Planning your Egypt route
Egypt rewards a route that flows rather than a checklist that sprints. Most visitors arrive at Cairo (CAI) and link a handful of standout places — a classic loop runs Cairo & Giza → Luxor → Aswan → Hurghada / Red Sea.
Below is a ready-to-use one-week plan, how to stretch it to two weeks, and how to tailor it to how you like to travel. For the full picture see the Egypt travel guide, and once you’ve fixed your dates read the best time to visit Egypt so you travel in the right season.
The perfect 7-day Egypt itinerary
Seven days is the sweet spot for a first trip: enough to see the headline sights without living on buses. This plan keeps you to two or three bases and a sensible pace.
- Days 1–3 · Cairo & Giza (3 days) — The Pyramids, Sphinx and Grand Egyptian Museum. Best for history, iconic.
- Days 4–5 · Luxor (2 days) — Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and balloon rides. Best for history, culture.
- Days 6–7 · Aswan (2 days) — Nile felucca sailing and Philae Temple. Best for relax, culture.
Budget roughly $210–$1,750 per person for the week depending on your style (excluding international flights) — see the Egypt budget guide for a full breakdown, or estimate yours with the Budget Calculator.
Stretching it to 10–14 days
With more time you can slow down and add the places a one-week trip skips. A relaxed two-week version looks like this:
- Days 1–4 · Cairo & Giza (4 days) — The Pyramids, Sphinx and Grand Egyptian Museum. Best for history, iconic.
- Days 5–8 · Luxor (4 days) — Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and balloon rides. Best for history, culture.
- Days 9–11 · Aswan (3 days) — Nile felucca sailing and Philae Temple. Best for relax, culture.
- Days 12–14 · Hurghada / Red Sea (3 days) — Reefs, diving and beach resorts. Best for beach, diving.
Two weeks also leaves room for a day trip or two between bases — see the “day trips” section on each city guide, starting with Cairo & Giza.
Tailoring the route to your style
The skeleton above flexes easily. Adjust where you spend your days based on what you’re travelling for:
- History & culture: give more time to Cairo & Giza, Luxor, Aswan and the country’s main museums and old towns.
- Adventure: add hikes, dives or day-treks around the national parks.
Getting between stops
Fly into Cairo (CAI), then move between cities by a mix of domestic flights, trains, buses and taxis or ride apps. For multi-city trips, an open-jaw ticket (into one city, out of another) saves backtracking.
Book the longer hops ahead in Oct–Apr. Distances between the main spots in Egypt are very doable — most of this route is short, scenic legs rather than epic overland days.
Before you go
Three things to sort early: your visa (evisa or visa on arrival for many — see the Egypt visa guide), your season (when to visit), and your packing (Egypt packing list). It’s also worth a quick read of our Egypt safety guide and the food & culture guide so you arrive ready to dive in.
Want a plan built around your exact dates and interests? Generate one in seconds with the AI Trip Planner.
