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Egypt is such an amazing place- the history, the culture, the people, the food, the juxtaposition of new and old; it was so high on our list. After traveling to 28 countries prior to Egypt, we consider ourselves pretty experienced when it comes to travel. Egypt challenged us in so many ways- from planning, to avoiding scams. So here is our detailed guide to help you navigate this beautiful country.

Safety 

Is Egypt safe? At the time of writing, according to the US Department of State, Egypt is a level 3 travel risk (reconsider travel). With that being said, we didn’t feel as though we were in danger of being harmed by anyone at any time.

From a female perspective, Joc did experience a lot of men wanting to touch her or “give hugs”, many unwanted compliments about her appearance, and general glaring.

The biggest safety concern in Egypt is the relentless scams. People are constantly trying to do things for you or tell you things and demand money for their “services”.

Although we love to engage with locals typically, it is incredibly important to remain vigilant during your time in Egypt. For this reason, we truly recommend a local guide. They can drive away unwanted scammers.

Visa process

US visitors need a single-entry tourist visa. Cost is $25USD and is valid for 30 days. We completed our visa on arrival with assistance arranged by our local travel guide. 

When to visit?

Egypt is known for sweltering summers, for that reason, it is recommended to visit between October-April.

If you’re looking to skip the temples and opt for beach days, June- September is ideal for visiting the red sea.

Getting around

Getting to Egypt, you will likely fly into Cairo International Airport (CAI).

Egyptian driving rivals our experiences with SE Asia driving. Egypt has a mix of under developed and modern roads, but essentially no road rules. With various police check-points located at random, you never know when you will be stopped or what for (likely a bribe is required).

Due to the driving hazards and general safety concerns, we recommend hiring a private driver. Additionally, we highly recommend the services of an Egyptologist during your visit– their knowledge is truly astounding.

Currency & Preferred payment

The currency in Egypt is the Egyptian pound (EGP). 1EGP is the equivalent of $0.02USD. Although cards seem to be widely accepted, we still recommend carrying EGP or USD as tipping is very customary and expected. 

For ease, we always opt to remove cash at the airport ATM on arrival.

Pro-tip: Make sure to decline the ATM conversion to get the best exchange rate from your bank.

DIY Versus Hiring a Local Agency

We are extremely PRO hire a local agency. We did work with a local operator for the entirety of our stay; they helped arrange transportation, getting entry tickets, going through customs and immigration, and ensuring egyptologists at all sites.

We had formulated our itinerary and allowed a few critiques from them- we vetted multiple agencies and this itinerary format seemed to be the best from multiple sources.

We selected our own accommodations because we felt most comfortable getting a place that would suite our mid-range needs.

While, we can’t recommend our agency’s particular service (we only recommend things we truly believe in), we do recommend reaching out to multiple agencies and finding the best fit for you.

Pro-tip: haggling is part of Egyptian culture. It feels taboo to us, coming from the US, but you NEED to do it.

Driving & Flying Versus Nile River Cruise

We opted to fly & drive because we had heard that the Nile River cruises spend much less time at the sites. We are extremely fascinated by Egyptian history and didn’t want to “cheat” ourselves.

Because of the time it takes to travel through the nile, some sites are also omitted (depending on your route). We wanted to have complete control over our itinerary and ensure we saw everything that we could.

Having done the fly & drive option, we do actually think the cruise would be a fantastic option for people who want a sampling of the history without all the hassling.

That said, you can’t go wrong with either option.

Itinerary

Cairo- 3 days

Where to stay?

For a fantastic, luxury stay (with pyramid view), you should absolutely consider this hotel:

We personally stayed here, which we consider a Mid-range hotel. It has an amazing pyramid view & excellent breakfast included.

A great budget option, with a pyramid view, you should take a look at this hotel:

Day 1

Good morning from Cairo! Since you likely flew into CAI, you will start your journey through Egypt here. Today, you will visit the Giza pyramids, Sphinx, and panoramic viewpoint.

Cost to enter the Giza plateau is 540 EGP. This will get you into the general area, going inside additional pyramids is an extra fee. While at the pyramids you have the option to ride a camel. While we won’t speak to the ethics of this, we will only note that it is an option. 

Pro-tip: the pyramid area is filled with people looking to scam you for a quick buck. Do not allow anyone to take photos for you, do not walk someone’s camel, generally- DO NOT ENGAGE. 

We did an ATV ride in Giza and this was a fantastic and slightly sketchy (AKA a man sat on the front the whole time) way to see a different perspective of the pyramids with less hassling.

Pro-tip: wear light neutral colors to hide the dust on your clothes (obviously, we didn’t do this…learn from our mistake).

Day 2

Today you will visit The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The cost is 80EGP per person.

Here you will find more than 50,000 artefacts, mummies, and tombs from all across Egypt. We highly recommend the services of an Egyptologist. 

Next you will visit the Citadel of Salah El Din. This is an old palace built as a defense against the crusaders and is complete with the beautiful Mohamed Ali Mosque. The entrance fee is 60 EGP.

Day 3

Today you will visit Old Cairo (also known as Coptic Cairo). Two famous sites in Old Cairo are the Hanging Church and Abu Sengra. Abu Sengra is thought to be the place where the holy family sought refuge. 

Next you will visit the Islamic district in Cairo. This open-air market is said to be the oldest in the middle east. It is vibrant, lively, and where you can buy any item that your heart desires. We recommend heading there later in the evening as Egypt really comes alive at night.

If the night markets aren’t your thing (it’s truly sensory overload), you could also opt for a Nile dinner cruise. We did one and there was belly dancing and loads of unique entertainment. We wouldn’t say its a “don’t miss”, but it does beat sitting in your hotel room.

Aswan

Where to stay?

For a higher end stay, closer to downtown, we recommend staying here:

For a mid-range hotel, with an authentic Nubian vibe, we recommend this hotel: while it is a little out of the way from the downtown area, where else in the world would you experience a stay like this?

For a budget hotel with Nubian themes (although again, further from downtown), this would be a great option:

Day 4- fly to Aswan

After an early morning flight you will have plenty of time to visit the Temple of Philae. Philae temple is one of the most recognizable temples- it was also featured in the Death on the Nile movie.

This temple was relocated after the construction of the high dam and is devoted to goddesses Isis and Hathor. The entrance fee is 550 EGP.

Day 5- Visit Abu Simbel

Get an early start today because Abu Simbel is approximately a 6 hour (round trip) drive by private car from Aswan.

There are two temples located here. The first temple was built by Ramesses II for the god Rahorakhty. The second, smaller temple was dedicated to Queen Nefertari. The entrance fee is 550 EGP.

Abu Simbel is one of the most beautiful temples, but is often excluded from most Nile cruise itineraries (If opting for a cruise, check to see if you can do this as a day trip from Aswan).

Luxor

Where to stay?

For a luxury stay, we recommend staying here:

For a mid-rang stay, we recommend this hotel:

For a budget stay on the East Bank, we recommend staying here

Day 6-Drive to Luxox.

Today you will drive to Luxor and em route, visit two additional temples. To be completely transparent, our guide for the day really rushed us through and because of that, we have SOOO few photos or history to share. Even travel bloggers can’t have wins every day.

The first temple you will visit is the Kom Ombo temple dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris. The entrance fee is 100 EGP. There was a lot of crocodile information here, which was super interesting- they even had mummified crocodiles.

Next you will visit Edfu, the temple of Horus. The entrance fee is 450 EGP.

Day 7- Explore the West bank of Luxor

You will start by exploring the west bank of Luxor. Here you will visit the Valley of the Kings.

This area is filled with tombs (some yet to be found) of Egyptian kings. Interestingly, many tombs are located under pyramid shaped mountains or mounds.

Different tombs are open at different times depending on the environment, but of the ones we saw, they are all stunning. These tombs have the most vibrant and elaborate colorings and hieroglyphics that we have ever seen. The entrance fee is 350EGP.

Next you will visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. This is a mortuary temple, dedicated to the god Amun. Fun fact- they tried to have her erased from history… but clearly they didn’t succeed. THIS TEMPLE IS MASSIVE. The entrance fee is 350EGP.

Day 8- Explore the east bank of Luxor

Start your morning early with a hot air balloon ride. Honestly, this is a core memory. View the temples you saw yesterday from above and take note as you fly over the Colossi of Memnon. 

After your epic hot air balloon ride, you will visit the Karnak Temple Complex. This is the largest Egyptian temple constructed and because of this, it draws the crowds. We recommend starting early here early to avoid the crowds as much as possible. The entrance fee is 600EGP.

Lastly, you will visit the Luxor temple, the second largest temple in Luxor. This temple is dedicated to the deities Mut, Khonsu, and Amun. The entrance fee is 400EGP.

Day 9- Exploring the remaining temples in Luxor

Begin your morning by exploring the Ramasseum temple of Ramses II. While this may not be the most stunning temples, we really enjoyed it.

The temple is surrounded with remains of mud brick storehouses. While temples and tombs were built very elaborately, they were built for the afterlife and deities, respectively. Kings would have lived in modest mud brick homes, so this storefront helps paint the picture of what day-to-day life would have looked like. The entrance fee is 180 EGP.

Lastly, you will visit the Valley of Nobles. Here you will find tombs of the high priests and Egyptian court sophisticates. In contrast to the tombs of kings, which focus on the afterlife and deities, the noble tombs focus on telling the stories of their lives. The entrance fee is 150EGP.

Red Sea

Where to Stay?

For a more high-end stay, we recommend checking out this hotel:

All-Inclusives are very popular in this area. Here is a great mid-range option:

For a more budget option, here is the hotel which still includes breakfast & dinner:

Days 10-13  Red Sea

Today you will transfer to Marsa Alam. It is a 4 hour drive.

 While many people visit Hurghada, we chose to visit the quieter Marsa Alam. Marsa Alam is full of beautiful white sandy beaches, all-inclusive resorts, and aquatic adventures.

Snorkeling and diving opportunities are plentiful in the area. We recommend spending 3 days here and after all your exploring, you earned it!

We personally chose to do 2 snorkeling trips and it was some of the best reefs we have ever seen (and we’ve been to the Great Barrier Reef).

Day 14

Heading home. Flights into & out of Marsa Alam only occur on certain days of the week. If you need to return to Cairo for your flight home and cannot find a flight out of Marsa Alam, you can drive 2.5 hours to Hurghada and catch a direct flight to Cairo from there.

Final Thoughts

Egypt will leave you completely in awe. Being able to witness some of the earliest civilizations (that we know of) is so humbling. The chaos is such a unique culture and it just adds another level to the experience. If you follow this 2 week itinerary, we are sure you will see the best that Egypt has to offer and you will be so glad you finally booked the trip!

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