7-Day Cairo & Sharm El Sheikh Holiday
Giza's pyramids and old Cairo with your own Egyptologist, then a flight to Sharm El Sheikh for the city sights and two snorkelling days. Hotels, the flight and every transfer are included.
The short answer
7-Day Cairo & Sharm El Sheikh Holiday is a 7-day, 6-night trip to Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh: 3 nights in Cairo and 3 in Sharm El Sheikh. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £874 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
In one week you can have Egypt's ancient capital and its Red Sea coast. The first three nights are in Cairo. You begin with a felucca ride at sunset, give a whole day to the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis, and spend a morning among the mosques and churches of Islamic and Coptic Cairo.
On day 4 you fly to Sharm El Sheikh for the final three nights. After a look at the Old Market and SOHO Square come two days of sea: Ras Mohammed National Park by road, and a boat out to Tiran Island, with snorkelling kit supplied on both. We arrange the internal flight, all transfers and both hotels. You pick the standard of hotel when you book, and the sightseeing is the same whichever you choose.
What lingers
- 01A sunset felucca ride on the Nile in Cairo
- 02The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis in one day with your own Egyptologist
- 03Islamic and Coptic Cairo, including the Citadel and the Hanging Church
- 04An internal flight from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh, with transfers at each end
- 05Ras Mohammed National Park, with snorkelling and the Magic Lake
- 06A full boat day to Tiran Island, with snorkelling and lunch on board
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 £8743★ hotels | Sharm El Sheikh · 3 nightsFalcon Naama Star Hotel | £874May–Sep: from £849 | |
| Comfortfrom £9994★ hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsJewel Sport City Sharm El Sheikh · 3 nightsJaz NEO Naama Bay | £999May–Sep: from £1,017 | |
| Classicfrom £1,0655★ hotels | Sharm El Sheikh · 3 nightsParrotel Lagoon Waterpark Resort | £1,065May–Sep: from £1,046 | |
| Prestigefrom £1,2515★ deluxe hotels | Sharm El Sheikh · 3 nightsNaama Bay Suites & Spa | £1,251May–Sep: from £1,334 | |
| Luxuryfrom £1,8675★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsSt. Regis Cairo | £1,867May–Sep: from £2,104 |
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
7 Days / 6 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx · Saqqara · Memphis · Islamic Cairo
- 1
A driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and takes you to your hotel, around an hour away, where you can rest after the flight. Later you go out on the Nile in a felucca, the traditional river sailing boat, to watch the sun go down. The ride is fitted around your arrival, so do send your flight details in good time.
- 2
This is a full day of around eight hours with your own Egyptologist and a private air-conditioned vehicle. You are picked up at your hotel and head first to the Giza Plateau, to see the pyramids and, by the Valley Temple, the Great Sphinx. A drive through farmland to the south leads to a lunch in the countryside.
The afternoon belongs to Saqqara, site of the first pyramid, and Memphis, the first capital of a united Egypt, before you return to your hotel.
- 3
A half-day of around six hours, with your own Egyptologist, a driver and an air-conditioned vehicle. You start at the Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifa'i mosques, then climb to Saladin's Citadel and Muhammad Ali's alabaster mosque. Next you cross to Old Coptic Cairo to see the Hanging Church and the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, with a break for lunch in Old Cairo.
Entrance fees to the Citadel and the four mosques are included, as is bottled water.
- 4
After breakfast a private transfer takes you from your Cairo hotel to the airport for the one-hour flight to Sharm El Sheikh, and another private transfer brings you to your hotel there. Later you join a four-hour town tour in a shared, air-conditioned minibus with an English-speaking local guide, taking in the Old Market, the Al Sahaba Mosque and SOHO Square.
Flight times are set by the airline, so the tour is arranged around them.
- 5
A six-hour road excursion in a shared air-conditioned minibus, led by an English-speaking guide. You are collected at your hotel and driven to Ras Mohammed National Park, at the tip of the Sinai peninsula. You can snorkel with the mask and snorkel provided and visit the Magic Lake, and a picnic lunch with water is included, as is the park fee. You are then taken back to your hotel.
- 6
A full day afloat, around eight hours, on a boat shared with other guests. You are collected at your hotel and taken out to the reefs by Tiran Island, with a snorkelling guide and a mask, snorkel and fins supplied. Lunch is served on board, with soft drinks and water. Marine park fees are included. You are driven back to your hotel in the evening.
- 7
Once you have had breakfast and checked out, a private transfer takes you from your hotel to Sharm El Sheikh Airport, allowing around 90 minutes. The holiday ends there. Book your onward flight from Sharm El Sheikh, and leave a comfortable margin on your last day.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Three nights in a Cairo hotel and three nights in a Sharm El Sheikh hotel
- Internal flight from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh, with baggage allowance and taxes
- Private airport and hotel transfers in Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh
- A sunset felucca ride on the Nile in Cairo
- Your own Egyptologist and an air-conditioned vehicle on the Giza and Islamic and Coptic Cairo days
- Entrance fees to the Citadel and the mosques on day 3, the Ras Mohammed park fee and the Tiran marine park fees
- Shared English-speaking guides and transport for the Sharm town tour and the Ras Mohammed trip
- Snorkelling kit: mask and snorkel, with fins on the Tiran trip
- Lunch on days 2, 5 and 6 (countryside lunch, picnic lunch, lunch on board) and bottled water on days 3, 4 and 5 as stated
- Meet and assist at Cairo Airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides, drivers and boat crew
- Drinks and meals other than those stated
- Mount Sinai and anything not listed in the itinerary
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
The Citadel involves a fair amount of walking on stone, so choose supportive shoes and a hat for that morning.
