Egypt was a bucket list type of trip, and I learned so much in researching and visiting. Here’s a guide for you to plan your trip!
I knew Egypt was going to be an incredible trip. There were many surprised responses before we
We decided on Egypt because of the opportunity to dive in the Red Sea. After that was settled, we couldn’t go to Egypt without taking in the famous sights. There is so much awe-inspiring wonder in Egypt. The history goes back to the crux of civilization. They are still finding historic sculptures and uncovering mysteries to this day!
If you want to see incredible sights that you’ve likely learned about in school and to get out of your comfort zone, consider going to Egypt!
Things to Know When Traveling Egypt
- When to visit: Welcome to the desert! Egypt is hot. You’ll find lows in the 30s and highs in the 100s. June,
July, and August are the hottest months while December, January, and February will be the coolest. The best time to go is in September, October, or November. - Water: Some say you can drink the tap water when you’re in Cairo center but not in the outskirts. We kept it safe and drank bottled water the entire time we were in Egypt.
- Currency: Egyptian Pound or LE. As of 2018, $1 USD is about 17 LE.
- Language: Arabic and there are a few dialects
- Tipping: If you see a service charge on your bill, this is for the restaurant.
Usually tip 10% for wait staff. Keep small bills around for tips. - Visas & Entry: For U.S. citizens, your passport must be valid for six months. When you arrive at the airport, you must get a visa from the bank window (about $25) before going through immigration.
- Safety: As of 2018, Egypt has a travel advisory from the U.S. Department of State as “exercise increased caution” because of activities. Some may not feel comfortable traveling to Egypt because of this designation. See below my section about safety.
- Vaccinations: No special vaccinations needed.
- Religion: The majority of Egyptians are Muslim.
- Ramadan is celebrated in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the dates vary from year to year. During this time, Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown. Do not visit during this time or you may have trouble finding open restaurants. Also, drinking and eating in public while others are fasting could be seen as disrespectful.
- Essentials to Pack: universal charger, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen. (See general suggestions here.)
- Women should bring their own sanitary products. Pads are expensive and tampons are hard to find.
Is it Safe to Travel to Egypt?
As of 2018, Egypt has a travel advisory from the U.S. Department of State as “exercise increased caution” because of past activities. Some may not feel comfortable traveling to Egypt because of this designation.
I was nervous before our trip because I read that groping and catcalling is commonly experienced by female visitors. We had a few private tours and our guides were a buffer to make sure we weren’t harassed. When we explored on our own or walked along streets, I experienced no harassment and never felt uncomfortable, though I was also traveling with my fiancé, who is a tall, white male.
We did find many people coming up to us to offer their services as guides around tourist sights. We gave them a firm no, sometimes more than once, and they usually left us alone. Because of the economy, I think locals will ask to help you or to buy something out of the desire, and maybe even desperation, to make money, but they will also respect your wishes because they don’t want to hinder tourism by giving you a bad reputation of Egypt.
The most unsafe I felt was when we got into a car we thought was a taxi. Don’t give in to pushy people! Taxis, in general, were questionable to me. One taxi driver tried to make us pay more than we had agreed when we arrived at our destination. But one taxi driver drove us from our hotel to a restaurant and for ease of finding transportation, he, without us asking, promised to be waiting to drive us back after our meal. For price reference, we asked our hotel desk what a typical fare to a specific place would be before we went out. Uber is available in Cairo, so it makes things easier but you’ll be looking for taxis everywhere else. Be cautious but remember not every local is out to get you.
Of course, also use your senses and be a safe and respectful traveler! See my safe travel tips here.
Getting To and Around Egypt
We flew into Cairo International Airport from New York City.
We flew Egypt Air domestically. I wasn’t able to book our flights through the official website because of credit and debit card restrictions. When I called the U.S. office to ask about it and to book by phone, they told me to book through a third party. …ok, then! I booked our domestic flights through Expedia and it was about the same price as on their website. We didn’t have any problems with getting our boarding passes at the gate. Our flights from Cairo to Luxor and Hurghada were about $85-100 plus taxes.
