Egypt itineraries: 1 week, 2 weeks and 3 weeks

Match the trip to the days you actually have, not the days you wish you had. Internal flights and the overnight train make short trips work; road transfers eat a half day each.

Nights below are the working plan from the country guide. Add one buffer night in Cairo before an international departure.

Days 1–3 in Cairo: Giza at opening, the Grand Egyptian Museum after lunch when the air-conditioning matters, then Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili on the third day. Saqqara and Dahshur fit a half day if you skip the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir.

Day 4: fly to Luxor in the morning, Karnak in the afternoon and Luxor Temple after dark. Day 5: West Bank at 06:00 for the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut, then the road south with stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo, reaching Aswan in the evening.

Days 6–7 in Aswan: Philae Temple, a felucca hour and the Nubian villages. Abu Simbel needs a 04:00 start by road or a short flight, so it only fits if you drop something else. Fly back to Cairo the same day you leave, or the night before your flight home.

A cruise between Luxor and Aswan covers Edfu and Kom Ombo without repacking, and it is the reason most people stretch a week into ten days. Three or four nights is the standard block; check what the fare includes before you compare prices, because entrance fees and drinks often sit outside it.

The overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor saves a hotel night and arrives in the morning. Flying back from Aswan to Cairo is faster than the return train and usually cheaper than losing a day.

Use the extra Cairo night at the end for the Grand Egyptian Museum if you missed it, or for a day trip to Saqqara.

Fourteen days lets you finish on the coast instead of flying straight home from the valley. Hurghada is the easy add: about 4 h by road from Luxor, direct flights out, and a resort strip that suits families and first-time divers. Marsa Alam is quieter, with better reefs and fewer people, but transfers are longer.

Keep the Red Sea as one block at the end. Splitting it into two short stays wastes days on the road. If you would rather have mountains and diving than resorts, swap the Red Sea for Dahab or Sharm el-Sheikh in Sinai, which work best from March to May and September to November.

Alexandria fits as one or two nights from Cairo by road or train if you want a Mediterranean break in the middle of the trip.

Three weeks is enough for the Nile Valley, a Red Sea or Sinai block and one western or northern add-on. Pick one, not both: Siwa Oasis is two to three nights from Cairo and best from October to March, while Alexandria is one to two nights and works from April to October.

A common shape: Cairo 3, Luxor 3, cruise 3, Aswan 2, then six nights on the Red Sea or in Sinai, and a final Cairo night. If you add Siwa, cut the beach block rather than the valley.

Long trips in Egypt reward slower days. Two temples in a morning beat four, and the heat decides how much you actually see.

October to April is the season for the Nile Valley; summer heat makes the West Bank and Abu Simbel hard work, especially with children or older travellers. The Red Sea and Sinai have a second good window in spring and autumn.

Egypt runs on cash for tips, taxis and small purchases. Carry small notes for bathrooms, drivers and guides, and expect a tipping culture that is part of daily life rather than an extra.

Most nationalities need a visa before or on arrival; check the current rules for your passport before booking flights. Dress modestly outside resorts, and expect to remove shoes at mosques.