10 Days in Egypt: The Ultimate Itinerary (2026)

Ten days is the most rewarding length for Egypt: you keep the classic Cairo, Luxor, Aswan spine, add the awe of Abu Simbel, and still have a few days to decompress on the Red Sea. Here's the route, day by day, and you can trace the whole arc on the interactive map. ## At a glance Cairo & Giza (3 nights) → Luxor → Nile cruise to Aswan (3 to 4 nights) → Abu Simbel → fly to a Red Sea resort (2 to 3 nights) → home. ## Days 1 to 3 Cairo & Giza Ease in with a Nile felucca on arrival; spend the headline day at the Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum; and give a third day to Islamic Cairo, the Khan el-Khalili, the Citadel and Coptic Cairo. (See the Cairo guide.) ## Day 4 Fly to Luxor & board Short flight to Luxor, the East Bank (Karnak; Luxor Temple after dark), then aboard your Nile cruise. ## Day 5 Luxor West Bank A pre-dawn balloon, then the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon; sail south. ## Days 6 to 7 Edfu, Kom Ombo & Aswan The temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo by day, deck time by afternoon, arriving in Aswan for Philae, a felucca, and a Nubian village. ## Day 8 Abu Simbel The journey south that everyone remembers: Ramesses II's colossal temples above Lake Nasser, engineered so dawn light reaches the inner sanctuary twice a year. Go by short flight or convoy from Aswan, then return. ## Days 9 to 10 The Red Sea Fly to Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh and trade antiquity for turquoise: world-class snorkelling and diving (Giftun, Ras Mohammed), or simply a beach and a pool to let it all settle before the flight home. ## Tailor it Prefer more culture over beach? Swap the Red Sea for Alexandria and a slower Cairo. Short on time? Our 7 days in Egypt itinerary trims this to the essentials. For seasonal timing, see the best time to visit Egypt, and for choosing your boat, the Nile cruise guide.