A 2 week Xploration of Egypt on a Back Pack by Shubham Govani will give you all the details about what to do in Egypt and what all you should never miss when travelling to Egypt. Read on this Travel Guide to take inspiration from Shubham’s Trip to Egypt.
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ITINERARY OVERVIEW
| No. of Days | 15 |
| Suitable For | Solo, Friends |
| Type of Trip | Exploratory, Adventure |
| Approximate Budget | USD 1200-1500, INR 80K – 1L |
Day 1: Fly out to Cairo in the morning. Transfer to accommodation and explore city for the day.
Day 2: Visiting Pyramids and exploring Giza.
Day 3: Coptic Cairo
Day 4: Chilling out at the hostel during the day. Catch an overnight train to Aswan.
Day 5: Reach Aswan in the morning and transfer to accommodation. Explore tourist spots in and around Aswan.
Day 6: Take a day trip to Abu Simbel Temple.
Day 7: Take a train to Luxor in the morning. Explore East Bank during the day.
Day 8: Day trip to Valley of the Kings, Colossi of Memnon and Hatshepsut temple.
Day 9: Extra day to chill around. (You can skip it.)
Day 10: Take a bus at 8:00 am to Hurghada. Reach Hurgada by midday and transfer to accommodation. Explore the nearby area in the evening.
Day 11 to 13: 3 day PADI Scuba Open Water Certification course.
Day 14: Extra day. Can be skipped.
Day 15: Fly out from Hurghada.
APPROXIMATE BUDGET
$1500 approx. (Just above Rs. 1,00,000) Although you can easily do it under Rs. 80,000 if you skip the scuba certification.
WHAT & WHEN TO DO
DAY 1
- Fly out to Cairo in the morning. Transfer to accommodation. Freshen up and catch an Uber to the Citadel.
- Walk around the Citadel, the Muhammed Ali Mosque and Al Azhar park, all of which are close by.
- Get an Uber from there to the Egyptian Museum by 2pm. Check out the museum and Tahrir Square.
- Get some early dinner/late lunch and walk back to the hostel (walkable from Tahrir Square).
DAY 2
- Go to Giza (By Uber or by using the Metro to get to Giza and getting an Uber to the pyramids from there) and explore:
- The Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx.
- The Step Pyramid of Saqqara.
- The Red and the Bent Pyramids. (these could be skipped in my opinion) You’ll need Uber in between these destinations.
DAY 3
- Take the metro and go see Coptic Cairo to see the old Christian part of town. (I’d kept this day for a day trip to Alexandria, but couldn’t go there. You should definitely put it in your itinerary.)
DAY 4
- Chilling out at the hostel during the day. Catch an overnight train to Aswan.
DAY 5
- Reach Aswan in the morning and transfer to accommodation.
- Explore tourist spots in and around Aswan, namely – Nubian Museum, Nile Museum, (Could be skipped in my opinion) Temple of Philae, Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan Dam.
DAY 6
- Take a day trip to Abu Simbel Temple. (You’ll be able to book transportation from your hostel/hotel, or you can book a tour)
DAY 7
- Take a train to Luxor in the morning.
- Explore East Bank during the day, with places like – Temple of Karnak, Luxor Temple (A few different museums are also there, but I decided to skip them as I’d become fed up of museums).
DAY 8
- Day trip to Valley of the Kings.
- Colossi of Memnon and Hatshepsut temple.
DAY 9
Extra day to chill around. (You can skip it.)
DAY 10
- Take a bus at 8:00 am to Hurghada. Reach Hurgada by midday and transfer to accommodation. Explore the nearby area in the evening.
DAY 11 – 13
- 3 day PADI Scuba Open Water Certification course.
DAY 14
Extra day. Can be skipped.
DAY 15
Fly out from Hurghada.
WHERE TO STAY
Cairo: Freedom Hostel Aswan: I stayed in David Hostel but I recommend staying somewhere near the city centre, like the Elephantine Island.
Luxor: Bob Marley House Sherief Hostel and Bob Marley Peace Hostel, both are good.
Hurghada: Sea Waves Hostel
WHERE TO EAT
It’s an inexhaustible list, so i won’t mention the places. But I’d definitely recommend trying out the local cuisine while you’re there. It’s something that you will never have tried before. It’s a plus if you eat meat!
HOW TO TRAVEL AROUND
You have all the the below modes of transport available in Egypt to get around
- Bus Transport Systems
- Train Transport System
- Taxis and Auto Rickshaws
- Boats and Ferries
Do not book any transport for travelling around beforehand, no matter what the Internet tells you. You’ll be able to find ways to make the travel less expensive once you’re there and you ask the local people, especially the train from Cairo to Aswan.
HELPFUL TIPS
- Bargain horrendously (If they say 300 Egyptian pounds, you gotta start with 50 pounds) and bargain everywhere, from water in a stall near the pyramids to taxis (obviously not Uber) to street vendors.
- Keep a Google translator app with you for times when things get lost in translation from Arabic.
- Don’t book any internal transportation early on.
- If you’re a student, keep you ID with you to get a 50% discount on entry tickets. Sightseeing in Egypt is expensive.
- Learn to say ‘La Shukran’ (No thanks) often: You’re gonna need it.
- Egypt is a tipping country. Everyone is going to try and do something small for you like fix your scarf or click your photo and ask for money, so beware. And be sure to tip in places you deem worthy, with whatever you’re comfortable. That’s all I can remember right now.
PICTURES FROM THIS TRIP
This Itinerary was Contributed by a Community Member!
You can reach Shubham for any queries about this trip on his Instagram.
Ensure you travel responsibly and keep your carbon footprint to the minimum. Happy Xploring!
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