Ready-made plans

Custom planning is temporarily unavailable for this route. Ready-made plans are still available.

Home › Journeys › Africa › Cairo, Luxor & the Nile

Cairo, Luxor & the Nile: Route Guide

Last updated:

The pyramids of Giza rising above the desert plateau
Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Egypt compresses five thousand years into one river valley, from historic Cairo and Giza’s pyramids to Luxor’s royal tombs and temples, Edfu and the Nile at Aswan. Travel from Giza to Luxor by overnight train, then through Edfu to Aswan on road transfers with a driver, arranged separately. Philae adds an island temple reached by boat; winter light makes the monuments gentler.

Cairo, Luxor & the Nile is a 900 km one-way journey (with a driver). It works best as 6–8 days; the plan below is the 7-day version for November, built from 433 verified places, with planned transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

6–8
days
900km
distance
5
Stops
433
curated stops

View ready-made plans 6-day plan · 7-day plan · 8-day plan · best time to go

The route

Cairo→ 20 kmGiza→ 640 kmLuxor→ 110 kmEdfu→ 130 kmAswan
The Great Sphinx on the Giza plateau, with the Great Pyramid behind it

Giza · Day 3

Giza Plateau circuit

Give the pyramids and Sphinx a full, heat-aware visit instead of treating the plateau as a quick photo stop.

7-day plan →

Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 3.0

What you'll see

Cairo Tower
Marvel at panoramic city and pyramid views from the revolving cafe.
Cairo
Grand Egyptian Museum
Discover a vast collection of artifacts, reshaping Egyptology's future.
Giza
Luxor Museum
Contemplate finely crafted pharaonic statues and artifacts.
Luxor
Edfu Temple circuit
Use the full Edfu stop for the pylons, courts and Horus reliefs of one of Egypt's most complete temple complexes.
Edfu
Elephantine Island: Nubian Villages & Aswan Museum
Explore vibrant Nubian villages and learn history at the local museum.
Aswan
Grand Egyptian Museum
Explore ancient treasures in a modern, expansive museum.
Cairo

Choose your length

6-day plan11 stops · 19.8 h transit1.8 stops/day · 3.3 h transit/daySee the full plan →7-day plan12 stops · 19.8 h transit1.7 stops/day · 2.8 h transit/daySee the full plan →8-day plan13 stops · 19.8 h transit1.6 stops/day · 2.5 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: October, November, December, January, February, March

Winter is the season: 25°C days at the temples instead of the 40°C+ of high summer.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

View ready-made plans