By admin on 06 Aug 2026

Two weeks is the length that finally lets Egypt make sense. You get the Pyramids without rushing, four nights on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan, real beach time on the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean edge of Alexandria without the exhausted feeling of a checklist trip.

This 14-day itinerary is built the way we plan trips for guests every week: day by day, with real driving times, real distances, and honest notes on what to skip if you have kids or hate early mornings. The Grand Egyptian Museum opened in November 2025 and is now the anchor of any Cairo visit, so we start there. If you would rather have this itinerary built completely around your dates and budget, we can do that too.

Days 1-4: Cairo and the Giza Plateau

Day 1 – Arrival and rest

You land at Cairo International Airport. Your driver meets you at the arrivals gate and takes you to your hotel in Giza or downtown Cairo. Total transfer time is 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. Rest, eat, and reset your body clock. Egypt is 7 hours ahead of New York and 2 hours ahead of London.

Day 2 – Giza Pyramids and Sphinx

Start at 8 AM to beat the coach groups. The Great Pyramid of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure sit close together on the plateau. You can enter the Great Pyramid for a separate ticket if you are not claustrophobic. The Sphinx is a 10-minute walk from the pyramids. Plan four hours here, including camel photos and the panoramic viewpoint. Many travelers upgrade to our Grand Pyramid VIP tour to skip queues and get deeper site access.

Lunch is usually at a nearby restaurant with a pyramid view. Afternoon is Saqqara – the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest pyramid in the world, plus tombs with colored reliefs that survived 4,500 years.

Day 3 – The Grand Egyptian Museum

The GEM opened in November 2025 and holds over 100,000 artifacts including the complete 5,398-piece Tutankhamun treasure shown together for the first time in history. Foreign adult tickets are around EGP 1,450 (roughly $28-30 USD as of March 2026). Kids under 6 enter free. Tickets must be booked online in advance through visit-gem.com since the on-site ticket office closed in December 2025.

Plan a full four hours. The Grand Staircase, Tutankhamun galleries, and the panoramic pyramid views are the highlights. Wednesdays and Saturdays have extended evening hours until 9 PM – a beautiful time to visit.

Day 4 – Coptic and Islamic Cairo

Old Cairo in the morning: the Hanging Church, the Ben Ezra Synagogue, and the crypt where the Holy Family is said to have rested. In the afternoon, Khan el-Khalili bazaar for silver, spices, and mint tea at El Fishawy – the 250-year-old café tucked in the alleyways.

Days 5-9: The Nile Cruise (Luxor to Aswan)

You fly from Cairo to Luxor early morning – flight time is 70 minutes. Board your Nile cruise ship in Luxor by lunchtime. Four nights of sailing gets you to Aswan with proper stops at every major temple in between. Compare all Nile cruise ships on the Luxor to Aswan route here.

Day 5 – Luxor East Bank

Board your ship. Afternoon visits to Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever built, and Luxor Temple in the golden hour just before sunset. Sail overnight to Edfu.

Day 6 – Edfu and Kom Ombo

Morning at the Temple of Horus at Edfu – the best-preserved temple in Egypt. Sail to Kom Ombo in the afternoon and visit the dual temple of Sobek and Horus at sunset. Sail overnight to Aswan.

Day 7 – Aswan

The High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, and Philae Temple by motor launch across the reservoir. Afternoon felucca sailing around Elephantine Island. Optional evening Nubian village visit.

Day 8 – Abu Simbel

Very early start (before dawn) for the flight or road transfer to Abu Simbel. Ramesses II carved this temple into a mountain 3,300 years ago and it was moved block by block in the 1960s to save it from Lake Nasser. Return to your ship by afternoon.

Day 9 – Disembark and fly to Hurghada

Disembark in Aswan. Short flight to Hurghada (one hour via Cairo connection) puts you on the Red Sea by evening.

Days 10-12: Hurghada and the Red Sea

Day 10 – Beach and rest

Three days in Hurghada is the sweet spot after nine days of temples and tombs. Most guests use day 10 purely for the pool, spa, and doing nothing. If your trip actually starts in Hurghada, we have Nile cruise packages that begin from Hurghada with private transfers included.

Day 11 – Snorkeling or diving trip

Boat trip to Giftun Island – clear water, coral reefs, and shipwreck sites. The Red Sea has some of the best snorkeling in the world. Certified divers can add Abu Nuhas or the SS Thistlegorm.

Day 12 – Free day

Choose your own adventure: kite surfing in El Gouna, quad biking in the desert, submarine trip, or another beach day. If you have time and interest, our Cairo day tour from Hurghada is available even from here for anyone who wants a second look at the Pyramids.

Days 13-14: Alexandria and Departure

Day 13 – Alexandria day trip or overnight

Fly from Hurghada to Cairo, then drive or take the fast train to Alexandria (2.5 hours). Highlights: the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Roman amphitheatre, Pompey’s Pillar, Fort Qaitbay on the site of the ancient lighthouse, and lunch on the Corniche with the Mediterranean in front of you. Our Alexandria full day tour covers all four sites with a private guide.

You can do Alexandria as a long day trip and sleep in Cairo, or overnight there. Overnight is better if you want a slower morning at the library and a proper seafood dinner at Fish Market or Kadoura.

Day 14 – Departure

Transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight home. Most international flights depart late evening, so you have a full morning for last-minute shopping in Khan el-Khalili or a slow coffee at your hotel.

What This 14-Day Trip Costs

Real numbers for 2026 based on our current bookings, per person, twin share, excluding international flights:

• Standard 4-star: $2,200 to $2,800
• Deluxe 5-star: $3,000 to $3,800
• Luxury (Oberoi cruise ships, boutique Cairo hotels): $4,500 to $6,500

Prices include your 4-night Nile cruise on your chosen ship, 4-star or better hotels in Cairo, Hurghada and Alexandria, all internal flights (Cairo-Luxor and Aswan-Hurghada), an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, private air-conditioned transport, entrance fees to every site listed, and daily breakfast plus full board on the cruise. Watch our current package deals for discounted departures.

Best Time to Do This 14-Day Trip

October to April is the sweet spot. Daytime temperatures in Cairo and Luxor sit between 20°C and 28°C (68°F to 82°F). The Red Sea stays warm enough for swimming year-round. Our month-by-month best time to visit Egypt guide breaks down every month by weather, crowds, and price.

May to September is manageable but Upper Egypt (Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel) can hit 42°C (108°F). If you must travel in summer, weight the itinerary toward Cairo, Alexandria and the Red Sea, and do temple visits before 10 AM.

Practical Things to Sort Before You Fly

• Egypt e-Visa: apply online at visa2egypt.gov.eg. Costs $25 USD, takes 3-7 days to process. Available for most nationalities.
• Passport: must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.
• Cash: bring $500-$800 USD in clean bills for tips, small purchases, and emergency change. ATMs are widely available in Cairo, Luxor and Hurghada.
• Travel insurance: essential. Egypt has excellent private hospitals in Cairo and Hurghada but you want cover for the boat and for the Sinai/Red Sea diving if you plan to go under.
• Clothing: modest cover for temples (shoulders and knees), swimwear for Hurghada, one dressy outfit for the captain’s dinner on the cruise, comfortable walking shoes. Our Nile cruise packing list covers everything in detail.

Frequently Asked Questions 14-Day Egypt Itinerary