14 Days in Egypt: The Ultimate Two-Week Itinerary

Two weeks is the sweet spot: enough time to do Cairo, Alexandria, a longer Nile cruise, Abu Simbel and the Red Sea without living on airport benches. Here’s the 14 day Egypt itinerary we actually run, with honest transfer times, smart sequencing and optional swaps for Siwa or the White Desert.

Your 14 day Egypt itinerary: day by day

Day 1 – Arrive Cairo, settle, dinner with a view

Meet-and-greet airside, private transfer to your hotel. If you’re fresh, we book an easy first evening: dinner overlooking the pyramids or a short felucca spin on the Nile. Early night pays off tomorrow.

Day 2 – Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum

We start at opening (around 7am) at the Great Pyramid, then the panoramic point and the Sphinx before the touts get lively. Late morning, walk into the fully open Grand Egyptian Museum on the Giza plateau. It holds the major collection now, including the complete Tutankhamun treasures — plan 2–3 hours minimum.

Day 3 – Islamic & Coptic Cairo, plus the Egyptian Museum (Tahrir)

Walk Old Cairo’s churches, then the Citadel and Khan el-Khalili when shops are awake but not heaving. Finish at the separate Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square; it’s still operating and worth an hour for context and old favourites. Skip the camel rides today; save your energy for Luxor.

Day 4 – Alexandria day trip by road or train

About 2.5–3 hours each way. We time the Bibliotheca, Kom el-Dikka and the Catacombs with a seafront lunch. If you want deeper Roman and Mediterranean layers, see our Alexandria day plans.

Day 5 – Fly Cairo to Luxor (about 1 hour), West Bank essentials

Morning flight, then the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Optional sunrise balloon next day (from around USD 120–180 per person). Rest by the pool; you embark tomorrow.

Day 6 – Embark 4-night Nile cruise, Karnak & Luxor Temple

Board your ship by late morning. We do Karnak’s hypostyle hall before the heat builds, then Luxor Temple at golden hour. A longer 4-night sailing leaves room to breathe; our handpicked ships set the tone.

Day 7 – Esna lock, Edfu Temple

Easy breakfast while the ship clears Esna. Horse-drawn carriages to the Temple of Edfu; we brief you on reliefs so the hawk-headed Horus scenes make sense. Afternoon on deck watching river life.

Day 8 – Kom Ombo, sail into Aswan

Short stop at Kom Ombo’s crocodile shrine and its small, quirky museum. Then upriver to Aswan. The light softens, the granite islands appear. That last hour is worth lingering on the sundeck.

Day 9 – Aswan: Philae and Nubian options

Boat to the Temple of Philae, then the Unfinished Obelisk and the High Dam if you care for engineering. Afternoon options: a quiet felucca through the cataracts or a Nubian village visit by motorboat.

Day 10 – Abu Simbel round trip, then fly to the Red Sea

Earliest flight to Abu Simbel (45 minutes each way) puts you back in Aswan by early afternoon; by road it’s roughly 3.5–4 hours each way (~280 km). Evening flights usually route Aswan–Cairo–Hurghada (two one-way segments). It’s a long day, but worth it.

Day 11 – Red Sea: snorkel, dive or do nothing

Base in Hurghada for simplicity. Snorkel the Giftun reefs, try a first dive, or keep it lazy with a spa day. Good family breather here.

Day 12 – Red Sea morning, then fly Hurghada to Cairo (about 1 hour)

Late checkout, short flight to Cairo. Back to the city in time for a Nile-side dinner. If you’d rather keep moving by road on a different plan, Luxor–Hurghada is about 4 hours.

Day 13 – Saqqara and Dahshur, farewell Cairo

Head south for the Step Pyramid at Saqqara and the Red and Bent Pyramids at Dahshur. Less crowded, more atmosphere. Back to town for a last walk along the Nile.

Day 14 – Fly home

Private transfer to the airport. We pad departure transfers generously; Cairo traffic can play games.

Swap this leg: Red Sea vs Siwa vs the White Desert

Prefer dunes to reefs? Trade Days 11–12 for one of these, then return to Cairo on Day 13 as planned. Both swaps mean more road time; both repay it in spades.

Option	Travel time (from Cairo)	Nights needed	Best for	Notes
Red Sea (Hurghada)	Flight about 1 hour	2	Snorkelling, diving, easy downtime	Straightforward flights; wide hotel choice
Siwa Oasis	About 8–9 hours by road each way	2–3	Oasis culture, dunes, salt lakes	Remote; plan unhurried starts and sunsets
White Desert (Bahariya)	About 4–5 hours by road each way	1–2 (one night camping ideal)	Otherworldly chalk formations	Best October–April; crisp nights under stars

Flights, cruise length and pacing

This route uses a Cairo–Luxor flight (about 1 hour), an Abu Simbel round trip by air (two 45-minute hops) or by road, Aswan–Cairo then Cairo–Hurghada in sequence, and a Hurghada–Cairo return (about 1 hour). That’s six one-way segments if you fly Abu Simbel; four if you drive it. Luxor–Aswan is about 3.5 hours by road or train should you ever need to reposition.

We favour a 4-night Luxor–Aswan cruise for pace. Three nights feels rushed; seven nights can drag unless you’re keen to idle on deck. October–April is the best season for sightseeing; most major sites open around 7am and close mid-to-late afternoon, so we front-load the cool hours.

Want to tweak hotels, swap the Red Sea for Siwa, or add extra museum time? That’s our bread and butter: see our tailor-made planning. If you need a tighter trip, our popular 12-day route trims transfers while keeping the big hitters.

For pricing, a private two-week with premium hotels and a quality 4-night cruise typically starts from around USD 5,500–9,000 per person (season and cabin class matter). We’ll quote transparently, flights included where sensible.