Egypt 🇪🇬 & Athens 🇬🇷

8 Days in Egypt & 1 Day in Athens

Giza

Hotel (2 nights): Giza Pyramids View Inn - $46/night for a room with two single beds and a patio with an incredible view of the pyramids, plus breakfast on the rooftop with more stunning views of the pyramids. The rooms were dated and in desperate need of an update, but the view made up for that. There are other properties on the same street that may have nicer rooms, but I was sold on the patio and views.

Day 1 - Giza: We were tired and jet lagged from our 4am arrival, so we were happy to have a room with such an extraordinary view, providing zero guilt for not leaving our hotel block all day!

Day 2 - Giza: We began the day with breakfast on our hotel rooftop with the very entertaining server, Alibaba, and then headed to the Grand Egyptian Museum where our entrance ticket ($35/per person) included a guided tour that lasted about 1.5 hours. We spent another 1.5 hours wandering on our own before taking an Uber to the Giza Pyramid Complex to explore on our own.

Once we got through the barrage of men asking if we wanted a guide, a camel or a horse carriage ride, we walked up the hill past the Great Sphinx and around the pyramids built around 2600 BC, over a period of about 26 years by Khufu, the second king of Egypt's 4th dynasty.

After walking around the pyramids, we hopped in an Uber to the Viola Rooftop Restaurant on the Nile River for dinner and shisha. The ambiance was perfect and the people were awesome!

We headed to the Giza Train Station to take the Luxury Sleeper Train from Giza to Aswan ($95/per person for the double cabin) and it was ANYTHING but luxury. We were provided dinner and breakfast, but didn't even open the cellophane. We barely slept, but sunrise provided some pretty cool views of life along the Nile between Luxor and Aswan. Total trip: 14 hours and I couldn't wait to get off this train.

ASWAN

Viator Riverboat (3 nights) with Mody Egypt Tours: Viator 4-Days Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor including Abu Simbel and Hot Air Balloon - $972 for two people which includes everything (pick up/drop off at the start/end of the trip, all meals, incredible guided tours and transportation to all sites in air conditioned vans, or on boats, or via horse carriage). The only items NOT included are tips for guides/drivers, temple entrance fees, and drinks on the riverboat. This was the BEST value of any trip/tour I've ever done anywhere in the world.

Day 3 - Philae Temple & the High Dam: Our train from Giza in northern Egypt took us to the southern city of Aswan, famous for temples and the High Dam, one of the world's largest embankment dams built between 1960 and 1970.

We were picked up at the train station by Mody Egypt Tours upon arrival at 10:15 am and whisked off immediately to a 3 hour tour of the High Dam and Graeco Roman Philae Temple built by Ptolemy II and III in 690 BC dedicated to the goddess Isis.

When a person was crowned king of Egypt, they immediately began three tasks: 1) design/build a tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor dedicated to the afterlife, 2) design/build a temple to preserve your legacy, and 3) design/build something at Karnak Temple, the largest temple in Egypt.

Day 4 - Abu Simbel: We started our day at 4am driving 3.5 hours, near the border with Sudan, to visit the fascinating temples at Abu Simbel built by King Rameses II for himself and his wife, Queen Nefertari. These were my personal favorite! Rameses II was 90 when he died and he reigned for more than 60 years.

After returning from Abu Simbel, we had lunch on the boat and cruised to Kom Ombo overnight.

Day 5 - Kom Ombo & Edfu Temple of Horus: After breakfast, we walked off the boat to meet our guide and tour Kom Ombo and the Temple of Sobek, the crocodile god.

From Kom Ombo, we continued north on the Nile to Edfu where we took a horse carriage to the Temple of Horus. This Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in Egypt. Preserved by desert sand, which filled the place after the pagan cult was banned, the temple is dedicated to Horus, the avenging son of Isis and Osiris. With its roof intact, it is also one of the most atmospheric of ancient buildings (Lonely Planet).

After Edfu, we continued north on the Nile to Luxor, passing through the Esna Lock. While boats are waiting their turn to go through, salesmen approach in small boats and launch their goods on the rooftop of the riverboats for potential buyers to check out. If they don't want the item, they toss it back to the boat. If they want it, they toss money down. It was quite entertaining to watch.

LUXOR

Day 6 - Hot Air Balloon Ride & Karnak and Luxor Temples: We woke up on the riverboat in Luxor bright and early to meet our guide at 4am for a hot air balloon ride over Luxor's West Bank. We were able to see temples from the air, including the Temple of Hatshepsut, as well as as the road to the Valley of the Kings.

After the hot air balloon ride, we headed to the Colossi of Memnon for a quick picture of the giant statues and then on to the Valley of the Kings where Egyptian kings designed their tombs to prepare for the afterlife which they believed was more important than actual life. Previously, kings were buried in pyramids, but to avoid grave robbers stealing all their treasures, they started making tombs in the mountain and concealing the location. They did it so well, archeologists are still searching for many. We visited the following tombs: KV2 (Rameses IV), KV6 (Rameses IX), KV9 (Rameses V & VI) and KV11 (Rameses III).

