Budget

Flights – 66 000 points pp (LAX ↔ Cairo, Qatar Airways)

Domestic flights – $40 pp Cairo → Luxor; $28 pp Aswan → Cairo

Accommodation – $5 896 total
• Steigenberger Giza – $194/night (3 nights)
• Sofitel Winter Palace – $200/night (3 nights)
• Nile River Cruise – $880/night (5 nights) (@nourelnil)
• Cairo Four Seasons – $157/night (2 nights, Amex FHR credit applied)

Transportation & guides
• Ubers – $42
• Pyramids guide + transfer – $180
• Luxor guide + transfers (2 days) – $90
• Philae guide + transfer – $42

Site tickets – $67 pp total (Pyramid Complex, Great Pyramid interior, Karnak, Luxor, Valley of the Kings, Tut ankhamun’s tomb, Philae)

Tips – $300

Meet-and-assist airport service – $25 pp

Couples massage – complimentary via Amex Platinum Fine Hotels & Resorts
Grand total: $7,071 (avg $495/day, or $247 pp/day)

Arrival Logistics

Egypt’s blanket drone ban means anything with propellers will be impounded, so leave it at home and pack a power bank instead. At Cairo Airport, U.S. travelers buy a 30-day visa sticker for exactly $25 in cash at the bank kiosk before immigration; cards are not accepted. We added a $25-per-person meet-and-assist service that whisked us to a shorter line and smoothed over X-ray questions about our camera gear—worth every dollar. If you’re carrying bodies, lenses, or mics, spread them across your bags so nothing screams “film crew.”

Touring Tactics

Most sites unlock around 7 a.m.; by noon the desert sun turns stone into a skillet. We hit temples at opening, retreated for a swim or nap, and returned after four when the light went golden and crowds thinned. Licensed guides are indispensable: they handle tickets, fend off touts, and know the photo angles that dodge bus groups. Keep small bills handy for baksheesh—10–20 Egyptian pounds eases restroom stops and photo permissions, while multi-day guides or drivers appreciate an envelope of roughly ten percent at the end. Uber is reliable in Cairo; elsewhere, arrange rides through your hotel or guide to avoid hard-sell taxi ranks, and sit behind the driver where seatbelts most often hide.

Filming and Survival Gear

Tripods, gimbals, and furry microphones draw instant attention from security. We shot handheld with a mirrorless body and clipped tiny lav mics under our shirts—clean audio, zero hassle. In your daypack, a crushable sun hat, mineral SPF, silk scarf, rocket blower, and spare SD cards are non-negotiable; they kept dust off sensors and the sun off skin all week. Follow the play-by-play on Instagram @itshollyandluke, and happy planning for your own chapter along the Nile!