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Egypt Travel Blog

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Welcome to our Egypt Travel Blog page. It’s hard to find up-to-date information or travel guides for Egypt because the travellers and holiday-makers all but stopped coming quite a few years ago. I haven’t been able to find any other travel blogs that cover Egypt in any depth, so I decided to make ours as comprehensive and information-packed as possible.

Egypt bloggers family
Alyson and James Long are travel bloggers, they first met in Egypt over 20 years ago. This post is the result of multiple visits to Egypt, this last tour (a month) was with their children.

There aren’t many tourists visiting Egypt, fewer still backpacking, but those that do need good information and I know we’ve found that hard to find.

This is just the beginning of our Egypt travel content, I’ll be adding a lot more over the coming weeks as we finish exploring the Nile and move across to the Red Sea and Alexandria.

We’re covering as much of Egypt as we can (with kids- but that’s irrelevant really) in just under a month. We have a particular focus on historic sites, learning, culture, history, and food.

Looking for tours in Egypt – have a look here.

Egypt Travel Blog

Egypt travel Blog Egypt Travel Guide information

The most important part of travel in Egypt is how to get around. This is the hardest part of Egypt travel and we’ve found little accurate information on trains, buses and planes online. We’ll tell you everything we know here and in linked posts.

Egypt Itinerary

During this trip, we spent almost a month in Egypt visiting Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, the Red Sea, and Alexandria. We did not take a Nile cruise of any sort, however the boats are running.

This is independent travel, arranging transport and accommodation as we go. You could, of course, book a lot of this in advance and we have taken a 10 and 15 day Egypt tour previously ( more on that further down the page),  but on this trip we preferred to stay flexible and it’s worked in our favour when we’ve needed to take a break.

Egypt is hard work, it’s no vacation, but it’s absolutely fantastic. So far it’s been one of our best trips but we have most certainly had our share of problems and disasters.

The bent or broken pyramid near Cairo Egypt
A little off the beaten track you’ll find treasures like the red, step and broken pyramids. They pre-date the 3 at Giza and are fascinating prototypes well worth adding to your Egypt itinerary.

We have now completed almost a dozen blogs about Egypt and travel in Egypt, I’ll put the links at the end of this post for you.

Costs of Travelling in Egypt

Tourist souk in Luxor Egypt
Rameses II inside Abu Simbel, minibus cost for the 4 hour trip from Aswan 140 LE each return, $7 US. Admission cost 115LE, $6.50. It’s cheap. You can also fly from Aswan or Cairo ( see below)

Egypt is currently incredibly cheap, we feel it’s working out cheaper than most of Asia.

Trains, buses, taxis, hotels, admissions to top attractions, everything is extremely affordable in comparison to the other 50+ countries we’ve visited. I’ll give admission prices, train costs, hotel prices etc. in the relevant sections or blog posts below.

That affordability is right across the board, from budget to luxury. A luxury resort hotel on the Red Sea cost us under $40/ night for 4 people. Tours and cruises in Egypt are similarly affordable.

Food in Egypt (With Kids Too)

Food in Egypt
A feast at Aswan’s best Egyptian restaurant. Chicken, koftas or pigeon came with salads, vegetables, soup, rice and bread. It cost around $3/head and was delicious. The alcohol-free beer, less so. My husband, James Long, and our children loved Egyptian food.

We like Egyptian food a lot but it’s not always easy to find.

Your best bet is usually to ask your driver or hotel owner where the best Egyptian food is to be found. If the locals eat there, you can bet it’s good.

If you look at sites like Trip Advisor you’ll often see big hotels coming up as the best dining options, sure they’ll be nice, but try the local food too.

Egyptian food isn’t very spicy, it’s typical Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern food with influences from Rome, India, and Africa. There are abundant vegetarian options and prices are low.

We have a full post on food in Egypt.

If you get stuck, all of the usual fast-food restaurants are represented and can be a good choice for a quick air-con, wi-fi and coffee fix.

We’ve also sampled hotel buffet breakfasts in Egypt, expect all of your usual favourites plus lots of sweet things, falafels, brown beans, tahini and olives.

Negatives, Cruelty, Dirt, Filth, Dust and Litter

We’re in agreement that we’ve never been to a place with more litter. You’ll find trash everywhere and sadly it’s mostly plastics.

There’s dust too, but there’s not much to be done about that, you’re sandwiched between deserts.

Some of the trains, even in 1st class, are so filthy you feel dirty just looking at them, others are immaculate. We’ll help you figure that out. Some hotels are filthy too.

The roads and the driving are hair-raising, the exhaust fumes thick.

While we’re talking negatives I’ll mention that the ubiquitous donkeys and horses are often terribly treated, the camels fare little better.

None of us had any food-related sickness in Egypt, but we did have respiratory viruses, probably picked up on the plane. Egypt is, we think, the hardest country we’ve ever been to in terms of organising transportation.

