Cairo, the pyramids and the Nile
Giza and Saqqara, then up the river to Luxor: Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Nile cruise.
Egypt is travelled north to south, in the chronological order of its monuments: the Old Kingdom at Giza and Saqqara, the New Kingdom at Thebes, around Luxor.
Between the two, the domestic flight takes a little over an hour; the night train, around ten. The Nile cruise starts at Luxor and calls at Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan without ever retracing the same stretch.
The season matters more here than elsewhere: from October to April visiting stays comfortable; in summer Upper Egypt regularly passes 40 °C and the sites can only be seen at first light.
The stops
Length and budget
Length and budget are settled together: this route works over a few days as well as spread across two weeks.
Along the way, in Egypt
Frequently asked questions
Is a Nile cruise worth it?
It is the simplest way to take in Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan in sequence: sailing by day, visits in the morning, and no stretch of road done twice.
Can you go inside the pyramids?
Yes, with a separate ticket and a limited number of places. The passages are low, narrow and unventilated, which makes them a bad idea if you are claustrophobic.