10 Days in Egypt: The Complete Itinerary
Ten days is the sweet spot for a first Egypt trip: 3 days in Cairo (Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili), 4 days covering Luxor and Aswan (either by flight-and-train or a Nile cruise between them), and 3 days on the Red Sea coast to decompress. It's tight but not rushed, and it's the exact structure most repeat visitors wish they'd done on their first trip instead of cramming everything into a week.
Ten days is genuinely the number that makes an Egypt trip feel complete rather than a highlight-reel sprint. Here's a real, day-by-day structure — not a vague 'spend some time in each place' outline — built from how most successful first-time trips actually get sequenced.
The 10-day structure at a glance
| Days | Where | What you're doing |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Cairo | Giza Plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili and Islamic Cairo, a Saqqara half-day |
| 4 | Fly to Luxor | Travel day; afternoon at Luxor Temple lit up after dark |
| 5–6 | Luxor | West bank (Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's Temple), east bank (Karnak Temple), optional sunrise hot air balloon |
| 7 | Luxor to Aswan | Either a 3-hour train, or day 1 of a Nile cruise if you've booked one instead |
| 8 | Aswan | Philae Temple, a felucca sail past the Nubian villages |
| 9 | Abu Simbel day trip, then fly to Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh | A long, worthwhile day, followed by a short flight to the coast |
| 10 | Red Sea coast | A full day of diving, snorkeling, or simply doing nothing before flying home |
If a Nile cruise appeals over the flight-and-train version of days 7–8, book a 3-night cruise between Luxor and Aswan instead — it covers the same ground (plus Edfu and Kom Ombo temples along the river) without the logistics of separate trains, hotels, and transfers, and works cleanly inside this same 10-day frame.
Cairo (days 1–3)
Land, settle in, and give the Giza Plateau a full morning at opening (8am) on day 2 — pair it with Saqqara in the afternoon while a car is already arranged. Day 3 covers the Grand Egyptian Museum (book timed tickets online in advance; there's no walk-up option) in the morning and Khan el-Khalili bazaar plus Islamic Cairo's mosques in the evening, when the light and the crowds are both better.
Luxor (days 4–6)
The 1-hour EgyptAir flight from Cairo (roughly $60–120) is the practical choice for a 10-day trip; the overnight sleeper train is the more atmospheric option if you'd rather not fly and don't mind losing a travel day to it. Once there: west bank in the cooler morning hours (the Valley of the Kings gets brutal by midday), east bank's Karnak and Luxor Temples on a separate day, and — if your budget and nerve allow — a sunrise hot air balloon ($75–120) as the trip's signature splurge.
Aswan and Abu Simbel (days 7–9)
Aswan is Egypt's most relaxed major stop — smaller, greener, and slower than Luxor. Philae Temple and a felucca sunset sail past the Nubian villages fill a comfortable day and a half; the long day trip to Abu Simbel (about 3 hours each way by road, or a short flight) is genuinely worth the effort and typically gets slotted right before flying onward to the coast.
Red Sea finish (day 10)
One full day at Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh — a boat dive or snorkel trip in the morning, a resort pool or beach in the afternoon — is enough to feel like a genuine decompression after seven demanding days of temples, heat, and early starts, even if it's shorter than the 3–4 days we'd recommend with more time to spare.
What this trip costs
| Item (per person, mid-range style) | Approx. cost |
|---|---|
| Round-trip international flight | $450–1,100 |
| 3 domestic flights (Cairo-Luxor, Luxor/Aswan-coast, or train equivalents) | $150–350 |
| Hotels, mid-range, 9 nights | $450–800 |
| Food, mid-range | $250–350 |
| Entry tickets, guides, and transfers | $250–400 |
| Total (excluding international flight) | ~$1,100–1,800 |
How to adapt this if you have less time
- 7 days: cut Aswan/Abu Simbel and the Red Sea finish; do Cairo (3) and Luxor (3–4) only.
- 14 days: add 2 more Red Sea days, or slot in Alexandria or Siwa Oasis as a genuinely different side trip from Cairo.
- Traveling with kids: consider skipping the Abu Simbel long day (a lot of driving for young children) and adding an extra Red Sea day instead.