Who it's for
Is Egypt right for your trip?
Every country is somebody's favourite. The honest question is whether it is yours, and for this trip.
This is your trip if…
- Ancient history is the reason you are travelling and you want it in depth, in order.
- You accept a guide or driver as part of the plan rather than an intrusion.
- You can handle crowds, hassle and bargaining with humour and firm limits.
- You want a warm-winter destination that combines monuments with reef diving.
Think twice if…
- You want to wander freely without security checks, escorts or fixed convoys in some regions.
- You are travelling in July or August and expect to stand at Karnak at midday.
- You expect Western hygiene standards everywhere without adjusting what and where you eat.
- You are uncomfortable with visible poverty, aggressive selling or animal welfare issues at sites.
Best time to visit
When is the best time to visit Egypt?
October–April; November and February–March balance warmth, light and crowds. From October to April the Nile valley is warm by day and cool at night, with December and January the busiest and clearest months in Luxor and Aswan. Cairo is pleasant in winter and can be cold and smoggy in January. From May to September Upper Egypt regularly passes 40 °C, so cruises thin out, prices drop and sightseeing compresses into dawn and dusk; the Red Sea and Alexandria stay usable all summer. Ramadan shifts opening hours and meal rhythms wherever it falls.
- Best
Winter peak
December–February
Ideal temperatures in Luxor and Aswan, peak cruise and hotel demand, chilly Cairo evenings.
- Best
Shoulder
October–November and March–April
Warm, clear and slightly cheaper than midwinter; the khamsin dust winds can blow in spring.
- Mixed
Summer
May–September
Upper Egypt is extreme by day, Cairo hot and hazy, the Red Sea and Mediterranean coast busy with domestic holidaymakers.
- Mixed
Ramadan
Movable; February–March in 2026
Sites open shorter hours and cafés close by day outside tourist zones; evenings are festive and Eid fills trains and resorts.
Climate · monthly normals
Hot desert with a Mediterranean edge: rare winter rain, warm springs with dust winds and long, dry, hot summers.
For contrast
Hyper-arid Upper Egypt: effectively rainless, mild sunny winters and severe summer heat.
Festivals and events
What is worth planning around?
Dates a plan should either aim for or steer clear of. Both are useful; the second saves more money.
22 February and 22 October
Abu Simbel Sun Festival
Abu Simbel
At dawn the sun reaches the inner sanctuary of Ramses II's temple, lighting three of the four statues; crowds and music gather from before sunrise.
Book Aswan rooms and transport months ahead; the site opens in the small hours.
Movable; February–March in 2026
Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr
Nationwide
Lanterns, late-night streets and iftar tables define the month; Eid brings family travel and closed offices for several days.
Monday after Coptic Easter; 13 April in 2026
Sham El-Nessim
Nationwide, strongest in Cairo and Alexandria
A spring festival of pharaonic origin shared across faiths, with picnics, salted fish and coloured eggs in parks and along the Nile.
November
Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo Opera House and cinemas
The region's oldest film festival brings Arab and international premieres and a busy cultural fortnight to Zamalek and downtown.
Where to go
Where should you go in Egypt?
The places that earn their nights, most important first, with how long each deserves. Nobody needs all of them on one trip.
City and local guides
6 worked-out stopsMap numbers match the local guide cards.
- 01
Cairo & Giza
North Africa
city3–4 daysCairo needs one day for Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, one for Islamic Cairo's mosques and Khan el-Khalili, one for Coptic Cairo and the Egyptian Museum's remaining halls, and evenings in Zamalek or downtown.
Best time: October–April
Explore Cairo & Giza - 02
Luxor
North Africa
city3 daysThe east bank holds Karnak and Luxor Temple, the west bank the royal tombs, Hatshepsut's temple and Medinet Habu; take each bank on a separate morning and rest through the afternoon heat.
Best time: October–April
Explore Luxor - 03
Aswan & Abu Simbel
North Africa
travel base2–3 daysAswan is the Nile at its most beautiful: felucca sailing, Elephantine and Nubian villages, Philae by boat and a dawn trip to Abu Simbel by road or plane.
