9-Day Solo Women's Holiday: Cairo, Hurghada & Upper Egypt
The pyramids, a free day on the Red Sea, Luxor's temples and Aswan's Philae. You are met on arrival, and transfers, flights, entrance fees and guiding are all arranged.
The short answer
9-Day Solo Women's Holiday: Cairo, Hurghada & Upper Egypt is a 9-day, 8-night trip to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Hurghada: 3 nights in Cairo, 2 in Hurghada, 1 in Luxor and 2 in Aswan. It includes domestic flights, an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £1,695 per person, two sharing (Comfort, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Going to Egypt on your own is far less daunting when someone else handles the logistics. This nine-day holiday is designed for women travelling solo: you are met at the airport, transfers are private, and an Egyptologist leads every sightseeing day, so there is nothing to sort out on the spot.
In Cairo you start with the Pyramids Sound and Light Show, then give a day to the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square. You fly to the Red Sea at Hurghada for two nights, with a free day between them, then take a private five-hour drive to Luxor for Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Valley of the Kings, and on to Aswan for the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae. A flight back to Cairo leaves an afternoon in Islamic Cairo before you head home. You choose the standard of hotel when you book.
What lingers
- 01The Pyramids Sound and Light Show on your first evening in Cairo
- 02The Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum on a single guided day
- 03Two nights and a free day by the Red Sea in Hurghada
- 04Karnak and Luxor Temple, then the Valley of the Kings with three tombs
- 05The High Dam, Philae Temple and the Unfinished Obelisk at Aswan
- 06The Citadel, the Muhammad Ali Mosque, Islamic Cairo and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- 07Met at the airport, with private transfers between hotels, airports and sites
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 £1,6954★ hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsJewel Sport City Hurghada · 2 nightsSwiss Inn Resort Hurghada Luxor · 1 nightIberotel Luxor by JAZ | £1,695May–Sep: from £1,649 | |
| Classicfrom £1,7565★ hotels | Hurghada · 2 nightsAMC Royal Hotel & Spa | £1,756May–Sep: from £1,659 | |
| Prestigefrom £2,1165★ deluxe hotels | Hurghada · 2 nightsHilton Hurghada Plaza Luxor · 1 nightSteigenberger Nile Palace Luxor Aswan · 2 nightsTolip Aswan | £2,116May–Sep: from £2,126 | |
| Luxuryfrom £2,8135★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsSt. Regis Cairo Luxor · 1 nightHilton Luxor Resort & Spa Aswan · 2 nightsThe Zen Wellness Resort Aswan | £2,813May–Sep: from £2,788 |
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
9 Days / 8 Nights · Cairo · Giza · Hurghada · Luxor · Edfu · Kom Ombo
- 1
Our representative is waiting in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and takes you to your hotel, where you can rest after the journey. In the evening a private, air-conditioned car takes you to the Giza Plateau for the Pyramids Sound and Light Show. The ticket is included, and you are brought back to your hotel afterwards. Our team coordinates everything on the ground. Dinner is not included.
- 2
Your English-speaking Egyptologist is with you for about eight hours. The day opens at the Giza Pyramids complex and the Great Sphinx. You then cross the city for lunch at a local restaurant and a visit to the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, with a tea or coffee stop before the drive back.
Guide, entrance fees and private air-conditioned transport are included, with pickup and drop-off at your hotel.
- 3
You are driven to Cairo Airport for the flight to Hurghada, which takes about an hour. A driver meets you and takes you to your hotel by the Red Sea. The rest of the day is yours: settle in, swim or simply rest. There is no sightseeing today.
- 4
There is nothing on the programme today. Swim, read by the pool or stroll along the shore. If you would like a boat trip, snorkelling or a spa treatment, ask us and we will quote for it. Breakfast at the hotel is included.
- 5
A private, air-conditioned vehicle takes you from Hurghada to Luxor, a drive of about five hours. Your Egyptologist then walks you round the East Bank, starting with Karnak, Egypt's largest temple complex, and finishing at Luxor Temple beside the river. Guide, entrance fees and transport between the sites are included. It is a long day, and lunch is not included.
- 6
Your Egyptologist takes you across to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, where three tombs are included, then Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Guide, entrance fees and transport are included. When the sightseeing is over, a private vehicle drives you from your Luxor hotel to your hotel in Aswan.
- 7
A full day in Aswan with a local Egyptologist. You see the Aswan High Dam and the northern quarries with the Unfinished Obelisk, then cross by motorboat to Agilkia Island for Philae, the temple of Isis, where refreshments are served on the island terrace. Guide, entrance fees and air-conditioned transport from your hotel are included.
- 8
You are driven to Aswan Airport for the flight to Cairo, where a driver collects you and takes you to your hotel. In the afternoon an Egyptologist leads you to the Citadel of Saladin and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, through Islamic Cairo and into the Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Guide, entrance fees and a private vehicle are included, and the visits are timed around the airline's schedule.
This is your last night in Cairo.
