What to book before you travel to Egypt?

Most visits can be booked on the spot. A few sell out days ahead. Here they are, stop by stop, with what you can do without booking underneath. Keep the rest of your time free.

Trip length

One week Ten days Two weeks

8 activities to book · about €440 per person

Cairo & Giza

Days 1-2

Days 1-2Giza pyramids and the Sphinx, guidedFull dayA day on the plateau with an Egyptologist. The Great Pyramid held the record for tallest building on earth for close to four thousand years.€55Book on GetYourGuide →

Days 1-2The Grand Egyptian MuseumHalf dayHalf a day at the museum beside the pyramids, where the whole Tutankhamun collection is shown together for the first time.€35Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The Khan el-Khalili bazaar · Islamic Cairo · The Citadel of Saladin · The banks of the Nile

All activities in Cairo on GetYourGuide

Luxor

Days 3-4

Days 3-4Valley of the Kings and Karnak, guidedFull dayThe royal tombs cut into the west bank in the morning, then Karnak, built and rebuilt over two thousand years.€50Book on GetYourGuide →

Days 3-4Hot-air balloon at sunrise1hAn hour over the west bank as the light comes up, with the temples and the green strip of the valley below.€110Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Luxor temple · The west bank · The local market · The Nile corniche

All activities in Luxor on GetYourGuide

Aswan

Days 5-6

Days 5-6Philae temple, by boatHalf dayThe temple of Isis, moved stone by stone onto a higher island when the High Dam flooded the old one.€30Book on GetYourGuide →

Days 5-6Day trip to Abu SimbelFull dayThree hours south to the four seated colossi of Ramesses II, themselves lifted to safety from the rising lake in the 1960s.€75Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: Feluccas on the river · The Nubian village · The botanical gardens · The sunsets

All activities in Aswan on GetYourGuide

The Red Sea (Hurghada)

Days 7-10

Days 7-10Diving or snorkelling on the reefsFull dayA boat day on the house reefs, in water that stays warm and clear all winter.€45Book on GetYourGuide →

Days 7-10Giftun islands day tripFull dayA day in the marine park offshore, with two or three snorkelling stops and white sand between them.€40Book on GetYourGuide →

No booking needed: The sand beaches · The coral reefs · The marina · Snorkelling from the shore

All activities in The Red Sea (Hurghada) on GetYourGuide

Indicative prices per person, checked when written. The button opens the GetYourGuide search for the activity and the town, on the days of the stop once your dates are known. Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

How much do the activities to book in Egypt cost?

€440 per person if you do them all, across 8 bookings. The most expensive is "Hot-air balloon at sunrise" at €110, the cheapest "Philae temple, by boat" at €30. Prices checked when written: confirm them when you book.

What can you do in Egypt without booking anything?

16 visits on this itinerary need no ticket or time slot, starting with The Khan el-Khalili bazaar, Islamic Cairo, The Citadel of Saladin, The banks of the Nile. They make up most of your days: booking ahead only concerns a handful of sites with limited places.

At which stop should you book earliest?

Cairo & Giza, with 2 activities to book, against 2 at the quietest stop. That is where slots go first.

How long do these activities take?

From 1h for the shortest to Full day for the longest. Fit them into your days before filling the rest: a guided visit often takes half a day.

The rest of the trip

📒 The free printable Egypt guide: itinerary, map, where to sleep→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Egypt, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book: all our destinations→