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🇪🇬 Itinerary · Egypt · 30 days

1-month Egypt itinerary 2026: the grand tour, desert and Sinai

30 days without rushing: Cairo, Alexandria, the White Desert, Aswan, Abu Simbel, a Nile cruise, Luxor and Sinai diving at Dahab. The grand tour of Egypt, stage by stage.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

30 days

Stops

9 places

Average budget

€2,600-4,400

Total distance

~3,000 km

Profile

Long trip

Season

Oct-Apr

Cairo 4d · Alexandria 2d · White Desert 3d · Aswan 3d · Nile cruise 2d · Luxor 4d · Hurghada 3d · Dahab 5d · Sinai 3d · return 1d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Egypt 1-month itinerary map: Cairo, Alexandria, White Desert, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Nile cruise, Luxor, Dahab

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

10 days, day by day

1

~€80/day

Cairo · D1 to D4 · Pyramids & museums

  • D1-2 Giza plateau (Khufu, Sphinx), Saqqara, ancient Memphis.
  • D3 Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), Tutankhamun's treasures.
  • D4 Coptic Cairo, Saladin Citadel, Khan el-Khalili bazaar.
🛌 🛌 Giza · e.g. Marriott Mena House (4 nights)·🚗 Private transfers·Egypt guide →
2

~€70/day

Alexandria · D5 to D6 · The Mediterranean

  • D5 Train to Alexandria (2h30). Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Qaitbay fort on the old lighthouse.
  • D6 Kom el-Shoqafa catacombs, Pompey's Pillar, corniche and seafood.
🛌 🛌 Corniche · e.g. Steigenberger Cecil (2 nights)·🚆 Cairo-Alexandria train
3

~€75/day

White Desert · D7 to D9 · Bahariya

  • D7 Back to Cairo, drive to Bahariya oasis (4 h), hot springs.
  • D8 Black Desert, crystal, then the White Desert and its chalk formations. Bivouac under the stars.
  • D9 Sunrise over the white rocks, back to Cairo.
🛌 🛌 Bahariya + desert bivouac (2 nights)·🚗 4x4 in the desert
4

~€75/day

Aswan · D10 to D12 · Upper Egypt

  • D10 Flight Cairo → Aswan. Temple of Philae, High Dam, unfinished obelisk.
  • D11 Outing to Abu Simbel (Ramses II temples, UNESCO) at sunrise.
  • D12 Felucca to Elephantine Island, Nubian village, board the cruise.
🛌 🛌 Aswan · e.g. Old Cataract (2 nights) + ship·✈️ Flight + 🚗 Abu Simbel + ⛴️ cruise
5

~€75/day

Nile cruise · D13 to D14

  • D13 Temple of Kom Ombo, Temple of Edfu by carriage, sailing.
  • D14 Esna lock, arrival in Luxor, evening on board.
🛌 🛌 Cruise ship (2 nights)·⛴️ Cruise
6

~€85/day

Luxor · D15 to D18 · Capital of the pharaohs

  • D15 Sunrise balloon over the Theban necropolis.
  • D16 Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon.
  • D17 Karnak Temple, avenue of sphinxes, Luxor Temple at dusk.
  • D18 Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu, Luxor Museum.
🛌 🛌 Luxor · e.g. Sofitel Winter Palace (4 nights)·🚗 East and west banks
7

~€75/day

Hurghada · D19 to D21 · First Red Sea

  • D19 Drive to Hurghada (4 h, Eastern Desert), a first swim.
  • D20 Diving or snorkelling at Giftun Island, colourful reefs.
  • D21 4x4 desert outing, Bedouin village, beach rest.
🛌 🛌 Hurghada · e.g. Steigenberger Al Dau Beach (3 nights)·🚗 Eastern Desert road
8

~€65/day

Dahab · D22 to D26 · The divers' Sinai

  • D22 Ferry or road to Sinai and Dahab, a Bedouin seaside town.
  • D23-24 Diving at the Blue Hole and the Canyon, the most famous site in Egypt.
  • D25-26 Snorkelling at the Lagoon, yoga, quiet life by the water.
🛌 🛌 Dahab · e.g. Le Méridien Dahab Resort (5 nights)·⛴️ Ferry + 🚗 Sinai road
9

~€70/day

Sinai · D27 to D29 · Mount Sinai & St Catherine

  • D27 Drive to St Catherine, the Orthodox monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai.
  • D28 Night climb of Mount Sinai (2,285 m) for sunrise.
  • D29 Rest, back towards Sharm el-Sheikh for the flight.
🛌 🛌 St Catherine + Sharm (3 nights)·🚗 Sinai roads
10

