Egypt Days 1-5 follow the 5-day plan with Alexandria and Luxor. Days 6-7 add Aswan (Nubian heritage, Philae Temple, High Dam) and Abu Simbel (Rameses II's sun temple, UNESCO) by domestic flight before departure.
A full week is enough to actually understand Cairo. Three days for the major districts, three days for nearby regions, and one day for the offbeat neighborhoods most tourists miss. The back half of the trip is more about texture than checking landmarks — your photos get more diverse and you walk away with a three-dimensional sense of the city.
7-Day Total Budget at a Glance
Budget
$757
Per person, flights excl.
Mid-Range
$1,510
Per person, flights excl.
Luxury
$3,350
Per person, flights excl.
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Day-by-Day Detailed Schedule
Pyramids of Giza
Wonder of the WorldActivities
- 08:00 Pyramids + Sphinx + Marriott Mena House + Sound & Light 15 hours
Same as 3-Day Day 1.
Cost: $80-250 TIP: Hire English guide.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
Cairo · $1-5
Standard.
Lunch
Marriott Mena House
Giza · $50-150
Pyramid view.
Dinner
Abou Tarek
Downtown · $1-3
Koshary.
Uber.
DAY 1 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
GEM + Khan el-Khalili + Nile Cruise
Pharaonic and IslamicActivities
- 09:00 GEM + Citadel + Khan el-Khalili + Nile Cruise 15 hours
Same as 3-Day Day 2.
Cost: $60-200 TIP: Pre-book GEM.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
Cairo · $1-3
Light.
Lunch
Felfela
Downtown · $3-8
Egyptian.
Dinner
Nile Dinner Cruise
Cairo Nile · $40-80
Buffet + show.
Uber.
DAY 2 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Saqqara + Four Seasons
Day trip + luxuryActivities
- 08:00 Saqqara + Memphis + Coptic Cairo + Four Seasons 15 hours
Same as 3-Day Day 3.
Cost: $130-350 TIP: Reserve ahead.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel
Cairo · $1-5
Standard.
Lunch
Andrea Mariouteya
Pyramids area · $10-25
Egyptian-Greek.
Dinner
Four Seasons
Giza Nile · $80-200
Polished.
Day tour + Uber.
DAY 3 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Alexandria day trip
MediterraneanActivities
- 07:00 Alexandria Day Trip + Sequoia dinner 14 hours
Same as 5-Day Day 4.
Cost: $110-200 TIP: 3 hour drive each way.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Hotel + tour pickup
Cairo · Included
Early.
Lunch
Alexandria seafood
Alexandria · $15-30
Mediterranean.
Dinner
Sequoia (Zamalek)
Zamalek · $30-70
Nile riverfront.
Day tour.
DAY 4 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Luxor day flight
Valley of the KingsActivities
- 05:00 Luxor day flight + Marriott Mena House farewell 18 hours
Same as 5-Day Day 5 without the departure.
Cost: $200-400 TIP: Pre-book day flight.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Early flight
Cairo → Luxor · $5-15
Light.
Lunch
Luxor lunch (included)
Luxor · Included
Egyptian.
Dinner
Marriott Mena House
Giza · $50-150
Pyramid view.
Day flight + Uber.
DAY 5 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Aswan day flight (Philae + High Dam + Nubian Village)
Nubian heritageActivities
- 06:00 Cairo → Aswan flight (1 hour) + Philae Temple 10 hours
Fly to Aswan — Philae Temple (the Temple of Isis, relocated when the High Dam was built), the High Dam itself, and a Nubian Village visit.
Cost: $150-250 day flight + tours TIP: 1 hour flight each way. Pre-book a full-day Aswan flight package. The Nubian Village is the cultural highlight. - 19:00 Aswan Nile felucca at sunset 2 hours
Traditional Egyptian sailing boat on the Nile at Aswan — the river is at its most scenic here, with the Elephantine and Kitchener islands.
Cost: $20-40 TIP: Felucca rentals at the Aswan corniche. Bargain on the hour rate; $20-40 for 1-2 hours.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Early flight
Cairo → Aswan · $5-15
Travel light.
Lunch
Aswan Nubian
Aswan · $10-25
Nubian dishes (different from Cairo Egyptian).
Dinner
Aswan felucca + dinner
Aswan Nile · $20-40
Sunset on the Nile.
Aswan day flight + ground tours.
DAY 6 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
Abu Simbel + return + departure
Pharaonic farewellActivities
- 04:00 Aswan → Abu Simbel (3 hour drive each way) 10 hours
The relocated UNESCO temple of Rameses II — 3,200 years old, originally facing the Nile, moved 65 m higher in 1968 when the High Dam was built. Four colossal seated statues of Rameses II flank the entrance.
Cost: Included with day tour TIP: The Sun Festival (Oct 22 + Feb 22) is when sunlight reaches the inner sanctuary at dawn. Otherwise, visit any morning for the best light. - 16:00 Aswan → Cairo flight 3 hours
Return flight from Aswan to Cairo (1.5 hours).
Cost: Included in round-trip TIP: Late afternoon return. - 22:00 Departure from Cairo International Airport (CAI) 1 hour
Late-evening international departures.
Cost: Uber $10-15 TIP: Pre-book a transfer.
Meal Recommendations
Breakfast
Aswan hotel + early drive
Aswan · Included
Very early start.
Lunch
Abu Simbel return lunch
Aswan · Included
Egyptian buffet.
Dinner
Airport snack
Cairo Airport · $15-30
Pre-flight.
Abu Simbel day tour + Aswan-Cairo flight.
DAY 7 Estimated Spend (per person, flights excl.)
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Packing Checklist
- ✓ Modest cover-up clothing (mosques and temples)
- ✓ Light layers year-round + warm jacket for December-February evenings
- ✓ SPF 50 sunscreen + hat
- ✓ Insect repellent for summer
- ✓ Crisp US dollar bills + small EGP notes
- ✓ Type C/F plug (220V)
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Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.