Dreaming of Egypt? Consider this your sign to book it.

To this day, Egypt remains one of my all-time favourite destinations. I’ve been fortunate to visit many beautiful places over the years, but there is something so magical about Egypt. From sailing down the Nile and wandering through ancient temples to eating incredible local food and standing in awe before the pyramids, what’s not to love?

If Egypt has been on your list, I hope this guide inspires you to finally go. Trust me, it’s even more extraordinary than you can ever imagine.

Here’s what to see, where to stay, and what to eat across seven unforgettable days in Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan!

I have been fascinated by ancient Egypt since Grade 4. The gods, the tombs, the temples, the drama. And when I finally made it there and got to experience it with my best friend Taylor, I can honestly tell you that Egypt exceeded every single expectation I had. And to be honest, I was a little apprehensive.

The pyramids rise out of the desert in a way that photos cannot prepare you for. You know they’re big… until you see them with your own eyes. They’re enormous. The Tomb of Nefertari in Luxor looks like it was painted yesterday by someone who really, really cared about colour. And the food! Please, please do not be scared of the food. The grilled meats, the ful medames, the fresh pita, the fragrant rice dishes, the endless mezze spreads that just keep coming. Trust me, you’re going to want to eat all of it. Oh, and the mango. Have a mango smoothie daily. You won’t regret it,

So if Egypt has been sitting on your list gathering dust, here is how to do it properly: seven days, maximum luxury, and as many boat rides on the Nile as you can get!

Where to Stay

The hotels in Egypt do a lot of the heavy lifting so I will not entertain any conversation about cutting corners here. Hostels are never an option in my books but this is really not a hostel situation, if you know what I mean, my love.

In Cairo, stay at the Fairmont Nile City. The rooftop pool is fantastic, the service is impeccable, and after a day in the beautiful, exhilarating chaos of Cairo, coming back to it feels like being wrapped in a cashmere throw. The air conditioning. The smell of fresh daily floral arrangements throughout the hotel. It’s a wonderful hotel.

In Luxor, the Sofitel Winter Palace is the only answer (but I’ve heard great things about the Al Moudira Hotel as well) . It’s grand and historic and has the kind of old-world elegance that makes you feel like you really are somewhere magical. Agatha Christie wrote Death on the Nile here, right in this very hotel, presumably in a fabulous robe with a glass of something bubbly. And in 1922, Howard Carter stood on the hotel’s staircase to announce to the world that he had found Tutankhamun’s tomb. The man used the Winter Palace notice board as his press release for heaven’s sake! The hotel is currently closed for renovations and will reopen in 2027 as the Mandarin Oriental Winter Palace, so pencil that in accordingly and start planning your outfits now.

In Aswan, do not even think about staying anywhere other than the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Hotel. A 19th-century palace perched right on the banks of the Nile, with ornate ceilings and palm-lined terraces and mint tea that you will tickle you in all the right places. I mean if that’s torture, chain me to the wall!

The Itinerary

Days 1 and 2: Cairo

Arrive, check in, and have your first drink looking out at the Nile. Honestly if that’s not enough to make you feel something then I cannot help you and this is not the newsletter for you.

The Grand Egyptian Museum gets a full morning. It is the new home of Tutankhamun’s treasures and thousands of artifacts and it’s one of the most spectacular places I have ever walked through. Then head straight to the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, because nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, prepares you for seeing them in person. You’ll just stand there with your mouth open. Lunch at 9 Pyramids Lounge means you will be eating with a direct view of the pyramids, which is exactly as good as it sounds. On your second evening, dinner at Crimson Bar and Grill for the views, and then Kazoku for surprisingly wonderful Japanese food, because Cairo is endlessly full of delightful surprises!

Days 3 to 5: Luxor

Fly into Luxor, check into the Winter Palace, and go lounge by their dreamy pool to prepare yourself emotionally for the most historically rich few days of your life.

Karnak Temple needs at least half a day. The scale of it is genuinely hard to process and I say that as someone who considers himself to be someone that is hard to impress. Then, the absolute highlight of the entire trip: a pre-dawn hot air balloon over Luxor so you can float above the Valley of the Kings at sunrise. Truly spectacular.

Spend the day in the Valley of the Kings and Queens and do not you dare skip the Tomb of Nefertari. I have been to a lot of beautiful places and that tomb is still one of the most magical things I’ve ever seen. The colours alone. Hatshepsut’s Temple is breathtaking too, built by a woman who said I will simply be Pharaoh now. Period.

In the evenings, dinner at 1886 at the Winter Palace is a lovely splurge that I fully endorse, and Sofra Restaurant has a beautiful courtyard and wonderful traditional Egyptian dishes that will make you want to cancel your flight home. There’s also a little market on the Nile directly across from your hotel with wondeful food, too! And do not leave Luxor without a sunset felucca ride on the Nile. I mean it.

Days 5 to 7: Aswan

Board a private dahabiya, which is a traditional Egyptian sailing boat, and sail toward Aswan. Have lunch and dinner on board. Fresh fish, mezze, cold wine, the stars overhead. I mean seriously, how bad can that be?

Check into the Old Cataract and give yourself a moment to just sit on the terrace and take it all in. Philae Temple is a Greco-Roman masterpiece that you can only reach by boat and it is absolutely stunning. Spend a morning in the Nubian Village, which is colourful and welcoming and one of the loveliest things we did. Before you fly home, take one final sunset felucca ride because of course you do, you have fabulous taste! Then a farewell dinner at Sachi Cairo and that is that. You will already be planning your return before the plane reaches cruising altitude.

Egypt is not just a trip. It’s one of those places that genuinely changes the way you see the world, the way you understand time, and frankly the way you think about your own interior design choices once you get home and look around (kidding, unless you’re into that sort of thing). Go while you can, stay somewhere that makes you feel something, dress for dinner, and please for the love of everything do not skip the felucca at sunset. Some things are simply non-negotiable and this is one of them.

Have you been? I want to hear absolutely everything in the comments. What did you love, what did you eat, what did you wear, and most importantly, what did I miss?

Kisses!

JJH x