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The Best Egypt Itinerary 7 Days
Egypt is a destination that many of us only dream of visiting. It is honestly one of the most spectacular places I have ever been. There is so much to experience there, but I have put together what I believe is the Perfect Egypt Itinerary for 7 days! I hope you enjoy it!
DAY 1 –
Afternoon- Check into Hotel
There are quite a few really nice hotels in Cairo that are really affordable that I recommend.
The two hotels that I really enjoyed that I actually stayed in were:
The Cairo Four Seasons: I only had a chance to stay at this hotel for one night, but I wish I could have stayed longer. Some of my favorite features were the pool and hot tub area with amazing lounge chairs where they bring your lunch right to you. (I recommend the shawarma). The rooms were incredibly nice with comfortable beds and incredible views of the Nile River. The breakfast was included and had one of the largest selections I have ever seen at a hotel!
Sheraton Cairo Hotel: I absolutely LOVED this hotel! I would stay here again in a heart beat! The beds were some of the comfiest I have ever stayed in, there were plenty of restaurant options and when we arrived, there was a huge assortment of treats in our room. I was so excited because we actually even received homemade frosting which I had never seen in a hotel before. Honestly, I squealed in excitement.
If you stay here, try to gain access to the executive lounge. It is on the top floor of the hotel and you can actually see the pyramids off in the distance which makes for a very unique and incredible sunset. There was a nice variety for breakfast in there. Also, if you head up there, they serve different snacks and food throughout the day.
I didn’t actually stay in, but recommend both:
Marriott Mena House: The main reason I recommend this hotel is the proximity to the pyramids. You can actually see the pyramids from some of the room balconies and from the courtyard. You will definitely have the chance to get really unique photos with a beautiful courtyard with palm trees and the amazing pyramids in the background!
Cairo Marriott Hotel: I didn’t stay the night at this hotel, but I did visit for lunch and it was incredible! This hotel actually used to be a palace and the architecture and beautiful interiors really make you feel like royalty. The nice courtyard outside is actually really tranquil and you would never guess you were in the middle of a bustling city.
All of these Hotels in Egypt felt really safe and the staff took extra measures to ensure such safety.
Marriott Mena House
View from Cairo Four Seasons Balcony
4 PM- Walk along the Nile River
You will probably be very jet lagged so just sticking near your hotel and walking around near the Nile river to get your bearings is a nice activity and can really start to give you the feeling of Egyptian culture. I personally love walking around a new city and seeing the locals. There are also a couple of cool places to see nearby as well including the Cairo Tower and the Opera House.
6 PM- Watch Sunset from Hotel
After walking around town for a little while, have a relaxing evening and watch sunset from your hotel. Depending which hotel you choose to stay at, the view will vary. I loved the view from the Four Seasons Cairo because I was able to see the pyramids for the first time and it was such an interesting view seeing them in the distance with the juxtaposition of the city.
View from the Sheraton Cairo Hotel
Egypt Itinerary 7 Days
DAY 2
Sunrise- Sunrise Camel Tour
The actual pyramid grounds aren’t open at sunrise, but I recommend booking a camel sunrise tour. You are able to ride camels on the outskirts of the desert and see the pyramids off in the distance.
You can book a camel sunrise tour here.
9 AM- Visit the Pyramids and the Sphinx
It’s safe to say that Visiting the Grand Pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt are a dream come true! I highly recommend booking a tour to come and see them. It is a safe bet to have a tour guide so you can learn a lot of interesting information that you will miss if you come alone! There are tons of different viewpoints so you could spend many hours here. You can also go inside the pyramids for a small fee, but the inside is not as exciting as the outside ;).
Try to avoid coming on the weekend because that is when all of the Egyptian school groups come and it will feel very crowded! Also, the kids are so cute, but often times they want to take selfies with you and once you say yes to one, they will all ask! Just politely tell them no so that you have plenty of time to spend at the pyramids.
