The perfect 2 weeks in Egypt itinerary
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Visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza is at the top of many people their bucket list and in this 2 weeks in Egypt itinerary, you will discover not only the Pyramids of Giza but you will also experience a luxury Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan, Diving in the red Sea and wandering through the most beautiful temples of Luxor.
There are many ancient monuments from the time of Pharaohs & Kings and Queens, dating back thousands of years and some are even still undiscovered.
With temples and tombs such as the Valley of the Kings and a Nile Cruise, this itinerary for Egypt is a great mix of culture, adventure, and pleasure that will leave you speechless.
During my time in this beautiful country, I was fascinated by how the people back then built all these massive temples and tombs and the beautiful life underneath the surface of the Red Sea.
I visited also a friend who runs a dive center in Hurghada and decided to stay a bit longer, so either if you decide to stay for 10 days in Egypt or a few days longer, this itinerary is easy to adapt to your travel plan.
READ ALSO: 18 x best hotels in Egypt
Flights to Egypt
The easiest way to get to Egypt is to fly to Cairo, Hurghada, or Sharm El Sheik. For this trip, I flew to Cairo from Istanbul as I was traveling around the Middle East.
However, flights will cost between €300-600 for a return ticket depending on where you will depart. I booked a one-way from Istanbul to Cairo and paid €110 per person. Keep in mind you need a ticket out of the country if you plan to buy a one-way ticket.
As I needed a ticket to leave the country, I found on Skyscanner another flight with Etihad from Cairo to Bali to continue my trip and paid €290 for this flight (which was ridiculously cheap)
How to get around Egypt?
Getting around the country is easy and quite affordable. In Cairo, you can get an uber to get around the city and visit the highlights, while in Luxor and Hurghada it’s easy and pretty cheap to get a regular taxi. Make sure you agree on a price before stepping into the vehicle.
I had often that they try to charge you more when you are already on your way. I simply ask them to stop and step out to get another taxi. Mostly they continue and charge what you agreed but they will try to get more money from you.
To reach other cities, I would recommend either taking a bus, train, or flight. I traveled from Aswan to Luxor by train, from Hurghada to Cairo by bus, and from Luxor to Aswan by cruise.
Best time to visit Egypt?
Egypt is known for its hot and dry weather and temperatures can be very hot while it can be very cold during the night.
In general, the best time to visit Egypt is between October and April, when it is not too hot to explore the temples and pyramids. However, I went in September, and even though it was almost 40 degrees during the daytime, I recommend exploring as much as possible in the early mornings or before noon.
The hottest part of the day was mostly after 2 PM and then I tried to relax or visit a museum.
READ ALSO: How much does a trip to egypt cost? Budget for 2 weeks in Egypt
Map of Egypt
To have a better understanding of the actual route I made across the country, I’ve made a map of Egypt with the highlights and places I visited during my trip.
Things to know before you visit Egypt
- You’ll need a tourist visa, which you can buy at the immigration for USD 25 or in advance through iVisa
- Make sure you have travel insurance! InsuredNomads offers affordable prices, and their policies are comprehensive, covering a wide variety of activities (diving, camel riding, …).
- The official currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP) which is about 26 EGP for 1€ (EUR). Most places accept credit cards but local shops and restaurants don’t. So get some money from the ATM. I use a WISE Card so I pay almost no fees on currency exchanges.
- To show proper respect for the culture and people, you should dress conservatively while you’re there.
- Tap water is not drinkable and it is even better to use bottled water to brush your teeth.
- Renting a car is possible, however, I do not recommend it as the traffic is insane. I booked seats in the elite class or premium class of the Go-Bus to travel to Cairo and Luxor. These buses were actually very comfortable with USB chargers.
- It is safe to travel around, although the local people are always trying to get money from you. They tried to charge me 150€ for a scarf because it was “handmade”, I bought it in the end for only 5€.
- Bargaining is normal. In most situations, I was able to get 50% off the price they asked for.
- They charge for everything. When visiting a museum or temple it is normal to pay extra to bring your camera with you.