- 9
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 8 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
- Eight hotel nights with breakfast: three in Cairo, two in Hurghada, one in Luxor and two in Aswan
- Internal flights from Cairo to Hurghada and from Aswan to Cairo
- Private road transfers from Hurghada to Luxor and from Luxor to Aswan
- All airport and hotel transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle
- A Pyramids Sound and Light Show ticket with return transfer
- Egyptologist guiding on the sightseeing days
- Entrance fees to every site in the itinerary, including three tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- Lunch on days 2, 6 and 7, and bottled water on tours
- Meet and assist at the airport
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Dinners, drinks and meals other than those stated
- The inside of the Khufu pyramid and premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's and Seti I's
- Optional outings in Hurghada, travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Go to the Giza Plateau early, before the strongest sun and the bus arrivals.
- 02
In Luxor, the West Bank sites photograph best soon after opening.
- 03
Carry small cash for toilets and bottled water at busy sites.
- 04
Khan El Khalili is calmer before sunset than after dinner.
- 05
Ask for a room away from Hurghada promenade noise if you sleep lightly.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask us about a female guide, extra nights in Hurghada, a Red Sea boat trip, adding Abu Simbel or a Nile cruise.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Women travelling alone who want Egypt's major sites, a rest by the sea and the planning done for them. Suits first-time visitors who are happy with two flights, two long drives and several hours on their feet on sightseeing days.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access to every site, or who dislike long road transfers. Days 5 and 6 are long.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- Airport meetings, private transfers and a guide arranged before you travel
- Giza, Luxor, Aswan and Islamic Cairo plus a free day by the Red Sea
- Both internal flights taken care of
Things to Consider
- Days 5 and 6 include long road transfers
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
- No Nile cruise or Abu Simbel
Where it fits
A good fit if you are travelling alone and want the major sites with the logistics handled. If you want a Nile cruise or Abu Simbel, choose a different holiday.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many operators sell Cairo, a beach stay, Luxor and Aswan as separate trips. This holiday joins them in nine days with both flights, airport meetings and private transfers arranged for you, and finishes with a night in Cairo so a late internal flight does not put your flight home at risk.
Compare
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On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided multi-day holiday for women travelling alone, land only, with Red Sea rest days
- Accommodation
- Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor and Aswan hotels, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza · Hurghada · Luxor · Edfu · Kom Ombo · Aswan
- Includes
- 8 hotel nights with breakfast · Flights from Cairo to Hurghada and Aswan to Cairo · Private road transfers from Hurghada to Luxor and Luxor to Aswan · Egyptologist guiding on sightseeing days · Entrance fees to every listed site · Airport meet and assist and private transfers
- Best for
- Women travelling alone · First-time visitors who want the logistics handled · Travellers who want sightseeing with a free day
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 cover-up for your free day by the Red Sea
- A light scarf for the sun and for visiting mosques
- A light layer for the evenings 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, mosques and the Citadel
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light jacket or wrap for evenings and early starts in winter
Children & families
The itinerary is designed for adult travellers, but 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. The long road days 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 Karnak have long, open stretches with little shade. Visiting Philae means a short boat crossing and steps. Day 5 includes a five-hour road transfer and day 6 a road transfer from Luxor to Aswan. 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 private 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, Hurghada, Luxor and Aswan, so much of what you spend stays in the places 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
01Is this holiday suitable for a woman travelling on her own?
It is designed for that. You are met at the airport, transfers are private, an Egyptologist leads each sightseeing day and day 4 is free. Tell us your preferences when you book, such as a female guide, and we will say what we can arrange.02Are the internal flights included?
Yes. The flight from Cairo to Hurghada on day 3 and the flight from Aswan to Cairo on day 8 are booked for you and are included in the price. Between Hurghada, Luxor and Aswan you travel by private road transfer. International flights are not included.03Will 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.04How long are the drives?
Hurghada to Luxor on day 5 takes about five hours. Luxor to Aswan on day 6 is also by road, after the West Bank sightseeing. Both are in private, air-conditioned vehicles.05What is the Pyramids Sound and Light Show?
It is an evening show at the Giza Plateau in which the pyramids and the Sphinx are lit up and narrated. The ticket and a private return transfer from your hotel are included on day 1.06What can I do on the free day?
Day 4 in Hurghada is free. You can swim and rest, or we can quote for a boat trip or other outing. None is included.07Which 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 eight hotel nights with breakfast: three in Cairo, two in Hurghada, one in Luxor and two in Aswan. The sightseeing does not change.08What is not included?
International flights, the Egyptian visa, tips for guides and drivers, dinners, drinks, lunch on days 3, 4 and 5, the inside of the Khufu pyramid, premium tombs such as Tutankhamun's, and travel insurance.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-143473
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days · 8 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Hurghada → Luxor → Aswan → Cairo
- Nights
- 3 Cairo · 2 Hurghada · 1 Luxor · 2 Aswan
- Includes
- Domestic flights, Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers