If we have 8 days in Egypt (plus flight time back and forth) is that enough time to see the key sites? We are not interested in a Nile cruise; not a fan of boats/cruises. So I was thinking 3 days Cairo, 2 Luxor, 2 Aswan, back to Cairo again??? Is that reasonable? Will I miss something key? I know it's not perfect but...

Are you traveling independently? I think 8 days is sufficient time. I spent less than 8 days there and had a blast!

I would thrown in a trip to Mt. Sinai and do the "midnight hike" to watch the sunrise. An unforgettable experience.

I am sure you will get a lot of input here but you can check out my blog for my experience and itinerary in Egypt.


http://dmbtraveler195.blogspot.com/2...ypt-cairo.html

#1 is dead on I thought St Catherine/Mt Sinai was magical.

www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/stcatherine.html

1 full day was sufficient for Aswan for me.

Happy Journey,

Thanks for the feedback. We want to see Cairo, Pyramids, Giza, and then probably Luxor, Valley of the Kings/Queen Hatshepsut's tomb. I think we decided to skip Aswan and definitely skip Nile cruise. We want to see some of the key sites but I am not a tomb and temple groupie. My style would be to see some of the key places and then wander around the towns/cities to see what the current culture/people are like there.
How many days would you recommend in Cairo?
And then can we do Luxor, Valley of the Kings/Queen Hatshepsut's tomb by staying somewhere near Luxor? How many days there?
Any local guides and/or drivers you recommend?
Thanks again.

Trying not to be "flip", but if you're interested in a "look-see" at the temples, tombs, pyramids, etc. (as opposed to a PhD!), and to wander around the towns, 2 days in Cairo and 1 in each of Aswan and Luxor is sufficient.

For Cairo I think your 3 days is a good average. You can squeeze Saqquara, Giza and Dashur all in one day if you like. For day two see the Citadel in the morning and then visit Khan el-kalili in the afternoon. For day three maybe do the Egyptian museum and then visit other mosques like Ibn Tulun, etc.

For Luxor you can do a lot in two days. Spend one day visiting the West Bank major sites: Valley of the King, Hatseshup Temple. Maybe in the afternoon do Medinut Habu and/or another temple or tomb. For the second day you can visit Karnak in the morning and Luxor temple in the afternoon/evening.

If you want to have time for excursions from Luxor then put in another day. I liked Abydos a lot, and I thought the ceiling reliefs at Dendera were stunning.

I highly recommend Nefertiti Hotel in Luxor. The hotel is like a 10 minutes walk from Luxor Temple, and the staff is very friendly and helpful.

Are you travelling independently? If you wander around Cairo, you will constantly be approached by people under the guise of welcoming you to Egypt but in reality they're trying to sale you a service or steer you toward a shop. It gets old really fast.

What was fascinating for me was that the Egyptian youth seems to have some sort of fascination with tourists. I got asked a couple of times to be photographed with them ( I have no idea why anyone would want my picture...unless they plan to put it on the web later and do something bad to it, LOL), and they also want me to point my camera at them and photograph them.

I think that you should contact one of the many agencies mentioned on this Board, give the agency a list of the sites you want to see, specify that you are not interested in cruise and specify that you want a free day if that is the case. The agency will give you a quote and arrange everything efficiently. With so little time, you need to be efficient in its use.

Pat

Thanks for second hand input..... will be visiting independently for about 2 weeks in May. Have not got down to brass tacks yet but planning.

One of my big concerns is finding a guide for archeological sites without paying an arm and a leg.... any tips?

<<One of my big concerns is finding a guide for archeological sites without paying an arm and a leg.... any tips?>>

It has to be said that you get what you pay for. You might pay an arm and a leg and still get a crap guide, but if you pay peanuts, you'll probably get a monkey to lead you around, unless you are real lucky.

Now, perhaps, if you are willing to go with the flow and let your guide lead you through carpet schools, perfume factories and gold stores, etc. you might get a decent guide hoping to make up the difference on what he can make in commissions from your purchases. This might be annoying, but it can be fun if you go into it all with the right attitude. Perfum salesmen can be funny and entertaining. It's a coin toss as to how you want to spend your time. If you want a superior experience at the sites, you'll probably have to pay a bit more. Arm and leg? I don't know, but more.

Maybe you can define "arm and leg" in $$$ and let us know what your budget is for a guide.

I guess 8 days is great to see Egypt ,and yes one day is sufficient to see Aswan, but you need to have a guide before you arrive Egypt.

A guide is only necessary depending on your level of travel experience and comfort.There are many people including myself that have visited Egypt and other countries independently and did just fine!

The important thing is to do your research and know your comfort zone.

For example, there are guides available at the Egyptian Museum if you so which and bargaining with them can be a part of your travel experience.

In Luxor, I arranged an East/West Tour thru my hotel within minutes of checking in and had a great time.

I understand many people make a living as tour guides but they are not necessary for every traveler to Egypt as some would seem to suggest.

May I recommend our lovely poster - Casual_Cairo. You can check out her website to see what she has to offer.

http://www.casualcairodetours.com/

We went to Egypt last year. I loved the Nile cruise, but if you want to skip it, sure. Cairo is big ugly noisy and smelly. All ya really need there is the Cairo museum and the market - they're both awesome. And a trip to Sakkara and Giza. So 2 days/3 nights is fine. Abu Simbl is, I think, the greatest place - I wouldn't miss it. Luxor is awesome too - I would return there for 3 or 4 days to have a few visits across the river. If you can afford it, the Old Winter Palace is just a magnificent old hotel. Enjoy! I loved it.

I visited Egypt from 7 month ago with local travel agent they provided me below itinerary 7 nights/8 days was great, I really enjoyed it


Day 01: Cairo Arrival
Arrival to the land of the Pharaohs, At Cairo international airport you will be welcomed and assisted through formalities, then transfer to your hotel for Overnight.

Day 02: Giza Sights
Morning: Full day guided tour to visit Memphis , Sakkara , Pyramids
Optional to visit inside the Great Pyramids
Optional to visit Solar Boat
Evening: Optional to visit Sound and Light show at Giza Pyramids.
Overnight at Cairo.

Day 03: Aswan Sights – Nile Cruise
Morning: Early – Transfer to Cairo airport – Flight to Aswan
Aswan arrival - Transfer to Nile Cruise. Full day guided tour to visit High Dam, Philae Temple & Unfinished Obelisk.
Evening: Felucca ride to visit Botanical, Elephantine Islands.
Overnight at Nile Cruise.

Day 04: Cruise Sights
Morning: Early Morning – visit Abu Simbel by van – Back to Aswan
Evening: Sail to Kom Ombo.
Overnight at Nile Cruise.

Day 05: Cruise Sights
Morning: Kom Ombo - visit The temple of Gods Sobek and Harorise.
Sail to Edfu – visit the temple of God Huros.
Evening: Sail to Essna – Luxor arrival
Overnight at Nile Cruise.

Day 06: Luxor Sights
Morning: Disembarkation – full day tour Valley of the Kings, Colossal of Memnon ,
Hatchepsut Temple , Karnak and Luxor Temple.
Evening: Transfer to Luxor airport – Flight to Cairo
Overnight at Cairo

Day 07: Cairo Sights
Morning: Full day guided tour to visit Egyptian Museum and Citadel
Optional to visit the Royal Mummies room.
Evening: Optional to Dinner Cruise with Belly dancer.

Day 08: Departure
Morning - Transfer to Cairo airport and farewell to the Land of the Pharaohs.