Thanks for your thoughts, Gail. We're definitely going to Abu Simbel. We'll drive down and back which will give us an opportunity to see the landscape and will also give us more flexibility than flying would. And it will surely be less expensive! I'm in the final stages of hiring a tour operator for guides and drivers. We're really looking forward to experiencing Egypt for the first time!

Ellen

We use Djed in November 2017 and were very happy with them. We started in Cairo and flew to Aswan where Djed drove us out and back to Abu Simbel in one day and from where we started a 3 night cruise on their boat to Luxor. That cruise was one of the highlights of the trip. So peaceful, relaxing and enjoyable.

Not sure why Djed is so much more expensive than the others though. If the others get great reviews and offer the same itinerary and services, I'd pick one of them. Egypt is cheap, and IMO safe relatively speaking.

I would not miss Abu Simble and to read about and see a video on how they moved it...amazing !!!

I do not think I would want to be touring 4 days in Cairo, I had a private tour guide ( Debbie Senters, and American lady living in Cairo) and two full days was enough

We flew to Luxor , toured two days then took the cruise to Aswan and stayed there 2 full days to see sites and

yes the Temples in Aswan are a must see and you will see the ones that were moved because of the flood when the Aswan Dam was built. Like Philea Temple on Agilika Island

We flew to Abu Simble and the crowd was small, we went in October month and it was 95F. ( In Luxor is was 104F !!)

Yes Abu Simble is a must see.

Flew back to Aswan and then cruised back to Luxor and stopped at all the places we did not on the cruise from Luxor to Aswan .

When I got back to Cairo I had a full day to spend before flying out the next day, I knew I did not want to tour in Cairo again so my tour guide took us via the Train to Alexandria , we go it back about 8 pm and next morning we flew out.

I am not sure but I think the train ride from Cairo to Luxor is very long.

You know what, I would see the movie "Valley of the Kings" with Robert Taylor and even though it is filmed in the 50's (1954)

you will see many of the Temples like those in Aswan and Abu Simble .

You can see the movie on you tube !!

You go ( fly) all this way ,so see as much as you can !!

Best of Luck

Merry Christmas

Hi dcd !!!

I'm glad we decided to spend time in Abu Simbel; it would be a shame to be in Egypt and not see it. Percy, we'll fly from Cairo to Luxor, but drive from Luxor to Aswan, then drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel and back.

One of the challenges I always have in planning trips to a first-time destination is the number of days in each location. Fortunately, most of the time our estimate is pretty good, but every once in a while we wish we had "just one more day". Regarding Cairo, my husband likes to have some down time and he doesn't do too well with jet lag, so I usually plan an extra day to make up for that. I do like the idea of a day trip to Alexandria if we find ourselves with too much time there.

We decided on Go Luxor Tours - glad to have that decision made! I'm speaking to their principal, Michael the Monday after Christmas. It's getting real now!

Ellen

Lots of driving there and back but I am sure you will stop off and places of interest along Highway 75.

God Luck Have a Great Time .

Hi ...sorry I just saw this...have been in Germany visiting the Christmas Markets!

I highly recommend Memphis Tours. They have a large variety of set itineraries which you can add on to. I would send them your thoughts and see what they can tailor to your needs. We did not go to Abu Simbel but some of the people on our Nile Cruise did. We had the same driver and guide for each of our days in Cairo and our day trip to Alexandria. I would not recommend dealing with any of the public transportation on your own in Cairo...just hectic and chaotic...takes forever to get anywhere...but very worth it when you get there.

Hi Ellen,
Don't know whether you could fit them into your itinerary, but the western desert oases loop (Siwa, Farfara, Bawiti, etc.) are fantastic, worth crossing an ocean for. The White desert, Al Qasr, the Roman thermal water wells (still used by travelers to soak in), the people, the music, the food, the dunes, the fresh air, the genuine rural lifestyle.....all combine to create one of Travel's Great Experiences.
We went with the Brit outfit 'Explore' (yo Richard). Don't know whether they are still operating.
Hope you have a great trip!
I am done. The end.

Zebec,

Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be able to fit the places you suggest into our itinerary. They look amazing, though, so it's too bad that we don't have time to see them.

On another note, we're extending our trip by one day due to a schedule change from Air France. I thought we could use that day to see Alexandria (I've started another thread for suggestions about what to see there in a day). But I guess I should ask if there are there any other options besides Alexandria for a one-day trip. If you had an extra day in Cairo, is that where you would go? We'll have plenty of time in Cairo, so we do want to do something outside of it. We're talking to Michael from Go Luxor Tours on Monday and I'll also ask him, but I'd love to hear from Fodorites, too.

Ellen

I know you aren’t interested in a Lake Nasser cruise but for others planning for Abu Simbel we docked next to it and walked a very short distance in. We spent the whole day there. All the reconstructed antiquities on Lake Nasser were incredible “wow”sites. Only two of seven boats were sailing due to low tourism numbers. We also took a three day Nile cruise which was nice and filled with antiquities too.
The one negative regarding flying around Egypt is the very very early departure times of domestic flights.
In Cairo there is an historic area with a Coptic Church, Mosque and Synagogue near each other that is very interesting. Joseph, Mary and Jesus stayed in what is now the lower level of the church.

HappyTrvlr, how long is the Lake Nasser cruise? I take it that it's not overnight? Can you say a little more about it?

We'll be able to make a final decision when we get there, but we're thinking of taking the boat to the Nubian Village with the little free time we have in Aswan. I've read mixed reviews of it, but I'm leaning toward taking it.

We took a 4N cruise on Lake Nasser on Prince Abbas, a Movenpick owned ship. Then we went on Royal Lily on the Nile for 3 N, also Movenpick owned. The Nile was prettier but we loved the Lake Nasser cruise.
There are 7 ships on Lake Nasser but only 2 were operating when we were there. Great staff and dining. We saw so many antiquities that can’t be reached easily by land. Highly recommended.

We'll see Lake Nasser, but our time is very short in Aswan, so no cruises. When you say "Movenpick owned", are you referring to the hotel? We're staying at the Movenpick.

We leave in less than two weeks and we're getting very excited. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we chose Go Luxor Tours. Their principal, Michael has been exceedingly communicative which always gives me peace of mind. We have drivers and guides for everything. The weather looks like it will be perfect - reminds me of early spring in Phoenix where we spent many years...dry and sunny with cool nights. It will be good to have a respite from the gray and cold of the NE US!

As an aside, one of our daughter's friends has just returned from Egypt and highly recommended the Nubian Dream restaurant in Aswan. Has anyone been there?

Yes, the Swiss hotel chain owns both boats we were on. We also stayed in their hotel at Petra. Now, we are big Movenpick fans! ( including their ice cream and coffee.)
The attentive, kind staff on the boats and the food served at every meal were all exceptional.
Lake Nasser ship was not as upscale as the Nile boat but we all loved it best.

Egypt Itinerary yours or mine?
 

We're planning a trip in November 2020. Working with Kensington Tours. Here's our latest idea:
Day 1: Arrive Cairo 6:25 PM
Day 2: Cairo - museum tour
Day 3 Giza tour at sunset/dinner included
Day 4 Fly to Aswan, do 1/2 day tour
Day 5 Drive to Abu Simbel and back to Aswan
Day 6 Fly to Luxor, do 1/2 day tour of East Bank
Day 7 Luxor - West bank tour
Day 8 Fly to Cairo - Dahsur
Day 9 Fly home (unless we can change our award flights to Day 8)
Comments?