8-Day Cairo, Abu Simbel, Luxor & Hurghada Holiday
The pyramids and the Egyptian Museum, the temples of Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo and Edfu, Luxor's West Bank and a day's snorkelling in the Red Sea. Internal flights, hotels, entrance fees and guiding are included.
The short answer
8-Day Cairo, Abu Simbel, Luxor & Hurghada Holiday is an 8-day, 7-night trip to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Hurghada: 2 nights in Cairo, 2 in Aswan, 1 in Luxor and 2 in Hurghada. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,614 per person, two sharing (Comfort, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Here is Egypt's greatest hits in eight days, with a swim at the end. You land in Cairo and the first evening is yours. The second day is spent with your Egyptologist at the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum at Tahrir Square, and that same day you fly down to Aswan.
Day 3 belongs to Abu Simbel, where Ramesses II carved his two great temples into the cliff; you drive there from Aswan and back. On day 4 you travel from Aswan to Luxor, stopping at Kom Ombo and Edfu, and day 5 is Luxor's West Bank before you continue to Hurghada. Day 6 is a snorkelling trip to Orange Bay, and on day 7 you fly to Cairo for a half-day in Coptic Cairo. We organise the flights, the transfers, your hotels and the entrance fees, and you choose the standard of hotel when you book.
What lingers
- 01The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum in a single guided day
- 02Abu Simbel, the rock temples of Ramesses II, on a full day's drive from Aswan
- 03Kom Ombo and Edfu temples on the day tour from Aswan to Luxor
- 04Luxor's West Bank: the Valley of the Kings with three tombs, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- 05A day snorkelling at Orange Bay on Giftun Island, with lunch
- 06Coptic Cairo: the Babylon Fortress, the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue
- 07Two internal flights and every transfer arranged for you
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortfrom £1,6144★ hotels | Cairo · 2 nightsJewel Sport City Luxor · 1 nightIberotel Luxor by JAZ Hurghada · 2 nightsSwiss Inn Resort Hurghada | £1,614May–Sep: from £1,574 | |
| Classicfrom £1,6575★ hotels | Hurghada · 2 nightsAMC Royal Hotel & Spa | £1,657May–Sep: from £1,580 | |
| Prestigefrom £1,9795★ deluxe hotels | Aswan · 2 nightsTolip Aswan Luxor · 1 nightSteigenberger Nile Palace Luxor Hurghada · 2 nightsHilton Hurghada Plaza | £1,979May–Sep: from £1,979 | |
| Luxuryfrom £2,4945★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 2 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Aswan · 2 nightsThe Zen Wellness Resort Aswan Luxor · 1 nightHilton Luxor Resort & Spa | £2,494May–Sep: from £2,489 |
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.
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
8 Days / 7 Nights · Cairo · Aswan · Luxor · Hurghada
- 1
Our representative is waiting in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and takes you to your hotel in a private, air-conditioned car or van. After that the day is yours. You might rest after the journey, take a short walk nearby or find dinner wherever suits you. With an early start tomorrow, a quiet evening is the sensible choice.
- 2
Expect a long day of travel as well as sightseeing. Your private Egyptologist collects you from the hotel for about eight hours out and about. The first stop is the Giza Plateau for the pyramids and the Great Sphinx; plan on 4 to 6 hours for the Giza visit. Lunch with a view comes next, followed by the Egyptian Museum at Tahrir Square and a short tea or coffee break.
Guide, entrance fees and air-conditioned transport are included. You are then driven to Cairo Airport for the internal flight to Aswan and met by a driver who takes you to your hotel. The airline sets the flight time, so the sightseeing is planned around it.
- 3
Today is for Abu Simbel and nothing else. You set off from Aswan very early by road to reach the two temples Ramesses II had cut into the rock beside Lake Nasser, with their colossal seated statues at the entrance. It is a full day, with many hours in the vehicle and time at the site, and you are back in Aswan later in the day. Transport, the Abu Simbel entrance fees and a guide are included.
There is no flight today, and you spend a second night in Aswan. Take a hat, water and a light layer for the early start.
- 4
Today is a day of temples and travelling. You leave Aswan in an air-conditioned vehicle with a local Egyptologist and stop at Kom Ombo, which sits right on the riverbank, and at the Temple of Horus in Edfu, among the best-preserved temples in Egypt. The vehicle, entrance fees for the listed temples and the guide are included. You arrive in Luxor later in the day and stay the night.
- 5
Your morning is on the West Bank, a tour of about six hours. Your Egyptologist takes you to the Valley of the Kings, where three tombs are included, then Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Guide, entrance fees and air-conditioned transport are included. Karnak and Luxor Temple are not part of this holiday.
Afterwards a private vehicle drives you to Hurghada on the Red Sea, about five hours away. It is a long day.
- 6
You are picked up from your Hurghada hotel and taken by motorboat to Orange Bay on Giftun Island. There are two guided snorkelling sessions, with equipment and life jackets provided, and time to relax on the beach on a sunbed. A hot lunch and bottled water are included, and you are brought back to Hurghada in the afternoon.
After the temples and the long drives, this is the easy day of the holiday.
- 7
You are driven to Hurghada Airport for the flight to Cairo, where a driver collects you and takes you to your hotel. A private Egyptologist then leads a half-day of about four hours in Coptic Cairo, timed around the airline's schedule.
You see the Babylon Fortress and the Hanging Church, St George's Greek Orthodox Church, the Church of Abu Serga with its Holy Crypt and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, and stop for mint tea and pastry. Guide, entrance fees and transport are included. This is your last night in Cairo.
- 8
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and check out. A private transfer then takes you to Cairo Airport, with about 90 minutes allowed for the drive. Finishing with a night in Cairo is deliberate: if the internal flight on day 7 ran late, you still have a margin before your international departure.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Seven hotel nights with breakfast: one in Cairo, two in Aswan, one in Luxor, two in Hurghada and one in Cairo
- Internal flights from Cairo to Aswan and from Hurghada to Cairo
- Road journeys from Aswan to Abu Simbel and back, from Aswan to Luxor via Kom Ombo and Edfu, and a private Luxor to Hurghada transfer
- All airport and hotel transfers in a private, air-conditioned vehicle
- Egyptologist guiding on the Giza and Egyptian Museum day, the Aswan to Luxor day, the West Bank and Coptic Cairo, and a guide at Abu Simbel
- Entrance fees to every site in the itinerary, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- The Orange Bay snorkelling trip with equipment, life jackets, sunbed and hot lunch
- Lunch on the Giza and Egyptian Museum day, and bottled water on the Orange Bay trip
- Meet and assist at the airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Drinks and meals other than those stated
- The inside of the Khufu pyramid and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's and Seti I's
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Visit Abu Simbel early, before the facade is in direct sun and before larger coach arrivals.
- 02
On the Giza Plateau, the best exterior shots of Khufu’s pyramid are usually from the early morning approach road.
- 03
Karnak’s Great Hypostyle Hall is easier to read with a guide, because the column rows repeat in blocks.
- 04
Dress modestly for the Hanging Church and Amr Ibn Al Aas Mosque, with shoulders and knees covered.
- 05
For a quieter Red Sea outing, ask for the earliest marina departure time available.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask us about adding Philae and the High Dam, a Nile cruise in place of the road journey, Karnak and Luxor Temple, extra nights in Hurghada, or a hot-air balloon flight over Luxor.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want the major sites of Egypt and a taste of the Red Sea in eight days. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy with early starts, two flights and plenty of walking.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who prefer a slow pace. Days 2 to 5 are long.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Giza, the Egyptian Museum, Abu Simbel, Kom Ombo, Edfu and Luxor's West Bank in eight days, plus a snorkelling day
- Both internal flights and all transfers arranged for you
- A final night in Cairo protects your flight home
Things to Consider
- Days 2, 3, 4 and 5 are long, with early starts and a lot of travelling
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
- No Nile cruise, and Karnak and Luxor Temple are not part of this holiday
Where it fits
A good fit if Abu Simbel and a day on the Red Sea are on your list. If you want to sleep on the Nile, or see Karnak, choose a holiday that includes them.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many operators sell Abu Simbel, Luxor and a beach stay as separate trips. This holiday joins them with two flights and every transfer arranged for you, and finishes with a night in Cairo so a late internal flight does not put your flight home at risk.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided multi-day holiday, land only, with Red Sea extension
- Accommodation
- Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada hotels, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Aswan · Luxor · Hurghada
- Includes
- 7 hotel nights with breakfast · Flights from Cairo to Aswan and Hurghada to Cairo · Road journeys to Abu Simbel, Luxor and Hurghada · Egyptologist guiding on sightseeing days · Entrance fees to every listed site · Orange Bay snorkelling trip with lunch
- Best for
- First-time visitors who want Abu Simbel and Upper Egypt's temples · Travellers who want temples plus a day on the Red Sea · History lovers who don't mind long road days
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
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Any regular medication
- Swimming costume and a towel for the snorkelling day
- A light layer for the flights and early starts
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 churches
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket for early starts and winter evenings
Children & families
Children are welcome. 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. Day 2, with sightseeing and a flight, and day 3, with its early start and full day on the road to Abu Simbel, are tiring for small children.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday involves a good deal of walking around large archaeological sites, on uneven stone and sand, with steps and some narrow tomb passages. The Valley of the Kings and Abu Simbel have long, open stretches with little shade, and several days include long road journeys. Day 2 combines a full day's sightseeing with a flight. The Orange Bay trip uses a motorboat, and snorkelling requires you to be at ease in the water. Vehicles are 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 two internal flights and long road transfers, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. Sightseeing is led by local Egyptologists and arranged through local suppliers in Cairo, Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada, so much of what you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle, to keep their hands off the painted walls in tombs and not to stand on or touch coral while snorkelling.
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 internal flights included?
Yes. The flight from Cairo to Aswan on day 2 and the flight from Hurghada to Cairo on day 7 are booked for you and are included in the price. Between Aswan, Luxor and Hurghada you travel by private transfer or tour vehicle. The airline sets the flight times. International flights are not included.02Will I make my flight home?
Internal and international tickets are separate bookings, so a delayed internal flight could cost you the connection. For that reason the holiday finishes with a night in Cairo. If you ever need to fly to Cairo and connect the same day, choose a late-evening or night departure home, and make sure your travel insurance covers missed connections.03Is day 2 too much, with sightseeing and a flight?
It is a long day of travel. You see Giza, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum with your Egyptologist, then fly on to Aswan. We plan the sightseeing around the airline's schedule. Comfortable shoes and a light layer for the flight will help.04How do we reach Abu Simbel?
By road from Aswan on day 3, which is a full day in itself with an early start. There is no flight that day. Transport and entrance fees are included, and you sleep in Aswan afterwards.05Does the holiday include Karnak or Luxor Temple?
No. In Luxor you spend your time on the West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Karnak and Luxor Temple are not part of this holiday, but ask us if you would like to add them.06Does the holiday include Philae and the High Dam in Aswan?
No. In Aswan you visit Abu Simbel on day 3 and leave for Luxor on day 4. If you would like Philae, the High Dam or a Nile cruise, ask us.07What does the snorkelling day involve?
A motorboat takes you to Orange Bay on Giftun Island. There are two guided snorkelling sessions with equipment and life jackets provided, time on the beach on a sunbed, and a hot lunch. You should be comfortable in the water.08Which hotels will we have?
You choose a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the hotels for your dates. There are seven hotel nights with breakfast: one in Cairo, two in Aswan, one in Luxor, two in Hurghada and one in Cairo. The sightseeing does not change.09What is not included?
International flights, the Egyptian visa, tips for guides and drivers, drinks, meals other than those stated, the inside of the Khufu pyramid, premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's, and travel insurance.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-412415
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days · 7 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Aswan → Abu Simbel → Luxor → Kom Ombo → Edfu → Hurghada → Cairo
- Nights
- 2 Cairo · 2 Aswan · 1 Luxor · 2 Hurghada
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers