Sand, stone and the slow Nile

The first night, we didn’t unpack. We sat at the window of Ahmed’s apartment in Giza and watched the pyramids sit there in the dark, lit up and absurdly close, with the city humming right up to their feet. We’d been in Egypt for about three hours.

The route

Giza → Saqqara → Siwa → Alexandria → Aswan → Abu Simbel → Luxor → Cairo, over 15 days.

We front-loaded the big icons, then did something most itineraries skip: a long bus ride west into the Sahara to Siwa. From there we swung up to the Mediterranean at Alexandria, flew south to Aswan, and drove north along the Nile to Luxor, temple by temple, before flying back to Cairo for the museums and one last food crawl.

Giza and Saqqara

Getting in. Immigration, currency at Banque Misr, and a local SIM (Vodafone and Orange both work) all at the airport. We took an inDrive to Giza: about 40 km for 600 EGP.

Where we stayed. Ahmed’s Airbnb in Giza. Waking up to an unobstructed view of the pyramids from your own window is a core memory you won’t get anywhere else. If you only splurge on one stay, make it this one.

The plateau. Breakfast at 9 Pyramids Lounge, coffee in hand, staring at the only Wonder of the Ancient World still standing. Then the afternoon wandering between Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. Photos don’t prepare you for the scale; standing at the base does.

The treasure. The Grand Egyptian Museum. Seeing Tutankhamun’s gold mask in person is a moment we’ll never forget. Dinner that night was a bowl of koshary at the legendary Abou Tarek, the right way to end a pharaoh-heavy day.

Saqqara. The Step Pyramid of Djoser, the world’s oldest monumental stone structure, plus the long ribbed colonnade at its entrance. Go inside the Tomb of Mereruka for some of the most detailed carvings we saw on the whole trip, and the South Tomb for its sheer strangeness.

Siwa

Getting there. West Delta bus from Cairo, booked directly at the station counter. Our best hack of the trip: book two seats per person. It’s a long desert ride and the extra room turns it into something genuinely relaxing. When you arrive in Siwa, buy your onward or return tickets at the bus station straight away.

Getting around. We hired Ali, the sweetest tuk-tuk driver in the oasis, who took us everywhere, including the hidden spots we’d never have found ourselves.

Day one. The Mountain of the Dead and its rock-cut 26th Dynasty tombs, then the salt lakes, where you float effortlessly in impossibly turquoise water. Shali Fortress, the mud-brick ruins of the 13th-century town, at golden hour. And then the Great Sand Sea: chasing the sunset over huge dunes, with tea brewed on an open fire.

Day two. The Temple of the Oracle, where Alexander the Great came to consult Amun. A dip in Cleopatra’s Bath, a natural spring with a café beside it (get the fresh juice). A soak in a warm Siwan hot spring, and finally sunset over the salt lake from Fatnas Island, palms all around.

Where we stayed and ate. Hotel Talid, and most meals at Abdu Restaurant. We also bought papyrus directly from local makers who still use traditional methods.

Alexandria

Getting there. The bus from Siwa, which got us into Alexandria early in the morning, just in time for the day.

The Mediterranean after the desert. We started in the gardens of Montazah Palace, then the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a modern tribute to the ancient Great Library that’s worth visiting for the architecture alone. The Citadel of Qaitbay stands on the site of the legendary Pharos Lighthouse. Last, we went down into the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, where Egyptian and Greco-Roman styles mix underground.

Where we stayed. A sea-view Airbnb in Sidi Beshr, hosted by Hamdy.

Next morning: a traditional Alexandrian breakfast, then an Uber Intercity straight from Alexandria to Cairo airport (about EGP 1,860) for the flight south.

Aswan and Abu Simbel

Getting there. Air Cairo from Cairo to Aswan, trading the Mediterranean for the Nile.

Where we stayed. The Obelisk Nile hotel, right at the water’s edge.

First evening. The Nubian Village by night: colourful walls, murals and an easy, friendly pace. Dinner at King Jamika, an authentic meal with real Aswan hospitality. Make time for the Aswan souq too. It’s a calmer, more local alternative to Khan el-Khalili.

Abu Simbel. A long road trip south through the desert to the colossal temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari. It’s an early, long day, and completely worth it.

Philae and the felucca. Philae, the temple of Isis, is reachable only by a short boat ride. We ended the day on a felucca, drifting on the Nile as the sun went down.

The road to Luxor

Instead of the cruise, our host David (of David Hostel, Aswan) arranged a private car to Luxor with stops along the way. Kom Ombo, the unusual double temple, and the Crocodile Museum next door with its mummified crocodiles. Then the Temple of Horus at Edfu, astonishingly well preserved, and Esna, whose restored astronomical ceiling glows with colour. We reached Luxor after dark and went straight to Luxor Temple to see it lit up at night.

Luxor

Where we stayed. Steigenberger Nile Palace: comfort and river views after a run of long days.

Getting around. We hired Abdul as our guide, and he made a heavy schedule feel easy.

The big day. A 5:00 AM hot-air balloon over the Theban Necropolis at sunrise. Then Karnak’s forest of columns on the East Bank, and across to the West Bank for the Colossi of Memnon, Hatshepsut’s temple, the Valley of the Kings and Medinet Habu. We closed a 14-hour day with a slow walk through the Luxor souq.

The final treasures. A trip north to Dendera, the Temple of Hathor, home to the best-preserved blue ceilings in Egypt. Don’t skip it. Then the Mummification Museum on the corniche, the beautifully curated Luxor Museum, and one last look at Luxor Temple by day.

Eating and shopping. Great food at Abo Roshdy and plenty of street food in between. Bargain hard; it’s expected. We came home with an Isis locket and a bag of souvenirs for family.

We flew Luxor → Cairo for the final stretch.

Back in Cairo

Where we stayed. A Brassbell Airbnb. It was fine: a decent base with a local, residential feel.

Getting around. Skip the private day cabs. Uber and inDrive are cheap, safe and the cars are good.

Old Cairo and the bazaar. Coptic Cairo, with the Hanging Church, the Coptic Museum and the enclave where the Holy Family is believed to have sheltered. Then an afternoon lost in Khan el-Khalili among spices and brass lanterns.

The museums. The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, the grand old home of the pharaonic collection. The Citadel of Saladin on the Mokattam hills. And the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, specifically for the Royal Mummies Hall, where the kings and queens of ancient Egypt now rest in a modern, respectful setting.

The food crawl. Hagoga, Kebda el Falah, Tabali and Caizo Shawarma, plus street falafel and shawarma whenever we passed it. We left with a box of pastries from El Abd. Then it was off to Cairo International, two weeks after we’d landed.

If you go

• Best for: First-timers who want the icons and something most tours skip. Siwa is the reason to do this route.
• Getting around: Uber or inDrive in Cairo; West Delta bus to Siwa (two seats each) and a bus on to Alexandria; Uber Intercity from Alexandria to Cairo airport; Air Cairo to Aswan; a private car Aswan → Luxor with temple stops; a flight Luxor → Cairo.
• Budget: Roughly ₹9,000 per person per day, all in: flights from Bengaluru, stays, transport, tickets and food.
• With pets? Not this one. The tails stayed home and held the fort while we chased pharaohs.

Come for the pyramids, stay for Siwa, and always book the second bus seat.

The whole trip at a glance

Every stay, meal, sight and ride from the 15 days in one place.