· 9 min read
10 Days in Egypt: Nile Valley and the Red Sea
A 10-day Egypt itinerary combining Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel with three days of diving or beach time at Hurghada or El Gouna — timings, transfers and costs.
Ten days is enough to see ancient Egypt and then stop looking at it. The formula that works: six days on the Nile, one long desert drive, three days on the Red Sea.
The route
- Days 1–3 — Cairo and Giza
- Days 4–5 — Luxor
- Day 6 — Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan
- Day 7 — Abu Simbel and back to Aswan
- Days 8–10 — Hurghada, El Gouna or Makadi Bay
Cairo, Luxor, Aswan
These six days follow our 7-day itinerary: pyramids and museum in Cairo, west bank at sunrise in Luxor, temples along the river, Philae at Aswan.
Day 7 — Abu Simbel
Leave Aswan early. The two temples moved stone by stone above the rising lake in the 1960s still look impossible. Most people are back in Aswan by mid-afternoon; the road is straight, fast and empty.
Days 8–10 — The Red Sea
Fly Aswan–Hurghada, or drive Luxor–Hurghada if you re-plan the order. Then choose your base:
- El Gouna — lagoons, marinas, calm water. See the airport to El Gouna guide.
- Makadi Bay or Soma Bay — resort beaches, reef straight off the shore.
- Hurghada city — cheapest, liveliest, best dive-boat choice.
Transfer prices from Hurghada airport to every resort are listed with the same figures the booking search quotes.
Journey times
- Luxor → Hurghada — 290 km · ~4 h
- Aswan → Abu Simbel — 280 km · ~3 h
- Hurghada airport → El Gouna — 35 km · ~35 min
- Hurghada airport → Makadi Bay — 35 km · ~35 min
Sequencing tip
Put the Red Sea last. Temples in 40°C after three days of snorkelling is a harder sell than the other way round. For a fuller version of this trip, see the 14-day Egypt itinerary.
