3-Day Luxor & Cairo Trip from Hurghada
Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and the Pyramids of Giza, leaving from your Hurghada hotel and returning to it. The drive, two flights, two hotel nights and an Egyptologist are included.
The short answer
3-Day Luxor & Cairo Trip from Hurghada is a 3-day, 2-night trip to Cairo, Luxor and Hurghada: 1 night in Luxor and 1 in Cairo. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £931 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Already on a Red Sea holiday and curious about ancient Egypt? This trip gives you Luxor and Cairo in three days and brings you back to your Hurghada hotel at the end. A private driver takes you to Luxor, a drive of around five hours, and you spend the afternoon at Karnak and Luxor Temple. Day 2 is the West Bank and a flight to Cairo. On day 3 you see the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, have a go on a camel and fly back to Hurghada.
Expect long days. The drive is a long one, and the flight times are set by the airline, so we plan the sightseeing around them. An English-speaking Egyptologist, the entrance fees and the transport are included whenever you are sightseeing. You choose the standard of your two hotels when you book. Your flights to Egypt and your resort stay are not part of this trip.
What lingers
- 01A private drive from Hurghada to Luxor of about 5 hours
- 02Karnak, with the Sacred Lake, and Luxor Temple on the first day
- 03The Valley of the Kings (three tombs), Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- 04An internal flight from Luxor to Cairo and another back to Hurghada
- 05The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx with a private Egyptologist
- 06A camel ride of about 20 minutes on the Giza plateau
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 £9313★ hotels | Luxor · 1 nightEl Mesala Hotel Luxor | £931May–Sep: from £905 | |
| Comfortfrom £9684★ hotels | Luxor · 1 nightIberotel Luxor by JAZ Cairo · 1 nightJewel Sport City | £968May–Sep: from £953 | |
| Classicfrom £9925★ hotels | £992May–Sep: from £973 | ||
| Prestigefrom £1,0305★ deluxe hotels | Luxor · 1 nightSteigenberger Nile Palace Luxor | £1,030May–Sep: from £1,040 | |
| Luxuryfrom £1,2885★ luxury hotels | Luxor · 1 nightHilton Luxor Resort & Spa Cairo · 1 nightSt. Regis Cairo | £1,288May–Sep: from £1,268 |
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 · Hurghada · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Luxor Temple · Valley of the Kings · Hatshepsut Temple
- 1
Your private driver meets you at your Hurghada hotel and sets off for Luxor, a drive of around five hours. It is a long morning, but the road ends in the green strip of the Nile Valley. In Luxor your Egyptologist takes you to Karnak, the biggest temple complex in Egypt, to walk among its columns and see the Sacred Lake. Luxor Temple, beside the river, comes next.
Your guide, the entrance fees and the transport are included, and the sightseeing is timed around when you arrive. You spend the night in a Luxor hotel.
- 2
After breakfast you cross the river to the West Bank with your Egyptologist. The day takes in the Valley of the Kings, where three tombs are included, Hatshepsut's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari, the Colossi of Memnon and Ramses III's temple at Medinet Habu. Guide, entrance fees and transport are all included.
You are then driven to Luxor Airport for the flight to Cairo, which takes an hour, and a driver meets you in Cairo and takes you to your hotel. The airline sets the flight time, so we plan the day around it.
- 3
After breakfast your private Egyptologist collects you from your Cairo hotel for a half-day on the Giza plateau, around four hours. You walk beside the Great Pyramids, meet the Sphinx face to face and pause for a coffee or tea. Then comes a camel ride of about 20 minutes, with your guide helping you on and off and taking photographs. Guide, entrance fees and transport are included.
You are then taken to Cairo Airport for the one-hour flight to Hurghada, and a driver delivers you to your resort. The trip finishes at your Hurghada hotel and does not include your resort stay.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- A night in a Luxor hotel and a night in a Cairo hotel, with breakfast on days 2 and 3
- Private road transfer from Hurghada to Luxor (around 5 hours)
- Internal flights from Luxor to Cairo and from Cairo to Hurghada, with 23 kg of luggage and taxes
- All airport and hotel transfers in a private vehicle with a driver
- Entrance fees to Karnak (with the Sacred Lake), Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings (three tombs), Hatshepsut's temple, the Colossi of Memnon, Medinet Habu and the Giza plateau
- An English-speaking Egyptologist on all sightseeing days
- A camel ride of about 20 minutes on the Giza plateau
- Meet and assist at Cairo Airport
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Your Hurghada resort hotel and any nights before or after this trip
- Egyptian entry visa
- Lunches, dinners and drinks
- Tips for guides and drivers
- The inside of the Khufu pyramid and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Allow for a lengthy road journey from Hurghada to Luxor by carrying water, snacks and a fully charged phone.
- 02
Pause beside the Sacred Lake at Karnak; it gives the clearest sense of how vast the temple complex is.