The Ultimate 2 weeks itinerary for Egypt
Cairo (Giza)
Recommended stay: 2 nights
Hotel in Giza: Guardian Guest House
On arrival in Egypt, I went straight to Hurghada to visit my friend who’s working in a dive center and it has been several years since I have seen him. At the end of the trip, I went back to Cairo to explore the highlights of the city.
However, Cairo is probably the first place where you’ll start your journey as it is the capital and the largest city in Africa, So I will start this itinerary also from there.
Cairo or Giza is world-famous for the majestic pyramids and the many ancient artefacts that are stored in the Egyptian Museum. These are also the highlights that you have to see during your visit to Cairo.
I stayed at the Guardian Hotel, which is a local guesthouse. Nothing Fancy but it is located right in front of the sphinx and it has probably the best views of the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. I arrived in the afternoon and just relaxed at the rooftop of the hotel and had an amazing dinner next door.
The next day was all about exploring the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx and there are a few options to do that. You can get a guide and learn more about the history, the culture, and the construction of the pyramids, join a camel ride through the desert around the pyramids or explore the whole site yourself, which I did and also recommend.
On my last day in Cairo, I went to the Egyptian Museum and the Mall of Egypt, as it was actually too hot to walk around during the daytime and at the end of this amazing trip I had dinner at O’s Pasta in Zamalek which was so delicious and cozy!
TIP: The best way and probably the cheapest to get around Cairo or Giza without struggling or bargaining with the Egyptian people is with an U
READ ALSO: Visit The Pyramids of Giza without a guide + the 7 best viewpoints
Luxor
Travel distance from Hurghada: 310km – 4h
Travel distance from Cairo: 1h by flight
Recommended stay: 1 night
Hotel: Jolie Ville Hotel & Spa Kings Island
The easiest way to get from Cairo to Luxor is by flight, however, taking the train is also a great option and quite an adventure as you will travel along the Nile River with stunning views.
You’ll probably arrive at the East Bank of Luxor either by train, bus or by flight and if you have booked a hotel on the West Bank, you might have to take a small boat to cross the Nile River.
There are many places to see and unique things to do in Luxor so I recommend spending a few nights here if you are not joining a Nile River cruise like I did.
I booked in advance a cruise along the Nile with the Le Fayan Nile Cruise and on arrival in Luxor, I could already check-in into my room. As I wanted to have a more relaxed experience with no worries, I also hired a guide, Kero.
The staff of Le Fayan arranged the guide for me on request but you are free to find a guide yourself as long as they follow the schedule of the cruise.
After Lunch, Kero was waiting in the lobby to show me around the best places of Luxor, the Luxor Temple and the Karnak Temple on the East Bank.
He was also very attentive to me as a photographer and suggested visiting the Luxor temple before sunset. This allowed us to admire the temple during the sunset but the temple will also be illuminated at night, which was very beautiful.
READ ALSO: 8 best things to do in Luxor Egypt
READ ALSO: Hot air ballooning in Luxor: An unforgettable adventure in Egypt
Le Fayan Nile Cruise
Recommended stay: 3-4 nights
Nile River Cruise: Le Fayan Nile Cruise
An amazing and unique way to explore the breathtaking scenery of the Nile River, the incredible temples of ancient Egypt, and Egyptian hospitality is by joining a Nile River cruise for a few days from Luxor to Aswan.
Hundreds of cruises offer pretty much the same schedule, however, I booked the Le Fayan Nile Cruise for this trip and it was wonderful!
I joined a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the Valley of The Kings, visited the Hatshepsut temple, and explored the tombs of the Pharaohs at The Valley of The Kings on the second day of the Nile cruise adventure as the boat doesn’t sail on the first day but stays in Luxor.
After visiting these temples and having these wonderful experiences, we quickly stopped at the Memnon Colossi Statue to take a photo and then headed back to the cruise to sail off to our next destination.
In 4 days, we sailed from Luxor to Aswan in a luxurious way with beautiful views along the way. We visited more beautiful temples such as the Horus Temple in Edfu, the Sobek Temple in Kom Ombo, and the Philae Temple in Aswan.
