It is never easy to decide how many days is good enough when on a holiday. Every person, every family has its preferences making it tough to generalise.
This map will give you an idea on the directions you need to travel in Egypt and will help in planning a trip.
I spent about 12 days in Egypt with family. Starting with Cairo, then onto Aswan by train, followed by the Nile cruise, onto Red sea town of Hurghada before flying back to Cairo and onward home.
For those who have some interest in history and love the water, upto 2 weeks is ideal to spend in Egypt.
Detailed 12 day Egypt itinerary
Day 1 – Cairo
Arrival in Cairo around noon. Evening sightseeing on the banks of river Nile, Felucca ride.
Day 2 – Cairo
Giza pyramids and Great Sphinx in the morning. Saqqara and Memphis monuments in the afternoon.
Day 3 – Cairo
Egyptian museum in the morning. Sound and light show at Giza pyramids in the evening.
Day 4 – Cairo
General sightseeing in Cairo – old town, Cairo Tower, the Citadel till early afternoon. Overnight train to Aswan.
Day 5 – Nile cruise(Aswan)
Arrival in Aswan around 11AM and checking into cruise ship. Local sightseeing – Philae Temple and High Dam. I took an optional boat ride to local Nubian village.
Day 6 – Nile cruise(Kom Ombo, Edfu, Esna)
Sail to Kom Ombo(visit temple in the morning), then to Edfu(visit temple in the afternoon), reaching Esna late in the evening. Passed through Esna lock. Overnight in Esna.
Day 7 – Nile cruise(Luxor)
Sail to Luxor early in the morning. Visit Temple of Hatshepsut, Valley of the Kings, and Colossi of Memnon before lunch. Luxor and Karnak temples in the afternoon. On some cruises, Luxor temple visit is offered the next day.
Optional – sound and light show at Karnak which I skipped.
Day 8 – Hurghada
Disembark from Nile cruise.
Optional – early morning hot air balloon ride that I skipped.
Drive to Hurghada around 9.30am. Check in at Hurghada by 2pm. Evening stroll near Marina.
Day 9 – Hurghada
Full day snorkelling trip. Plus watching Dolphins.
Day 10 – Hurghada
Sindbad submarine ride, local casual sightseeing, beach in the evening.
Day 11
Local sightseeing in the morning. Afternoon flight to Cairo, late evening flight home.
Alternatives
Cairo visit can also be broken onto 2 segments-2 or 3N initially and 2 or 1N in the end.
If you are able to add on a few days, here is what you could consider.
Extra day in Aswan – visit Abu Simbel (my preferred choice)
Extra day in Luxor – Felucca ride, Mummy museum, Luxor museum, valley of Queens, Medinet Habu and so on. Must for those interested in historical monuments.
Extra day in Cairo – visit Alexandria
Reverse order
One can easily reverse the above itinerary. But this trip will cost marginally more for the additional night on cruise plus the option chosen to return to Cairo.
One week Egypt itinerary
If you have about a week, consider 3N in Cairo and 3N on Nile cruise. Book return international flight from Luxor. Or take a domestic flight to Cairo. Alternatively, travel by road or day train to Cairo, a distance of about 650 kms and a journey time of ~8hours.
If you are not very keen on visiting all the historical monuments, consider 3N in Cairo and 3N in Hurghada/Sharm el-Sheikh. But Valley of Kings would be a great miss, more than anything else.
Hurghada vs Sharm el-Sheikh
The only reason I chose Hurghada over Sharm el-Sheikh was that Hurghada is more easily accessible from Luxor after completion of the Nile cruise. I also though it best to relax in a sea resort after the heat and dust of Cairo and Luxor. But it is a matter of personal preference.
There is a ferry service from Hurghada to Sharm el-Sheikh that operates 4 times a week(as per Egyptian Tourist Authority website). The journey takes about 90 minutes. The ferry leaves Hurghada in the morning.
Related posts on Egypt
The unforgettable 4D Nile cruise
How to choose a Nile cruise