3-Day Cairo Trip from Sharm El Sheikh
Step away from the beach for the Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Both flights, your Cairo hotel, transfers and an Egyptologist are all included.
The short answer
3-Day Cairo Trip from Sharm El Sheikh is a 3-day, 2-night trip to Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh: 2 nights in Cairo. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £857 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
If you are holiday-making in Sharm El Sheikh, the pyramids are only a short flight away. This trip gives you two nights in Cairo and puts you back at your resort on day 3. A driver collects you from your hotel for the airport. Once in Cairo you walk Al-Muizz Street and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, give day 2 to Giza, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, and spend the last morning in the Grand Egyptian Museum before flying home to the coast. Your Egyptologist is with you at every stop, with entrance fees and transport covered. Expect early starts and a lot of walking.
What lingers
- 01Both internal flights between Sharm El Sheikh and Cairo, with transfers at each end
- 02Islamic Cairo on foot with an Egyptologist, from Al-Muizz Street to the Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- 03One eight-hour day taking in the Giza Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis
- 04Lunch in the countryside south of Cairo on pyramids day
- 05A half-day at the Grand Egyptian Museum, with the Tutankhamun galleries, the Grand Staircase and Khufu's solar boat
- 06Two nights in a Cairo hotel and a private driver for every transfer
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in GBP, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom £8573★ hotels | £857May–Sep: from £829 | ||
| Comfortfrom £8794★ hotels | Cairo · 2 nightsJewel Sport City | £879May–Sep: from £868 | |
| Classicfrom £9165★ hotels | £916May–Sep: from £877 | ||
| Prestigefrom £9935★ deluxe hotels | £993May–Sep: from £1,012 | ||
| Luxuryfrom £1,3565★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 2 nightsSt. Regis Cairo | £1,356May–Sep: from £1,316 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
3 Days / 2 Nights · Sharm El Sheikh · Cairo · Islamic Cairo · Al-Muizz Street · Khan el-Khalili · Giza Plateau
- 1
A driver picks you up at your Sharm El Sheikh hotel and drives you to the airport for the one-hour flight to Cairo. A representative meets you on landing and takes you to your hotel. The airline sets the flight time, so the day's sightseeing is arranged around it. Later your Egyptologist leads a walking tour of three to four hours through Islamic Cairo.
You follow Al-Muizz Street, past medieval mosques and gateways, and finish in the Khan el-Khalili bazaar before returning to your hotel by car.
- 2
Today is a private tour of around eight hours with your Egyptologist. It opens at the Giza Pyramids, followed by the Valley Temple and the Great Sphinx. You then travel south through farmland for lunch. The afternoon is for Saqqara, home of the first pyramid, and Memphis, the first capital of a united Egypt. Most of this is outdoors, so take a hat and water.
Back in Cairo you spend a second night at your hotel.
- 3
Once you have had breakfast and checked out, your Egyptologist takes you to the Grand Egyptian Museum for a guided visit of about four hours. Highlights include the Hanging Obelisk, the Grand Hall, the Tutankhamun galleries, the Grand Staircase and the Khufu solar boat museum.
A driver then takes you to Cairo Airport for your flight to Sharm El Sheikh, where a private transfer returns you to your resort hotel. The airline sets the flight time, and the museum visit is planned around it.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Two nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast
- Internal flights from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo and back, with 23 kg luggage and taxes
- Private transfers between your Sharm El Sheikh hotel, both airports and your Cairo hotel
- Walking tour of Islamic Cairo, Al-Muizz Street and Khan el-Khalili
- Eight-hour day at Giza, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, with lunch
- Half-day at the Grand Egyptian Museum with general admission and the Khufu solar boat
- English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and air-conditioned transport on every sightseeing day
- Meet and assist at Cairo Airport
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Your Sharm El Sheikh hotel and resort stay
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Drinks and meals other than those stated
- Optional extras such as entering a pyramid
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Dress modestly for the Islamic Cairo stroll, with covered knees and shoulders, and keep a scarf in your bag for mosque doorways.
- 02
Haggling is part of the fun in Khan el-Khalili: open low, keep smiling, and feel free to simply walk away.
- 03
Seek out the painted tomb walls beside the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, where you will have more peace than at Giza.
- 04
Leave bulky bags at your Cairo hotel before the Grand Egyptian Museum, as large rucksacks are usually turned away at the entrance.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask us about adding a night in Cairo, a Nile dinner cruise or a longer Egypt holiday.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Guests already staying in Sharm El Sheikh who want Cairo's highlights in a short trip. Suits couples, friends and families with school-age children who are happy to walk for several hours.
