In Luxor I went to the Valley of the Kings &amp; Queens,had a trip on the Nile, in a falluka with other people I met at the hotel, and vised the Kuxor and Karnok Temples - Luxor by day and Karnok by both day and night - wonderful.
Grasshopper, I am female and over 40. I haven't seen Michael Palin's tour of Cairo so can't comment. Cairo can be daunting but it is also very exciting. You will be hassled wherever you go but you will also see some of the most wonderful (in my opinion) sights in history. My advice, as a solo traveller for many years, is read up Cairo before you go, be vigilant and secure a price before you take any trip. I travelled from London to Cairo. Spent 3 days in Cairo and then flew to Luxor. The flight path was down the Nile during daylight and was wonderful. In Luxor I went to the Valley of the Kings &amp; Queens,had a trip on the Nile, in a falluka with other people I met at the hotel, and vised the Kuxor and Karnok Temples - Luxor by day and Karnok by both day and night - wonderful. I never felt worried or afraid in Egypt but I rarely ventured out at night. Having said that, Egypt is a Moslim country and there are no late nighr bars (as far as I know) in the country. I really enjoyed my time in Egypt and would recommed any solo traveller there - don't be afraid, the Egyptians do hassle. but just say no and enjoy the wonderful history.