Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0Travel guides for Egypt: Cairo, Luxor and Aswan
Practical guides to plan the trip: how long to stay, how to move between the two cities, when to go and what things cost.
Photo: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0PlanningLuxor or Aswan? How many nights to spend in each
Luxor has more ancient sites than most people can see in a week; Aswan has the slower river, the Nubian villages and the road to Abu Simbel. Most first trips ne…
Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0ItineraryHow to get from Luxor to Aswan: train, car, cruise or dahabiya
The train is the quickest way to cover the distance, but it passes every temple on the way. A day by car with stops at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, a cruise or a sl…
Photo: Votpuske, CC BY-SA 4.0PlanningNile cruise or hotels? How to choose for Luxor and Aswan
A cruise packs Luxor, Aswan and the temples between them into three or four nights with almost nothing to arrange. Hotels give you your own hours, your own neig…
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0ItineraryLuxor in 3 days: a day-by-day plan for both banks
Three days is enough to see Luxor's East Bank in one day and the West Bank properly in two, without spending the hottest hours in the sun. This plan follows the…
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0ItineraryAswan in 2 days: a day-by-day plan
Two days are enough for Aswan's essentials if you start early and rest at midday. This plan puts Philae and the Nubian Museum on day one and the islands and wes…
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0SightsAbu Simbel from Aswan: day trip, flight or a night in Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is about 280 km from Aswan, so the way you get there decides your day. Here we compare the pre-dawn road trip, the short flight and a night in Abu Si…
Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0PlanningBest time to visit Luxor and Aswan: month by month
November to February brings the most comfortable weather and the biggest crowds; June to August brings empty sites and highs above 40 °C. This month-by-month ta…
Photo: Heksamarre, CC BY-SA 4.0SightsHot-air balloon in Luxor: how it works, safety and prices
A sunrise balloon over the West Bank is one of the most booked experiences in Luxor, and one of the most cancelled. This guide puts together official advice, lo…
Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY-SA 1.0Practical tipsGetting to Luxor and Aswan: airports, trains and transfers
Most travellers arrive by plane into Luxor or by the overnight sleeper train from Cairo, and the last few kilometres are where plans go wrong. This guide compil…
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0Practical tipsMoney, tipping and haggling in Luxor and Aswan
In Upper Egypt you will pay by card at hotels and temples, in cash almost everywhere else, and in small notes for tips and boats. This guide compiles 2026 infor…
Photo: Ricardo Liberato, CC BY-SA 2.0SightsVisiting the Pyramids of Giza: tickets, the new entrance and how to plan your day
Since 2025 the Giza plateau has a new entrance, a visitor centre and buses that replace cars inside the site. Here are the official ticket prices, how long to a…
Photo: Amr F.Nagy, Public domainSightsThe Grand Egyptian Museum: tickets, Tutankhamun and how to plan your visit
The Grand Egyptian Museum near the pyramids is now fully open and shows the complete Tutankhamun collection for the first time. Here is how tickets and time slo…
Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0ItineraryCairo in 3 days: pyramids, Islamic Cairo and the Nile
Three days is enough to see Cairo's three great clusters, one per day, without spending the trip in traffic. This plan groups the sights by area, uses the metro…
Photo: Joonas Plaan from Tallinn, Estonia, CC BY 2.0SightsIslamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili: a walking guide
Historic Cairo packs a thousand years of mosques, gates and bazaars into a few square kilometres, and most of it can be walked. This guide covers what to see, w…
Photo: Gary Ku from New Haven, CT, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0SightsSaqqara, Dahshur and Memphis: a day trip from Cairo
South of Giza lie older, quieter pyramid fields: Saqqara with the Step Pyramid and painted tombs, Dahshur with the Bent and Red Pyramids, and the ruins of Memph…
Photo: Faris El-Gwely, CC BY-SA 3.0ItineraryCairo to Luxor and Aswan: flights, sleeper train, day trains and buses
Luxor is about 500 km south of Cairo, and you can cover it in an hour by plane, overnight by sleeper train or in a long day by rail or road. This guide compares…
Photo: Alensha, CC BY-SA 4.0Practical tipsCairo airport to your hotel: visa, SIM, cash, Uber and taxis
Cairo's airport is about 15 km from the centre and the pyramids are on the far side of the city, so the first ride is longer than many travellers expect. This g…
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0Practical tipsEgypt visa for tourists: e-visa, visa on arrival and fees in 2026
Most visitors need a visa for Egypt, and for most of them it is a quick formality: an e-visa online or a visa bought at the airport. This guide sets out the 202…
Photo: Ludovic Delot, CC BY 4.0Practical tipsCommon scams in Egypt and how to avoid them calmly
Most tourist scams in Egypt are sales tactics rather than crimes, and nearly all of them rely on a price that was not agreed in advance. This guide explains the…
Photo: Dina Said, CC BY-SA 4.0Practical tipsWhat to eat in Egypt: dishes, drinks and street food
Egyptian food is cheap, filling and mostly built on beans, lentils, rice and bread, which makes it easy for vegetarians too. This guide explains the dishes and …