There are many men walking around with camels so you can bargain with them and take a camel ride if you want or just pay to hang out with a camel and take pictures with them. Try to use your best judgement when you are picking which camel and handler you go with because some of the camels were not treated well and it was really sad to see.
I recommend booking this tour to see the pyramids!
12 PM- Midday Break
Enjoy a little midday break since you woke up early for sunrise! You can take a nap or a nice dip at the pool, whichever you prefer!
The Bazaar was definitely one of the highlights of the whole trip. What makes this Bazaar really special is that locals shop here as well. It does have souvenirs and different things that tourists would like as well. I think out of anywhere in Egypt, I really felt the culture here the most. It is such a chaotic and lively place and I absolutely loved it.
Like any really crowded place in the world, be careful with your belongings. However, I never once felt like I wasn’t safe here and I actually thought the locals were so friendly and seemed to really be watching out for us! One instance was when we couldn’t find our friends and some shop owners pointed us the way of where to go and helped us find them!
Day 3
9 AM- Visit Egyptian Museum
A visit to Cairo wouldn’t be complete with out a visit to the Egyptian Museum. There are over 120,000 artifacts included in the collection. I loved being able to see so many of the relics, jewelry and antiquities.
If you visit Egypt, after 2020, you will have the pleasure of visiting the Grand Egyptian Museum which will be the biggest museum in the world upon completion. It will be located very close to the pyramids in Giza, so at the time you can definitely visit one after the other. The new museum’s architecture looks outstanding and it will definitely be a highlight of anyone’s trip. One of the best places to see in Egypt.
Lunch- Marriott Hotel
We ate a buffet lunch at the Marriot hotel in Cairo and I highly recommend it! They had so many different options ranging from salads, to sushi, to BBQ, to Western cuisine and one of my favorite highlights was the icecream bar and the chocolate fountain! (What can I say, I have a sweet tooth!)
The setting itself was incredible and this hotel is actually built into an old palace. The grounds were absolutely beautiful. There are actually many restaurants to choose from, but I definitely recommend the BBQ Brunch.
This is a link to the hotel and the different restaurant options: Click Here
Afternoon- Visit a Mosque
I love to experience the culture when visiting a new place and another great way to do that is by visiting a mosque. There are countless mosques in Cairo, but here are a few of the well known ones or the ones that my local tour guide recommended:
Mohammed Ali Mosque
Sultan Hassan Mosque
Refaie Mosque
Other tips for the mosque: Wear conservative clothing covering the shoulders and knees. Bring a hair wrap or shawl to cover your head. You will need to take your shoes off so you can either walk bare footed or wear big shoe covers they provide to cover your shoes!
Evening- Dinner at New Giza
Andrea in New Giza is a perfect place for dinner. You will have a prime view over Giza and the grounds are very beautiful. There are gardens, gorgeous walls and the prettiest red color you have ever seen. Not to mention, the food is delicious. This a great place to try out many different Egyptian foods!
DAY 4- Egypt Itinerary 7 Days
Early Morning Flight to Luxor
You’ll have to wake up really early for an early morning flight to Luxor. The flight will take less than an hour and you will be in Luxor living out your Indiana Jones dreams in no time!
9 AM- Visit Hatshepsut’s Temple
This incredible temple gets very busy in the afternoon (sadly when I was there) so I really recommend going right when it opens for an optimal experience and optimal photos. This temple was Queen Hatsheput’s and she is the definition of a boss babe because she was considered one of the most successful and longest ruling pharaohs in Egypt. Can I get a woop, woop!
I sadly was unable to spend a lot of time here, but I recommend at least an hour because the temple is quite beautiful and the setting within the natural red rocks of the valley is quite extraordinary.
