Summer in Egypt | 12 days Ultimate Itinerary & Guide
Can’t believe we were here in Africa – It was our very first time stepping into this continent and we truly enjoyed our 12 days Egypt tour. Here is our useful Egypt travel guide for you.
Egypt has a special place in our heart as we used to watch many movies and documentaries about ancient Egypt (The Mummy series especially). We are curious about the history, civilisation as well as the historical sites which are well preserved until today. Everything is beyond impressive. You really need to see it with your own eyes! Follow our Egypt travel series, be inspired and travel like us.
Day 1: Kuala Lumpur to Cairo
Woohoo! Our adventure has officially begun. We were in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia early in the morning to catch our flight. It was our first time flying with Emirates, we definitely love the generous legroom which was a saviour for the entire journey.
Finally we arrived at Cairo International Airport after 13 hours. Our tour representative assisted us at the immigration counter therefore we were able to skip the long queue. We highly recommend this ”Meet and Greet” service in the airport as it will save you a lot of time.
Then, we were transferred to the Le Meridien Pyramids Hotel & Spa. We were very tired but energized by the idea that we got a free room upgrade! We can see the Pyramids from our room.
Read more: Egypt Travel Tips: Everything You Should Know
Day 2: Cairo
On the second day, we finally ticked one item off our travel bucket list – visiting the Pyramids of Giza. The whole morning was well spent with our guide who told us interesting stories about the Pyramids. Then, we visited the Sphinx, a statue that represents guardian of the ancient site before moving to panorama area where we got to enjoy this amazing masterpiece built by ancient people with limited technology and tools.
After having Egyptian lunch in a local restaurant, we continued our tour in Memphis City which is 45 minutes away from Cairo. We visited the Open Air Museum of King Ramesses II. Memphis used to be one of the most powerful cities during ancient times. There are many artifacts and statues that have been discovered – now they are kept in this museum. We ended our first day tour with a visit to Sakkara Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first pyramid built in Egypt. It does not have smooth surfaces like other pyramids. Even though it is not as famous as the Giza Pyramids, the fact that it is the very first idea of the construction of pyramids still standing proudly today proves the significance of this structure.
Day 3: Cairo to Aswan (Nile Cruise)
We woke up at 3 am to catch a flight from Cairo to Aswan. This option is more expensive than train but it was worth the price. It took us approximately one and a half hours only whereas night train is a 15-hour journey. It was a pleasant flight experience with Egypt Air.
The first place we went is High Dam built with the technological and financial aid from Soviet Union. We also saw the world’s largest man-made lake – Lake Nasser which is formed between Egypt and Sudan as the result of the dam construction.
Philae Temple (Temple of Isis) we visited later was very interesting. Beautifully located on an island in Lake Nasser, it is the last temple built in the classical Egyptian style. We are lucky that we are still able to visit this amazing temple today because it was endangered by flooding of Lake Nasser and relocated here thanks to UNESCO team!
In the evening we checked in our five-star luxury Nile Cruise – Princess Sarah II, our home for the next three nights.
Read more: Wonderful Nile Cruise Experience | Princess Sarah II
Day 4: Aswan to Kom Ombo
Today we were excited to embark on a 3-hour journey for the magnificent Abu Simbel Temple, one of the must visit places in Egypt. The well-paved road leading us to Abu Simbel was very straight as if there is no end. On our left and right were huge area of dessert. During our journey, we managed to view the sunrise (yes we departed early at 3.30 am). Carved out of a sandstone cliff, this temple left us in awe and we spent a total of 2 hours there.
We went back to our cruise for lunch and some rest while it sailed to Kom Ombo. Later in the afternoon we visited the Temple of Kom Ombo (dedicated to two gods – God of Sobek and God of Horus). Just like how other temples are, the history of this temple and its role as a hospital are illustrated on the walls. We walked around the temple as our guide told us stories. Kom Ombo Temple was exceptionally beautiful when it basked in the late afternoon sun. Before we headed back to the cruise, we visited the Crocodile Museum just beside the temple and saw a collection of mummified Nile Crocodiles!
Day 5: Kom Ombo to Luxor
In the morning we hopped on a horse carriage to Edfu temple. It is a popular way to explore Luxor as you can see horse carriages everywhere in the town.
The cruise continued to sail when we took our breakfast on board and later we arrived at Luxor. We visited the Karnak Temple Complex and were amazed by the gigantic pillars and huge area covered by the temple. It is one of our most favourite sites in Egypt. Before heading back to our cruise for a last night’s stay, we visited Luxor Temple which looked really attractive with the evening sunbeams shining through the temple.
Read more: 8 Incredible Places You Must Visit in Egypt
Day 6: Luxor to Hurghada
Today we went to Valley of the Kings at west side of Luxor. Can you believe there are 63 royal tombs found in this valley? And in fact, there might be more yet to be discovered. Many pharaohs used to be buried here. Their tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian myths and stories.
We made a quick stop at Colossi of Memnon, two statues representing the guardians for King Amenhotep III’s mortuary complex which is now disappeared (due to natural disasters etc) but once stood behind them. The statues are facing east looking towards the Nile River. Then, we visited the Temple of Hatshepsut, one of the greatest Egyptian architectural achievements which honors Queen Hatshepsut. She was the first female pharaoh of ancient Egypt to reign as a male with the full authority of pharaoh. This mortuary temple is built in a half circle of cliffs.
After visiting so many amazing historical sites and temples, it is time to relax and see something in blue. We hopped on Go Bus from Luxor and arrived at Hurghada 5 hours later.
Day 7 & 8: Hurghada (Red Sea)
Hurghada is a famous beach resort town along Egypt’s Red Sea Coast. Guess what? Desert Rose Resort which we stayed for 3 nights, is one of the largest all-inclusive resorts in Hurghada. There were ample of facilities we can enjoy in the resort and we got free food for (almost 24 hours). So many things to do in the resort and we can basically stay in the resort for the entire day!
We actually booked scuba diving and snorkeling trips, unfortunately Vincent had diarrhea and we have to cancel all the trips. =(
Read more: Desert Rose Resort Hurghada | Biggest Resort Ever
Day 9: Hurghada to Cairo
Can’t believe we were almost coming to an end for this trip. We took a 6 hours bus journey from Hurghada back to Cairo with Go Bus.
Day 10: Cairo
It was our last day with guided tour in Egypt. We visited the Egyptian Museum which was like an adventure through time. We were amazed by the collection of ancient artifacts, especially the treasures of King Tutankhamun. Trust us, we have never been that excited when it comes to museum but the Mummy Room completely blew our mind (the mummies look exactly like what you see in movies but these are real). A little creepy when we were the only ones in the room but yeah, good experience. Actually our goal of this trip is to visit the Grand Museum (a brand new massive museum) but we couldn’t make it because the opening date was delayed to 2020. =(
After lunch, we went to Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, a major souk in the historic centre of Islamic Cairo. We got ourselves some souvenirs and spent an hour chilling at a local outdoor cafe while sipping some good Egyptian Mango smoothie.
The last stop for today was Alabaster Mosque sitting elegantly on the highest point of Citadel of Salah El-Dein. This mosque is dedicated to Mohamed Ali, ruler of Egypt in the 1800s. The interior dome is impressive and similar to the Mosques of Istanbul that we have seen. You can also see the whole Cairo city up here.
Day 11: Cairo
#RoomViewOfTheDay. Yesterday we checked in Marriott Mena House, one of the most beautiful hotels in Cairo and spent our last two nights there. We admired the garden and pyramids view from our balcony, definitely the one of best places to have breakfast with your loved ones. Every corner of the hotel is unrealistically beautiful.
Day 12: Cairo to Kuala Lumpur
Time to say goodbye to this beautiful country. Egypt has been amazing, till the next time! We really enjoyed the trip.
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The Most Wanted Egypt Travel Blog Series
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