- 03
Choose sturdy, closed shoes for the Valley of the Kings, as the paths are stony and the tomb stairways steep.
- 04
Have your guide pick a spot on the Giza plateau where the Sphinx sits in front of the Pyramids for your photographs.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask us about an extra night in Luxor or Cairo, or a longer holiday with a Nile cruise.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Guests at a Hurghada resort who want a taste of ancient Egypt without moving base. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are fit and happy with early starts, a long drive and two flights.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who prefer a gentle pace. Days 1 and 2 are long and busy.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Pyramids of Giza in three days
- You leave from and return to your Hurghada hotel
- Guide, entrance fees, transport and both flights are sorted for you
Things to Consider
- A 5-hour drive on day 1 and a busy day 2
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
- Lunch and dinner are not included
Where it fits
A good extra for a Red Sea holiday. It is three full, tiring days, so choose it if you are fit and want the main sites quickly.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many Hurghada excursions cover only Luxor or only Cairo. This trip combines both in three days, with the drive, both flights and every transfer booked for you, and it brings you back to your resort hotel.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided short trip from a Red Sea resort, by road and air
- Accommodation
- One Luxor hotel and one Cairo hotel, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Hurghada · Luxor · Karnak Temple · Luxor Temple · Valley of the Kings · Hatshepsut Temple · Colossi of Memnon · Medinet Habu · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx
- Includes
- A night in Luxor and a night in Cairo, with breakfast on days 2 and 3 · Private drive from Hurghada to Luxor (around 5 hours) · Flights from Luxor to Cairo and Cairo to Hurghada · Entrance fees to every listed site · English-speaking Egyptologist on sightseeing days · Camel ride on the Giza plateau
- Best for
- Hurghada resort guests with three days to spare · First-time visitors wanting Luxor and the Pyramids · Fit travellers who don't mind long days
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Your hotel in HurghadaMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any visa or travel documents (you need your passport for the internal flights)
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any regular medication
- A small overnight bag, since you go back to your resort on day 3
- A light layer for the vehicle and the flights
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at temples and mosques
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket for early mornings and winter evenings
Children & families
Children are welcome, though three days with a 5-hour drive, two flights and long hours on foot in the heat is a lot for young ones. Every 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, so we give you the exact figure once you tell us the age at booking.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This trip involves a good deal of walking around large archaeological sites, on uneven stone and sand, with steps and narrow passages inside the tombs of the Valley of the Kings. Karnak and the West Bank have long, open stretches with little shade. The road from Hurghada to Luxor takes around 5 hours, and there are two internal flights. 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 say honestly which parts suit you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The trip includes a long private road transfer and two internal flights, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Sightseeing is led by local Egyptologists and arranged through local suppliers in Luxor and Cairo, so much of what you spend stays where you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle and to keep their hands off the painted walls in tombs.
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
01Where does the trip begin and end?
It begins at your hotel in Hurghada and ends back there on day 3. Your resort stay and your flights to and from Egypt are not part of the trip.02How long is the drive to Luxor?
Around five hours in a private vehicle. You make the drive on day 1 and come home by air from Cairo, so there is no long drive back.03Are the internal flights included?
Yes. The flights from Luxor to Cairo on day 2 and from Cairo to Hurghada on day 3 are booked for you and included. Times follow the airline schedule, so we plan the sightseeing around them. International flights are not included.04Will I make my flight home?
The trip returns you to your Hurghada hotel, so you carry on with your holiday and have no connection to catch. If you plan to fly home straight afterwards, take care. Internal and international tickets are separate bookings, and a delay on day 3 could cost you your flight. Leave a night in hand, have travel insurance that covers missed connections and talk to us before you book.05Is it a tiring trip?
It is three full days. Day 1 is a five-hour drive and two temples, day 2 is the West Bank and a flight, and day 3 is the Pyramids and a second flight. It suits fit travellers who don't mind early starts.06What do the guide and entrance fees cover?
On each sightseeing day an English-speaking Egyptologist, the entrance fees and the transport are included. That means the Sacred Lake at Karnak, three tombs in the Valley of the Kings and the Giza plateau with the Sphinx.07Can we go inside the Great Pyramid?
No. The Giza visit covers the plateau, the outside of the pyramids and the Sphinx. Entry to the inside of the Khufu pyramid needs a separate ticket that is not included.08Which hotels will we stay in?
You pick a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the hotels for your dates. You spend one night in Luxor and one in Cairo, and the sightseeing is identical at every standard.09Which meals are included?
Breakfast on days 2 and 3. Lunch and dinner are not included, so you can eat wherever you like along the way.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-HRG-674300
At a glance
- Length
- 3 days · 2 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Luxor → Cairo → Hurghada
- Nights
- 1 Luxor · 1 Cairo
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers