9-Day Egypt Photography Holiday: Cairo, Luxor & Aswan
Giza at sunset, a dawn balloon above Luxor, Karnak lit up at night and Abu Simbel in the morning light. Hotels, flights and an Egyptologist are all arranged.
The short answer
9-Day Egypt Photography Holiday: Cairo, Luxor & Aswan is a 9-day, 8-night trip to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel: 3 nights in Cairo, 3 in Luxor and 2 in Aswan. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,628 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
The light in Egypt is kindest early and late, so this holiday is built around those hours. You stay three nights in Cairo, three in Luxor and two in Aswan, and nearly every day has a moment chosen for the sky: camels at Giza as the sun goes down, a felucca on the Nile at dusk, a boat to Banana Island at sunset, a balloon at dawn.
We want to be straight about it. This is an ordinary guided holiday on a route that photographers will enjoy, not a photography course. There is no specialist photography guide and no workshop. Your English-speaking Egyptologist shows you the sites and points out good viewpoints. We arrange the internal flights, transfers, hotels and entrance fees. You pick the standard of hotel when you book, and the sightseeing is the same whichever you choose.
What lingers
- 01The Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, followed by a camel ride at sunset
- 02Sunset felucca trips on the Nile in Cairo and in Aswan
- 03A hot air balloon at dawn over Luxor, weather permitting
- 04Karnak Temple in daylight, then its sound and light show at night
- 05The Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple on the West Bank at Luxor
- 06Abu Simbel by road, a full day out from Aswan
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 £1,6283★ hotels | Luxor · 3 nightsEl Mesala Hotel Luxor Aswan · 2 nightsHapi Hotel Aswan | £1,628May–Sep: from £1,549 | |
| Comfortfrom £1,8084★ hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsJewel Sport City Luxor · 3 nightsIberotel Luxor by JAZ | £1,808May–Sep: from £1,724 | |
| Classicfrom £1,9055★ hotels | £1,905May–Sep: from £1,784 | ||
| Prestigefrom £2,1285★ deluxe hotels | Luxor · 3 nightsSteigenberger Nile Palace Luxor Aswan · 2 nightsTolip Aswan | £2,128May–Sep: from £2,070 | |
| Luxuryfrom £2,9085★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Luxor · 3 nightsHilton Luxor Resort & Spa Aswan · 2 nightsThe Zen Wellness Resort Aswan | £2,908May–Sep: from £2,829 |
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
9 Days / 8 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Islamic Cairo · Luxor · Banana Island · Valley of the Kings
- 1
Your private representative is waiting in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and drives you to the hotel, roughly an hour away. We have planned nothing more for today. Use the evening to rest after your journey and to charge batteries and clear memory cards, because the pyramids come tomorrow.
- 2
In the morning your Egyptologist guide leads you around the Giza plateau, taking in the pyramids and the Sphinx. Entrance fees and transport are covered. A camera permit fee may apply at some sites, and your guide will explain where. Late in the day you go back for a private camel ride at sunset, when the limestone warms to gold and the plateau quietens.
- 3
This is a walking day in the medieval heart of Cairo. With your Egyptologist you stroll down Al-Muizz Street, past mosques and old gateways, and into the crowded alleys of the Khan El Khalili bazaar. Transport and any entrance fees are included. As evening comes you step aboard a felucca for a trip on the Nile at sunset.
- 4
You are driven from the hotel to Cairo Airport for the internal flight to Luxor, where a driver meets you. Flight times are set by the airline. When you have checked in, a private motorboat carries you along the Nile to Banana Island for the end of the day. Fruit, mint tea and water are provided on the boat.
- 5
You are collected in the dark for a hot air balloon flight over the West Bank, drifting above farmland, dry hills and temples as the sun comes up. Balloons fly only in suitable weather, so we cannot guarantee a flight on any one morning. After that your Egyptologist guide takes you to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, the Colossi of Memnon and Medinet Habu.
Entrance fees and transport are included.
- 6
Your Egyptologist guide collects you from the hotel to explore the East Bank. First comes Karnak, Egypt's biggest temple complex, then Luxor Temple. Both entrance fees and the air-conditioned transfers between sites are included. After yesterday's early start this is a gentler day. When darkness falls you return to Karnak for its sound and light show.
- 7
A private driver takes you from your hotel in Luxor to your hotel in Aswan. It is chiefly a travelling day, with time to unpack afterwards. Later, when the heat eases, you board a felucca and glide between the Nile islands at Aswan. Granite boulders, palms and white sails make a ready-made scene for your camera.
- 8
Expect a long day. You set off from Aswan very early by road, so that you arrive at Abu Simbel while the morning light is still soft. Entrance fees are included. The great rock temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari face Lake Nasser. You return to Aswan by road, and the rest of the afternoon is free for a rest.
- 9
Your Egyptologist guide takes you by boat to Philae, the island temple of Isis. Entrance fees and transport are included, and the visit is timed around your flight. A driver then runs you to Aswan Airport for the internal flight to Cairo, and a further transfer takes you to Cairo Airport for the journey home. Flight times are set by the airline.
Bundled in
- Domestic flights
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Eight hotel nights with breakfast: three in Cairo, three in Luxor and two in Aswan
- Internal flights from Cairo to Luxor and from Aswan to Cairo
- All airport and hotel transfers, and the road transfer from Luxor to Aswan, in private air-conditioned vehicles
- The Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, with a camel ride at sunset
- Sunset felucca trips in Cairo and Aswan, and a motorboat trip to Banana Island
- A dawn hot air balloon flight over Luxor, weather permitting
- The Karnak sound and light show
- Entrance fees to every site in the itinerary, including Abu Simbel
- An English-speaking Egyptologist guide on every sightseeing day
- Meet-and-assist at Cairo Airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Meals other than breakfast, and drinks
- Camera permit fees where a site charges them
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
At Giza at sunset, wait for the camel to stand still against the pyramids, and use a faster shutter speed to keep it sharp.
- 02
Photograph Al-Muizz Street when the late sun is low and warm, but strap your camera across your body in the crowds.
- 03
Pack a spare battery for the dawn hot air balloon flight, because the cold air drains charge quickly and you will shoot nonstop.
- 04
Check with your guide before photographing inside the Abu Simbel temples, as rules restrict it; the colossal front is where your pictures are made.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask us about an extra night in Cairo before your flight home, or more time in Luxor.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who care about light and want good timing at the famous sites, with an Egyptologist to explain them. It suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy to walk on sand and stone and to set an early alarm.
Maybe not, if
- Anyone hoping for photography tuition, a private photography guide or guaranteed use of tripods and drones. Nor is it right for travellers who need step-free access throughout.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Sunrise, sunset and dusk moments are written into the timetable
- Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, with both internal flights and every transfer sorted
- Abu Simbel is included, by road
Things to Consider
- Several very early starts, including the balloon and Abu Simbel
- Not a photography workshop: there is no specialist photography guide
- The balloon depends on the weather and cannot be guaranteed
Where it fits
A good choice if photographs are the reason you are going and you want Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel in nine days. If you want a tutor or private access to sites, look elsewhere.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many photography trips cost more and run as workshops. This holiday is an ordinary guided trip with sunrise and sunset moments built in. You get the places and the timing, but not the tuition.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided multi-day holiday timed for sunrise and sunset light
- Accommodation
- Hotels in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Islamic Cairo · Luxor · Banana Island · Valley of the Kings · Medinet Habu · Karnak Temple · Aswan · Abu Simbel · Philae Temple
- Includes
- 8 hotel nights with breakfast: 3 in Cairo, 3 in Luxor, 2 in Aswan · Internal flights Cairo to Luxor and Aswan to Cairo · Dawn balloon flight over Luxor, weather permitting · Sunset camel ride at Giza and felucca sails in Cairo and Aswan · Entrance fees to every listed site, Abu Simbel included · English-speaking Egyptologist on sightseeing days
- Best for
- Keen amateur photographers · First-time visitors who love golden-hour views · Couples and friends
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
- Camera, spare batteries and spare memory cards
- Lens cloth and a small blower brush for dust
- Comfortable walking shoes with a good grip
- Suncream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Small daypack and a warm layer for the balloon morning
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothes for sun and heat
- Closed, flat shoes for temples, sand and rough ground
- Clothes that cover shoulders and knees at mosques and temples
- A warm jacket or fleece for the dark balloon launch and for winter evenings
- A hat and sunglasses
Children & families
Children are welcome. Each child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport and guiding are charged at the adult rate whatever the age. Entrance tickets are free for under-6s and full price from 6. The balloon has its own age and height limits, which we check with the operator once you give us a child's age. Hotel prices depend on the age and the room used, and we confirm the exact figure when you book.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday involves a good deal of walking at large archaeological sites, over uneven stone and sand with steps, and there are long open stretches with little shade at Karnak, the West Bank and Abu Simbel. Getting into the balloon basket, the felucca and the Banana Island boat needs a step and some balance. 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 say frankly which parts will work for you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The holiday includes two internal flights and private road transfers, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim of a carbon saving. Sightseeing is led by local Egyptologists, and the felucca, boat and balloon operators are small local firms in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle, stay on the paths and keep their hands off painted tomb walls.
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
01Do I get a photography guide or a workshop?
No. This is a regular guided holiday with an English-speaking Egyptologist, on a route chosen for its light. Your guide can point out good viewpoints, but there is no photography tutor, workshop or private access.02May I take a tripod or a drone?
We cannot promise either. Each site has its own rules and some charge a camera permit fee. Your guide will tell you what is allowed on the day. Drones are generally not allowed.03Will the balloon definitely fly?
Not necessarily. Balloons go up only when the weather and wind are right, and the operator makes the call on the morning. We cannot guarantee a flight on a particular day.04Are the internal flights included?
Yes. Cairo to Luxor on day 4 and Aswan to Cairo on day 9 are booked for you and included. Flight times are set by the airline. International flights are not included.05How long is the day to Abu Simbel?
It is a full day out. You drive from Aswan early in the morning, spend time at the temples and drive back. The vehicle is private and air-conditioned, and entrance fees are included.06Will I catch my flight home?
Internal and international tickets are separate bookings, so a late flight from Aswan could cost you your connection. We would rather add one final night in Cairo. If you have to connect on day 9, book a late-evening or overnight international flight and take travel insurance that covers missed connections.07Which meals are included?
Breakfast is included at your hotel on days 2 to 9. Other meals are not in the plan, so you can eat wherever you like. The Banana Island boat trip comes with fruit and mint tea.08Are entrance fees and the guide included?
Yes. An English-speaking Egyptologist, entrance fees and transport are included on every sightseeing day. A camera permit fee can apply at certain sites.09What is the best season?
October to April is cooler and kinder for long days outdoors. Summer is very hot in Luxor and Aswan, so sightseeing begins early. Winter mornings are cold when the balloon takes off, so pack a warm layer.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-411927
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days · 8 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Luxor → Aswan → Abu Simbel → Cairo
- Nights
- 3 Cairo · 3 Luxor · 2 Aswan
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers