- Duration8 Days / 7 Nights
- Tour typeSmall-group tour
- StartsMeet and assist at Cairo International Airport
- PriceFrom $1,000 per person based on 3–5 travellers
OverviewItineraryWhat’s includedPricesFAQ
Tour Overview
This Egypt budget tour proves you do not need a large budget to see the country’s highlights properly. It covers the same headline sights as our classic packages, including the Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, a Nile cruise and the Valley of the Kings, but keeps costs down with central 3★ hotels in Cairo, shared small-group sightseeing and overnight sleeper trains instead of domestic flights. The trains also save you two nights of hotel costs.
The sleeper train between Cairo and Upper Egypt is an experience in itself. Each private two-berth compartment has a washbasin, and dinner and breakfast are served at your seat. You fall asleep near Cairo and wake to views of palm groves and fields along the Nile. In Aswan you board a 5★ cruise ship for three nights of full-board sailing to Luxor, with an Egyptologist guide leading every visit.
Sightseeing is in small shared groups with other travellers, which is how we keep prices low, while all your transfers between airport, hotel, station and ship are private, so you are never left to find your own way. It suits independent travellers, students and anyone happy to trade a little luxury for more of Egypt, and it leaves money in your budget for extras such as Abu Simbel or a felucca sail.
Highlights
- Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum
- Overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan and back from Luxor
- Three nights on a 5★ Nile cruise ship with all meals
- Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak and Luxor Temple
- Valley of the Kings and the temple of Hatshepsut
- Two nights in a clean, central 3★ hotel in Cairo
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Cairo
Our representative meets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo International Airport, helps with the visa and passport formalities and takes you by private car to your 3★ hotel in central Cairo, a drive of 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. After check-in, the rest of the day is free. Downtown Cairo is lively in the evening, and the hotel staff or our team can suggest nearby places for an inexpensive dinner of koshari or grilled meat.
Meals: None
Day 2 – Pyramids of Giza & Grand Egyptian Museum
Join your small group and Egyptologist guide for a morning on the Giza Plateau. Walk around the three great pyramids, enjoy the panoramic viewpoint and see the Great Sphinx up close. An extra ticket lets you go inside a pyramid. After a simple lunch, visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, where the complete Tutankhamun collection is displayed together, alongside the colossal statue of Ramesses II and the Grand Staircase of royal statues.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 3 – Old Cairo & Overnight Sleeper Train to Aswan
Check out after breakfast and leave your luggage at the hotel. Your group visits the Citadel of Saladin and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, then Coptic Cairo with the Hanging Church. Enjoy free time in Khan el-Khalili for souvenir shopping before a private transfer to Giza or Ramses station for the evening sleeper train to Aswan. Dinner is served in your two-berth compartment, then the attendant makes up the beds. The journey takes around 13 to 14 hours.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 – Arrive in Aswan, Philae & Board the Cruise
Wake to breakfast on the train and views of the Nile valley as you approach Aswan, usually around the middle of the morning. We meet you at the station and take you to the cruise ship to drop your bags. After lunch on board, visit the High Dam and the island Temple of Philae, reached by motorboat. The rest of the afternoon is free to relax on the sun deck. An optional felucca sail can be arranged.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 – Kom Ombo & Edfu
An optional early excursion to Abu Simbel can be added if the ship’s timetable allows. Otherwise, enjoy the morning on board as the ship sails north. Visit the double temple at Kom Ombo, honouring the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Haroeris, and the small Crocodile Museum next to it. Later, at Edfu, explore the Temple of Horus, the most complete temple in Egypt. The ship’s schedule sets the timing, and visits may move between days.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 – Sail to Luxor, Karnak & Luxor Temple
Watch the riverbank pass from the sun deck as the ship goes through the lock at Esna and continues to Luxor. After docking, your guide leads you around Karnak, the vast temple complex of Amun, with its Great Hypostyle Hall and obelisks. Later, visit Luxor Temple, which looks especially fine in the evening light. Spend your final night on board the ship, moored on the Luxor riverbank.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 – West Bank & Overnight Sleeper Train to Cairo
Disembark after breakfast and cross to the West Bank with your group. Visit the Valley of the Kings, where your ticket covers three of the open tombs, then the terraced temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. In the afternoon you have free time in Luxor, and the guide can help you store luggage. In the evening, a private transfer takes you to Luxor station for the sleeper train to Cairo, about 10 hours, with dinner served on board.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 – Arrive in Cairo & Depart
Breakfast is served on the train as you approach Cairo, usually in the early morning. Our representative meets you at the station and takes you by private car to Cairo International Airport for your flight home. If your flight leaves later in the day, we can book a day-use room or an optional visit to the old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square at extra cost. Please send us your flight time so we can plan the day around it.
Meals: Breakfast
Good to know: Sleeper trains can run late; we adjust sightseeing in Aswan and the departure transfer around actual arrival times.
What’s Included
Included
- Meet and assist at Cairo International Airport
- 2 nights in a 3★ hotel in central Cairo with breakfast
- 3 nights on a 5★ Nile cruise ship with all meals
- 2 nights on the sleeper train in a two-berth compartment with dinner and breakfast
- Shared small-group sightseeing with an Egyptologist guide
- Entry fees to all sites listed in the itinerary
- Lunch on days 2 and 3
- Private transfers between airport, hotel, stations and ship
- Bottled water during tours
Not included
- International flights
- Egypt entry visa
- Tips for guides, drivers, train and cruise staff
- Drinks with meals and on board
- Optional excursions such as Abu Simbel and the felucca sail
- Extra tickets for pyramid interiors and Tutankhamun’s tomb
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
Prices
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Single traveller | $1,420 |
| 2 travellers | $1,020 |
| 3–5 travellers | $1,000 |
| 6+ travellers | $1,000 |
Per person in USD. The single traveller price includes your own hotel room, cruise cabin and sleeper compartment. Child prices depend on age and the services included – ask us for a child price before you book. Prices can be higher over Christmas, New Year and Easter; we confirm the exact price in writing before you pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the sleeper train like?
Each compartment has two berths, a washbasin, a small table and air conditioning, with shared toilets at the end of the carriage. Bedding is provided and an attendant makes up the beds after dinner. It is comfortable rather than luxurious. Our single traveller price includes a compartment to yourself, so you never share with a stranger.
Why is this tour cheaper than your classic packages?
We save money in three places: 3★ hotels in Cairo instead of 4★, shared small-group sightseeing instead of a private guide, and sleeper trains instead of domestic flights, which also replace two hotel nights. The cruise ship, entry fees and guiding are the same standard, so you still see every major site properly.
How big are the shared groups?
Groups are usually small, typically between six and fifteen travellers, though sizes vary by season and sometimes are smaller. Everyone in the group follows the same programme, so timings are fixed rather than flexible. If you would prefer a private guide for the whole trip, we can upgrade this itinerary and send you a revised price.
Can trains run late?
Yes, Egyptian trains are sometimes delayed by an hour or more. That is why we leave a comfortable margin after each arrival and plan nothing time-critical first thing. On the final day, we recommend booking an international flight that leaves no earlier than the early afternoon, to allow for any delay on the overnight train.
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Want to combine tours or change anything? Contact us or message us on WhatsApp and we will tailor it for you.