After exploring the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, we went to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, honoring one of the first female pharaohs who has been described as the Egyptian queen who ruled as king. Hatshepsut ruled during the 18th dynasty for more than two decades until she died in 1458 B.C.E. and was buried in the Valley of the Kings.

After a full morning that started at 4am on the West Bank, we headed to the East Bank for the largest temple in Egypt, Karnak Temple, built over the course of 2000 years and covering 63 acres with massive pillars and obelisks built by Queen Hatshepsut.

Our final stop at the end of this 11 hour FULL day was Luxor Temple, built smack dab in the middle of the city of Luxor on the Nile River by the New Kingdom pharaohs Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BC) and Ramses II (1279–1213 BC).

Hotel (1 night): Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa - $212/night including breakfast booked for free on the portal using the Capital One Venture X annual travel credit. The resort was absolutely stunning! We wished we had more time to relax at the pool on the Nile River.

Day 7: We enjoyed a full breakfast before asking the front desk to call us a taxi to the airport. Unlike Cairo and Giza, there are no Ubers in Luxor. We flew from Luxor to Cairo on Nile Air and relaxed at the Novotel Cairo Airport hotel for the night before heading to Athens the following morning. After a full week, it was nice to just sit around.

Hotel (1 night): Novotel Cairo Airport - $107/night booked for free on the portal using the Capital One Venture X annual travel credit.

Day 8: We headed to the airport in Cairo and planned to stop in a lounge for breakfast after finding our gate, but the gate involved a security check-in with no turning back for a lounge experience. Our flight was short and pleasant from Cairo to Athens on Aegean Air with awesome views of the Nile River, the Mediterranean Sea and the Greek Islands. Upon landing in Athens, it was fairly simple to navigate to our hotel using Google Maps and buy a €9 metro ticket (which includes bus transfers) at the ticket counter.

ATHENS

Hotel (1 nights): Grand Hyatt Athens - 12,000 points/night with incredible views of the Acropolis (and a short 30 min walk) and the Mediterranean in the opposite direction. At check-in, we were given free breakfast (even though I booked a standard room - thank you!) and WOW did it deliver. It was one of the best hotel breakfasts we've ever had!

Day 9: Our flight home on Norse Airlines didn't depart until 6pm so we had the day to explore Athens. After our awesome breakfast with a view, we walked 30 minutes to the Acropolis (in Greek = high point in a city) where there was a huge line and guides offering a skip-the-line 45 minute tour for $50 US or 40 Euros. Sold!

Our guide was very informative, taught us that idiot is from Ancient Greek meaning one who doesn't vote, and showed us the literal birthplace of democracy where Athena had a debate with Poseidon, as well as other fun facts.

After wandering around the Acropolis, we walked though the ancient village of Plaka, full of shops, restaurants and cafes, before getting our bags and taking public transport to the airport for the flight home. We will most definitely come back to Greece for a full Greek adventure soon.

GETTING THERE

We headed to Brussels on United Airlines using the return portion of our round trip summer flight (booked for $566 pp), so the return leg was $283 per person. We spent our layover in the Diamond Lounge (Terminal A).

From Brussels, we flew on ITA Airways to Cairo (via Rome and the Plaza Premium Lounge) for $162 per person. When we landed in Cairo, we purchased two $25 US cash visas and went through customs.

After the riverboat cruise, we flew Luxor to Cairo on Nile Air for $90 per person and Cairo to Athens on Aegean Air for $88 per person. At the end of the trip, we flew Norse Atlantic Airways from Athens to JFK for $278 per person and visited the Goldair Handling Lounge prior to departure.

We stayed the night at the Hyatt Regency JFK Airport for 15,000 points and flew Sun Country Airlines from JFK to Minneapolis the following morning for $99 per person.

All flights totaled $1000 per person.

EGYPT TIPS

• Use Uber in Cairo/Giza: it is VERY convenient and will help you avoid the onslaught of aggressive taxi drivers whenever you leave an establishment

• Start your trip in Aswan or Luxor with a riverboat cruise or other full-service tour and end your trip in Cairo/Giza when you've fully acclimated to Egypt

• Have small Egyptian bills on hand for baksheesh, or tips. Google "tipping in Egypt" for the most up-to-date information on the appropriate amounts.

PACKING SUGGESTIONS

• Travel light: use a Samsonite Underseat Carry-On or backpack and packing cubes or vacuum sealed bags

• Bring a crossbody bag, travel wallet, portable charger, toiletry bag and European travel adapter (and this small travel adapter)

• Bring Loperamide (Imodium) for tummy troubles, wet wipes to wash hands, and small packets of tissues for the restroom

BUDGET (2 people)

Flight: $1999

Hotels & Nile River Cruise: $1064 (Giza hotel $91, Nile River Cruise $973)

Transport: $290 (Ubers $62, Sleeper train $189, Athens subway $39)

Museums & Temples: $232 (GEM $70, Giza Pyramids $22, River cruise Temples $140)

Restaurants: $333 (Egypt $171, Greece $124, River cruise beverages $38)

ATM/Cash: $426 (Egypt Visas $50, tipping, market items)

TOTAL: $4344

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