Booking it yourself is usually cheaper on paper and closer than expected once you count the pieces a package already contains — guiding, entrance fees, internal transport and transfers. Our packages start from $799 for five days. The honest answer is that DIY wins on price for flexible, experienced travellers, and packages win on time and on the days where guiding matters.
What a package already contains
The list is longer than most people expect: hotels, a licensed Egyptologist on site days, a private car and driver, every entrance fee, airport and hotel transfers, domestic flights or the train where the route needs them, and someone to call when a plan moves. Priced separately, those are six or seven bookings.
Where DIY genuinely saves
- Hotels. Booking direct in shoulder season can beat a package's allocation.
- Only guiding what needs it. Hiring a guide for two days rather than seven is a real saving — see our day tours, which start from $15.
- Food and evenings. Eating where locals eat costs a fraction of hotel dining.
- Trains over flights. Slower, much cheaper — see flight versus train.
Where DIY quietly costs more
- Walk-up prices. Individual tickets, single taxi fares and one-off guides rarely beat contracted rates.
- Wasted hours. Time spent negotiating transport is time not spent at the sites, and on a seven-day trip that is expensive in a way money does not show.
- Mistakes. A missed internal flight or a badly ordered Luxor day costs real money to fix.
Which one fits you
| If this is you | Book |
|---|---|
| First visit, under 10 days | Package — the hours matter most |
| Experienced independent traveller, 3+ weeks | DIY |
| Family with children | Package — transfers and timing |
| Tight budget, flexible dates | DIY, guiding only the monument days |
| Want the temples explained | Either, but hire the Egyptologist |
Frequently asked questions
How much cheaper is DIY?
It depends almost entirely on hotel standard and how much guiding you buy. Strip out guiding and use budget hotels and the gap is large; match a package's hotels and guiding and it narrows sharply.
Can I book a package and still have free days?
Yes, and most people should. Ask for guided site days and unguided days rather than a full seven-day schedule.
Is it safe to travel independently in Egypt?
Yes — see our guided versus independent guide for what actually changes.
Our from-prices, reviewed September 2026. Send your dates on the plan your trip page for a comparison against your own plan.