Ancient Egypt still stirs the imagination: desert winds over limestone colossi, hieroglyphs carved in sunlit courts, feluccas slipping across the Nile. Over 10 days, you’ll trace that story from Cairo’s Giza Plateau to Nubian Aswan, sail north on a classic Nile cruise, and stand among Luxor’s monumental temples and royal tombs.

Expect contrasts—bustling markets and serene river evenings, street-food koshary and white-linen dinners, timeless pyramids and the cutting-edge Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) previews. You’ll see icons such as Abu Simbel, Karnak, and the Sphinx, with time for neighborhood cafés and golden-hour viewpoints locals love.

Practical notes: Egypt is warm year-round; plan early starts and a hat, sunscreen, and water. Modest dress is appreciated at religious sites. ATMs are common in cities; small bills help with tipping (baksheesh). Check current advisories and consider booking key legs in advance, especially domestic flights and balloon rides.

Cairo

Egypt’s capital is a living palimpsest: pharaonic antiquities, Coptic churches, Mamluk mosques, belle-époque boulevards, and modern café culture. It’s your gateway to the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx, the storied Khan el-Khalili bazaar, and museums brimming with royal treasures.

Top sights include the Giza Plateau, GEM preview galleries (and/or the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir), the medieval mosques of Al-Azhar and Sultan Hassan, and the Coptic quarter’s Hanging Church. Between sites, try Cairo’s beloved staples—koshary, ta’ameya (Egyptian falafel), and molokhia—at places locals actually frequent.

• Stay: Search stays on VRBO Cairo or compare hotels on Hotels.com Cairo. Good bases: Zamalek (leafy, central), Downtown (classic architecture, walkable), or Giza (pyramid views).
• Arriving flights: Book international flights to Cairo (CAI) via Trip.com or Kiwi.com.

Day 1: Arrive in Cairo

Afternoon: Land in Cairo, check in, and refresh. If you’re in Zamalek, stretch your legs along the Nile Corniche and get a first glimpse of river life—sailboats, sunset glow, and the hum of the city.

Evening: Dinner at Abou El Sid (slow-cooked tagines, mahshi, and mezze in a mood-lit dining room) or grab a quick, classic bowl at Koshary El Tahrir—lentils, pasta, chickpeas, and tangy sauce that fuels the whole city. Nightcap with skyline views at Crimson in Zamalek or live music at Cairo Jazz Club.

Day 2: Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, and Grand Egyptian Museum (Full-Day Private Tour)

Spend the day with an expert guide on this private tour that pairs the Pyramids of Giza and Great Sphinx with the much-anticipated Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) preview areas when open, or the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir as an alternative. Expect context, great photo angles, and time to marvel at one of the world’s most enduring wonders.

Grand Egyptian Museum Giza Pyramids and Sphinx in Private Tour

Pre-tour coffee at 30 North in Sheikh Zayed or Zamalek. For lunch with a view, book 9 Pyramids Lounge on the plateau. Back in town, try Zooba (bright, modern takes on Egyptian street food) for dinner.

Day 3: Saqqara, Memphis, and Dahshur (Day Tour)

Go deeper into pyramid evolution at Saqqara’s Step Pyramid of Djoser, Memphis’ colossal Ramses II, and Dahshur’s Bent and Red Pyramids—often quieter than Giza and wildly atmospheric in late light. This private full-day tour delivers the big picture of Old Kingdom innovation.

Private Day Tour Saqqara Pyramids, Memphis and Dahshur Pyramids

Fuel up with a quick ta’ameya sandwich and end your day back in Cairo with kushari or grilled kofta at Felfela downtown.

Day 4: Old Cairo, Islamic Cairo, and Khan el-Khalili

Morning: Explore Coptic Cairo’s Hanging Church and Saints Sergius and Bacchus (traditions link it to the Holy Family). Continue to the Museum of Egyptian Civilization for the Royal Mummies Hall if you’re keen on chronology and royal faces to match names.

Afternoon: Enter Islamic Cairo: Al-Azhar Mosque and the soaring Sultan Hassan/Al-Rifa’i complex speak to the city’s Mamluk zenith. Wander Khan el-Khalili bazaar—brass lamps, spices, inlaid wood—and pause at historic El-Fishawy café, pouring mint tea since the 18th century.

Evening: Dinner in the heart of the souk at Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant (classic dishes in a refined space). If you still have energy, cross back to Zamalek for a late dessert at Mandarine Koueider.

Aswan

Aswan is the Nile at its most serene: palm-fringed islands, pink-granite outcrops, and sail silhouettes at sunset. The Temple of Philae—saved from rising waters—glows with reliefs of Isis, while nearby villages preserve vibrant Nubian traditions.

Highlights include the boat ride to Philae, a stroll through the Nubian Museum, tea along the corniche, and a sunset from the Old Cataract terrace. Aswan is also the springboard for Abu Simbel and the ideal embarkation point for a classic Nile cruise north to Luxor.

• Stay (if not boarding immediately): Find riverside apartments on VRBO Aswan or browse hotels on Hotels.com Aswan.
• Getting here (Day 5): Morning flight Cairo → Aswan (~1.5 hours, ~$60–140) via Trip.com or Kiwi.com.

Day 5: Fly to Aswan and Board Your Nile Cruise

Morning: Fly to Aswan. If time allows pre-embarkation, sip Nubian coffee at Kato Dool and try their stewed okra or bishari bread with honey.

Afternoon: Board your 4-day/3-night cruise from Aswan to Luxor. Most itineraries include a guided visit to Philae Temple and the High Dam today or tomorrow.

Evening: Settle into your cabin, watch feluccas slide by, and enjoy your first dinner onboard (cruise meals are typically included).

4-Day 3-Night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor & Abu Simbel + Balloon

Typical cost guide for a standard cruise: ~$350–700 per person, depending on ship class, season, and inclusions.

Day 6: Abu Simbel and Sail to Kom Ombo

Early Morning: Optional excursion to Abu Simbel (often included or add-on; early start worth it to see Ramses II’s colossi in soft light). Return late morning.

Afternoon: Sail north; stop at Kom Ombo Temple, uniquely dedicated to two gods (Sobek and Horus). The on-site Crocodile Museum is a quirky, fascinating quick visit.

Evening: Back onboard for dinner and a low-key galabeya night (Egyptian dress evening) if your ship hosts one.

Day 7: Edfu Temple and River Life

Morning: Visit Edfu Temple, one of the best-preserved in Egypt, with towering pylons and vivid reliefs. Your guide will decode rituals and cosmology etched in stone.

Afternoon: Cruise the loveliest stretch of the Nile—fields, palm groves, and desert horizon. Read on deck, photograph village scenes, or nap to the lap of the river.

Evening: Arrive in Luxor or moor nearby; dinner onboard.

Day 8: Luxor West Bank and East Bank

Morning: Cross to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings (choose tombs with your guide; consider the extra-ticket tomb of Seti I or Ramesses VI), and the elegant terraced Temple of Hatshepsut. Pause at the Colossi of Memnon.

Afternoon: East Bank highlights: the immense hypostyle hall at Karnak and the refined Luxor Temple, magical near dusk.

Evening: Disembark or spend one final night onboard in Luxor depending on your sailing schedule.

Luxor

Luxor is Egypt’s open-air museum: a compact city layered with colossal temples and cliffside necropolises where color still clings to 3,000-year-old paint. It’s also unhurried—donkey carts, jasmine-scented lanes, and Nile sunsets that stop time.

Don’t miss Karnak’s forest of columns, Luxor Temple lit at night, and the Valley of the Kings. Add lesser-visited gems like the Valley of the Nobles or Medinet Habu for vivid daily-life scenes from antiquity.

• Stay: Browse historic stays and flats on VRBO Luxor or find hotels on Hotels.com Luxor. East Bank is convenient for sights; West Bank guesthouses offer village calm and valley proximity.

Day 9: Extra Time in Luxor (Balloon Option, Museums, and Local Eats)

Sunrise (Optional): If your cruise didn’t include it or weather canceled, consider a bucket-list balloon flight over the West Bank. It’s a breathtaking way to see fields give way to tomb-studded cliffs.

Luxury Sunrise Balloon Ride in Luxor with Hotel Pickup

Morning: Visit the Luxor Museum—small, beautifully curated—and the nearby Mummification Museum if you’re curious about rituals and tools.

Afternoon: Lunch at Sofra (home-style duck, molokhia, and mezze in a period townhouse). Rest during the heat, then stroll Luxor Temple again for day-to-dusk photos.

Evening: Dine on the rooftop at Al-Sahaby Lane (tajin and grilled meats with temple views) or dress up for a date-night splurge at 1886 Restaurant in the Winter Palace (jacket recommended).

Day 10: Fly Luxor → Cairo and Depart

Morning: Fly Luxor → Cairo (~1 hour 10 minutes, ~$50–120) via Trip.com or Kiwi.com. If you have a layover, consider an early brunch in Heliopolis (think fresh juices and foul/falafel plates).

Afternoon: Connect to your international flight. Keep some small bills for tips and airport porters, and allow extra time for security checks.

Optional Add-Ons and Local Gems

• Food & coffee favorites in Cairo: Zooba (modern Egyptian), Abou El Sid (classic), Koshary El Tahrir (fast, iconic), El-Fishawy (mint tea), 30 North (specialty coffee).
• In Aswan: Kato Dool Nubian House (stews, breads), Al Dokka (island restaurant reached by boat), evening tea on the corniche.
• In Luxor: Sofra (home-style), Al-Sahaby Lane (rooftop), fresh sugarcane juice stands along the Corniche.

Alternative Day in Cairo (If you have extra energy)

If you’d like a lighter Cairo day, swap Day 4 for a felucca sail at sunset, a photography walk in Garden City’s art deco lanes, and dinner at a Nile-side grillhouse. It’s a gentler rhythm before your early flight to Aswan.

Summary

This 10-day Egypt itinerary threads together the country’s headline monuments with river calm, neighborhood cafés, and thoughtful pacing. From the Pyramids and GEM to Abu Simbel and Luxor’s temples, you’ll cover the greatest hits—and add moments that feel your own.

With smart early starts, well-timed flights, and a classic Aswan-to-Luxor cruise, it’s a journey of wonder and ease, tailored for modern travelers who want both depth and delight.