Transportation inside a city: Uber is available in Cairo, which makes things a lot easier. They are also testing Uber Buses in Cairo. If you have booked a tour, you’ll likely ride a bus or a car. Otherwise, there are taxis. Make sure they have registration and are marked. Clearly negotiate your price before the taxi starts driving and be wary of re-negotiation during the ride.
For travel to other cities, check out Go Bus, a private bus company. Cairo to Luxor is less than $10, though remember you’ll also be spending hours on a bus, and that comes with its own possible troubles. You could also find tour companies that will take you to other cities. Do not rent a car and drive yourself because of safety!
There is also the train, but I’ve heard mixed reviews. If you do the overnight train, I’d splurge for a first class, which gives you a private room, so you can lay down. Otherwise, you might have trouble falling asleep with bright lights and lots of noise. The day train will be a lot cheaper than the night train (easily around $80 more) if you want to save money but take up sight-seeing time. Here’s the official Egyptian National Railways website here and you can find more tourist info here.
Here are some travel times to help you plan your trip.
- Flight from Cairo to Luxor: 1 hour
- Drive from Cairo to Luxor: 646 km by road, about 7 hours
- Flight from Cairo to Hurghada: 1 hour
- Drive from Cairo to Hurghada: 460 km by road, about 5 hours
- Train from Cairo to Luxor: 9 hours
- Train from Cairo to Hurghada: 6 hours
- Drive from Hurghada to Luxor: 305 km by road, about 3 hours
What to Wear in Egypt
The attire in Cairo is conservative and it is respectful to follow Egyptian culture while you are there. Visitors will feel more comfortable having covered knees and shoulders. Women may want to have a scarf to cover their heads when visiting mosques. I wore long, light pants with a plain t-shirt every day, as did my fiancé. Closed-toe shoes may make you more comfortable since streets can be dirty and you’ll be doing a lot of walking. Be sure to wear sunglasses, sunscreen, and perhaps a hat to protect yourself from the sun.
Our Egypt Itinerary and Recommendations
We planned our trip around our Red Sea scuba liveaboard and it was the first thing we booked. The liveaboard was a Saturday to a Saturday and leaving from Hurghada. We also wanted to spend time in Cairo and Luxor.
Here’s the itinerary we ended up with:
- Day 1 – Leave the U.S. (Texas) at 9 a.m.
- Day 2 – Arrive in
Cairo 11 a.m.; Egyptian Museum, Food Tour - Day 3 – Giza and Saqqara Half-Day Tour
- Day 4 – Fly to Hurghada, board our liveaboard
- Day 5-11 – Liveaboard sailing the Red Sea
- Day 12 – Fly from Hurghada to Cairo, Cairo to Luxor
- Day 13 – Luxor West and East Banks tour
- Day 14 – Fly from Luxor to Cairo; Explore Khan el-Khalili, Islamic Cairo, the Citadel
- Day 15 – Leave Egypt at 7 a.m. and arrive in the U.S. (Texas) at 10 p.m.
Things I would have changed about our itinerary: On day 12, it might have been easier and cheaper to take a 3-hour bus ride from Hurghada to Luxor instead of flying through Cairo.
Recommendations on Cities to Visit
- You’ll likely land in Cairo and you should spend 2-3 days here.
- You don’t want to miss Luxor and you’ll want at least one full day of sight-seeing.
- To see a different side of Egypt, you might want to go to a beach resort town like Hurghada or Sharm El-Sheik.
- For more history, add a day trip from Cairo to Alexandria or find time to visit Aswan.
- Many visitors do the Nile River Cruise from Luxor to Aswan.