Best time: October–April
Explore Aswan & Abu Simbel - 04
Alexandria
North Africa
city1–2 daysEgypt's second city is a corniche of cafés and faded grandeur with the modern Bibliotheca, the catacombs of Kom el-Shoqafa and the Roman theatre; reach it by train from Cairo in under three hours.
Best time: April–June and September–October
Explore Alexandria - 05
Dahab & South Sinai
North Africa
travel base3–5 daysDahab is a relaxed diving town below the Sinai mountains, with the Blue Hole and shore reefs a taxi away, and St Catherine's monastery and Mount Sinai two hours inland for a night climb.
Best time: October–April
Explore Dahab & South Sinai - 06
Siwa Oasis
North Africa
town2–3 daysTen hours west of Cairo, Siwa's mud-brick Shali fortress, the Oracle of Amun, hot springs and Great Sand Sea dunes belong to a Berber-speaking community quite unlike the Nile valley.
Best time: October–April
Explore Siwa Oasis
Things to do
What should you do in Egypt?
Not a bucket list — the handful of things that make this country this country, with the timing catch that stops people doing them well.
- 01
Time the Grand Egyptian Museum
Giza
Tutankhamun's full collection and the Grand Staircase need three hours; book a timed morning slot and see the pyramids the same afternoon or the next dawn.
- 02
Enter the Valley of the Kings at opening
Luxor west bank
The basic ticket covers three tombs; add Seti I or Ramses V and VI separately and go first thing before the coaches.
- 03
Sail a felucca at Aswan
Aswan
An hour or two at sunset around Elephantine and Kitchener's Island is the Nile at its best; agree the price and duration before boarding.
- 04
Walk Islamic Cairo from Bab Zuweila to Al-Hakim
Cairo
Al-Muizz street links mosques, sabils and merchant houses; go on foot with a guide and finish in Khan el-Khalili when the light softens.
- 05
Climb Mount Sinai by night
St Catherine
A three-hour ascent with a Bedouin guide for sunrise, then the monastery's icons and the burning bush; carry warm layers in winter.
- 06
Bathe in Siwa's salt lakes
Siwa Oasis
The turquoise pools east of town and Cleopatra's spring frame a slow day among date groves before sunset over the Great Sand Sea.
How to get around
How do you get around Egypt?
EgyptAir links Cairo with Luxor, Aswan, Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada in about an hour, while the overnight sleeper and day trains run the Nile corridor and Cairo–Alexandria is a comfortable rail trip. Nile cruises and dahabiyas cover Luxor to Aswan with the temples en route; drivers, Go Bus coaches and tourist-police convoys handle Sinai, the Red Sea and the oases.
Domestic flights
EgyptAir and Nile Air fly Cairo–Luxor, Cairo–Aswan, Aswan–Abu Simbel and Cairo–Sharm el-Sheikh; book early for winter mornings and protect tight connections.
Rule of thumb: Cairo ↔ Upper Egypt or Sinai → fly, or take the sleeper.
Sleeper and day trains
The Watania sleeper runs Cairo–Luxor–Aswan overnight; first-class day trains and the Cairo–Alexandria services are cheap and comfortable, booked online or at stations.
Driver and car
Private drivers cover site days in Luxor, Aswan and Cairo and long transfers to the Western Desert; self-driving in Cairo is not recommended.
Nile cruise or dahabiya
Three to seven nights between Luxor and Aswan stop at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo; a sailing dahabiya trades speed for silence.
Passes and cards, honestly
- The Luxor Pass and Cairo Pass bundle most monuments for five days; both pay off only for intensive sightseeing and are bought in person.
- No national transport pass exists; train and flight tickets are booked per journey.
Travel tips
What should you know before you go?
The things locals assume you know. Most travellers learn them by getting one wrong on day two.
- Baksheesh is a system, not a scam
- Small tips for guards, boat crews and toilet attendants keep things moving; carry small notes and decide your limits before being asked.
- Copts are one in ten Egyptians
- Coptic Christianity predates Islam here; churches, monasteries and feast days are part of the national fabric, not a curiosity.
- Guides and security shape movement
- Tourist police, checkpoints and convoy rules apply in some regions; a licensed guide and driver make sites easier and the day less adversarial.
- Dress for the street, not the resort
- Modest clothing is expected outside Red Sea resorts; women travellers report far less harassment in company and with covered shoulders and knees.
- Animals at the sites need scrutiny
- Horse and camel rides at Giza and the west bank often involve poorly treated animals; walk, use a car, or choose operators vetted by welfare groups.
Travel basics
Visa, money, SIM cards and more
The boring section, which is why it is the one people skip and then regret at the airport.
visa
eVisa before departure
Apply on the official portal a week ahead or buy a visa on arrival at Cairo, Hurghada and Sharm for eligible passports; Sinai-only free permits exist for resort stays in South Sinai.
money
Pounds in cash, cards in hotels
Bring hard currency and withdraw pounds from bank ATMs; small notes are essential for tips and tickets. Site tickets are increasingly card-only through the official platform.
connectivity
Vodafone or Orange SIM
Airport SIMs are cheap; coverage is strong along the Nile and coast and thin in the Western Desert and Sinai interior.
plugs
Types C and F sockets
European two-pin at 220 V; older hotels have loose sockets, so a compact adapter with a good grip helps.
safety
Follow official regional advice
The Nile valley, Cairo, the Red Sea and South Sinai resorts see millions of visitors safely; North Sinai and the Libyan border are off limits, and Western Desert trips need registered operators.
health
Stomach and sun
Drink bottled or filtered water, eat where turnover is high, and build shaded rest into afternoons; carry rehydration salts and a basic kit for Upper Egypt and desert trips.
Trip costs
How much does a trip to Egypt cost?
A mid-range trip usually needs about €60–€150 per person per day, before long-haul flights. Egypt is inexpensive for food, trains and local transport but charges international prices for Nile cruises, site tickets, guides and the top hotels, with a foreigner pricing tier at nearly every monument. Budget for tickets seriously: a full Luxor and Aswan programme costs more than the rooms.
Shoestring
€€35–60
per person / day
- Stay
- Hostel, family pension or budget Nile hotel
- Food
- Koshari, ful, taameya and bakery meals
- Transport
- Trains, microbuses and shared taxis
Works well in Cairo, Luxor and Dahab; guides and Abu Simbel are the fixed extras.
Mid-range
€€60–150
per person / day
- Stay
- Three-star hotel, standard Nile cruise cabin
- Food
- Local restaurants and one hotel dinner
- Transport
- Sleeper train, private drivers for site days
The practical level for a guided Nile route with comfort.
Comfortable
€€200–500
per person / day
- Stay
- Historic or luxury hotels, dahabiya sailing
- Food
- Fine dining and private guides
- Transport
- Domestic flights and driver-guides throughout
A dahabiya between Esna and Aswan and a private Egyptologist define this tier.
Sample itineraries
Starting points, not scripts
Each of these is a real request you could hand to Menta as written. Change the people, the month and the pace; the structure will hold.
Cairo and the Nile
10 days- Cairo
- Giza
- Luxor
- Nile cruise
- Aswan
- Abu Simbel
Three Cairo days, a flight or sleeper to Luxor, three nights cruising to Aswan and a dawn trip to Abu Simbel.
Nile and Red Sea
14 days- Cairo
- Luxor
- Aswan
- Dahab
- St Catherine
The classic Nile route followed by a Sinai chapter of reef diving and a night climb of Mount Sinai.
Cities, sea and oasis
12 days- Cairo
- Alexandria
- Siwa
- Cairo
- Luxor
A northern loop through Alexandria's cafés and Siwa's salt lakes before a Luxor finish by flight.
Common questions
Quick answers about travel in Egypt
Short answers to the questions people ask before they book. Use the full guide for the detail and trade-offs.
- When is the best time to visit Egypt?
- October–April; November and February–March balance warmth, light and crowds. From October to April the Nile valley is warm by day and cool at night, with December and January the busiest and clearest months in Luxor and Aswan. Cairo is pleasant in winter and can be cold and smoggy in January. From May to September Upper Egypt regularly passes 40 °C, so cruises thin out, prices drop and sightseeing compresses into dawn and dusk; the Red Sea and Alexandria stay usable all summer. Ramadan shifts opening hours and meal rhythms wherever it falls.
- How much does a trip to Egypt cost?
- Plan about €60–€150 per person per day for a mid-range trip, before long-haul flights. Egypt is inexpensive for food, trains and local transport but charges international prices for Nile cruises, site tickets, guides and the top hotels, with a foreigner pricing tier at nearly every monument. Budget for tickets seriously: a full Luxor and Aswan programme costs more than the rooms.
- How do you get around Egypt?
- EgyptAir links Cairo with Luxor, Aswan, Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada in about an hour, while the overnight sleeper and day trains run the Nile corridor and Cairo–Alexandria is a comfortable rail trip. Nile cruises and dahabiyas cover Luxor to Aswan with the temples en route; drivers, Go Bus coaches and tourist-police convoys handle Sinai, the Red Sea and the oases.
More destinations
Where else?
- JapanA megacity, a thousand temples and trains that leave to the second.
- ChinaImperial capitals, fast trains, regional tables and landscapes at continental scale.
- ItalyThree civilisations' worth of cities, and lunch takes two hours.
- SpainEurope's longest high-speed rail, five cultures, and lunch at three.
- PortugalTwo hilly cities, a valley of port and a long Atlantic coast.
- GreeceAntiquity, two hundred inhabited islands and a ferry timetable to respect.
- IcelandOne road, no trains, and weather that rewrites the plan daily.
- ThailandStreet food, temples, two coasts and Asia's cheapest good hotel room.
- VietnamTwo capitals, one slow railway and the best street food in Asia.
- MoroccoMedinas, the High Atlas and the Sahara, a ferry ride from Europe.
- MexicoA 3,000-year-old civilisation, the best street food on earth, and two coastlines.
- Costa RicaCloud forest, two coasts, volcanoes and wildlife best seen slowly.
- The BahamasShallow banks, island towns and water-led journeys between cays.
- BarbadosCoral coasts, Bajan food and an island with several speeds.
- CubaLayered cities, karst valleys and a journey that needs patience.
- Dominican RepublicCaribbean cities, mountain interiors and coasts beyond the resort gate.
- JamaicaMusic, mountain rain, strong food and coasts with different rhythms.
- FranceGreat cities, long lunches, mountains and a coast for every mood.
- United KingdomHistoric cities, wild coastlines and weather worth planning around.
- GermanyBig culture, small cities, forests and trains with caveats.
- NetherlandsCanals, art, cycling and small cities that reward staying longer.
- CroatiaAdriatic islands, stone towns, clear water and a crowded August.
- TurkeyMosques, markets, ancient cities and coastlines on a huge scale.
- SwitzerlandAlps, lakes and trains that make the expensive route feel simple.
- AustriaImperial cities, Alpine lakes, music and excellent rail links.
- NorwayFjords, midnight light, coastal towns and beautiful long distances.
- SwedenArchipelagoes, forests, design and summer light that lasts.
- FinlandLakes, saunas, forests and a capital built for slow days.
- CzechiaBeautiful old towns, serious beer and an easy train route beyond Prague.
- PolandDeep history, lively cities, forests, lakes and mountain food.
- IrelandAtlantic cliffs, music-filled towns, green roads and weather in charge.
- AustraliaBig distances, old landscapes, city beaches and wildlife in the wild.
- New ZealandVolcanoes, fjords, coast roads and a country made for the outdoors.
- IndonesiaVolcanoes, rice fields, reefs and thousands of islands to choose from.
- South KoreaFast cities, quiet temples, mountain trails and food at every hour.
- United StatesHuge landscapes, distinct cities and a route that must respect the map.
- CanadaBig wilderness, thoughtful cities and distances that need their own plan.
- ArgentinaBig-city appetite, Andean wine country and Patagonia at full scale.
- BrazilAtlantic cities, living cultures and continental-scale nature.
- ChileDesert sky, Pacific cities, volcano lakes and Patagonian wind.
- ColombiaHighland cities, Caribbean history and coffee-country roads.
- PeruAndean cities, living food cultures and Amazon headwaters.
- IndiaMughal cities, desert forts, sacred rivers and a monsoon coast.
- Sri LankaTea hills, ancient cities and two coasts with opposite seasons.
- NepalHimalayan trails, Newar cities and lowland jungle in one country.
- MalaysiaHawker cities, tea hills, island coasts and Bornean rainforest.
- PhilippinesIsland archipelago where the flight map decides the trip.
- CambodiaAngkor's stone, the Mekong's rhythm and a country still healing.
- TaiwanNight markets, high-speed rail and a mountainous Pacific island.
- LaosSlow Mekong days, mountain roads and a new railway.
- United Arab EmiratesSeven emirates, two big cities and a mountain-and-desert hinterland.
- JordanPetra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea on one compact road.
- OmanForts, wadis, dunes and turtle beaches on the Arabian Sea.
- South AfricaTwo oceans, self-drive safari and cities with unfinished histories.
- KenyaSavannah, highlands and a Swahili coast, sequenced by rain.
- TanzaniaThe northern circuit, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, priced honestly.
- NamibiaSelf-drive desert, empty roads and Africa's darkest skies.
- BelgiumFlemish art cities, Brussels institutions and forested Ardennes valleys.
- DenmarkCopenhagen design, island villages and long Jutland beaches.
- HungaryThermal baths, Danube grandeur, wine hills and the Great Plain.
- SloveniaAlpine lakes, an emerald river, karst caves and a Venetian coast.
- GeorgiaCaucasus villages, eight-thousand-year wine and a serious table.
- MontenegroA fjord-like bay, limestone peaks and a short, crowded coast.
- AlbaniaOttoman towns, an Ionian riviera and a raw alpine north.
- RomaniaSaxon towns, Carpathian wilderness and Europe's largest wetland.
- BulgariaMonasteries, mountain villages and a working Black Sea coast.
- SlovakiaAlpine peaks, castle ruins and wooden churches on a rail spine.
- Bosnia and HerzegovinaOttoman bazaars, stone bridges and wild rivers between mountains.
- EstoniaMedieval Tallinn, bog boardwalks, island manors and long white nights.
- LatviaArt Nouveau Riga, castle valleys, a wooden spa coast and deep forest.
- LithuaniaBaroque Vilnius, a dune spit, lake castles and pine spa towns.
- MaltaLimestone capital, Neolithic temples, harbour ferries and Gozo's slow coast.
- CyprusDivided capital, mosaic coast, painted mountain churches and a wild peninsula.
- SingaporeA dense, humid city-state that rewards districts, not landmarks.
- MaldivesAtolls, reefs and two very different ways to stay.
- BhutanHimalayan valleys, dzongs and a daily fee that shapes everything.
- UzbekistanSilk Road cities linked by fast trains and desert roads.
- EthiopiaRock churches, highland monasteries and a distinct calendar.
- UgandaGorillas, chimpanzees, the Nile and crater-lake forests.
- RwandaGorilla volcanoes, tea hills and a compact, orderly country.
- BotswanaDelta floods, elephant rivers and empty Kalahari pans.
- ZambiaWalking safaris, wild rivers and the Zambian side of Victoria Falls.
- MadagascarLemurs, baobabs and an island that evolved apart.
- MauritiusLagoon coasts, a volcanic interior and a Creole, Indian and Chinese island.
- TunisiaCarthage, medinas, Roman arenas and the Saharan oases.
- GuatemalaMaya highlands, volcano lakes and a Petén forest of ruins.