Maybe not, if
- Anyone needing step-free access to every site, or who prefers a slow pace. Days 1 and 2 are full.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara, Memphis and the Grand Egyptian Museum in three days
- Both flights and all transfers arranged for you
- Back at your Red Sea resort on day 3
Things to Consider
- Busy, with a walk on arrival and an eight-hour day at Giza
- Rough ground and little shade at the main sites
- Only two nights, so little spare time in Cairo
Where it fits
A good fit for a Red Sea holiday that needs a Cairo break. It does not include a Nile cruise or Luxor; ask about longer holidays.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many day trips to Cairo from Sharm El Sheikh are punishing. This trip adds two nights in Cairo, so Islamic Cairo, the pyramids and the museum each get proper time. Flights and transfers are booked for you.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided short trip with internal flights
- Accommodation
- Cairo hotel, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Sharm El Sheikh · Cairo · Islamic Cairo · Al-Muizz Street · Khan el-Khalili · Giza Plateau · Saqqara · Memphis · Grand Egyptian Museum
- Includes
- 2 nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast · Flights from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo and back · Private transfers at both ends · Entrance fees to every listed site · Egyptologist guide on sightseeing days · Lunch on the pyramids day
- Best for
- Guests holidaying in Sharm El Sheikh · First-time visitors to Cairo · Anyone wanting the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum in two days
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Your hotel in Sharm El SheikhMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport, needed for the internal flights
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any medication you take
- A small day bag, as luggage on the flights is limited to 23 kg per person
- A light layer for the airport and the museum
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothes for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for cobbles, sand and rough ground
- Clothes that cover shoulders and knees in Islamic Cairo
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket for cool winter evenings
Children & families
Children are welcome. Each child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport and guiding are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Hotel prices depend on the child's age and the room used, and we give you the exact figure once you tell us the age at booking. The days are long, so school-age children will enjoy it more than toddlers.
Accessibility
Who can join this
Expect plenty of walking on this trip: cobbled lanes in Islamic Cairo, sandy and uneven ground at the pyramids, and long galleries and staircases at the museum. The Giza and Saqqara day lasts eight hours and is largely outdoors with little shade. The vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. Tell us what you need when you book and we will be honest about which parts will work for you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The trip uses two internal flights and private road transfers, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Guiding is by local Egyptologists and everything on the ground is arranged through Cairo-based suppliers, so much of what you spend stays in the city. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle and to keep their hands off the monuments.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how soon you let us know and on the kind of holiday. See our current cancellation and refund terms
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Are the flights from Sharm El Sheikh included?
Yes. We book the flight from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo on day 1 and the flight back on day 3, with 23 kg of luggage and taxes. The airline sets the times. International flights are not included.02Will you pick me up from my hotel in Sharm?
Yes. A private driver collects you from your hotel for the airport, and a second transfer takes you back to your hotel after the return flight. The resort stay itself is not part of this trip.03How long do we spend at the pyramids?
Day 2 is a private tour of about eight hours, taking in the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, with lunch in the countryside. It is a full day, so wear comfortable shoes and carry water.04Which museum do we visit in Cairo?
The Grand Egyptian Museum, next to the Giza plateau, on the morning of day 3. The visit takes about four hours with an Egyptologist and includes the Tutankhamun galleries and the Khufu solar boat.05Is the trip too hurried?
It is short and busy by design: two nights, a walking tour on arrival, a full pyramids day and a morning at the museum. If you would like a gentler pace, ask us about adding a night in Cairo.06Will I make my flight home to the UK?
This trip finishes with a flight back to Sharm El Sheikh, so you go back to your resort and no home flight is involved unless you leave soon afterwards. If you do, allow a generous margin. Internal and international tickets are separate bookings, so a delay on one can cost you the other. Do take travel insurance that covers missed connections.07What is left out of the price?
International flights, your Sharm El Sheikh resort stay, the Egypt visa, tips for guides and drivers, drinks and meals other than those stated, and optional extras such as going inside a pyramid.08What kind of hotel will we have in Cairo?
You pick a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we name the hotel for your dates. The sightseeing is identical at every standard.09Do we share the guide with other people?
No. Your Egyptologist and driver are private to your party on every sightseeing day.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-SHM-351900
At a glance
- Length
- 3 days · 2 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Sharm El Sheikh
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers