Wadi Natrun was listed on an Insight tour - sounded interesting - but the tour stated "if open" - since I am traveling during Ramadan, i am nervous that this and other places, outside of Cairo, might be closed - any information on this?? also, on my last trip to egypt, I felt that not enough time was given at the Valley of the kings - if i stay additional nights in Cairo, how expensive would a trip down to luxor be or should I try to make the tour leave me off in luxor?

By Wadi Natrun, I assume you mean the monasteries, since there is not much else in that area? There are four monasteries in close proximity (Deir Anba Bishoi, Deir il-Suryani, Deir il-Baramus and Deir Abu Magar) but they are not all open every day - each one has different days and hours of operation. Perhaps that is what Insight meant. If you went on any given day you might be able to see at least one or two, but if there is something specific you want to see then obviously it would be best to check the opening times in advance and plan your trip accordingly.

The holy month of Ramadan does usually affect most tourist sites in that they close early in order for people to get home in time to break the fast with their families - sometimes places close as early as 2.30 or 3pm instead of the usual 4 or 5pm. However, I don't know if this would necessarily apply to the monasteries seeing as they are Coptic (christian).

As for your desire to spend more time in the Valley of the Kings, I'm unsure as to what sort of program you are going to be on.... if it's an organised tour, then it will surely have some flexibility built into it (i.e. free periods) so you could go back and visit the VoK at your leisure. It's hardly worth making a whole separate trip all the way from Cairo frankly, unless there are other things you want to see down there. Of course since about 80% of Egypt's fabulous antiquities are in the Luxor area, there is enough there to fill a whole week!