How to Spend a Week in Egypt

Egypt is Africa’s most visited country and after spending 9 days here, it is no surprise why. Egypt is easily accessible for most travelers and hosts so many historical sites that you’d think that the country was one large open-air museum. I decided to make the quick trip to Egypt from Sudan for the holidays, which was only a 2.5 hour flight from Khartoum. I spent 9 days here, but if you’re short on time you can definitely see all the major sites in less time; however, this will likely make your trip more costly, as you’ll be paying for domestic flights between cities to save time rather than taking trains and ferries. Below, I’ll highlight how to do Egypt in 7 days.

Day 1: Cairo – The Great Pyramid of Giza

No surprise here. Cairo is likely the entry point for 99% of international travelers and home to the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World – The Great Pyramid of Giza. To visit the pyramids, you can either go through a tour or do it yourself. Some travelers recommend going as soon as it opens in the morning to beat the crowds or later in the day when the crowds disperse. I went in December when it was chilly in the morning, so I opted to go around noon when it warmed up, but truthfully speaking, the pyramids are such a popular tourist destination that you’ll encounter crowds regardless.

The locals working at the pyramids are quite aggressive and will try to sell you everything unless you’re with a tour guide that will fight the herd off.  I went with a private tour since I was traveling alone. It included entry into the pyramids as well as a camel ride. Honestly, I recommend the camel ride for two reasons: 1) it’s comfortable and 2) it allows you to reach a part of the site where you can clearly see all the pyramids, which makes for a great photo. Walking here is an option too, but your shoes will be destroyed with all the sand. 

3 hours is a good amount of time at the pyramids, but I could see one wanting to spend more time here to relax and enjoy the view; it is beautiful! 

Day 2: Cairo

Ok, you’ve checked the pyramids off your bucket list. Time to explore the rest of Cairo. Cairo is notorious for their traffic and getting around will be a test of your patience. Cairo is a large city and has a little bit of everything. The second day is really up to you. I spent my day visiting the Citadel of Saladin, Old Cairo, and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, which took a good amount of the day. Depending on what time you finish seeing the pyramids on day 1, you could squeeze all of this in, but it would be very rushed.

Day 3: Aswan – Philae Temple+ Nubian Village

Now the adventure really begins. Take one of the morning flights to Aswan from Cairo, the earlier the better. I took the one departing at 07:00. A one-way ticket will be between $100-200 depending on the season and time you purchase the ticket. From the airport, you’ll be about 15 minutes from most hotels/guesthouses. Once you check into your accommodation, I recommend visiting Philae Temple.

To get here you’ll need to take a boat since it’s on an island, which costs around 300 Egyptian pounds. My hotel was right next to the river, so the boat ride was only around 8 minutes. An hour or so here is sufficient to soak it all in. 

After you finish the temple, check out Nubian village. This was the highlight of my time in Aswan; I ended up spending two days here just hanging out with the people. The Nubians of Aswan are some of the most hospitable people you’ll ever meet. You can read more about my experience here.

Day 4: Day Trip to Abu Simbel

There is no way you can visit Aswan and not see Abu Simbel. Abu Simbel is located about 240 km or 150 miles from the Sudanese border. This was the most impressive site in all of Egypt for me, and I’d make the argument that it is more impressive than some of the current wonders of the world. Abu Simbel is roughly a 3-hour drive from Aswan, and almost all most tourists opt for a tour here. You can do private transportation, which is $100 give or take or join a tour group packed with 30+ people (I opted for the former). 

*Make sure you book your tour by 6pm the day BEFORE your tour, as you will need permission from the police to enter this region. If you try to book a tour the night before after 6pm, it will not be enough time for your permission to be processed. There are several checkpoints in route to Abu Simbel, so there is no way around this.

Most tour buses leave around 4-5 AM, arriving in Abu Simbel between 7-8. Avoid coming at this time at all costs. Buses depart around 10 AM, which is an ideal time to arrive; you won’t have the place to yourself, but the crowds will reduce by at least 80%. You could see the entire temple in an hour, but I took my time and did two. Upon returning to Aswan, you can relax for the day or see something else in the city such as the Nubian Museum or Unfinished Obelisk. 

Day 5: Luxor- Kom Ombo + Edfu Temple

You can reach Luxor by either train or taxi. I originally booked a train ticket but met an incredible Australian couple in Cairo with the same itinerary as me, so we decided to take a private taxi to Luxor together, stopping at Kom Ombo and Edfu temples. By the time we arrived in Luxor it was nearly 6:30 PM. If you go to Luxor via train, you will arrive way earlier but miss the aforementioned sites. The train is less than $4, but the taxi ride for the 3 of us was $150.

Day 6: Luxor- East/West Luxor

This will be a long day; however, if you opt for the train ride to Luxor in the AM the day prior, you can split this day into two. The Australian couple and I hit both east and west Luxor in the same day, visiting the following sites: Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, and Medinet Habu. We each paid $35 for the driver for the entire day, which was well worth it. 

*For the Valley of the Kings temple, your ticket only allows entry into 3 sites! Choose wisely. I honestly can’t remember which sites we chose aside from #14. Just ask a local which one is the best; they won’t steer you wrong. 

Day 7: Cairo

Take the AM flight back to Cairo. A one-way ticket will be between $100-200 depending on the season and time you purchase the ticket.

And there you have it, a quick itinerary to see most of Egypt. If you have less time, you can easily cut a day out of Cairo. You would just need to push the pyramid time earlier to have time to see the rest of the city. You would be rushing, but it’s doable for sure. 

Overall thoughts?

Egypt was an exciting country, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I’d give it 8/10. 

Pros: 

• Cheap 5-star accommodation (from my American perspective)
• Egypt is like a huge open-air museum. So much to see with few restrictions
• Solid cuisine
• Good tourism infrastructure. Easy to get around and navigate. Uber is available too!

Cons: 

• Entry fees for all the sites, which add up. The average cost was around $13 per, some more, some less. 
• Everybody wants a tip regardless of how little they help you
• Locals in the tourism industry are very aggressive

Tips for travelers

• Do NOT take a taxi from the airport, use Uber. You can pretty much get anywhere in the city from the airport for $6-15 depending on where you’re staying. 
• When you’re at a temple and a local seems a bit too friendly, kindly walk away as they will be hassling you for a tip afterwards. 
• Visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization! They have real mummies there! 

I hope you all enjoy Egypt as much as I did!