- 02
Carry a light scarf and wear covered shoulders and knees for the mosques, where you remove shoes at the door.
- 03
Try your mask in shallow water at Ras Mohammed before swimming out to the reef edge, where the wall drops steeply.
- 04
Anyone prone to seasickness should take tablets before the Tiran boat, as the afternoon swell can build.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask us about extra nights in Cairo or Sharm El Sheikh, or adding a Nile cruise or Luxor to a longer holiday.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- First-time visitors who want the pyramids and a Red Sea resort within one week. Suits couples, friends and families whose children are happy in the water.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site or boat, or who want a Nile cruise and the temples of Luxor and Aswan.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The pyramids and the Red Sea in seven days with a single short flight
- Flight, hotels and transfers all arranged for you
- Two snorkelling days with equipment supplied
Things to Consider
- The Sharm trips are shared with other guests, not private
- Day 2 in Cairo is a long, full day
- No Nile cruise, Luxor or Aswan
Where it fits
A good first visit to Egypt for anyone who wants the pyramids and some time by the sea. Mount Sinai, Luxor and a Nile cruise are not included.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh are often booked separately. This holiday joins them in one week, with the flight and every transfer arranged. The standard of hotel is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided sightseeing in Cairo and Red Sea excursions from Sharm El Sheikh
- Accommodation
- Cairo and Sharm El Sheikh hotels, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx · Saqqara · Memphis · Islamic Cairo · Coptic Cairo · Sharm El Sheikh · Old Market · Ras Mohammed National Park · Tiran Island
- Includes
- 3 nights in a Cairo hotel and 3 nights in a Sharm El Sheikh hotel · Internal flight from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh · Egyptologist on the Giza and Islamic and Coptic Cairo days · Ras Mohammed and Tiran Island trips with snorkelling kit · Entrance and park fees listed in the itinerary · All airport and hotel transfers
- Best for
- First-time visitors · Travellers who want history and a Red Sea resort in one week · Snorkelling fans
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any visa or travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Swimming costume and a quick-dry towel for the snorkelling days
- Reef-safe sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any regular medication
- Small day bag
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for Giza, the Citadel and uneven ground
- Clothes that cover shoulders and knees for mosques and churches
- A swimming costume under your clothes on the snorkelling days
- A light layer for the boat and for winter evenings
Children & families
Children are welcome on the Cairo days, which use a private vehicle with a seat for each child. The Sharm trips are shared minibus and boat excursions with snorkelling, so they suit children who are happy in the water. No minimum age is set for them, so please tell us your child's age and swimming ability when you book, and we will confirm what is suitable and give you the exact hotel and excursion terms for that age.
Accessibility
Who can join this
The Cairo days mean plenty of walking on uneven ground and stone, steps up to the Citadel area and into the old churches, and time in the sun at Giza. In Sharm El Sheikh the minibus trips and the Tiran boat are shared with other guests, boarding the boat involves steps, and on the snorkelling days you get into the sea. The Cairo vehicle is 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 holiday uses one internal flight, private road transfers in Cairo and shared minibuses and boats in Sharm El Sheikh. Vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Cairo guiding is by local Egyptologists, and the Sharm trips use local guides and boat crews, so much of what you spend stays where you visit. Ras Mohammed and the Tiran reefs are protected marine areas: please do not touch or stand on coral, and take your litter away with you.
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
01Is the flight from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh included?
Yes. The one-hour internal flight on day 4 is booked for you and included, with the baggage allowance and taxes. International flights are not.02Will I make my international flight?
Your internal flight is a separate booking from your international tickets, so a delay on day 4 could disturb later plans. Here you fly to Sharm on day 4 and leave from Sharm on day 7, so there is no connection through Cairo. Book your flight home from Sharm El Sheikh, leave a good margin on day 7, and take travel insurance that covers missed connections.03Which hotels will we stay in?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the hotels for your dates. The sightseeing and excursions are identical at every standard.04Is the Giza day exhausting?
It is a full day of around eight hours including the drive, with five stops and lunch. You travel in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an Egyptologist, and you can go at your own pace at each stop.05Do I have to be a snorkeller?
On days 5 and 6 a mask and snorkel are supplied, with fins as well on day 6. You will be in the sea, so you should be at ease in water. If you would rather not snorkel, tell us when you book and we will advise what suits you.06Are the Sharm trips private?
No. The town tour and the Ras Mohammed trip use a shared minibus, and the Tiran trip uses a boat shared with other guests. Your Cairo sightseeing days are private.07Are entrance fees included?
The Citadel and mosque fees on day 3, the Ras Mohammed park fee on day 5 and the marine park fees on day 6 are included. Tips and drinks are not.08Does the holiday include Mount Sinai?
No. Mount Sinai is not on this itinerary. Ask us if you would like to talk about a longer holiday that takes it in.09When is the best time to go?
October to April is cooler and the most pleasant for walking around Cairo. The Red Sea is warm for much of the year, while Cairo summers are very hot, so days start early.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-288024
At a glance
- Length
- 7 days · 6 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Sharm El Sheikh
- Nights
- 3 Cairo · 3 Sharm El Sheikh
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers