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Original poster

Egypt, Luxor, Cairo, Aswan

11 replies

PinkPeonyPlease · 10/02/2022 08:47

Thinking about a trip including a three nights on the Nile, we'll probably choose an organised tour to make it easier but it does look pretty hectic.
Has anyone done it and did you enjoy it? Any tips gratefully received.

OP posts:
Rua13 · 10/02/2022 14:05

Hopefully someone will give more recent advice as it's been many years since I was there and Eygpt travel is hectic .If I remember correctly travel between Luxor and Aswan had to be done in convoy and then you could do the Nile Cruise for the way back.Abu Simbel is a very early morning start from Aswan.
I'd like to go back sometime and see the new Eygptian museum in Cairo.Cairo city travel is hectic too.Egypt is well worth a visit.

Nanasueathome · 10/02/2022 14:14

My DS actually lives and works in Cairo at the moment
He’s done lots of touristy things but he was in UK last week and he’s booked with Trailfinders for the Luxor/Aswan trip
He obviously doesn’t need to fly out from uk to Cairo but he said it was much better organised than anything he could book there
He’ll meet the rest of the travellers on the first night at a hotel in Cairo and then travel with them from there
He’ll just go back home in Cairo rather than come back to the UK

Verite1 · 10/02/2022 14:15

I did trip years ago. We flew to Luxor, did 7 day (I think) boat trip to Aswan and back with an optional extra trip to Abu simbel from Aswan (which was amazing). Then flew to Cairo for 2/3 nights, then Hurghada for a few days at the end. It was hectic but amazing. Would love to go back some time but security situation worse now, especially when travelling by car.

Verite1 · 10/02/2022 14:17

Also - when are you going. We went in May and temp was in the 40s in southern Egypt. Outings started at about 5 or 6 in morning and then I had to be inside between 11-4 or I would just burn!

User0610134049 · 10/02/2022 14:18

A long time ago I did Luxor then a cruise down the Nile and back up again, over a week. Can’t remember how far down we went but did take a little flight to see Abu Simbel. It was busy with lots of temples and tombs packed in but amazing to see them. We then had a second week in Hurghada just relaxing by the sea.
We didn’t do Cairo on the same trip as that’s quite some distance away.
Must admit I didn’t enjoy the convoy mini bus transfer from Luxor to Hurghada with a dodgy tummy!

RustyBear · 10/02/2022 14:58

We did this just over 3 years ago, sounds very similar to Verite1's trip. We flew direct to Luxor, getting there at midnight, then were up at 7 next morning to visit the Luxor & Karnak temples, and the papyrus institute. Sailed to Aswan at lunchtime, stopping at Edna, Edfu & Kom Ombo and got to Aswan late on the second day. the next day was very busy, with trips to the Aswan High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, Philae Temple and an aromatherapy factory all before lunch, and the Botanical Gardens after lunch, plus an optional boat trip birdwatching (best thing on the trip for me) and a visit to a crocodile farm. Next day was a really early start (3.30am!) for a coach trip across the Sahara to Abu Simbel. You could fly, but it was much more expensive, and watching the sun rise over the Sahara was wonderful.Next day was a totally relaxing day on the ship as we went all the way back to Luxor, and the final trip from the boat was to the Valley of the Kings & the Hatshepsut & Habu temples, as well as an alabaster factory. Next day we flew to Cairo and had two days there, seeing Memphis and the pyramids at Saqqara and at Giza. Final day was the Cairo Museum (not the new one but still impressive with most of the Tutankhamen stuff) a trip to a mosque and a walk round the bazaar.Then flew home from Cairo.
It was a lovely trip, I enjoyed the cruise more than the time in Cairo, which was very hot, polluted & noisy. I'd definitely recommend spending more time on the river & less in Cairo.

Original poster
PinkPeonyPlease · 10/02/2022 15:57

Thank you so much, this is all really helpful. I suffer from motion sickness so the car journeys are a bit of a worry but the combination of boat and temples would be lovely.
I'll definitely look at Trailfinders, we've used them for Asia successfully

OP posts:
Nanasueathome · 10/02/2022 16:35

My DS is doing the trip mid March,
He knows how hot it gets later in the year
Last year it was constantly over 40c most days mid summer
It’s still around 20c at the moment

mixum · 10/02/2022 16:49

It is an amazing trip for sure, but truthfully.... I was all Templed out and hot and bothered at various points!

Flight to Cairo, overnight train to Aswan, cruise up to Luxor and transfer with outrider security to Hurghada for a two day rest on which everyone in the group got v. sick with food poisoning apart from me. I stuck to cake and biscuits as advised by someone and survived.

Then back to Cairo for the museum and the Pyramids, Sphinx and so on. It was truly amazing. No desire to return, done and dusted.

RustyBear · 10/02/2022 18:49

We went the middle-end of October - it was generally about 30-32°C, but it didn't seem too bad, as it was 2018 and we'd just had that really hot summer! Do make sure you take water out with you - we added the extra for included drinks, mainly so we could get bottled water to take out with us.

Rosieej · 27/02/2022 07:09

@Verite1

I did trip years ago. We flew to Luxor, did 7 day (I think) boat trip to Aswan and back with an optional extra trip to Abu simbel from Aswan (which was amazing). Then flew to Cairo for 2/3 nights, then Hurghada for a few days at the end. It was hectic but amazing. Would love to go back some time but security situation worse now, especially when travelling by car.
Hi. Not sure what ‘security situation’ you’re referring to. I have lived in Egypt the last 10 months. Cairo specifically. Have travelled all over the country, Luxor, hurghada, sharm, Alexandria.

Egypt is perfectly safe despite what the media might have you think. Crime rate is extremely lower than USA or UK also.

It’s an amazing country with amazing generous and kind Muslim people, and so diverse also. You can party 24/7 in Cairo as if it was New York for example, yet the media might have you think that Cairo is a shanty town with only markets despite having several million dollar fancy malls haha :)

I’m currently in Luxor and going on a 5* Nile cruise to Aswan tomorrow for only 200 euros all inclusive per person.

Highly recommend coming to visit Luxor, Aswan, Cairo etc op! You’ll have a great time

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