Question about travel time for a 2-week Egypt itinerary

Hi there,

I’ve finally decided to make my childhood dream come true—and at the same time, fulfill my two boys’ dreams (ages 9 and 13). Just to give you some context, we’re used to "backpacker" vacations—the little one even crossed Malaysia on my back. But now I’ve got a teenager, so if I pack too much, he complains, and I’m getting older, so I’m more tired 😉.

I’ve put together this itinerary trying not to rush, based on a felucca trip with a small local agency that has a solid reputation.

Day 1: Late arrival in Cairo Day 2: Cairo - Flight to Aswan (11:20 PM)? Day 3: Aswan? Cairo? Day 4: Aswan Day 5: Sail Day 1 Day 6: Sail Day 2 (camel market + Kom Ombo) Day 7: Sail Day 3 (Jabal El Silsila) Day 8: Sail Day 4 Edfu - transfer to Luxor - arriving at 2 PM Day 9: Luxor (Valley of the Kings) Day 10: Luxor (Karnak) Day 11: Luxor / Cairo? Day 12: Cairo: Giza Day 13: Cairo Giza again - Flight home at 11 PM

My main question is about how much time to allocate in Aswan, Luxor, and Cairo to avoid missing out but without feeling rushed. We definitely have: - 3 full days in Cairo - 2.5 days in Luxor - 1 day in Aswan

I can adjust a bit: - By adding 1 day in Aswan or Cairo - By adding a half-day in Cairo or Luxor.

What would you recommend and why?

Thanks in advance!

Catherine, back on VoyageForum—what a joy.

Hello everyone, Day 1: Arrival at Cairo Airport—what time??? Day 13: Is that the time for your 11 PM flight?? Day 3: Aswan? Cairo? I don’t get why Cairo?? Since on Day 4 you’re in Aswan, so that’s almost two days in Aswan?? Day 6: If you’re doing a felucca cruise to the livestock market, you need to know the day, because it depends—it’s not the same thing. The camel market is on Saturdays and Sundays, and depending on the day of the week, it’s cows, sheep, goats, and others. Day 11: Luxor - Cairo?? Is this still undecided, or is it the flight time?? Thoutmosis

Hi everyone, and thanks for shedding some light on this!

I’ve put my answers to your questions in bold.

Day 1: Arrival at Cairo airport — what time??? - Like midnight, basically a wasted day Day 13: Is your flight at 11 PM?? - Yes, that’s the departure time for the return flight Day 3: Aswan? Cairo? I don’t get why Cairo?? Since you’re in Aswan on Day 4, that means almost two days in Aswan?? That’s the question — are we only spending one day in Aswan? Day 6: If you’re doing a felucca cruise to the livestock market, you need to know the day, because it depends. The camel market is on Saturdays and Sundays, and on other days of the week, it’s cows, sheep, goats, etc. Yep, I know — we’re good, it’ll be on Saturday. I’d already planned for that, and the provider specifies the right days Day 11: Luxor to Cairo?? Is that not decided yet, or is it the flight time?? It’s not decided yet.

I think we’ll actually take off for Aswan on Day 3. We’re gonna skip Abu Simbel — too much driving from Aswan for my taste. So one day in Aswan should be enough, and that’ll give us time to relax a bit after the arrival trip.

So, in my opinion, we’ll spend most of our time in Luxor on Day 11 before heading to Cairo.

Unless we spend 2 days in Aswan to explore the different islands at a leisurely pace, which might work better for the kids. Anyway, it's flexible.

Hello everyone, For day 13, you can still make the most of the day since your flight is at 11 PM. To be sure you don’t miss it, it’s best to arrive early—accounting for the 2-hour time difference plus the journey and traffic, I’d recommend leaving 4 hours before your flight. You can always grab a coffee or something while you wait. Honestly, it’s the safer option, and if you’re organized, it’s no problem, even with teens. Now, if you wanted to see as much as possible, the cruise wasn’t the best solution. For me, it’s just watching the banks go by (been there, done that, and it kills my mood—I’m used to moving around, taking tons of photos and videos, so cruises are a no-go for me now). But if it’s a real passion for you, that’s your call, and I get it. It’s a shame to skip Abu Simbel, but if you have no choice, then stay two nights in Aswan before the cruise. After your cruise, you’ll disembark after Edfu, so it’s about a two-hour drive to Luxor, hopefully passing through Esna and the Temple of Khnum. The time you’re going isn’t too hot yet, so sightseeing won’t be unbearable. At your age, you’ve still got all that youthful energy 😏, and if the teens aren’t too difficult, the visits will be a breeze 😏. Thoutmosis

Hello,

Thanks for your insights and great tips—I’ll take them for my peace of mind 🙂.

Life is all about choices, and I’m not one for rushing. They were easier to travel with as backpackers when those two were just 1 year old (we definitely turned heads back then)... A felucca cruise is a childhood dream—taking the time to do nothing, just soaking in the scenery (my inner mountain lover coming through). I don’t want to see or consume as much as possible; I want to *live* the trip. I’ve been a backpacker for 25 years (well, with a break...) and we’ve always preferred quality over quantity. Abu Simbel will have to wait for another time if we return—along with Lake Nasser, the White Desert, and who knows what else...

I’ll be going at the end of October, so I’ve got time to fine-tune things before then...

