Egypt

Egypt in a week is a logistical puzzle that rewards a flight or two. Cairo gets you in the door with the Pyramids and the new Grand Egyptian Museum, but the country's pull is the long stretch of Nile south of it, where temple walls still hold their pigment and the river does most of the moving for you. Seven days is enough to hit the headline sites without spending every afternoon in a minivan, provided you book the EgyptAir hop down to Luxor or Aswan early.

Start in Cairo with two nights. The Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza now holds Tutankhamun's full collection, and you can pair a morning there with an afternoon at Saqqara, quieter than Giza and home to some of the oldest stone architecture on earth. Evenings belong to Islamic Cairo: Al-Azhar Park at sunset, then dinner at Abou Tarek for koshari, the lentil-rice-pasta tangle Egyptians eat standing up. Fly south next. Luxor's East Bank holds Karnak's hypostyle hall and Luxor Temple lit gold after dark; the West Bank needs a full day for the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple. A Nile cruise or a fast train carries you on to Aswan for feluccas, Philae, and a pre-dawn convoy to Abu Simbel.

For a photography-leaning detour, swap one Nile day for an overnight in the White Desert from Bahariya Oasis. The wind-carved chalk towers at moonrise are one of the more surreal things in North Africa.

Mid-range here stretches further than most travelers expect. Expect to pay around 80 to 150 USD a night for places like the Steigenberger in Cairo or the Sofitel Old Cataract in Aswan during shoulder season. October through April is the window; summer in Upper Egypt regularly clears 40°C. Carry small bills for baksheesh, dress modestly at mosques, and hire a licensed Egyptologist guide for at least the Luxor day. It changes what you see.