Hi everyone!
We’re heading to Egypt for two weeks at the beginning of April. Here’s our current itinerary:
|02/04/2026 - Cairo (arriving at 8:00 PM)
|03/04/2026 - Cairo|
|04/04/2026 - Dahshur / Saqqara / overnight in Giza
|05/04/2026 - Giza / Cairo|
|06/04/2026 - Cairo - Abu Simbel
|07/04/2026 - Abu Simbel to Aswan
|08/04/2026 - Aswan
|09/04/2026 - Aswan
|10/04/2026 - Aswan to Luxor
|11/04/2026 - Luxor
|12/04/2026 - Luxor
|13/04/2026 - Luxor
|14/04/2026 - Luxor to Hurghada/Safaga
|15/04/2026 - Hurghada / Safaga
|16/04/2026 - Red Sea / Cairo|
|17/04/2026 - Cairo
|18/04/2026 - Cairo (return to Belgium at 10:00 AM)
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this itinerary, but mostly I’m wondering if it’s possible—and worth it—to take a one-way flight to Abu Simbel. We’d like to spend a night there to take our time visiting the site early in the morning and catch the sound-and-light show in the evening, then head to Aswan with a private driver or by bus.
Your feedback would be super helpful in planning this part of our trip!
Hello everyone,
First off, don’t count the 2nd since you’re arriving at the airport at 8 PM—you’ll still have the transfer to your hotel in Giza, which takes between 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 depending on traffic.
For the night of the 2nd to the 3rd, you’re likely staying in Giza, same as on the 4th?
On the 6th, what time is your flight to Abu Simbel?
For the 7th, getting back to Aswan won’t be an issue—you can either ask your hotel to arrange a vehicle, find a taxi driver at the airport when you arrive (so you don’t have to pay the hotel’s commission), or take the bus from Abu Simbel to Aswan. I’ll ask a friend where the bus ticket stand is (you should buy your tickets as soon as you arrive, otherwise you might not get a seat, since it’s not a big bus station like in Aswan—so keep that in mind!).
On the 10th, for your Aswan-Luxor trip, are you taking the train, a car with stops for visits, or something else?
On the 14th, for your Luxor-Hurghada-Port Safaga route, where exactly are you going—Hurghada or Safaga?
On the 16th, for your Red Sea to Cairo trip, are you going by car or plane?
On the 18th, what time is your flight?
And yes, it’s always worth staying one night in Abu Simbel to enjoy both visits. Even with the sound and light show, the early morning one is always magical.
See you soon.
Thoutmosis
Hello Thoutmosis,
We’ve taken into account that we arrive at 8:00 PM on 02/04. As a result, we’ve planned the first two nights in Cairo. First day: visiting Cairo, including the Citadel, Coptic Quarter, and Khan el-Khalili (we’ll return there at the end of the trip). Second day: visiting Dahshur, Saqqara, then heading to Giza, where we’ll spend one night (from the 4th to the 5th). On the 5th, we’ll visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx before returning to Cairo. On the 6th, we have a flight to Abu Simbel with a layover in Aswan. I checked the flights, and they’re quite early—around 5:00/5:30 AM, arriving in Abu Simbel around noon. We figured we’d enjoy the site more in the late afternoon and early morning of April 7th before heading to Aswan. Especially after reading that going to Aswan first and doing a round-trip to Abu Simbel in one day is tiring and less enjoyable... hence this part of the plan.
Aswan to Luxor by car with stops along the way. After Luxor, the coastal destination isn’t set yet, but we’ll return to Cairo by plane, likely from Hurghada. We’ll spend the full day of 17/04 in Cairo since we’d like to visit the GEM—we’ll see if we do it at the beginning or the end. Finally, our return flight is on the 18th at 10:00 AM.
Hello everyone,
So your first two nights after arriving are in Giza? If you have the chance to book a hotel facing the pyramids with a terrace that has a clear view of the site, that’s ideal—this way, you won’t need to go see the sound and light show. The French version isn’t up to date anymore (unless it’s been reactivated since New Year’s? No news on that), but honestly, the sound isn’t worth it, and it’ll save you money. You can enjoy a good meal on the terrace while having a nice drink instead.
Also, doing Abu Simbel and returning to Aswan in the same day isn’t that tiring—I’ve done it often. But if you want to see the sound and light show, you’ll have to stay overnight.
It’s been a while since I took that route, but the stop at Abu Simbel is near a supermarket, and across from where you buy the tickets. Though, from what I’ve heard (but no confirmation yet from my friends), it might be near the temple entrance??
For Aswan-Luxor, you’ll need to leave early, around 6 AM.
If you’re flying back to Cairo, then the choice is made—go to Hurghada. It’s simpler, and the airport isn’t too far.
So for the 18th, the day is pretty much shot because you’ll need to be at the airport two hours early, plus the travel time. Plan to leave at least 4 hours before your flight—this gives you some wiggle room. Given the traffic, it’s better to be early than risk missing your flight.
Thoutmosis
Hello! No, the first two nights will be in Downtown Cairo. We’ll only stay the third night in Giza after visiting Saqqara and Dahshur, so we can actually enjoy the evening with dinner overlooking the pyramids.
For Abu Simbel, I’ve read that it gets really crowded with buses and private cars, and we’d like to enjoy it quietly in the evening for the sound and light show, as well as early in the morning before the buses arrive. That’s why we’re considering flying directly from Cairo to Abu Simbel and spending a night there.
Yes, I’d read that for the Aswan-Luxor stretch, we’ll need to leave early... We’ll do that while stopping at the temples of Kom Ombo and Edfu.
Thanks so much for the feedback—it’s really helping! 🙂
Hello everyone,
Okay, also a restaurant where you eat very well facing the pyramids, with large bay windows (but I don’t know if there’s a terrace—we were on the first floor where the restaurant is), it’s Abou Shakra.
For Abu Simbel, when we leave from Aswan with the minibus service of our friend Mohammed, we arrive between 45 minutes and 1 hour before the big bus convoy, so there aren’t too many people. It depends on the day, but we’ve never been overwhelmed by the crowd.
As mentioned, to make the most of the temples, it’s best to go early—before 9 AM, or even before 8 AM if possible, as the light is even better then. Don’t forget, on your way to Luxor, the Temple of Khnum in Esna. If possible (but you have to ask—they do it for us every time), just after Edfu, the tombs of El Kab, which are less than 200 meters from the road.
Thoutmosis
Afrique de l'Est et Australe › Botswana / Égypte · 2 replies
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Avant toute chose: un grand merci à tous ceux dont on peut savourer les posts éclairés, marrants, vivants, dépaysants... Un bonheur de trouver de si jolies plumes sur ce forum, qui m'ont donné une foultitude d'idées et d'adresses pour préparer notre voyage.
Notre projet: sillonner le Maroc du 2 novembre au 4 déc. Nous aurons notre propre véhicule (Renault GrandScenic 2011, en très bon état), embarqué avec nous de Sète à TangerMed. Retour depuis Nador.
Notre profil: 75 et 62 étés, donc vieux mais contents de l'être, en très bonne santé. Habitués au voyage - c'est même toute notre vie. Amis des beaux paysages, des vieilles pierres, de l'artisanat soigné et des road trips. Ce sera mon 3e séjour au Maroc, mais le 1 et 2 remontent à 20 ans et 17 ans. Je ne suis jamais allée plus au nord que la ligne Essaouira-Marrakech (mais plus au sud, oui). Quant à mon mari, expat toute sa vie y.c. en pays musulmans, c'est sa première fois au Maroc.
C'est lui qui conduit. Il est très expérimenté, prudent, pas forcément rapide, mais habitué à la conduite dans tous les états (et Etats, yc les plus créatifs sur la route). Mais je ne veux pas le fatiguer et il ne conduit plus de nuit (et on sera en novembre).
J'ai pris le parti de lui faire voir un peu de tout en faisant un road-trip par de belles petites routes, avec des trajets en moyenne de 180-200 km/jour (sauf si autoroute, mais ce sera rare), régulièrement entrecoupés de jours de pause. Je compte une vitesse de 40 à 50 km/h, plus arrêts/visites sur le trajet.
Comme j'ai bien tout lu plein de posts, j'en arrive à des questions assez précises.
1) En provenance directe de Rabat par autoroute, nous préférons zapper Marrakech*. Néanmoins, il faudra bien dormir quelque part autour. On partira le lendemain direction Skoura. Quelqu'un aurait-il une adresse bien positionnée pour ce trajet, év. à l'est de Marrakech ? Nous recherchons idéalement dans une petite ville, facile à se garer, un hébergement propre (minimum) au confort moyen (ou plus si ça se trouve), un peu chauffé et si possible joli et/ou sympa - mais il s'agit avant tout de bien dormir, de se laver à l'eau tiède (idéalement chaude) et de dîner correctement.
(*Explication du "no-go" à Marrakech: certes c'est malheureux, parce qu'il y a de bien belles choses dans cette ville, mais je crois que l'ambiance ne va pas nous plaire - c'est un euphémisme pour "nous rebuter" / "nous faire fuir" / "nous traumatiser". Pas parce qu'il y a trop de monde et qu'on veut se distinguer des touristes, alors qu'on en fait partie, mais parce que le henné forcé sur votre main qu'on attrape, ou passer 10' tous les quarts d'heure à dire "non merci" à un guide, qui est autant guide que moi trapéziste, nous connaissant ça va nous faire du mal. Or, le pays est bien assez vaste et beau, et notre temps bien trop court, pour aller gâcher nos souvenirs quelques jours à peine après l'arrivée. Et je ne veux pas insulter l'avenir en braquant mon paisible époux, sinon il exigera de faire demi-tour et Sète en novembre, ça ne m'emballe pas plus que ça).
2) Quelle route direction Skoura (en 2 jours) ? Je vois 2 possibilités: soit par le col du Tichka, avec nuit à Telouet avant de rejoindre Skoura, soit par la R307/N23 depuis Demnate, avec nuit vers Megdaz avant descente à Skoura. Alors: col du Tichka ou R307/N23 ? J'ai un petit (grand) faible pour la 2e option, même si je sais que l'autre route est très belle aussi. Evidemment, avant de décider, on se renseignera sur la météo et l'état actuel de la R307/N23 - d'ailleurs, quelqu'un sait où obtenir l'info sur l'état de la route ? Mais même en admettant que la route "passe" bien, n'est-elle pas en soi un peu trop pénible ? Bref, est-ce bien raisonnable ? Si une bonne âme veut bien partager son expérience, mille merci d'avance.
Voilà, j'en ai assez écrit. Je laisse les autres questions pour d'autres posts. Encore merci à ceux qui ont eu la patience de me lire et à ceux qui pourront répondre. Joyeux dimanche à tous
Bonjour à tous,
Notre séjour au Maroc sera du 3 au 17 novembre prochain, dans le Haut Atlas.
En gros nous ferions :
Départ Marrakech - Aït Benhaddou
Skoura - Tineghir - Merzouga
Merzouga via la N12 jusquà Zagora
Zagora - Vallée du Drâa - Marrakech
Il semble que ce soit la saison basse donc mon souhait serait de faire un voyage itinérant sans avoir besoin de réserver les hébergements à l'avance. Dans d'autres pays, les réservations nous ont contraint et empêché de visiter des sites non prévus à notre programme. Notre liberté nous est chère, mais je voudrais aussi éviter d arriver sur place et de ne rien trouver.
Que me conseillez vous? Réserver ou pas?
Vos conseils sont toujours utiles et merci à tous ceux qui voudront bien éclairer ma lanterne.
Roberto
bonjour,
je cherche un pays a visiter pour 10 jours en fevrier
que me conseillez vous pour un sejour avec un peu de soleil, randonnées et visite dde pays
Bonjour je souhaite partir au Maroc la semaine prochaine avec ma voiture j'ai regardé sur le net toutes les différentes informations pour le passage du ferry à Tanger auriez-vous des informations à me donner à ce sujet car je trouve que c'est très cher. Est-ce qu'il y aurait une possibilité d'acheter sur l'Espagne ! Ou une autre façon de trouver à acheter le passage pour Algecira à Tanger. Merci de votre retour et de toutes vos informations.
We found a guide who offers the trip from M'hamid to a camp (departure at 3 PM, tea, meal, camel ride, overnight stay, breakfast, and return to M'Hamid by 11 AM the next day via the sacred oasis). He quoted us a price of 380 € for April.