Hello everyone, Mountain lover from Toulouse? Probably originally from there? Same here, which is why we always try to stay in small hotels or, when possible, in guesthouses or with locals. We always plan everything ourselves, like many others, but even some "backpackers" freak out when it comes to Egypt—why? Weird. For our next trip, at the end of October, it’s still hot but bearable. Though in Aswan and Abu Simbel, it’ll be a different story. Thoutmosis

Hi there,

We’ve got the Pyrenees near Toulouse 🙂. Okay, at 1.5 hours, it’s not *that* far.

After some thought, we’re going to cut one day from the cruise (it *did* feel like it might get long after a while).

I’ve rearranged everything to make a little detour to Hurghada on the way back to Cairo—since the trip’s long anyway, might as well go see the fish.

Here’s our tentative itinerary—unless you tell me it’s a bad idea:

D1 Outbound flight D2 Cairo – The city D3 Cairo – Saqqarah + flight to Aswan at 11 PM D4 Aswan – Philae – Elephantine D5 Sailing – 1st villages D6 Sailing – 2nd market + Kom Ombo D7 Sailing – End of cruise – Edfu + road to Luxor (14 hours?) D8 Luxor – Karnak + hot-air balloon D9 Luxor – Valley of the Kings + evening bus D10 Hurghada – Red Sea D11 Hurghada – Red Sea + late-night bus D12 Giza – we’ll see D13 Giza This gives us two nights in each place, which we really need.

I think we’ll stay in Hurghada itself to minimize transport. We all dive, but I’m also planning to do some snorkeling. From what I’ve gathered, given the limited time, the best option is a boat excursion, right?

And I’ve heard the beaches are all pretty developed—is that correct? What a shame.

Another little question: if we had to pick one sound and light show, which one should we go for? I’ve read that: - Philae is great but a bit harder to get to - Karnak: easy access but the quality is so-so - Cairo: haven’t read anything, but we’re staying with a view of the pyramids

So I’m a bit lost😐

Hello everyone, I saw the other post with the schedule, and if that’s what you want, no one’s going to argue with you, but... Is it really more packing and unpacking? It’s already so tight—one little hiccup and it’s a nightmare. That’s why I always say to plan for some flexibility. Hurghada is already a 4h30 drive, and then there’s the transfer to Cairo if your return flight is from there—another long trip??? I wouldn’t do Hurghada myself. Some will say it’s doable, sure, but as usual, they’re not the ones in your shoes. For the sound and light show at Philae, it’s really a matter of taste. It also depends on how many days you’re spending in Aswan. If you plan to visit the islands, that takes time, especially if you go all the way to Sehel Island. If you’re just visiting, take a small motorboat—feluccas are *very* slow, so you’ll lose even more time. I saw Philae and Karnak a long time ago, so I don’t know if they’re still the same. As for explanations, nothing special in my opinion. Cairo’s the same—plus, they no longer have the French version. It was taken down for renovations, but anyway, if you have a hotel facing the pyramids, they usually have a rooftop terrace. No need to buy a ticket for the sound and light show—we did that in 2018, and the view of the whole site was beautiful. You could do the same. Of course, others might have a different opinion. What interests me isn’t so much the sound and light show, but getting evening photos of the site. With the new lighting, it’s much better. Once you’re in Luxor, head toward the Theban Hills—you’ll see they’re lit up all along. It’s absolutely stunning. Thoutmosis

Hi there,

To avoid packing and unpacking, we travel light—we’re used to it, and we stay pretty grubby 😉. For budget reasons, we were planning to take the bus from Luxor to Cairo, but between a 10-hour bus ride or a 4h + 7h trip (via GoBus), the latter’s less awful. Especially since I just snagged flights for 35 € on EgyptAir from Hurghada to Cairo 🙂, which was totally unexpected!

Either way, thanks for all the new insights and info I’ve picked up from your other discussions. No sound and light show for us, but we’re doing a hot-air balloon ride over Karnak instead...

No sound and light show, but a hot-air balloon ride over Karnak...

Oh wow, that sounds like a dream, Cat! Just out of curiosity, how much is it per person? (Because if it’s within my budget, I’m booking it right away 😄) Thanks! Christelle

Hello,

For the hot-air balloon, I don’t know exactly—I have the time, but I think it’s between 20 € and 50 € per person.

Wow, it’d be a shame to miss out at that price! Hope you’ll tell us all about it 😉

Hello everyone, Since 2015 and the 2013 accident I narrowly avoided, the number of companies has increased significantly, and as a result, prices have gone up. Forget about 20 €—now it’s more like 50 € or even up to 100 €. You can already spot quite a few companies just by looking at the Luxor map (Google Maps): Sindbad, Salem Hot Air Balloon, Memphis Tour, King Tut, Top Level, etc. They’re buzzing around like a swarm of hornets. Thoutmosis

I don’t know why I wrote 20—I meant between 40 and 50—but thanks for the clarification. If I manage to keep it to 60 per person, I’ll be happy.

Hello everyone, no worries, same here—I never proofread because I’m usually juggling about ten conversations at once (and now I don’t open several at the same time anymore because I’d get mixed up ). Anyway, as I always say, today’s prices definitely won’t still be good in a week, maybe two, or even a month or two, but the current prices give you a ballpark. For the price, check in private—unless you’ve already seen what you might be able to do??? Thoutmosis