In November 2023, we did something we had been talking about for years. We packed our bags, flew to Cairo, and spent 21 days travelling Egypt from Alexandria in the north to Abu Simbel in the far south — with a private Egyptologist, a private driver, and a six-day Dahabiya sailing cruise down the Nile between Luxor and Aswan.
We had researched Egypt for months before we left. We had read the guidebooks, watched the documentaries and spoken to other travellers. None of it quite prepared us for the reality, which is that Egypt is more extraordinary, more overwhelming and more moving than anything we had anticipated. Standing at the base of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Walking through the Valley of the Kings at dawn before the tour groups arrived. Watching the sun rise over Abu Simbel from the courtyard of the temple, in a cold wind, with nobody else around. Sailing the Nile on a traditional wooden boat with a crew of six who became friends by Day Two.
This is our complete Egypt itinerary guide — built on 21 days of firsthand experience with a private Egyptologist who transformed every site from a place on a map into a living piece of history. We have structured it as three separate itineraries — 8 days, 15 days and 21 days — so you can choose the length that suits your time and build from there.
One decision we made that transformed our trip: rather than joining a group bus tour, we chose to travel with our own private Egyptologist and driver through Egyptian Educational Travel (Edu Travel). It gave us control over pace, timing and depth that a group tour simply cannot match. We were so impressed with their service across 21 days that we have partnered with them — use promo code TTT24 when enquiring and receive a 5% discount on your Egyptian adventure. Your contact is owner Romani Gaballa at egyptianedutravel.com.
A unique experience with Egyptian Edu Travel – we arrived in the afternoon at Cairo Airport. As we queued up to obtain the visa, this gentleman came up and said hi, Jane and Duncan! We didn’t know this man, but how could he know our names? Romani from Egyptian Edu Travel arranged for us to have fast track through – which was the right way to go as it was busy. That lovely gentleman got our photos from our To Travel Too Facebook page! He turned up to be Romani’s brother and popped up every time we flew out or flew into Cairo! Such great service!
Whether you are planning 8 days or 21, book well in advance. The best hotels, Dahabiya cruises and Egyptologists in Egypt are booked months ahead — particularly for the October to April peak season.
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Use Promo Code TTT24 when enquiring and booking your Egyptian Adventure
Hot Tip:
There is so much to learn about Egypt, we purchased the book below before we travelled – it helped us to discover background history before we visited the many sites in our itinerary.
FAQ’s When Visiting Egypt
When is the Best Time To Visit Egypt
This is a frequently asked question and one that is very important when planning your travels.
The busiest months to visit Egypt are the winter and spring months from November to April. We visited in November, and the weather was perfect. The nights can be a little chilly the further south you travel from Cairo. Our sunrise tour to Abu Simbel was chilly and windy, so ensure that you have a jacket and a scarf.
During our two days in Alexandria, the weather was perfect, and at night we did not need a jacket. We would recommend taking a hat with you, and ladies, you will need a scarf to cover up when visiting mosques.
We did find on some days when visiting sites such as Sakkara, Memphis and Giza that during the day it was quite hot in the mid-30s. We are used to the heat after living in Singapore for 6 years, and our home base is Sydney, Australia, where temperatures during summer reach 40 degrees.
The hottest months are from May to August. Our Dahabiya cruise company, Nour El Nil, does not operate during July and August due to the high temperatures.
Is Egypt Safe to Visit in 2026?
We can speak to this from personal experience — and we felt safe throughout our entire 21 days in Egypt in late 2023. Everywhere we went, from our hotel arrivals to the sites and on the road from Aswan to Abu Simbel, there were security checks and a very visible presence of police and armed security forces. Egypt’s tourism industry is one of its most important economic drivers, and the government’s commitment to keeping the tourist corridor safe is immediately apparent on the ground.
For 2026, the picture is reassuring for travellers planning the standard Egypt itinerary. The US State Department Egypt travel advisory remains at Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution — with Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria and the Red Sea resorts all open and operating normally. The classic tourist areas — Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, the Nile cruise route, and the Red Sea — are considered low-concern, and police and tourist security presence is very visible at every major site.
The long-standing recommendation to avoid travel to the northern Sinai Peninsula remains unchanged. None of the sites in this itinerary — Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel — are anywhere near the restricted zones. The Luxor–Aswan route is the most heavily policed tourist corridor in Egypt, with Tourism Police patrolling every major site and cruise ships on the river operating under security protocols that have been in place for decades.
For most tourists, Egypt is safe to visit in 2026 when trips are planned sensibly, local guidance is followed, and travellers stay aware of regional developments. Go — just go smart.
Our practical recommendations: book through a reputable operator, keep your travel insurance current and comprehensive, monitor your government’s travel advisory in the weeks before departure, and register with your embassy on arrival. The Australian Government’s Smartraveller website has current Egypt advice updated regularly. We recommend checking it immediately before you travel, regardless of when you book.
