The best is of course to have an experienced guide for all the sights.
However, due to budgetary constraints (I'm travelling solo), would like to get views on which sights are a MUST-VISIT-WITH-GUIDE for maximum experience and which would be sufficient with a good guidebook.
- Pyramids
- Islamic & Coptic Cairo, Citadel
- West Bank Luxor
- Karnak & Luxor temples
- Abydos & Dendara
- Edfu & Kom Ombo
- Aswan sights
- Abu Simbel

Much thanks!

That's a really interesting question - I think the best place to have the guide is early on in the experience (i.e. the first day you are in Cairo - wherever you go) and the first Temple you visit in the Valley of the Kings.

My reasoning is the guide can give you a foundation for what you will continue to see; explain the Upper/Lower Egypt concept well; point out the hieroglyphics and their meanings, etc. Then you can use a good guidebook for the specifics of the temple/site you are seeing without a guide.

Possible exception to that is you might want someone with you in the Market and Coptic Cairo, especially if you want to buy.

FYI - In many places the guide is not allowed to accompany you everywhere - for example, into the Tut Room in the Museum, into the Temples at Abu Simbel, into any of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings...so that may factor into your decision as well.

Have a great trip!

- West Bank Luxor
- Karnak & Luxor temples
- Abydos & Dendara
- Edfu & Kom Ombo
- Aswan sights
- Abu Simbel

Are you going to be on a tour, whether alone or with a group?
How are you planning to get to these areas which are all south of Cairo? Gather you're flying from Cairo to either Luxor or Aswan, but will you be driving between Lux/Asw to visit many of these? OR, If on a boat, most of these tours are included with guide from the boat and we found our guide was excellent taking out a small group of English speaking guests.

Abydos & Dendara are usually (if not on the cruise) done by vehicle convoy from Luxor.

And Abu Simbel is done from Aswan by convoy or flight.

Provide more info.

Yes - I'll be flying from & to Cairo. Travelling solo. Hv 10 days for the trip (excluding days flying in & out of Egypt)
I'm planning on a DIY rather than a packaged tour or Nile Cruise as those normally have "light touch" visits in Luxor area. Plus, with single supplement, I've found that it will cost almost the same as finding a personal guide.
The plan is to stay in Luxor for 4 nights, Aswan 2 nights (with day trip to Abu Simbel), 4 nights in Cairo (haven't decided whether to do it as "book ends" or as a stretch)
The hotel in Luxor that I'm planning to stay at can arrange for transport for all the sights, including land travel Luxor-Aswan and for day trip to Abu Simbel. They've informed that they can help arrange for a guide for EGP400/day.
For Cairo, I've found a recommended guide via ToursByLocals.
I've also found a guide that can do arrange for all the Upper Nile visits via ToursByLocals (all by land) - but as mentioned in my header, I'm trying to figure out how to cut costs.

Of course, I'm open to suggestions if taking a Nile cruise and getting to Aswan earlier for Abu Simbel and staying back in Luxor for more sights is the cheaper option.

Elizabeth_S
FYI - In many places the guide is not allowed to accompany you everywhere - for example, into the Tut Room in the Museum, into the Temples at Abu Simbel, into any of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings...so that may factor into your decision as well.

Thanks for that tip!! That definitely helps shortlist the candidates

Wonder whether visiting the Egyptian Museum in Cairo with a guide is necessary?

<<<Wonder whether visiting the Egyptian Museum in Cairo with a guide is necessary?>>>

I can't answer this exactly, because I don't know if a good guidebook would 'do the trick', but do be aware that nothing in the Egyptian Museum is in English, so unless you speak/read Arabic, you'll want something or someone to translate for you.

<<but do be aware that nothing in the Egyptian Museum is in English,>>

Huh? Sure it is in English - just written on a 50 yr old typewriter and pretty faded, and what is there is not too explanatory at all.

"Blue Hippopotamus" and you'll be looking at it saying, "hmmm, sure is." but wondering where it came from, if there is any significance to it, or what was it made of, and how did they make it? The vague explanations you may see in MOST of the Egyptian Museum are pretty bad and leave a lot to wonder about. There are some good books - we've talked about some of them here on Fodors that are available to give more information, but the cost of the book will pay for a guide. It just depends on if you want a nice book at the end of the tour and if you have the time to try to deal with a book. For example, you may find an item in the book you are using that you want to see. Maybe they have moved it from the room it was in when the book was published. If that happened, I can assure you, NO ONE there, when you are there, will have ANY idea where it was moved to.

I think to really enjoy and appreciate the museum a guide is mandatory. I understand they do have audio dohickies you can rent now. How good they are, I have no idea. There are also podcasts you can buy for your Ipod that take you on a tour. Whether they keep those updated or not, I don't know. I am not a fan, as it is a Brit company that did that, and I don't see them sending the cash they are making on them back here and they aren't cheap.

But the point is you have LOTS of choices.

I guess the descriptions were so bad I didn't remember them (we did have a guide)!

<<(we did have a guide)!>> Good Choice!

Thanks everyone for your advice.

I'm sold on the idea to have a guide for the Egyptian museum, as well as initiation in Cairo and Luxor. The rest of the time, I'll do it on my own

Now on to figuring out which sight with a guide