours.
- Night
- Luxor
Day 10A balloon at dawn, then homeLuxor
Over the West Bank at sunrise, then the flight home by way of Cairo.
- The tour
- Hot-air balloon over Luxor at sunrise · from USD 119 per person
The 7 tours in this plan start from USD 1,103 per person together. That is the sum of their starting prices at the lowest group rate; solo travellers and couples pay more, and hotels on nights no tour covers, domestic flights and visas are not in it. Your written quote confirms the price.
Open this plan in Your tripThe cruise's programme sets the order of its sites. The rest of the order is our judgement.
The ready-made alternative
Our 10-day tour packages hotels, domestic flights and the cruise into one price. It cruises from Luxor to Aswan and leaves Abu Simbel as an extra, with a free day in Cairo at the end. In our judgement the plan above suits travellers who want Abu Simbel and Saqqara; the tour suits those who want everything arranged in one quote.
Why two nights in Aswan
- Abu Simbel is a long day: the road trip from Aswan spends roughly six hours of the day in transit, as our Abu Simbel tour states. It needs a night before and after.
- The cruise starts in Aswan, so the two nights there cost no extra travel.
- Saqqara on day 3 keeps the flight south for a fresh morning.
What ten days leave out
The Red Sea and the desert. Egypt in 14 days adds a second Luxor day and three nights on the coast.
Where to go from here
Sources and review
Reviewed on by Deluxe Trips Egypt. Official statements are attributed to their source; where we give a judgement, we say so. This guide names no school, boat or hotel.