Flight

Return · D30 · Sharm el-Sheikh or Cairo

  • Morning A last swim or downtime.
  • Afternoon Flight Sharm el-Sheikh → Paris (often direct) or via Cairo.
🛌 🛌 night on the plane·✈️ Direct flight or via Cairo

How much

Budget for this itinerary (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€2,600

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight Paris: €350
  • 🏨 Pension + simple cruise: €35/night
  • 🍲 Koshari and street food: €13/day
  • 🚆 Train + flights + ferries: €280
  • 🎫 Sites + Abu Simbel + desert + diving: €450
Recommended

Comfort

€3,500

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight Paris: €400
  • 🏨 4★ hotel + 5★ cruise: €88/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed dining: €26/day
  • ✈️ Domestic flights + transfers: €350
  • 🎫 White Desert + diving + guides: €550

Premium

€7,200

per person

  • ✈️ Upgraded flight: €700
  • 🏨 Palace + dahabiya + 5★ resorts: €240/night
  • 🍽️ Fine tables: €50/day
  • 🚗 Private Egyptologist + transfers
  • 🎫 Balloon + private desert + diving: €1,100

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Cairo, the Nile cruise and Luxor. The essential format.

2 weeks

2 weeks

Plus the Red Sea and diving, after the temples.

You're here

1 month

1 month

The grand tour, from the White Desert to Sinai and Alexandria.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

A month for the complete tour: Cairo, Alexandria on the Mediterranean, the White Desert by 4x4, Upper Egypt by flight and cruise, then the Red Sea and Sinai. Flights and ferries avoid the very long roads.

✈️

Domestic flights

€60-90 · Cairo-Aswan, return from Sharm · avoid 12 h of road

⛴️

Cruise + Red Sea ferry

Aswan-Luxor cruise included · Hurghada-Sharm ferry

🚗

4x4 in the White Desert

from Bahariya · bivouac · chalk and white formations

🤿

Sinai diving (Dahab)

Blue Hole, Canyon · water 22-28°C · the best of Egypt

Adapt by season

Desert and temples in winter, Sinai year-round

This month combines the White Desert and Upper Egypt (October to April, 40°C in summer) with Sinai at Dahab, divable year-round (water at 22-28°C). Bivouac nights in the White Desert drop near 0°C in winter despite the daytime heat: bring a sleeping bag. The best overall window is October-November and March-April: pleasant temples, bearable desert, warm clear sea in Sinai.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In November 2024 I slept at the bivouac in the White Desert, an hour from Bahariya: total silence, white chalk rocks under the full moon, and a biting cold despite the day's 28°C. At sunrise the formations turned pink. It is the strongest memory of the month, and no one else for miles.
  • • Keeping Dahab for the end: five days of diving and slow living after the intensity of the temples.
  • • Pushing on to Mount Sinai for sunrise after the night climb.
  • • Adding Alexandria early in the trip: the Mediterranean façade, often skipped.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Bringing a sleeping bag for the White Desert: winter nights drop near 0°C.
  • • Taking the domestic flights rather than the road for Upper Egypt.
  • • Checking the security of inner Sinai before departure (restricted areas).

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is a month too long for Egypt? +
Not if you add Alexandria, the White Desert and Sinai. Two weeks already cover temples and the Red Sea; the month adds the Mediterranean, a desert bivouac and diving at Dahab, with real rest days.
Is the White Desert worth the detour? +
Yes, it is one of the most striking landscapes in Egypt: white chalk formations sculpted by the wind. Bivouac from Bahariya oasis (4 h from Cairo). Bring a sleeping bag, the nights are cold in winter.
Do you need a visa for Egypt? +
Yes: an e-visa online (about USD 25) or a visa on arrival, valid 30 days. For Sinai on the Dahab/Sharm side only, a free 15-day Sinai permit may suffice.
Is Dahab worth five days? +
For a diver, yes: the Blue Hole and the Canyon are among the most famous sites in the world, and the Bedouin town is peaceful. For a non-diver, cut to 3 days and flesh out Luxor or the desert.
What is the best time to go? +
October to April: pleasant temples, bearable desert, warm clear Red Sea. The ideal window is October-November and March-April. Scorching summer except by the sea.
How much does this month cost all in? +
Around €2,600 backpacking, €3,500 in comfort and €7,200 premium, flight from Paris included, per person. The cruise, the White Desert and diving are the heaviest lines.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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