What do you think of this rate?
This might sound like a silly question, but is it common to negotiate the price for this kind of thing (we're booking from France)? It’s still a big part of our travel budget.
Bonjour
Nous pensons nous rendre en Égypte durant la période 25 janvier/ 15 février 2027 . J'ai cherché les dates du Ramadan et trouvé des sites qui annoncent le 8 février et d'autres qui annoncent le 18 février... Ou est l'erreur?
Merci
Christian
Hi there,
We’re a family of 4 with two boys aged 12 and 10 traveling to Egypt in February.
We’re spending 3 days in Cairo to take our time exploring the city and the sites before heading south.
-Is it necessary to have a guide to visit the GEM? Are audio guides available?
-Do you have any contacts for drivers to organize a few transfers (Giza, Saqqara, Airport)?
-Do you know a French-speaking guide who’s friendly, family-friendly, and good at making things exciting, with reasonable prices?
Avec nos deux ados, nous allons passer deux semaines au Maroc à la fin décembre-début janvier. Ce sera notre premier voyage plus "dépaysant", bien que nous ayons visité plusieurs pays jusqu'à maintenant. Vu l'abondance d'infos, je suis plutôt overwhelmed avec la préparation que ce voyage exige et j'avoue être un peu perdue quant à évaluer ce qui est réaliste de visiter ou pas en 2 semaines 😕 Tous vos conseils, retour d'expériences et suggestions sont donc ici les bienvenus!
- Quels endroits seraient à privilégier à cette période de l'année (j'ai vu que certains endroits étaient moins accessibles en hiver?)
- Préférable de circuler de quelle façon ? (location d'auto, train, transport privé, autobus, etc.? -- à noter que nous aurons tout de même quelques valises!)
- Niveau "sécurité", des zones à éviter?
- Des suggestions de compagnies touristiques fiables (outre les grosses bannières de type "get your guide") qui offrent des excursions, ou encore des transports privés pour nous permettre de découvrir le pays?
- Un itinéraire jouable en 2 semaines sans devoir changer d'hébergement aux 2 jours et apprécier la diversité du pays?
I’m planning a trip to the High Atlas in Morocco and have a few questions for you:
- Why do so many people recommend avoiding international agencies for car rentals? Can anyone explain why?
- Is Booking.com reliable, and has anyone rented a vehicle through their service? There’s a pretty big price difference compared to local Moroccan agencies.
- Is there a detailed road map included in the rental car?
- Is Google Maps enough to get around the High Atlas? This will be my first trip there.
Thanks so much to anyone who can help with this destination I’ve been dreaming about for years.
Have a great evening,
Roberto
hi there, I’m heading to Tunisia 🙂 from April 27 to May 8 with my family. I’ve read through the various discussions about the country, but I’m still a bit unsure🤪: for currency exchange, I saw on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that withdrawing currency with a bank card from ATMs is limited to 200 TND per week. There are four of us traveling by car, so that might be a bit tight! And it’s a hassle to carry a lot of cash, even if I’m not being paranoid! What do you all recommend?
Cheers,
Laurent.
I was wondering if it’s possible to join a group as a solo traveler with local agencies in Djanet for circuits like Tadrart, Essendilene, Sefar, or Tassili?
If you have any agencies to recommend, I’d love to hear about them.
I didn’t find any info on the forum.
Best,
We're planning a 2-week trip in late February/early March for a road trip in the High Atlas with a rental car, and we'd love to avoid booking our accommodations in advance. Is that doable, easily manageable, or risky (are accommodations available, expensive, or not great)? Thanks for your tips!
Annie
Hi,
This autumn, we’re planning to explore the Oriental region and we’re wondering where the best place to land would be. We’ll have three weeks ahead of us and we’ll be renting a car.
Any tips would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Is there an official website or list of certified Egyptologist guides in Egypt? And most importantly, what are the normal prices for a full day or half day? There’s so much scamming and crazy pricing—depending on who you contact, it can range from simple to quadruple!!!!
Thanks
Hi everyone,
We're leaving in early October 2026 and planning to travel from the Aït Bougmez Valley ("Happy Valley") to Skoura/Ouarzazate via Demnate and the R307/N23 route.
Has anyone taken this road recently? Is it passable with a regular car (non-4x4), or is a 4x4 absolutely necessary? Are there any ongoing construction projects or degraded sections to be aware of?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Hello,
In September, my wife and I, along with another couple, will be traveling to Tunisia and staying at the Sheherasade Hotel near Sousse.
We’d love to hear your recommendations or tips on places to visit, as well as advice on taxis or other transportation options.
Thanks in advance!
This autumn’s trip should be in Morocco—barring any geopolitical issues between now and then.
After many trips to the south of Fès, I’m giving the north a try.
My plan is roughly to do a road trip loop from Rabat back to Rabat, passing through Asilah, Tangier, Tétouan, Chefchaouen, Akchour, Fès, Meknès, and Volubilis.
That’s a lot of cities.
Probably a bit too many for our taste—we usually prefer more isolated spots...
So I’m looking for tips on little backroads, secluded beaches, half-day hikes, and offbeat places.
If you’ve also got recommendations for accommodation... (We’re open to splurging over 100 € if it’s a real favorite.)
Feel free to think outside the box—this is an open-ended plan! !😉
Hello,
I’m looking for testimonials from Pieds-Noirs who have recently returned to Algeria.
There can’t be many left after 65 years of the country’s independence.
I’m planning to go back myself soon to reconnect with my roots... before I pass away...
I’ve started making a few pre-bookings for hotels and apartments to rent in Algiers. At first, I received friendly and welcoming responses. Then, when I mentioned I wanted to stay for two or three weeks—maybe even a month—explaining that my trip wouldn’t be strictly touristy but more of a pilgrimage to the places of my childhood, and that it would likely be a very emotional journey, I expected a positive and warm reaction to my approach. Instead, I suddenly stopped getting replies from the three or four people I’d contacted. So now I’m wondering about the reception former Pieds-Noirs can expect...
Anyone here who can share their experience of returning? I specified “recently” because it seems that right now, diplomatic relations between the two governments are extremely tense, not to say hostile... even if Macron claims otherwise...
Hello,
I’m traveling to Algeria from October 27 to November 16, 2026.
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been through the process about the accommodation attestation required for the visa application:
- Does it need to cover the entire duration of the trip?
- Is this document mandatory for a hotel to rent a room?
- Is it checked during inspections?
- Is a hotel booking (e.g., via Booking.com) sufficient for the visa?
- If so, does it need to be paid in advance?
I plan to visit several cities and do one or more treks with a guide or agency.
If you have any contacts you’d recommend, I’d be grateful!
Also, I’d love to share this trip with a companion who’s already done some traveling.
We’d organize the journey together, of course.
Thanks for your feedback!
Safe travels to all,
Dom, Dijon, 64 years old
I’m leaving for Tunisia in five weeks for a full 15-day trip. I’ll be arriving in Monastir and departing from there as well.
I’d like to do a route that’s a bit different from my first stay, which was more focused on cities and culture (Tunis, Sousse, Kairouan, El Jem).
I’ll be getting around by public transport.
I’d like to head south toward Tozeur, and I saw that you can take a *louage* from Monastir to Sbeitla (2h30). I imagine it’s not too complicated to get to Tozeur from there afterward? The issue is the return trip to Monastir and safety in Sbeitla.
If this route seems too complicated, I might opt for Djerba instead, which looks simpler.
I’m heading to Morocco in September 2026, and part of my trip takes me through Merzouga. I’m looking for a 4x4 driver-guide to explore the area with my partner and me.
Even though I come to Morocco four times a year, it’s been a long time since I’ve made the trip by car. I need to refresh my knowledge! I’ll be traveling in early October. I have a car that’s about 20 years old. The plan is to cross via Algeciras/Ceuta.
A few questions:
1) Does this crossing still exist? If so, do I need to buy the ticket in advance or on the spot? From whom? Any advice is welcome!
2) What documents are required for the car?
3) If anyone is making the trip around the same time, it could be fun to drive together 😊
Hi there,
I’m looking for some friendly recommendations for places to stay in Marrakech for 3 nights in June 2026.
In the meantime, have a great day, everyone! Thanks so much in advance.