READ ALSO: Le Fayan: An amazing Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan in 5 days
Aswan
Travel distance from Luxor: 240km – 3h 20m by car
Travel distance from Luxor: 200km – 4 days by river cruise
Recommended stay: 1 night
Hotel: Nubb Inn
This was the last day of the Nile River cruise and we went very early in the morning to visit one of the most impressive temples of Egypt, Abu Simbel, and the temple of Queen Nefertari.
These two temples are situated about a 3-hour drive from Aswan and close to the border of Sudan, so we embarked on the cruise in Aswan around 3.30 AM and drove together with our guide to these temples.
Although it is a long ride to get there, these two temples should be on your Egypt itinerary.
After visiting the Abu Simbel Temple, we went back to the cruise to have lunch, as we were about to visit another beautiful temple in the afternoon. The enchanting Philae Temple, also known as the Temple of Love.
Because the temple is located in the middle of the Aswan dam, you’ll need to rent a boat at the entrance of the Philae Temple Marina gate. The boat ride itself is lovely with beautiful views of Nubian houses and Egyptian ruins.
We spent the last night on the Le Fayan Cruise with an amazing dinner and went to bed early after this amazing day of exploring. The next morning, I caught the train at 7 AM from Aswan to Luxor.
The train ride is about 3 hours and unfortunately, first class was sold out (90 EGP per person), so I bought a second class train ticket for 50EGP per person, which was comfortable but a bit dirty and you sit between the locals.
Back in Luxor, I went from the train station to the bus station of GO-BUS to buy tickets to Hurghada. These coach buses are pretty comfortable with USB plugs and cost only 260 EGP per person.
READ ALSO: 8 incredible things to do in Aswan Egypt
Hurghada
Travel distance from Luxor: 310km – 4h
Recommended stay: 5-7 nights
Hotel in Hurghada: Iberotel Makadi Beach
Hurghada is a beautiful beachside city in Egypt with many resorts and hotels along the coastline of the Red Sea. After the amazing adventure from Luxor to Aswan, it was time to relax and enjoy a bit of the African sun at the beaches of Hurghada.
As I mentioned before, my friend is running a dive center in 4 different resorts and during my visit, we went out in the Red Sea to enjoy some scuba diving and snorkeling.
I didn’t bring my camera as I wanted to enjoy the moments and take the time to relax, however, the crew took some photos of us diving around the Gotha Abu Ramada dive spot.
Besides scuba diving or relaxing at the pool of your hotel, there are many other amazing things to do in Hurghada, such as quad biking, desert Safari tours, or strolling along the Hurghada Marina.
READ ALSO: 14 breathtaking Egypt Landmarks you have to visit
These 2 weeks in Egypt were absolutely amazing with a great mix of history, adventure, and time to relax and I can’t recommend enough to add some of these places to your itinerary of Egypt
The highlight of this trip for me was definitely the Nile River cruise with Le Fayan and the visit to Abu Simbel. I was able to tick off 5 bucket list experiences and now I’m happy I did them all.
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Plan your Egypt Itinerary with my favorite travel apps
To plan my adventures, I use these FREE websites and apps as they provide the best information, the best deals, and they are user-friendly.
- Skyscanner – Flight deals
- Booking.com – Hotels and accommodation
- TourRadar – Group trips
- TripAdvisor – Reviews and activities
- HostelWorld – Hostels
- GetYourGuide – Activities and excursions
- RentalCars – Car rental
- Omio – Transport
- iVisa – Travel documents
- Wise – Money transfer
- VisitorCoverage – Travel Insurance
PICTURES AND EDITING
All the pictures on this page are made and owned by me. If you are interested in some pictures to use for your magazine, website, blog, or any other purpose, just send me an email and we’ll figure it out.
Do you like the edits? My Presets will be online soon so you can edit your pictures in just one click!
The camera gear I used for this trip
I never go out without my camera and many people ask me which gear I use. So to make it quite easy, I listed all the gear I used for this trip below.
Most of the time, I travel with the Sony A7III and the Sony 24-105mm/f4 as my primary lens but depending on the location, I change to another setup. However, I love the Tamron 17-28 to shoot in the big cities.
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