Our 3 Weeks in Egypt Itinerary Summary
Check out our YouTube video of our 2-week itinerary with Edu Travel and our one week on board the Malouka – Dahabiya Nile Cruise here.
Nile Cruise – Dahabiya Malouka with Nour El Nil Video
Related reading: How to spend 3 days in Cairo
How to spend two days in Alexandria
21 Day Itinerary Egypt
Day One – Arrive in Cairo, check into your hotel and head out to explore in the evening if you have time.
Day Two – Visit the Citadel of Saladin, the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali, and the Egyptian Museum.
Day Three — Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the GEM
We want to be honest with you about Day 3: this is the most content-heavy day of the itineraries and requires an early start and good energy. The Grand Egyptian Museum, the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are each extraordinary in their own right — and the temptation is to squeeze Khan El Khalili Bazaar into the afternoon. Our honest recommendation is to drop Khan El Khalili from Day 3 entirely and either visit it on Day 2 in the afternoon (swapping the afternoon Egyptian Museum visit to Day 3 morning) or accept that for an 8-day trip, you simply may not have time for the bazaar. Here is how we would structure it:
Morning (early start — 8:00 am): The Grand Egyptian Museum. Allow a minimum of two hours — three if you want to do justice to the Tutankhamun galleries. Book tickets online at here well in advance as the museum sells out.
Late Morning/Midday: Drive to the Giza Plateau. The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Allow two hours minimum — longer if you plan to enter one of the individual pyramids. A private guide here is strongly recommended and transforms the experience.
Afternoon: Rest and recovery at your hotel. The Pyramids of Giza in the afternoon heat require recovery time.
Optional Evening: If you have energy remaining, Khan El Khalili Bazaar opens until late evening, and the atmosphere after dark is excellent — cooler, less crowded and genuinely atmospheric. This is actually a better time to visit than during the daytime.
Day Four – Drive to Alexandria. On the way, we visited St Makarious Monastery and learnt about Coptic Monasticism and the daily routine of the monks. In Alexandria, visit the Catacombs and Pompey’s Pillar.
Stay at the Paradise Inn Le Metropole in Alexandria for a classical luxury hotel stay. In the evening, enjoy the lights of Alexandria from their rooftop bar and restaurant – Skyview.
Day Five – Royal Gardens of Montazah, National Museum of Alexandria, the New Library of Alexandria and Qait-bay Fortress.
Day Six – Depart Alexandria and head back to Cairo. On the way, visit the new GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum).
Day Seven – Travel to Memphis, visit the Step Pyramid and the Noble Tombs at Sakkara. BBQ lunch before heading back to Giza and visiting the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.
Day Eight – Transfer to Cairo Domestic Airport for flight to Luxor.
On arrival, we were met by a representative of Edu Travel to visit the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor.
Read: How to spend 4 days in Luxor
Wondering where to stay in Luxor? Read our review of the Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor here
We also stayed at the Pavillon Winter Palace in Luxor. You can read the review here
Day Nine
Visit the Valley of the Kings, King Tut Tomb, Ramses IV tomb, Hatshepsut Temple, and Colossi of Memnon.
In the evening, a visit to the Sound & Light Show at Karnak.
Day Ten
Visit Dendera Temple and Abydos Temple. Book your tour here.
Day Eleven
Hot air balloon flight at sunrise. Ours was cancelled due to the weather.
Travel tip: Book the hot air balloon flight for the first morning you arrive in case of bad weather, so you have time to reschedule.
Visit the Temple of Madinet Habu, Ramesseum Temple, Valley of the Queens and the Tomb of Queen Nefertari. Book your tour here.
In the late afternoon, tour Luxor and the local markets by horse and carriage. Visit the Mummification Museum.
Day Twelve
Days 12–17 — The Dahabiya Nile Cruise: Six Days That Changed Everything
Of all the decisions we made in planning our Egypt trip, choosing to spend six days on a Dahabiya sailing cruise with Nour El Nil was the one we are most grateful for. We did not know what to expect. What we got was the most peaceful, the most beautiful and in some ways the most revealing experience of the entire 21 days.
A Dahabiya is a traditional Egyptian sailing vessel — not a floating hotel like the large motorised cruise ships that operate between Luxor and Aswan, but a small, elegant wooden boat with sails, a crew of six, and a capacity for between eight and sixteen passengers. Ours — the Malouka — felt almost impossibly beautiful from the moment we boarded.
What the Dahabiya does that no other Egyptian experience can replicate is give you the Nile as the Egyptians have always known it. You move slowly. You stop at sites that the large cruise ships cannot access. You swim in the Nile — yes, actually swim in it — at lunchtime while the boat anchors in a quiet stretch of the river. You watch the desert turn pink and orange at sunset from the upper deck with a cold drink in your hand. And you sleep on the water, under stars, in a silence that the cities of Egypt do not offer.
