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Day Tours in Egypt — Editor-Tested One-Day Itineraries

Six one-day routes that our editors have walked, timed and budgeted. Each itinerary lists the order of stops, realistic transit times, current ticket prices in Egyptian Pounds, where to eat, and what to skip if the day starts late. None of them require a guided tour, although hiring a licensed guide at the gate is always an option.

Stylised route map showing Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Hurghada

The itineraries below assume two adults travelling independently, using a mix of pre-arranged drivers and public transport where it makes sense. Costs are quoted in Egyptian Pounds at recent counter rates and exclude meals unless explicitly noted. Where a route is heat-sensitive — and most of them are between May and September — the recommended start time is set accordingly.

1. Giza Plateau in the Morning, GEM in the Afternoon

Cairo · Total ~10 hours · Budget per person from 2,300 EGP (excl. lunch) · Heat-sensitive

  1. 07:30Driver pick-up from a Downtown or Zamalek hotel. Transfer to the Giza ticket office (35–50 minutes).
  2. 08:15Enter the Giza Plateau at opening. Walk to the panoramic viewpoint first for the classic three-pyramid photograph (electric shuttle, 30 EGP).
  3. 09:30Khufu Pyramid base, optional interior (+900 EGP). The Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre.
  4. 12:00Lunch at a sit-down restaurant on the plateau road (around 400–600 EGP per person). Avoid the touts on the perimeter.
  5. 13:30Short transfer to the Grand Egyptian Museum (8 minutes by car).
  6. 14:00GEM atrium, Grand Staircase, Tutankhamun galleries. Allow at least three hours.
  7. 17:30Driver returns you to the hotel.

Skip GEM if you arrived late at Giza — the museum deserves four hours of its own. In that case substitute with our Saqqara archaeological route the next day.

2. Luxor West Bank Day — Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Memnon

Luxor · Total ~9 hours · Budget per person from 2,100 EGP · Very heat-sensitive

  1. 06:00Optional hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank (separate booking, around 2,800–3,500 EGP).
  2. 08:00Drive to the Valley of the Kings, arriving at opening to avoid both tour groups and heat. Standard ticket allows three tombs; add KV62 for the original sarcophagus.
  3. 11:00Hatshepsut Temple at Deir el-Bahari. Almost no shade — visit briskly.
  4. 12:30Colossi of Memnon (15 minutes, photo stop on the way back).
  5. 13:00Lunch on the West Bank at a local restaurant near the Ramesseum (around 250 EGP).
  6. 14:30Cross back to the East Bank by car ferry or bridge. Rest in the hotel until evening.
  7. 17:00Optional: Luxor Museum or evening Karnak visit.

3. Abu Simbel from Aswan — The Sunrise Convoy

Aswan · Total ~12 hours · Budget per person from 2,800 EGP including transfer · Long drive

  1. 03:30Hotel pick-up in Aswan. Coffee and breakfast box provided by most drivers on request.
  2. 04:00Convoy departs Aswan. Drive south through the Western Desert (around 280 km, three hours).
  3. 07:00Arrive at Abu Simbel. Two hours on site is sufficient for both temples and the small relocation museum.
  4. 09:30Optional Lake Nasser viewpoint (30 minutes).
  5. 10:00Return drive to Aswan. Most drivers stop once for refreshments.
  6. 13:30Arrival back in Aswan. Light lunch and rest.
  7. 16:30Optional: short felucca on the Nile at sunset (around 250 EGP per hour).

An alternative is the small EgyptAir flight (Aswan – Abu Simbel) — faster but several times more expensive and far less atmospheric than the desert convoy.

4. Alexandria Heritage Day from Cairo

Alexandria · Total ~11 hours · Budget per person from 1,400 EGP · Mild Mediterranean climate

  1. 07:00Train from Cairo Ramses Station to Sidi Gaber, Alexandria (around 2.5 hours; first-class 200 EGP).
  2. 10:00Bibliotheca Alexandrina — Antiquities and Manuscript museums under one ticket.
  3. 12:30Lunch at a Corniche seafood restaurant (around 350 EGP per person).
  4. 14:00Kom el Shoqafa Catacombs (foreign ticket 200 EGP).
  5. 15:30Pompey’s Pillar and the Serapeum.
  6. 17:00Walk the Corniche from Fort Qaitbey back toward the modern centre.
  7. 18:30Train back to Cairo, arriving by 21:00.

5. Saqqara, Dahshur and Memphis from Cairo

Cairo region · Total ~8 hours · Budget per person from 1,600 EGP · Open-desert day

  1. 08:00Driver pick-up. Drive south to Saqqara (45 minutes).
  2. 08:45Step Pyramid of Djoser and Imhotep Museum.
  3. 11:00Drive to Dahshur (30 minutes) — the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid.
  4. 13:00Lunch at a country restaurant on the road back (around 300 EGP).
  5. 14:30Open-air Memphis Museum.
  6. 16:00Return to Cairo.

6. Red Sea Underwater Day — Hurghada or El Gouna

Red Sea · Total ~9 hours · Budget per person from 1,200 EGP including boat · Marine-focused

  1. 08:00Marina departure on a small group boat to Giftun Island.
  2. 09:30Two snorkelling stops at reef sites near Giftun.
  3. 12:30Lunch on board (usually included).
  4. 14:00Third snorkelling stop or beach time.
  5. 16:00Return to marina.

For divers, contact a PADI-rated centre directly rather than booking through a hotel desk — the price difference is significant and the equipment is usually better maintained.

Choose by interest

What Pairs With Which Day Tour

If you have time for only one or two days, use this guide to choose.

For first-time visitors

Choose itineraries 1 (Giza + GEM) and 2 (Luxor West Bank). Together they cover the most recognisable monuments and the densest collection of pharaonic art in the country.

For families with children

Pair itinerary 1 with a shortened version of itinerary 6 (Red Sea). See our dedicated family tours page for age-appropriate adjustments to the schedule and pace.

For repeat visitors

Itinerary 5 (Saqqara/Dahshur) and itinerary 4 (Alexandria) are usually skipped on first trips but reward a deeper second visit. Combine with specialist archaeology pages for context.

Need a Multi-Day Itinerary?

If you need more than a single day plan, we will write a custom multi-day itinerary under the Personalised Itinerary plan — including transfers, hotel area recommendations and contingency notes.

See Tour Plans