Egypt for 7 Days - Help! Cairo , Luxor and Diving!

Hi,

LP was great at helping me plan my trip to Mauritius so I thought it would be good to get advice on my trip to Egypt in January.

To give some context, I'll be travelling with my boyfriend, we're both 22, he's very very relaxed but I'm quite OCD about holidays and tend to go overboard while trying to pack everything in. We both live in different countries, so would like to spend some time relaxing together along with seeing what Egypt has to offer. I also scuba dive, but he doesnt, hence would like to spend some time on a beach where I can dive once but we can generally relax as well.

Our budget is mid-range - I'd like to not go too crazy, maybe 5000-7500E?

We will be arriving at Cairo on Jan 19th - Saturday evening, and departing from Cairo on Jan 26th - Saturday afternoon. That's 7 night and 7 days.

I have been doing a bit of research and am thinking along the following lines.

Day 0. (19th)- Arrive and Relax in the evening - Any restaurant recommendations and night activites would be welcome - whirling dervishes/Riverboat restaurant?

Day 1. (20th) Pyramids - Casual_Cairo's website had an interesting full day tour starting at Sakkara?

Day 2. (21st) Archaeological museum (with a tour guide). - leave the rest of the day free

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Day 3: (22nd) Karnak in the morning, and Luxor Temple, with a Fellucia ride in the evening

Day 4: (23rd) West Bank - Hot Air Balloon, Valley of the Kings, etc (I'll start posting more details on this once i have it sorted out - might need some help!!)

Now this is where im STUCK I would like to spend Day 5 and 6 at a beach, which is not too far away from Cairo, good for diving but with a decent beach and good restaurants. I was thinking of Marsa Alam or Hurghada maybe? Any suggestions would be welcome. I usually shy away from toursity spots, but wont mind spending some time in a resort even.

Day 6 night or Day 7 morning: Travel back to Cairo - spend the day relaxing and visit Khan

Flight back!

Comments would be welcome. I would like to start booking hotels soon, and hence need to finish a skeletal itenrary asap!!

Thanks a ton
RP

That's quite a lot to pack into a week! The travelling around might scupper you a little! Two days Cairo and two days Luxor is probably fine, just getting to the beach after that and having some time to relax might be a little challenging. We did two weeks with time in Cairo, Luxor and Dahab. Hurghhada obviously a bit closer that Sinai peninsula though (cant help you with beach advice though)

Are you flying between Cairo and Luxor? If you're getting the train, I'd maybe suggest getting it overnight on day one after the pyramids, as its a little way to go. Then you can do Karnak and Luxor on Day 2. Museum In Cairo interesting, but not a must see. (You may not get a fellucca ride depending on the wind - I got quite disappointed by this, so thought I'd warn you!)

We caught the overnight train from Cairo to Aswan - and it was delayed so we didn't arrive until midday. Fortunately we'd allowed for this possibility and it didn't ruin our plans but others on the train were a bit upset. Despite what they might tell you, the hot air balloons probalby won't go over the Valley of the Kings. You are more likely to go over the Nile, the town and some fields. Very nice, but not the Valley.

Hi,

it's been a few years, and I really hope it hasn't changed too much, but Dahab was a brilliant place to dive and chill out. It was less developed that most of the other options, has spectacular scenery and some amazing shore dives. You don't have to spend a long time on a boat so it is great if you are leaving someone behind while you dive. It is not the easiest place to fit into your plans, but it is worth consideration.

Enjoy

In one week my wife and I traveled to Hurghada and a couple of days in Luxor and it was not enough time. Staying the whole time at beach area is a waste too, so we were glad to see both places..First time I went to Egypt was 81.. when I went back in 2002, Luxor had changed a lot but when I went back in 2004, it had changed more..tearing down old Market and transport was disorder

Okay well my girlfriend and I have spent a lot of time in Egypt and I think you will be able to do what you are planning. The first tip i could give you would be DONT PLAN SO MUCH. One of the best parts about egypt is the experiences you can have with the local people if you give them time to treat you. Have some room for spontaneity. Your budget is very high so it will put you in the top budget range. We lived on approximately $50 / day and we were quite comortable. I guess if you're going to do hot air balloons then you will need the extra cash. If your planning on seeing beaches then you should head east towards the Sinai. The beaches north of Cairo can be quite chilly in January. The diving in Dahab is unmatched anywhere else! The blue hole and Thistlegorm are ESSENTIAL DIVES for anyone coming here. A diver who visits Egypt and misses the Red Sea is like a historian missing the pyramids. Head EAST and dive the Red Sea!
For more on diving in Egypt see this article about Diving In Dahab
For everything you need to know about Egypt including costs, accommodation, weather and off the beaten path secrets see this Budget Backpacking Guide To Egypt
For a secret path in Luxor that will give you better views than the hot air balloon see our Luxor Blog
For Safety while travelling in Egypt see our article: Is Egypt Safe To Travel?
For info on the western desert, the northern shores, sailing the Nile and more check out our Egypt Blogs

Hope this Helps! Enjoy your travels in Egypt, it's one of the most amazing places on the planet!
Goats On The Road

Hi Everyone! Thanks a lot for your help.

This my (almost) final itenerary. I might be spending a bit more time than i would like in Cairo and Luxor, but i think it will be more comfortable for the flight timings etc.

• Day 0. (19th)- Arrive and Relax in the evening - whirling dervishes and boat restaurant

Day 0 Night in Cairo

•Day 1. (20th) Pyramids - Casual_Cairo's pyramids tour
Day 1 Night: Cairo
•Day 2. (21st) Egypt Museum
<<Fly to Luxor at 4:30, arrive at 5:30pm>>

Day 2 Continued in Luxor. Fellucia ride and Karnak temple at night

Day 2 Night: Luxor

•Day 3. (22nd) West Bank + Hot air balloon

Day 3 Night: Luxor

•Day 4 (23rd). Luxor temple / Karnak again if wanted/ Hot air balloon if not possible before

<<bus/taxi to Hurghada at noon>>

Day 4 continued in Hurghada. Relax.

Day 4 Night: Hurghada

•Day 5 (24th). Hurghada, Dive and sleep and relax
Day 5 Night: Hurghada

•Day 6(25th). Hurghada, Snorkel and sleep and relax

<<Fly back to Cairo at 6:30 in the evening>>

Day 6 Night: Cairo

•Day 7(26th). Cairo. Relax. Flight back in the afternoon.

I have booked the inter city flights, and will now be looking at hotels in all the places, as well as a better itenerary for my time in Luxor.

Any suggestions would be welcome!

Cheers