A Classical Egypt Itinerary
Egypt is back in the travel news after a lot of bad press. It is touted as one of the must-visit destinations of 2019 and this North African nation is gearing up to welcome its visitors. Don’t get me wrong, Egypt never went off the tourist radar. It just took a backstep and now with improving political situations the travel advisories to Egypt are getting more relaxed. Or should I say that even the so-called “developed nations” like France, England are also getting unsafe thanks to all the terror attacks and the world is realizing the moot point of dumping unnecessary safety advisories? Anyway, Egypt is beckoning and this guide will help you plan a memorable trip to the Land of the Pharaohs. So, presenting a classical Egypt itinerary for a trip which covers the highlights of this fantastic destination.
Let’s begin the Egypt itinerary with a few FAQs
1. Is it safe to travel to Egypt?
Yes, it is absolutely safe to travel to Egypt, provided you stay away from the White Desert, Northern Sinai at the moment. Southern Sinai is safe.
2. Would the first half of March be a good time?
Yes, it is a perfect time to visit Egypt.
3. We are planning for 8 days, would these be sufficient for covering the major ‘must see’ spots or we need more days? How many would you advise?
I will suggest you make a 10N/11D trip to enjoy Egypt to the fullest. The Nile cruise from Luxor-Aswan and vice versa is minimum 2N/3D.
You may also like: The Nubians and the Nile in Aswan
And the classical Egypt itinerary on a day to day basis
Day 1. Arrive and lunch at Café Riche, thereafter the Egyptian museum (i.e if you arrive in the morning)
Day 2. Pyramids of Giza, lunch at Abu Shakra (for a taste of Egyptian food), Saqarra pyramids, Darshur pyramids (optional)
Day 3. Ibn Tulun Mosque, Islamic art museum, Old City or Islamic Cairo, Mosque Madrasa, Citadel, Evening and dinner at Al Azhar Park
Day 4. Al Manial Palace, Khan el Khalili market, night train to Aswan
Day 5. Aswan (Botanical garden, Philae temple, Nubian village of Sehel)
Day 6. Aswan (Abu Simbel, Nubian Museum, City Tour, Start your Nile Cruise for Luxor, visit Kom Ombo Temple, which is dedicated to Crocodile God Sobek and Falcon God Horus)
Day 7. Nile Cruise (visit Edfu Temple dedicated to the Falcon God Horus, arrive at Luxor in the evening, overnight stay onboard)
Day 8. Luxor (West Bank monuments include the Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi Of Memnon). In the afternoon visit the East Bank monuments including the Karnak Temples and Luxor Temple, catch a light and sound show)
Day 9. Luxor (Sunrise hot air ballooning, visit the city) Night train to Cairo or Fly to Alexandria
Day 10. Cairo (fly out in the evening) or
Day 10. Alexandria (Citadel of Qaitbay, Alexandria Library, Necropolis, Roman Amphitheatre, Montaza Palace) train to Cairo
Day 11. Return to Cairo and fly back home
This is a classical Egypt itinerary of 10N/11D. You can substitute the trains with flights but they do not make much difference. If you want to absorb and experience the civilization, take it easy. If you have more time, then consider the following…
The Add-Ons to your Egypt itinerary
- St Katherine Monastery and Hurghada/Sharm-el-Sheikh/Dahab (my personal choice is Dahab)
- North Coast (Marsa Matruh)
- Tunis Village near Cairo including the Valley of the Whales
Felucca ride in Aswan
The difficult to access destinations in Egypt at the moment
- The Black and the White Desert (Dying to go again)
- Siwa Oasis (On my wish list especially during the date harvest)
- The Great Sand Sea
- The Cave of the Swimmers (I am personally lusting after this one)
The gorgeous Red Sea at Dahab 
Khan el Khalili market in Cairo 
Philae Temple in Aswan 
A Nubian woman sitting outside her house in Aswan
Have you been to Egypt? How did you like it? If you have any questions or feedback, do not forget to let us know.
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Looks wonderful. Helpful itinerary.
Egypt is so fascinating, and I really like the itinerary that you suggested. Thanks!
Thank you
I am planning in march this year. What is the visa process for Indians esp from BLR and do we need a vaccination or anything for visiting Egypt.
Hi Nivedith,
You need a pre-approved visa for Egypt. This has to be applied at the nearest consulate or through vfs global. There is no need for any vaccinations for Egypt unless you arrive or depart from any East/West African country. In that case, you need a yellow fever vaccination.
Thanks for your response.VFS doesn’t seem to have Egypt in their list. Seems like I have to go thru travel agent to get it done from Mumbai as i am based out of Bangalore.
Thanks for the informative post:)
You are welcome. I just remembered that when I was living in India, I used Jetsave a lot for visa services. They do Egypt visa as well. Check out their site.
http://jetvisaservices.com/
I’ve always been very impressed by the hospitality and service in Egypt. I think the opening of the Egyptian Museum is an exciting development for travellers who like history and heritage.
Thank you.
Egypt is a very beautiful place for tourism. I really like the itinerary that you suggested in this blog. Egypt is considered the most tourist-friendly country. This is the perfect country for a vacation. Once I and my friends spend our vacation in Egypt and here we got the best service from Ask Aladdin. Thanks for your information dear.
Thank you.
Hello! Thanks a lot for sharing this, it has all been very useful and insightful to plan a very nice trip to Egypt. If it is not much a trouble, I would like to have your opinion on the following:
– My wife and I will spend 11 full days in Egypt (late December / early January). We are in our mid 40s and like a lot traveling around the world, we are “city walkers and history enthusiasts”, but we also like to indulge here and there and travel “semi” slow (e.g. do not start very early every day and/or enjoy a nice lazy afternoon /night dinner).
– So far, this is what we have in mind: 3 full days In Cairo, 3 full days in Aswan (including 1 day trip to Abu Simbel; New Year will happen here, so we expect a lazy January 1st as we expect everything might be slow that day), 1 day from Aswan to Luxor via private taxi and visit the sites along the way, 3.5 days in Luxor (evening flight to Cairo and early flight back home to Mexico)
– SO… our question / concern is the following:
a) are we spending too much in Aswan? Are we going to get “bored” on day 3? Is a full day + Abu Simbel + that same afternoon more than enough? Can we make the Aswan – Luxor journey on January 1st?
b) is 2.5 days enough in Luxor vs. 3.5 days?
c) If the other two questions are “yes” then we might be able to add Alexandria (1.5 days – 1 night) at the tail end of the trip
What do you think? Would it make sense? Or better keep it slower and also enjoy more Aswan and Luxor and leave Alexandria for a next opportunity?
Thanks a lot!
Hello Jorge,
I think your plan looks good as it is. I am suggesting slight changes and sincerely suggest that you leave Alexandria for another time. Cairo has a lot to offer and both Aswan and Luxor are delightful places to relax and feel the pulse of the country. I think Aswan is great for slow traveling. If I were you, I would spend the first day exploring the various sites in Aswan – Philae Temple, the Museum, evening at the Nubian village, and felucca ride on the Nile. The next morning, I would do Abu Simbel. It starts very early and you return by mid-noon. That day, you can actually leave for Luxor by car stopping at Kom Ombo, Edfu, and Esna on the way. However, it will be hectic. The other alternative is that you leave for Luxor the next day as you had planned. Luxor has more to offer than Aswan and you can make day trips to the Red Sea at Hurghada or see the Hathor temples at Dendera and Qena. Try to visit the Neferatari’s tomb in the Valley of Queens in Luxor. It’s gorgeous. I hope you have a wonderful trip.