The Ultimate Egypt 7 Day Itinerary: The Best of Egypt
Whether you’re itching to visit the last remaining of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, or wanting to set sail along the River Nile, this 7 day Itinerary has got you covered to make sure you see the best of Egypt!
IS 7 DAYS IN EGYPT ENOUGH?
With so much to see and do in Egypt, you may be wondering if 7 days is really enough. Having tried and tested this in September 2023, I can confirm 7 days is perfect to visit the main attractions in Egypt at a fairly relaxed pace, including the Pyramids (of course), Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel. Keep scrolling to find out how to do this all in 7 days!
Of course you could easily spend more time in Egypt and if you do have more time then check out these 10 day and two week guides.
7 DAYS EGYPT ITINERARY: WHERE TO START
The only logical place to start is in Egypt’s capital city, Cairo! This is where all international flights will come into as Cairo is well connected to many international destinations, unlike the other cities in Egypt. Also Cairo is home to the Pyramids of Giza, being the last remaining of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, and let’s face it this is why you’re really visiting Egypt so why wouldn’t you start here!
Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport you’ll need to grab a taxi to get to your accommodation. There is a local bus that takes you to the city centre but it is quite daunting to embark on this journey if you aren’t used to this type of travelling style. Also for all my female travellers out there, you may not feel comfortable on the local bus especially if you’re travelling solo – the men stare A LOT and it’s quite uncomfortable to experience. I would personally stick to a taxi or a pre-booked transfer, like this one that we booked on Viator.
DAY 1: CAIRO
After dropping your bags and freshening up at your accommodation, you can finally begin exploring Cairo! I know I said above that the Pyramids is why you’re really visiting Cairo, but I urge you to explore other parts of Cairo on your first day and leaving the Pyramids to the second day. For an accommodation recommendation check out my review on the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo.
Note: If you can, book an evening flight for the day before so you can have a full Day 1 in Cairo (we had a 7pm flight so didn’t need to take additional annual leave as it was after the work day).
1.Citadel of Saladin: Start at Cairo’s citadel and then work your way backwards towards the city centre. The Citadel is a medieval Islamic-era fortification, built by Salah ad-Din and further developed by subsequent Egyptian rulers. It’s purpose for nearly 700 years was as the seat of government in Egypt and the residence of its rulers.
You’ll need around 1-1.5 hours here and the two must-visit sites inside the Citadel are Muhammad Ali Mosque and Mosque of Sultan AlNasir Muhammed. We got here around 12pm and it was not too busy, but it was very hot as it was the end of their summer season!
- Cost: 450EGP for adults and 230EGP for students.
- Opening hours: 8am-5pm
2. Al-Rifa’i Mosque: This is also known as the Royal Mosque and is one of the largest mosques in Cairo, accommodating up to 10,000 worshippers. The Mosque is beautiful, representing the Ottoman style with intricate marble work and stained glass windows. There’s also several smaller domes, all illuminated by chandeliers.
- Cost: 120EGP
- Opening hours: 8am- 4.30pm
3. Sultan Hassan Mosque: This is next door to Al- Rifa’i Mosque and your entrance fee gives you access to both mosques. It was built between 1356 and 1363, commissioned by Sultan an-Nasir Hasan. It is another beautiful mosque in Cairo and stands out due to its remarkable size and architectural components.
It’s an interesting experience to see and compare these two mosques side-by-side, given they share a lot of similarities despite their age differences.
4. Egyptian Museum: I’m not the biggest fans of museums but the Egyptian Museum is not your typical museum. It’s the largest in Africa, housing the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the World including the items from tombs. It’s a great insight into the history of the tombs before you visit Luxor West Bank (day 4 below).
- Cost: 450EGP
- Opening hours: 9am-5pm
5. Khan el Khalili Market: This is one of the famous bazaars in Cairo that has been around for centuries, filled with shops, restaurants and stalls selling everything you can think of! It can be a bit of minefield to navigate and you will get haggled quite a bit, but it’s all part of the fun and atmosphere. There’s an iconic café tucked away in the market called Naguib Mahfouz Café which is worth the visit.
Either before of after dinner I would recommend transferring to a hotel in Giza for one night. We stayed at the Marriot Mena House, right next to one of the entrances to the Pyramids. It’s pricey and in my honest opinion the rooms and food aren’t worthy of the price tag, but the location and access to the Pyramids is what makes up for it. You don’t need longer than one night here!
DAY 2: PYRAMIDS OF GIZA
The day has finally come to stand in front of the last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the World! I recommend heading here for opening time to beat the crowds. I have a complete guide to visiting the Pyramids coming soon so keep your eyes peeled, as this will contain all the secrets to getting those iconic shots of the Pyramids with nobody in it!
You will be able to complete the Pyramids in a few hours. I’d recommend going to Saqqara after this which is 35 minutes away, and is home to the oldest complete stone building complex known in history, the Pyramid of Djoser! You’ll easily be able to complete this before lunchtime.
After lunch, we headed to the airport to catch a late afternoon flight to Luxor. On arrival at Luxor Airport, you will be haggled by taxi drivers who will inevitably overcharge you. Either pre-book a transfer or you can use the Careem App to book a taxi (Uber doesn’t operate in Luxor but the Careem app is an alternative). If you do book using Careem, you need to go towards the entrance gate to the airport as the drivers are sometimes not allowed to come inside (ours came inside without any issues). The other taxi drivers will try and convince you to take their cabs and will say to you Careem drivers aren’t allowed inside but just ignore them!
For an accommodation recommendation in Luxor check out my review of the Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa!
DAY 3: LUXOR EAST BANK
7am: Luxor Temple. Start your day bright and early, aiming to get to Luxor temple for opening time. We got here for 7am and we were the first visitors of the day and also the only visitors for a full hour before others started arriving! If you visit in the summer months, trust me you will appreciate the early start before peak heat hits (which is unbearable). Alternatively you can leave visiting this temple until towards sunset but it will be very busy. You need around 1 hour to visit the Luxor temple.
- Cost: 400EGP for adults and 200EGP for students
- Opening hours: 6am-8pm
8.30am: Avenue of Sphinxes. The avenue of sphinxes runs from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple and is 2.7km long. It takes around 45 minutes to walk but I wouldn’t recommend this in the summer months as even by 8am it is already 32 degrees and there is no shade along the avenue.
9.30am: Karnak Temple. By the time you reach Karnak Temple it will already be swarming with tourists as all the large tour groups start here. It’s a HUGE site so some parts will be quieter than others and you’ll still be able to get pictures without people in if you’re patient! I still recommend getting here before 10am before it gets completely packed. By the time we were leaving (around 11.30am) we saw multiple large coaches arriving. Alternatively you can arrive at opening time or near to closing time to avoid the large crowds.
- Cost: 450EGP for adults and 230EGP for students
- Opening hours: 6am-5pm
Lunch and afternoon: I would spend the afternoon out of the peak heat and by the poolside, especially if you’re visiting in the summer months. Check out my Luxor East Bank guide for full details on each of the above sites and for food options in Luxor.
6pm: Sunset Felucca on the River Nile. This is an incredible experience and you should definitely try and do it. We booked it through our hotel and it was only 500EGP total for 2 people for a 1hour private sunset sail.
DAY 4: LUXOR WEST BANK
You’ll need a half day to do Luxor West Bank and all of the amazing tombs located here. I have a complete guide on this, including the sites to visit and in which order, which you can find here. Tip: If you don’t have breakfast included in your hotel price, carry cereal bars and snack with you to get you through the early start!
One more option you may want to consider for the West Bank is doing a sunrise hot air balloon. We had too many early starts so didn’t want to wake up as early again for this but it did look amazing! If you want more information check out these two top rated options: Option 1 and Option 2.
DAY 5: ASWAN
9am: Drive to Aswan. Getting to Aswan is very easy. There is a train option but the trains are unreliable in Egypt and are often cancelled or delayed so I wouldn’t opt for this when you’re on a tight schedule. If you have longer than 7 days you can afford the time to try the trains! We opted for a private transfer which you would think is expensive BUT it was only £45 total for 2 people using this company! This is cheaper than a flight and not that much more expensive than the trains. It takes around 4.5 hours to drive to Aswan, although there’s a shorter route (3.5 hours) through the highway but you’ll have to pay a small fee to the officers for this (we paid 200EGP).
1pm: Philae Temple. Unlike the other temples in Egypt, Philae Temple is located on an island in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam. It was dedicated to the goddess Isis, and over the centuries various rulers and dynasties expanded and modified the temple. The temple would have been submerged due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s and so it was relocated to Agilkia island, the same way as Abu Simbel was relocated (read below).
- Cost: 450EGP for adults and 230EGP for students.
- Opening hours: 7am- 4/5pm (depending on month).
