You know, I originally had no plans to include any sort of itinerary here.  It’s kind of a cliche, isn’t it?  We’re one step away from a Top 10 list, and I didn’t really feel an urge to tell you about the most delicious food trucks in Cairo.

But if I’m going to give away all the tips I’ve gained through research and on-the-ground knowledge, it seems like it’s necessary to pass along how I think you should spend your time.  The best itinerary for Egypt?  It’s subjective, but I’ll do my best. Obviously it won’t be right for everyone, but hopefully this can serve as kind of a jumping off point for you doing some research.

So, here goes — a cliche-ridden article wherein I vainly attempt to tell you what to do, based on having 11 days in Egypt.  How did I arrive at 11 days?  Well, that seems like about as far as you can push a standard two weeks off from work.

The best itinerary for Egypt?  Minimizing Cairo

If you’re visiting Egypt for 11 days or so, I recommend spending two in Cairo.

What?  Only two days?  That seems crazy, right?  After all, some tour packages include twice that, if not more.

But I’m writing this article — all of these articles, in fact — based on the assumption that you’re visiting this part of the world to experience Ancient Egypt and all it has to offer.  To me, this means one thing: Maximizing your time in Luxor.

Truth be told, there isn’t that much to see around Cairo when it comes to Ancient Egypt.  The ancient city of Memphis has been almost entirely swallowed up by the modern city. 

And if you’re looking to experience Middle Eastern culture, there are other countries that are probably easier to navigate and more accessible to Western tourists. That’s not to say Cairo isn’t awesome or that it doesn’t have a lot to see, but we’re on a schedule here.

So, let’s assume you’re landing in Cairo in the afternoon.  This can be somewhat of a challenge, as many flights from the US tend to arrive in the wee hours of the morning — but an afternoon arrival is possible.

You’ll head to your hotel in Giza, wash off the filth of a long journey, then watch the Sound & Light Show on the Pyramids.  You can do this from the roof of your hotel, or you can wander over to the special entrance.

Cairo: Day One

I would fully dedicate your first day to seeing the Pyramids of Giza.

Now, I’ve read some articles and reviews claiming that there isn’t much to see here — they say it only takes a couple of hours.  Others state that you can see them just fine from your hotel or by driving around, and that it’s not worth going inside the complex.

Noooo.

The main “attraction” here is simply walking around.  Get up close to the Pyramids.  Look at how large the blocks are.  Touch them.  Wander around their bases, stroll from here to there looking for different perspectives.

I would recommend getting there early — although everything in Egypt seems subject to change, the complex should open at 8:30 AM.  Beating the tour buses here is a good idea.

Yes, you’ll probably want to go inside a Pyramid.  They are all open periodically, but the Great Pyramid seems to be open the most consistently. 

Some will claim it’s not worth it as there’s “nothing inside,” which is accurate — but when will you ever get a chance to do something like this?  It’s not about the journey to the burial chamber, it’s about the experience.

Okay, so the experience is hot and cramped.  I’m not going to dispute that.  But every time you’ll see a picture of the Great Pyramid, you’ll be able to think “I went inside that.” If that’s important to you, then you should probably do it.

You’ll also want to think about going inside the Tomb of Meresankh III.  It does require an extra ticket, but this will likely be your introduction to Ancient Egyptian tombs.  It’s well worth taking it in, so you can compare an Old Kingdom tomb to the many New Kingdom tombs you’ll see around Luxor.

And, of course, you’ll want to head out into the desert for a good view of the Pyramids from a distance.  You can do this by riding a camel, provided you’re prepared to negotiate.

I would also recommend making sure you’re prepared to avoid the numerous scammers that cover the Pyramid site.  It’s easy to get ripped off if you don’t know what to look for.

When you’re all finished, you can consider taking an Uber into Cairo.  You can visit a museum, check out Khan el-Khalili market, or simply wander around Tahrir Square.

Cairo: Day Two

For your second day, you should consider visiting the ancient sites of Saqqara and Dashur.

A short drive from Giza, this sprawling area has much more to see than the Pyramids of Giza, and provides a wonderful sense of Egypt in the Old Kingdom.

The primary site here is the Step Pyramid, seen above.  Its complex is massive, and includes other spots like the Serapeum and a number of collapsed Pyramids with intact tombs, like the Pyramid of Unas. 

Heading inside, you’ll be able to see the Pyramid Texts, which is believed to be the oldest religious writing in the world.  There’s really a massive number of options to choose from at Saqqara, and I’ve listed several of them here.

Nearby are the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, two more massive structures built even earlier than the Pyramids of Giza.  You can go inside both, but a quick look at the exteriors should be sufficient. 

I’ve only been inside the Red Pyramid, which is definitely cool — but if you’re going inside the Great Pyramid, that’s really all that’s needed.

Visiting both of these is essential to your trip, as you’ll be able to see the evolution of Pyramid building in the area.  Some people take this opportunity to visit what’s left of the ancient city of Memphis.  I did not — there’s really not much left.

In the afternoon/evening, you could head back into Cairo and pick up whatever you may have missed on the first day.

Day Three: Aswan

Tired yet?  We’re just getting started.  You wanted the best itinerary for Egypt, right?  Sorry, that doesn’t involve a lot of napping.

You’ll want to head to the airport in the morning, and hop a quick flight down to Aswan.  This is in the southern part of the country, in what’s traditionally known as “Upper Egypt.”