10 AM- Visit Karnak Temple
If you only have time for one activity in Luxor, it’s safe to say that you should go to Karnak Temple! I remember loving it the first time I went to Egypt and it certainly didn’t disappoint the second time. I advise coming early in the morning so you can get pictures with out people and so you can enjoy the nice morning rays. Unfortunately, sometimes you can’t help when you come if you are on a tour like I was. If you find yourself here in the afternoon, you should be able to get some shots with out other people in them, you might just have to be creative about the angles! Also, the further back you go, the less people there are.
I loved exploring Karnak because it is actually a complex filled with many temples! You could spend many hours here if you wanted to visiting all of the different nooks and crannies. I literally felt like I had stepped back into time. Another interesting fact is that it was built over 2000 years and it was the largest religious building ever constructed!
I highly recommend a tour here because our tour guide was even able to take us to a special area that they were currently excavating which was thrilling. It is fascinating that they are still uncovering artifacts in Egypt every day!
Tip: The men who work in the temple will try to advise you where the best places they think to take a picture are. If you can, carry small change to give as a tip.
2 PM- Valley of the Kings
The pyramids of Giza are where the Pharaohs of old are buried, but the new kingdom Pharaohs chose to have their tombs in the Valley of Kings. Many notable Pharaohs are buried here including King Tut and Ramses II. They stocked the tomb full of treasures and whatever else they felt they might need in the next world. One of my favorite things about the tombs is how well in tact the colors still are today.
I had the chance to go into 4 tombs, but there are many many others. I absolutely loved the experience. I was so intrigued by all of the different colors and hieroglyphics. My 8 year old self was absolutely dying inside. I loved Egyptian history so much as a child so actually being here and seeing it was such a surreal feeling.
TIP: If you want to take pictures in the tombs, you will have to pay a little bit extra. Personally, I thought that it was worth it!
Sunset- At Hotel
I stayed at the Hilton Luxor property and I highly recommend it! It was my favorite property from the whole trip! It was right next to the Nile River with two amazing pools, a delicious restaurant and these magical lanterns everywhere!
HINT: If you wake up early for sunrise, you can see hot air balloons everywhere over the Nile River!
Egypt Itinerary 7 Days
DAY 5
Sunrise- Hot Air Balloon Ride
A hot air balloon ride is definitely a safe bucket list experience and I highly recommend it! I wasn’t able to go while I was in Luxor, Egypt, but I highly recommend it and I wish that I could have because soaring over Luxor would be really incredible!
Lunch- Nile River Boat Ride
I had a blast eating lunch while sailing on a felucca boat on the Nile river! The food in Egypt is really tasty if you have never had it before. They played music for us and they were very hospitable. It was a nice and relaxing touch to our afternoon.
You can book the tour I did here!
Safe Egypt Itinerary 7 Days
2 PM- Visit the Bazaar or Take a Nap
Have a nice relaxing afternoon since you woke up at sunrise for the hot air balloon ride! It is fun to just walk around Luxor and take in all of the surroundings because it is so different than Cairo! Or of course you can hang out in the pool at the hotel or take a nap. :)I absolutely love the temples in Luxor and it was such an unique experience to visit one at night and see it all lit up! I highly recommend seeing one in the day and one at night because the vibes are completely different. There are less people there at night and it kind of feels magical seeing everything lit up! You can definitely visit on your own, but again it is nice to have a guide because they will teach you so much about Egyptian history and it is truly fascinating.
DAY 6
Arrive in El Gouna and Where to Stay
El Gouna is an up and coming beach town on the red sea in the Hurghada area. You can either fly from Luxor or take a 4 hour bus ride from Luxor. After all of the long days and touring, it is nice to go to a place that is a bit more relaxing!
El Gouna is known for their luxurious resort options and there are plenty of choices in all budget ranges. Here are the places I recommend to stay.
La Maison Bleue El Gouna: I had the opportunity to have dinner and take pictures at this midrange boutique hotel and I definitely would have loved to stay here. It is an intimate adults-only hotel with its own private beach and it also has an amazing spa and steam room. The design and architecture of this hotel would be enough for me to stay here. We had an intimate dinner here and there were glowing lights and lanterns and the atmosphere was honestly just perfect. This is one of my favorite places in El Gouna.