3pm: Unfinished Obelisk. This would have been the world’s largest obelisk at 42m high if it had been completed. Today, you can find the unfinished obelisk lying in bedrock. Personally we didn’t visit as it was too hot (40 degrees) so we stayed by the poolside at the hotel, but if you have time then it is worth a visit. Cost: 200EGP for adults and 100EGP for students.
6pm: Sunset Felucca. If you didn’t get a chance to do a sunset felucca in Luxor then you can do this in Aswan as well. You can head down to the riverbed and negotiate a price or you can pre-book through your hotel which will be a bit more expensive.
DAY 6: ABU SIMBEL
Abu Simbel was my second favourite site to visit in Egypt after the Pyramids, although it was a close call between the two! Check out my complete guide on a day trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel to help plan your trip. If you opt for my preferred option you will get to have a bit of a lie in!
After your day trip you can either fly back to Cairo in the evening or opt to fly back the next day depending on what time your flight home is. We chose to fly back to Cairo after Abu Simbel.
DAY 7: CAIRO AND HOME
It’s time to say goodbye to Egypt and head home! If you can, try book a flight in the evening so you can spend some of the day in Cairo to either relax and recoup after all the early starts, or to explore more of Cairo if you didn’t have time on Day 1.
EGYPT FAQs
HOW MANY DAYS IS ENOUGH IN EGPYT?
I would recommend at least 5-7 days, and preferably 7 days as a minimum to see the top attractions as set out in this itinerary. There is so much to see and do in Egypt that you could easily spend two weeks there without running out of things to do.
IS EGYPT CHEAP OR EXPENSIVE?
Once you’re in Egypt it is relatively cheap. The food is budget-friendly and you can also find budget-friendly accommodations to help keep costs down. Group tours are also well priced, as are the private tours (see below for pricing).
IS IT SAFE TO GO TO EGYPT?
When we visited in September 2023 it was completely safe to go to Egypt. Since then the Israel-Palestine situation has led to some increased tensions and the security situation could change at any time. It is best advised to check Government travel advice before planning your trip.
WHAT TO WEAR IN EGYPT
Egypt is a predominantly Muslim country so you should dress modestly i.e. covering up and not wearing revealing clothes. Definitely do not wear short dresses/skirts/shorts! If you’re a female, trust me you will appreciate this and feel more comfortable given the amount of stares you get from the men! Also if you’re a female, you will need to cover your hair when visiting any of the mosques so carry a light scarf with you.
DOES UBER OPERATE IN EGYPT?
Uber operates in Cairo and is the easiest option to get around Cairo (plus it’s cheap). For Luxor and Aswan Uber does not operate there so you will need to download the Careem app or use a local taxi.
TOILET FACILITIES IN EGYPT
Surprisingly the toilets at the tourist attractions and along the road stops are clean! Just carry some tissues with you as they don’t all have toilet paper!
If you have any questions about visiting Egypt, or to share your personal experience, drop a comment in the comment section below.
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14 responses to “The Ultimate Egypt 7 Day Itinerary: The Best of Egypt”
Great Post! How did you get all your photos without other tourists in the background? I can’t believe how clear they are.
Thank you! It was actually quite easy, we did the Pyramids and the temples in Luxor at opening time in the morning so we were the first ones there, and it helped that we went end of September so just before peak season starts! For Abu Simbel we actually went later in the day as all the tour groups leave by 11am! I have a guide coming soon on the Pyramids which will contain what order to do it in to get these clear shots.
I would love to visit Egypt someday. Also, I love the photos in this post, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for including opening times too! Those details really help plan out the trip.
I love learning about Egypt. I would to visit one day. Thanks for your details about what to do when I do.
It would be fascinating to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx that I’ve always read about! Plus, you’ve introduced some new sites I’ve never heard about. Putting Egypt on my travel list after reading this!
I’ve always wanted to visit Egypt. It’s such a beautiful country. Disintegrate sounds like the perfect way to get the most out of everything.
Although I think 7 days isn’t nearly enough for this beautiful place, this guide can really help making the most out of the time you have. Thank you 🙂
Always wanted to visit Egypt. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, what an incredible itinerary! I’ve always wanted to visit Egypt and your trip makes me want to go so much more. I appreciate all the great details you give about each spot.
Thank you for sharing the amazing view. Complete information and good photos made me interested in visiting Egypt.
Great informative and helpful post about Egypt! I’m glad to learn that 7 days can still allow me to see many things! Thanks for sharing!
Great blog and beautiful photos! My husband and I traveled to Cairo and Alexandria in 2021. We really enjoyed the country and culture in Egypt.
Somee genuineoy interesting info, well written annd loosely user friendly.
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