# Cairo and Luxor in 7 days A week in two halves, for a first trip to Egypt: three nights facing the Giza pyramids, with the Grand Egyptian Museum and a day at Saqqara or in Historic Cairo, then three nights by the Nile in Luxor, near Karnak, with the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and a hot-air balloon flight at dawn. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/ideas/egypt-cairo-luxor-7-days/ ## Two halves, one hour's flight This trip splits the week in two. Three nights in Giza, where the Egypt of the pyramids begins; three nights in Luxor, ancient Thebes, capital of the New Kingdom more than a thousand years later. In between, a domestic flight of about an hour. The idea is to sleep each time as close as possible to what you have come to see. The Marriott Mena House is 760 m from the Pyramid of Khufu and 2.1 km from the Grand Egyptian Museum; the Hilton Luxor is north of Luxor, five minutes by car from Karnak. The big visits start almost at the hotel door, and the hottest hours are spent by the pool. Opening hours for the sites and hotels mentioned here are in local time: 2 hours ahead of London. ## Giza: days 1 to 3 **Day 1, arrival.** Two airports serve Cairo. The international airport is 30.6 km from the hotel, a drive that lengthens at rush hour. Sphinx airport, west of Giza, receives direct flights from easyJet, Wizz Air and Edelweiss, on the right side of the city. On the first evening, the terrace of 139 Pavilion, open day and night, faces the plateau: you see the pyramids without going out again. **Day 2, the pyramids and the Grand Museum.** The tour listed in this idea combines the Giza plateau, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, with lunch. The plateau opens at 07:00; in the morning it is cooler and there are fewer groups. Going inside the pyramids costs extra, on top of the plateau ticket. The Grand Museum, inaugurated on 1 November 2025, shows Tutankhamun's treasure in full for the first time, more than 5,000 objects, as well as the Khufu boats museum. Tickets are booked on visit-gem.com for a date and a time slot; they are personal and non-refundable. Allow up to four hours. On Wednesdays and Saturdays the galleries stay open until 21:00: a chance to come back one evening if the museum has won you over. **Day 3, your choice.** Two very different days are on offer. - **Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur**, with a driver. Saqqara, about 40 km south-west of Cairo, holds Djoser's Step Pyramid, the oldest; Dahshur shows Sneferu's two pyramids, the Bent and the Red. You then understand how the shape you saw the day before came about. From Giza, it is the most logical outing, on the same bank. - **Historic Cairo**, the city founded in 969, with al-Muizz Street, the Khan al-Khalili bazaar and the Citadel. From Giza you have to cross the whole city: leave early, or keep this district for another trip, with a night by the Nile. In the evening, the pyramids' sound and light show is among the outings the hotel recommends. ## Luxor: days 4 to 7 **Day 4, the flight and Luxor Temple.** A morning flight leaves the afternoon at the Hilton, beside one of its two infinity pools facing the Nile and the West Bank. Late in the day, Luxor Temple, 4.4 km from the hotel: it closes at 20:00 and is lit up at dusk. The Avenue of Sphinxes, about 2,700 m long, runs from there to Karnak. **Day 5, the balloon, then Karnak.** The balloon flight listed in this idea takes off at sunrise, over the West Bank. Book it for your first morning in Luxor: if the wind cancels it, day 6 is the fallback. Afterwards, Karnak, five minutes from the hotel. Allow half a day; the hypostyle hall has 134 columns, the twelve central ones about 21 m high. **Day 6, the West Bank.** The tour listed in this idea goes to the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut. The Valley opens at 06:00; the general ticket covers several tombs, and Tutankhamun's requires a supplement of 700 Egyptian pounds (EGP). The ticket office posts the tombs open each morning. In the afternoon, a felucca, the traditional Nile sailing boat, to watch the sun set over the Theban mountain. **Day 7, departure.** Luxor airport is about a quarter of an hour from the Hilton. Luxor is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop; without a direct flight on the travel dates, the flight home goes via Cairo. ## What the entry tickets cost The indicative price covers the hotels and the three listed tours; which tickets each tour includes is checked at booking. At the official rates listed on egymonuments.com, the platform of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, a foreign adult pays in October 2026: | Site | Price | |---|---| | Giza plateau | EGP 700 | | Grand Egyptian Museum | EGP 1,450 | | Valley of the Kings | EGP 750 | | Temple of Hatshepsut | EGP 440 | | Karnak Temple | EGP 600 | | Luxor Temple | EGP 500 | That is EGP 4,440 per adult for the six sites of the trip, without the Tutankhamun supplement or Saqqara. Entry is free for children under 6. Tickets are dated and non-refundable. ## Season and who it suits October to April. In Cairo, from November to March, the average maximum temperature is 19 to 25 °C. In Luxor it is 22.8 °C in January, but mornings drop to 7.1 °C on average: bring a jacket for the balloon and the 06:00 starts. In April and October, Luxor exceeds 35 °C in the afternoon, and sightseeing happens early in the morning. The trip suits a couple or a family discovering Egypt. Both hotels welcome children of all ages; the Hilton offers children's meals and a paid babysitting service. Every day keeps some pool time. ## Variations - **The cruise.** To add Aswan, Edfu and Kom Ombo, the idea "Cairo, Aswan and a Nile cruise in 8 days" replaces the Luxor nights with one night in Aswan and three nights on the river. - **The night train.** The sleeper leaves Cairo Upper Egypt station in the evening and reaches Luxor the next morning, after 10 h 15 to 10 h 40: a night on board instead of a hotel night. Bookings open four to five months ahead. - **Abydos and Dendera.** A day north of Luxor, about 360 km and six hours' driving there and back, for the Temple of Seti I and the Temple of Hathor. It needs an extra night. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I get from Cairo to Luxor? By domestic flight, about 1 hour, or by overnight sleeper train, about 10 h 30. The flight is not included in the indicative price. ### Do I need to book the Grand Egyptian Museum in advance? Yes. Tickets are sold on visit-gem.com for a specific date and time slot, at EGP 1,450 for a foreign adult. They are personal and non-refundable. ### What if the balloon does not fly? Flights depend on the wind. Booking the balloon for your first morning in Luxor keeps the next morning free to reschedule. ### Can I go inside Tutankhamun's tomb? Yes, with a supplement of EGP 700 on top of the Valley of the Kings ticket, at the price posted on site in August 2026.