There’s two main things to see around here: what most call “Philae Temple,” and the temples of Abu Simbel.

You’ll probably be arriving in Aswan in the afternoon.  Take a bit of time to wander around, then go over to Philae.  It’s located on an island close to the city.  They have a Sound and Light Show after dark, which has some cheesy narration — but seeing the island lit up is an experience you won’t want to miss. It provides a mystique and ambiance that is truly unforgettable.

You’ll be restricted here at night, but don’t worry — you can always back.

Day Four: Abu Simbel

No, this isn’t in Aswan.

The temples at Abu Simbel are in the extreme south of Egypt, down near the border with Sudan — but Aswan is the jumping off point for most everyone.

Now, the process of getting here is a little complicated.  As with most everything in this article, I go into much more depth elsewhere.  But basically, you have two options: You can take a tour bus/van, or you can just hire a car.

If you want to ride on a bus, there’s a ridiculous number of options in Aswan.  It’s about a three hour ride, and you’ll have no issues getting down there.

Personally, I hired a car with a company called Aswan Individual.  No, they’re not paying me to promote them.  They provided a nice car and a driver for about $100.  The big benefit here is that you can leave a little later in the morning than everyone else, and virtually have the place to yourself. But taking a van or a bus on an organized trip is just fine too.

It’s worth noting that the road to Abu Simbel is a desolate highway through the Sahara Desert, and it’s also heavily restricted.  Tourists are not allowed on it after dark, and there are a number of military checkpoints.  You’ll have to give your passport information to whoever you get to take you down there, so they can pass it along.

I imagine you’ll want to spend a couple of hours at these immense temples, then head back to Aswan.  I had the driver take me back to Philae in the afternoon, where you can have free reign to check it out in the daylight.  Getting to the island can be a bit of a headache, and I’ve listed some tactics here.

Day Five: Heading to Luxor

My technique for getting from Aswan to Luxor was to use the same company that took me to Abu Simbel.  The price was the same, about $100.  Some people take cabs, but I just felt more comfortable leaving luggage in a car I’d gotten through an actual company.

Now, the drive itself isn’t horribly long — it’s about three and a half hours.  But the reason the car helps out is so you can stop at two spots along the way: Kom Ombo Temple and Edfu Temple.

Kom Ombo has seen better days, but it’s completely unique in that it’s a temple dedicated to two separate gods. 

Edfu is really in spectacular condition.  Dedicated to the falcon god Horus, much of it is still intact, and it can give you an excellent idea of what Ancient Egyptian temples looked like in their heyday. 

It’s also worth noting that like going inside the Great Pyramid, the journey is part of the destination.  You’ll drive through smaller towns on this trip, and get a small glimpse of what life is like in rural Egypt.  To me, the “best itinerary for Egypt” doesn’t just involve seeing the noteworthy spots; it also involves at least attempting to understand the people and the country.

It’s also worth mentioning that when you take a Nile Cruise, stops at these temples are usually part of the itinerary.

The rest: Luxor

What’s so great about Luxor that I’m telling you to think about spending half your entire time there?

Look: Luxor is the place to be.  It’s the center of Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom.  You know how you’ll often hear people say the same tired old lines about “You could spend a month there and not see everything”?  With Luxor, it’s actually true.

It’s where you’ll find the Valley of the Kings, not to mention the Valley of the Queens or the Tombs of the Nobles.  You’ll visit famous sites like Karnak Temple, as well as lesser known ones like Medinet Habu, where you can stand and stare at the paint still sticking to the columns, wondering how it’s survived this long.

You can ride in a hot air balloon.  You can relax on a sailboat on the Nile at sunset.  Also on the menu is an all too brief visit to the utterly sublime Tomb of Nefertari, which happens to be my favorite place anywhere — not just in Egypt, but on the entire planet.

I’m not going to list every spot you’ll want to see, as this is a tired, worn out “Best of” article, right?  I go into way more detail on all of this elsewhere.

The best itinerary for Egypt is your own

As we bring this cliche of an article to a close, I want to emphasize that there’s plenty of other ways to map out the “best itinerary for Egypt.” This is just the way that worked for me.

After all, there is no such thing as the best itinerary for Egypt.  There’s no “best” itinerary for anything. On this site, I’ve tried listing the sites I consider to be the most important, and the most “must see” for your trip, but what’s special to me may not be special to you.

Now, many planned tours stop at the locations I talk about, going in different orders and at a much slower pace.

If you have three or four weeks you can spend in Egypt, then go for it.  If taking a cruise along the Nile for a few days is more your speed, then by all means, do it.  But for me, I like to maximize my time seeing the sights, and minimizing my time laying by a pool.  I can do that at home.

Now, if your time in Egypt is shorter than what I’ve laid out, it is possible to cut out the trip to Aswan and Abu Simbel.  It’s certainly not what I’d recommend, as Philae was one of my personal highlights, but there’s no denying that it is a big time sink.

However you end up tackling a trip to Egypt, be sure to keep one thing in mind: It will be everything you’d hoped, and more.  There are few places on this planet where you can truly feel like you’ve stepped back in time, and I’d be willing to bet at least half of them are right here.

Note: Everything I say here is my own personal opinion, and may not work best for everyone. I’m far from an expert, so please just do whatever is best for you, and be sure to visit the TripAdvisor Forums to ask questions and do some more research!