- PanamaCanal city, Caribbean archipelagos and cloud-forest coffee.
- EcuadorVolcano avenue, cloud forest, Amazon edge and the Galápagos.
- BoliviaAltiplano salt, Aymara cities and a wide Amazon lowland.
- UruguayCalm capital, Atlantic beaches and slow wine country.
- FijiReef islands, village life and two big green mainlands.
- SerbiaDanube cities, monastery hills and long-table hospitality.
- North MacedoniaOhrid's lake, Ottoman bazaars and mountain villages in a small compass.
- KosovoEurope's youngest country: café capital, Ottoman Prizren and alpine valleys.
- MoldovaUnderground wine cities, cliff monasteries and Europe's least-visited country.
- ArmeniaStone monasteries, Ararat views and a capital that stays up late.
- AzerbaijanCaspian capital, mud volcanoes and Caucasus villages above the tea plains.
- LuxembourgFortress capital, Moselle wine and Ardennes castles by free bus.
- AndorraPyrenean principality of ski valleys, Romanesque chapels and thermal spas.
- Faroe IslandsEighteen basalt islands of sea cliffs, tunnels and turf-roofed villages.
- GreenlandIcebergs, ice sheet and Inuit towns reached only by air and sea.
- KazakhstanTian Shan foothills, steppe capital and canyon country by air.
- KyrgyzstanYurt stays, alpine lakes and horse treks in the Tian Shan.
- TajikistanPamir Highway, Wakhan villages and turquoise Fann lakes.
- PakistanMughal Lahore and the Karakoram, planned region by region.
- BangladeshRiver delta, mangrove tigers, tea gardens and Dhaka's old city.
- Hong KongVertical harbour city, outlying islands and surprising country parks.
- BruneiWater village, gilded mosques and untouched Borneo rainforest.
- Timor-LesteReef walls, mountain villages and a young nation's coastline.
- Saudi ArabiaNabataean tombs, Red Sea reefs and a fast-changing kingdom.
- QatarA compact Gulf peninsula built around one polished capital.
- GhanaAtlantic forts, Ashanti heritage and a warm, workable West Africa.
- SenegalDakar's music, Gorée's memory and delta and river landscapes.
- Cape VerdeTen Atlantic islands of morna, volcanoes and trade winds.
- SeychellesGranite islands, coral atolls and Creole ease in the Indian Ocean.
- MozambiqueIndian Ocean coast, dhow islands and a restored savanna.
- ZimbabweVictoria Falls, walking safaris and Africa's largest ancient stone city.
- MalawiA freshwater sea, restored parks and high plateaus in one small country.
- EswatiniA small kingdom of royal ceremony, rhino reserves and highveld hikes.
- LesothoThe mountain kingdom: pony treks, high passes and Basotho villages.
- BelizeBarrier reef, Maya cities and Garifuna coast in one small country.
- HondurasBay Islands diving, Copán's carved city and cloud-forest highlands.
- El SalvadorSurf coast, volcano towns and a small country in rapid change.
- NicaraguaColonial cities, twin-volcano island and two very different coasts.
- Trinidad and TobagoCarnival, ibis and doubles on Trinidad; reef and calm on Tobago.
- Saint LuciaThe Pitons, rainforest ridges and Kwéyòl villages on one green island.
- ParaguayRiver cities, Jesuit ruins and the enormous quiet of the Chaco.
- SamoaTwo volcanic islands, village fales and fa'a Samoa on its own terms.
- TongaA Polynesian kingdom of four island groups, whales and strict Sundays.
- VanuatuActive volcanoes, kastom villages and eighty islands of Melanesia.
- Cook IslandsRarotonga's ring road, Aitutaki's lagoon and atolls nobody reaches.
Egypt is a good trip. Make it your trip.
Everything on this page is context Menta already has. Add the people going, the dates and what you actually care about, and the plan starts smarter than a blank chat.
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Start planning EgyptGuide last reviewed 2026-09. Check visa rules against your own passport before you book.