The shore visits across the six days covered El Kab, Edfu and the extraordinary Temple of Horus, the sandstone quarries, the Temple of Horemheb, the Temple of Kom Ombo with its remarkable new Crocodile Museum, and a sunset walk in the desert that was genuinely one of the most memorable hours of the trip. By the time we reached Aswan on Day 17, we were already sad it was over.
If you are considering whether to include a Nile cruise — and particularly whether to choose a Dahabiya over a standard motorised cruise — read our full review of the Malouka with Nour El Nil. We would make the same decision without hesitation.
Day six of our Dahabiya cruise – Aswan. Check out of our Dahabiya cruise in the morning and check into your hotel, we stayed at the – the Old Cataract Palace.
You can read our review here of the Sofitel Old Cataract Hotel here
In the afternoon, sail by felucca around Elephantine Island before visiting the Botanical Gardens of Aswan. Take a motorboat and cross to the west side of the Nile to visit the Monastery of St Simon and a Nubian Village.
Day Eighteen
Related reading: How to spend 2 days in Aswan
Visit Philae Temple, the local Nubian Museum and Archangel Michael Coptic Cathedral.
Day Nineteen
Related reading: How to spend two days in Abu Simbel
Drive or fly from Aswan to Abu Simbel.
In the evening, enjoy the Sound & Light Show at Abu Simbel.
Day Twenty
Sunrise tour of the Temple of Abu Simbel.
Day Twenty One
Drive to Aswan and fly to Cairo Airport or fly from Abu Simbel to Cairo.
Flight bookings can be made here.
15-Day Egypt Itinerary
Read our 3-day itinerary in Cairo here
Day One – Arrive in Cairo, check into your hotel, and if time, head out to explore
Day Two – Visit the Citadel of Saladin, the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali, Egyptian Museum.
Day Three – Visit the Old Coptic and Islamic Cairo, including the Hanging Church, Holy Family Cave Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, Ibn Tulun Mosque with its unique minaret, and Museum of Sir Gayer Anderson, Khan El Khalili Bazaar and El Moez Street.
Day Four – Drive to Alexandria. On the way, we visited St Makarious Monastery and learnt about Coptic Monasticism and the daily routine of the monks. In Alexandria, visit the Catacombs and Pompey’s Pillar.
Stay at the Paradise Inn Le Metropole in Alexandria
Day Five – Royal Gardens of Montazah, National Museum of Alexandria, the New Library of Alexandria and Qait-bay Fortress.
Day Six – Depart Alexandria and head back to Cairo. On the way, visit the new GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum).
Day Seven – Travel to Memphis, and visit the Step Pyramid and the Noble Tombs at Sakkara. BBQ lunch before heading back to Giza and visiting the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx.
Day Eight – Transfer to Cairo Domestic Airport for flight to Luxor.
Stay at the Sofitel Winter Palace in Luxor,
or you can stay at her sister Hotel Pavillon Winter Palace, located in the same grounds
On arrival, we were met by a representative of Edu Travel to visit the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor.
Day Nine
Visit the Valley of the Kings, King Tut Tomb, Ramses IV tomb, Hatshepsut Temple, and Colossi of Memnon.
In the evening, a visit to the Sound & Light Show at Karnak.
Day Ten
Visit Dendera Temple and Abydos Temple.
Day Eleven
Hot air balloon flight at sunrise. Ours was cancelled due to the weather.
Travel tip: Book the hot air balloon flight for the first morning you arrive in case of bad weather.
Visit the Temple of Madinet Habu, Ramesseum Temple, Valley of the Queens and the Tomb of Queen Nefertari.
In the late afternoon, tour Luxor and the local markets by horse and carriage. Visit the Mummification Museum.
Day Twelve to Day Fifteen – Option One Nile River Cruise
3-night cruise from Luxor to Aswan. Fly from Aswan back to Cairo.
Day Twelve to Day Fifteen – Option Two
Day Twelve – day at leisure in Luxor
Day Thirteen – fly from Luxor to Abu Simbel. In the evening, Light and Sound Show
Day Fourteen – sunrise tour to Abu Simbel and the rest of the day at leisure
Day Fifteen – fly from Abu Simbel back to Cairo
8-Day Egypt Itinerary
Read our 3 days in Cairo itinerary here
Day One – Arrival in Cairo check into your hotel and if you have time head out to explore
Day Two
Morning: Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali.
Afternoon: Egyptian Museum
Day Three
Morning: New GEM Museum, Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx
Afternoon: Khan El Khalili Bazaar and El Moez Street with its many Islamic Mosques
Day Four
Morning: Fly to Luxor
Afternoon: Visit the Temple of Karnak and the Temple of Luxor
Day Five
Morning: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Temple of Memnon.
Afternoon: Back to your hotel and early evening enjoy the Sound and Light Show at the Temple of Karnak.
Day Six
Optional: Sunrise Balloon Flight over the Valley of the Kings and the Hatshepsut Temple, tombs and villages on the West Bank of the Nile.
Morning: Visit the Valley of the Queens, the Temple of Madinet Habu-Ramesseum Temple and the Tomb of Queen Nefertari.
Late Afternoon: relax by the pool before visiting the town of Luxor by horse carriage
Day Seven
Fly to Abu Simbel, visit the Temple of Abu Simbel, and return to Luxor
Day Eight
Flight from Luxor to Cairo.
Whether you plan to spend 7, 9, 10, 12 or more or fewer days in Egypt, you can use a combination of the itineraries we have given.
Looking for an add-on to a beach destination in Egypt ?-Check out our guide on Hurghada here
Have you considered travelling to Petra in Jordan on this trip?
Hotel Accommodation in Egypt
There are so many hotels available throughout Egypt to suit all budgets. As Egypt was a bucket list travel experience for us we chose to stay in luxury hotels. There are many options for 4-star and 3-star hotels throughout Egypt.
Good to know: some of the hotels in Cairo do not serve alcohol. If you enjoy a nightly sundowner check before you book.
Our list of hotels in Egypt, where we stayed: (check out our YouTube videos here of our stay in each hotel)
Cairo book here – Steinberger El Tahir
Alexandria book here – Le Metropole
Giza book here – Marriott Mena House
Luxor book here – Sofitel Winter Palace and Sofitel Pavilion Winter
You can read our review of the Sofitel Winter Palace here
You can read our review of the Pavillon Winter Palace Hotel here
Aswan book here – Old Cataract Hotel
You can read our review of the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel here
Abu Simbel book here – Seti Abu Simbel
A Final Note on 21 Days in Egypt
We left Egypt having seen more in three weeks than we thought possible — and with a list of things we had not managed to see that was nearly as long. That is the nature of Egypt. It is a country of such extraordinary depth and such accumulative historical weight that no single trip can encompass it. What three weeks gave us was enough to understand why it matters — and enough to know that we will return.
If we were giving one piece of advice to anyone planning their first Egypt trip, it would be this: give it more time than you think you need, go slower than the tour operators suggest, and hire a private Egyptologist rather than joining a group tour. The sites are remarkable in any context. But standing at the entrance to Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings while your Egyptologist explains the 1922 discovery in real time — telling you where Howard Carter stood, what he saw through that first hole in the wall, what he said to Lord Carnarvon — is a completely different experience from following a tour group with an audio headset.
Egypt was a bucket list destination for us — one we had talked about for years and finally committed to in 2023. It exceeded every expectation we had. It is also, we are delighted to report, one of the most straightforward countries we have travelled in as independent visitors with the right support. The people are warm, the food is excellent, the infrastructure for tourism is well developed, and the sheer concentration of extraordinary history on offer is simply unmatched anywhere in the world.
Go. Give it three weeks if you possibly can. And book the Dahabiya.
General Information for Arrival in Egypt
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Egyptian Visas
Most countries will need a visa to enter Egypt. There are only a few exceptions.
Obtaining an E-Visa
If you need a visa, you can apply online here at the official Government visa website. It is a simple process. Ours took just under 24 hours to arrive. If you’re not eligible to apply for a visa online, you’ll need to do so through your nearest Egyptian embassy or consulate. Please allow enough time to organise your visas.
Print your visa out with you and carry it in your passport throughout your time in Egypt.
Obtaining a Visa on Arrival
To obtain your visa at the airport, you will need USD25 per person. There are approved bank kiosks within the airport arrival hall, before reaching immigration counters.
You will be given a stamp to put on your passport before you reach the immigration counter. Ensure that you have 6 months’ validity on your passport, a travel itinerary and documentation for accommodation and tours etc.
Obtaining a Visa Through a Visa Company
This is an extra cost for the visa company to obtain the visa for you. For more details, click below.
Obtaining Egyptian Pounds
We travelled with Australian Dollars and exchanged them at the bank counters in the arrival hall with ease. You can also obtain Egyptian pounds from ATMs and hotels.
The exchange rate is set by the Government for your currency conversion.
Credit/Debit Cards
We travel with a debit and a credit card. If you are not travelling in a group or with a guide, where tickets are purchased in advance for the major sites, they will need to be paid for by credit card or Egyptian pounds (depending on the site). Ensure that you have a mix of both.
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Travel Insurance
Travel is full of unforgettable moments — but sometimes the unexpected happens too. That’s why we always recommend travelling with insurance. Ekta Travel Insurance offers flexible coverage options to help protect your trip, so you can focus on enjoying the adventure ahead.
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