Movenpick Resort and Spa: This hotel is another great pick with a beautiful property, private beach, airport transfers and free Wi-Fi in all rooms. This one has a lot of extra amenities that you’ll be grateful for!
9:00 AM Sailing in the Red Sea
Right when we arrived and checked into our hotel, we decided to go on a boat tour. It was a luxurious boat with two different floors, including an inside area where they cooked us some food and kept beverages. I think the boat tour would be especially fun if you are traveling with your family or a group of friends. The water in the Red Sea is an absolute beautiful shade of turquoise and you definitely feel like you are in the Caribbean. We stopped for awhile so that everyone could swim and hang out on floaties and of course, jump off the top deck of the boat!
Book this tour to swim with dolphins in the Red Sea!
12:00 PM Lunch Downtown and Hang out at Beach Club
After the boat ride, we headed to the downtown area to get some lunch. The downtown area is pretty hip with a lot of different colored buildings, really cool architecture and their own cute little bazaar. My favorite thing about El Gouna is that there are friendly cats everywhere! They kept coming up to me and they were all so cute, I couldn’t resist petting them.
There was a beach club downtown which reminded me of something you would generally find in Tulum. There was a cute little food stand next to a swimming pool and the beach. There were colorful chairs and tents everywhere and there were some swings in the ocean. Definitely the perfect place to take some Instagram pictures!
2:00 PM Adventurous OR Relaxing Option
Cable Park: Sliders Cable Park in Egypt holds one of the largest Olympic standard cable parks in the world. Cable skiing is a way to water ski or wake-board where the skier’s rope and handle are pulled by an electrically-driven cable. This is definitely very adventurous and the first time I had heard of it. They have courses for all skill levels and they even have many different obstacles you can go on, and if you are daring enough, try some tricks! It’s a safe bet that if you like water sports you will have fun here.
Relax: If you are in the mood for a more mellow afternoon, that is totally fine too! The resorts in El Gouna are really nice and you shouldn’t miss out on all of the luxurious amenities. One of my personal favorite things that most of them offered were cute little bikes to rent!
5:00 PM Sunset and Dinner at La Maison Bleue
I recommend booking dinner reservations at El Maison Bleue in advance. We took an adorable tuk tuk from downtown El Gouna to the hotel. The minute I walked into the entrance, my breath was taken away. The design of the hotel is spectacular and we had so much fun exploring and finding unique hallways and staircases and all kinds of places to take pictures. The outside is marvelous as well and is right next to a private beach so it is the perfect place to be for sunset. The backdrop of our dinner seriously felt like a mermaid’s grotto and I loved it! (Since I am secretly a mermaid of course). This dinner was my favorite from the whole trip!
Oh and I can’t forget to mention, they had adorable friendly cats as well that my friend Jude and I were absolutely adoring. One even jumped in my lap! The server tried to shoo him away, but I was like, “No, he’s ok!” What a fun and memorable evening!
Egypt Itinerary 7 Days
Day 7
Head Home or Continue Exploring
After an adventurous and life changing week in Egypt, unfortunately it was time for me to go home and this might be the end of the road for you too.
However, if you want to keep exploring, there is still a lot to see and do through out Egypt!
Possible Extension:
- Aswan: I absolutely need to go back to Egypt and visit Aswan! It looks spectacular and has Abu Simbel, an incredible temple, Nubian villages and much more!
- Sharm El Sheik: Also bordering the Red Sea, Sharm El Sheik is also a resort town, but it is very well known for their snorkeling and diving and they have a lot of dolphins in this area!
- Nile River Cruise: I have heard many people rave about taking a Nile River Cruise from Luxor down to Aswan so although I wasn’t able to do that on this adventure, I definitely recommend it if you have the extra time!
So there you have it! The best Egypt Itinerary 7 Days!
Do you want to travel to Egypt? Already been there? Let me know!
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