What to Do in Egypt
Other than diving the Red Sea, my favorite memories were visiting the Egyptian Museum, going on the Bellies En-Route food tour, and our day in Luxor with Emo Tours
If it’s in your budget, booking a tour will add a lot of knowledge and valuable commentary to your experience. There is so much to learn in Egypt and certified Egyptologists have so much to share. I also looked at tour options on Viator and Urban Adventures.
Egyptian Museum
We explored the Egyptian Museum on our own and read commentary from the Lonely Planet guidebook along the way. However, the Egyptian Museum has no signage, so it made figuring out where we were harder and I abandoned the guidebook quickly. I think having a tour guide would have enhanced our experience.
As of 2018, the new Egyptian Museum is being built and is projected to open in 2020. (It broke ground in 2006.) The museum will be moved from Downtown Cairo to
For more about things to do in Cairo and Luxor, see these posts:
- Marveling The Great Pyramid of Egypt
- Best Things to Do in Cairo
- You Must See Luxor’s Awe-Inspiring Sights When You Visit Egypt
- Diving the Red Sea on a 7-Day Liveaboard
Where to Stay in Egypt
I shared where we stayed and recommendations in the Cairo and Luxor travel guides.
I didn’t love any of the places we stayed, and we stayed in three hotels ranging from $40-90 a night. The rooms either felt dingy or smelled of cigarette smoke, or the hotel had bad food options. We tried to stay in more affordable places, so maybe we could have spent a little more for nicer places. Where we stayed didn’t break our experience. There are surely excellent hotels, so I suggest reading through reviews and looking at photos to learn more about a place before you book. Marriott Mena House in Cairo, which is considered a high-end hotel, ranges from $160-300 a night.
I didn’t book any places on Airbnb because I wanted the extra security and options of a hotel but I did see some places in Cairo that could be good options. If you do want to book an Airbnb, make sure to read the reviews, and you could save money on accommodations by going this route.
Scuba Diving in Egypt
If you’re considering a trip to Egypt, there’s a big chance you are a scuba diver. The Red Sea is one of the world’s best dive locations and it was our main reason for choosing to visit Egypt. Europeans are so lucky to have the Red Sea a quick flight away!
We choose to do a seven-day liveaboard to get the most out of diving. The days on the liveaboard flew by, and all we really did was eat, sleep, and dive.
If you want more tips about diving in Egypt, I have all of those details in this post.
Eating and Drinking in Egypt
Be sure to take a look at this post for all the details on Egyptian dishes. Eat your fill of fava bean falafels for me. I miss them constantly.
Resources
When it comes to finding information, I didn’t find one resource that does a great job
It will help to spend some time researching travel blogs. Here are some posts and videos I looked at:
Conclusion
Hope and sorrow fill Egyptian hearts. The 2011 Revolution brought so much hope, but after the victory,
But I don’t fault the locals for how their government is running the country. They are eager for visitors to return to experience their country. One guide told me they are at 10% of the tourism that it once had. That’s a lot of people out of jobs, and it’s also an opportunity for visitors to see many of the sights without ridiculous crowds! I was thankful for the privilege to visit Egypt and I valued being a U.S. citizen more when I returned.
I hope this helps and encourages you to book a trip to Egypt! It’s a perfect place for history buffs and those wanting a different kind of adventure. Choose to see the wonder of what Egypt has to offer over the fear of what you may encounter. Chances are, your worrying was unwarranted and you’ll have a magical experience.
If you want to see my other posts about Egypt, here are the links:
- Marveling The Great Pyramid of Egypt
- Eating and Drinking in Egypt
- Best Things to Do in Cairo
- Cairo Travel Guide
- You Must See Luxor’s Awe-Inspiring Sights When You Visit Egypt
- Luxor Travel Guide
- Diving the Red Sea on a 7-Day Liveaboard
As always, if you have any questions or need more recommendations when you plan your trip, feel free to comment below or send me a message at FearlessCaptivations@gmail.com.
P.S. Looking for more adventures? You should take a look at Thailand or Belize!
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