· 9 min read
7 Days in Egypt: Cairo, Luxor and Aswan
A one-week Egypt itinerary that covers the pyramids, the Valley of the Kings and Aswan — with flight-vs-drive advice, real journey times and fixed transfer prices.
A week is the classic Egypt trip: two ancient capitals and the river between them. The only real decision is whether you cruise, drive or fly the Luxor–Aswan stretch.
The route
- Days 1–3 — Cairo and Giza
- Days 4–5 — Luxor, east and west banks
- Day 6 — Edfu and Kom Ombo, on to Aswan
- Day 7 — Aswan, Philae, fly home
Days 1–3 — Cairo
Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo, Coptic Cairo — the day-by-day version is in our 3 days in Cairo guide. Airport arrivals and fixed prices are on the Cairo airport page.
Days 4–5 — Luxor
Fly down in the morning. The west bank — Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, the Colossi — is a sunrise job; by 11:00 the tombs are hot and full. Keep Karnak and Luxor temple for the late afternoon, when the light does the work. A balloon flight at dawn on the second day is the one extra worth its price.
Transfers from Luxor airport are 20 minutes to either bank.
Day 6 — Up the river
Edfu's temple of Horus is the best preserved in Egypt; Kom Ombo sits right on the Nile bank and takes an hour. Cruise boats do both, but a private car does them without the queue, then continues to Aswan — see the Luxor to Aswan transfer guide.
Day 7 — Aswan
Philae temple on its island, the granite quarries with the unfinished obelisk, and an hour on a felucca around Elephantine. If you want Abu Simbel, it is a 3-hour drive each way — add a day rather than squeezing it in.
Journey times
- Cairo → Luxor — 1 h by air, ~9 h by road
- Luxor → Edfu — 110 km · ~1 h 45
- Edfu → Aswan — 105 km · ~1 h 45
- Aswan → Abu Simbel — 280 km · ~3 h
Practical notes
Carry small notes for tips and tomb photography fees. Temples close earlier than you expect in winter. Prices for every Egyptian transfer route are on the Egypt transfers page; for a longer trip, see the 10-day itinerary.