Hassle and Avoiding Touts in Egypt

Tourist souk in Luxor Egypt
At the tourist souk in Luxor, every stall holder will call out to you. Smile and wave boys, smile and wave. Keep a sense of humour, be polite.

I’ve seen so many people, regular holiday-makers, long-term travellers and travel bloggers, complain about being harassed in Egypt. We’ve been fine, but I think I need to qualify that.

Luxor is billed as ” Hassle Capital of the World” and that’s pretty fair. Everyone wants you to take their felucca, hire their horse and cart, buy their scarf or figure of Ramesses. It’s interminable and some will find it deeply irritating.

We have a saying in our family, stolen from a well-known kids’ movie,  smile and wave boys, just smile and wave. Keep your sense of humour, chat, laugh, and interact, and it will be fine.

If you’ve never travelled in Asia this level of touting will be a shock but it’s no worse than India. We were here almost 20 years ago, some say the hassle has got worse, we think it’s about the same. Of course, there are far fewer tourists to go around now and everyone needs to make a buck. Treat them kindly.

I lost it with one guy, he kept following us, and kept asking us to take his horse and cart over two days of our Luxor stay. I gave him a mouthful and he slunk off. I felt bad, he caught me at the wrong time, hungry, tired, hot and humourless.

At the Saqqara pyramid of Djoser a young vendor followed me, trying to sell me a souvenir that I didn’t want. I’d lost Chef and Boo, D and I were wandering around looking for them. This young man was so helpful, he took us to high points to search so I bought his hieroglyph ruler for a whole $1. Thank you, Abdulla.

At the historic sites, men will try to be your guide. Sometimes it’s worth giving them 20LE, they can show you really interesting things that you’d otherwise miss. Sometimes it’s best to ignore them, smile and keep walking, it’s up to you.

Tipping is another irritation.  Almost everyone will try their luck and ask for a tip, even after you’ve paid them the agreed price. We don’t tip unless we want to. Certainly not if we’ve agreed a good price in advance or paid up-front for a day’s service. It’s not a problem, nobody will get angry or try to beat you up. They’re just trying to see how gullible you are.

Some tourists are extremely lacking in savvy, we met a guy who paid $100 for a few photos on a camel. That was entirely his own fault ( he was a lovely guy, but didn’t have the right tools for Egyptian travel), don’t get on a camel without agreeing on a price first. If you read our post about feluccas (link at end of post) you’ll see more of what I mean about not getting ripped off.

Egypt Tours, Cruises, and More

As I mentioned up top, my husband ( we call him Chef) and I, have taken group tours in Egypt. Actually, that’s how we met, it was on the Nile 20 years ago. We’re big fans of tours. You will be fully looked after, there will be less hassle and you will see a lot more, faster, than you ever will through independent travel.

You could book a group tour including flights from your home country, a land-only tour that you pick up after arrival, single-day or multi-day private tours, cruises, felucca treks and more. Holiday-makers to Sharm-el-Sheikh and Hurghada also regularly book tours to Cairo, the pyramids, and more. Your options are endless and I just want you to be aware of possibilities. Booking tours like this in advance will undoubtedly make your life easier in Egypt.

Consider some of the following choices, all of the tours below are from large, reliable companies that we trust and use ourselves:


Top Red Sea Activities and Tours

The Red Sea resorts in Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh are incredibly popular with tourists and there are a whole host of activities for you to book from your beach hotel. Dolphin-watching and snorkelling tours from Hurghada are a stand-out attraction, as is quad biking in desert dunes.


Pick Up From Aswan, Luxor, or Cairo, 4 Night Nile Cruise

A perfect no-hassle trip, taking you from your hotel to the sights of Aswan and Luxor. You will see the Valley of the Kings, Luxor Temple, the Colossi of Memnon and more, plus, enjoy the mystery and beauty of the Nile, prices are incredibly low. Be sure to specify Cairo as your departure city. Find information here

A One Day Tour of Ancient Egypt, From Cairo

The Sphinx, Pyramids, Egyptian Museum and ” Old Bazaar in Cairo” Khan El Khalili, Highlights of Egypt in a well organised, guided tour. We would highly recommend you have a guide at the Egyptian museum to find you the highlights, it’s a huge place. See such a tour to book here.

A One Day Tour of Ancient Egypt From Hurghada by Bus or by Plane.

Visit the world-famous antiquities of Cairo from your beach resort in Hurghada, there is a huge price difference between the bus and plane options, but honestly, it’s not expensive by plane and we’ve done this bus journey, it’s a long way. See here for the bus, See here for the plane.  This company has a best price or refund the difference guarantee.

A One Day Tour of Ancient Egypt From Sharm El Sheikh

Get yourself from the beaches and diving of Sharm to the antiquities of Cairo at an incredibly low price, by bus. (This company offers a best price or refund the difference guarantee) here.

Getting to Abu Simbel From Aswan or Cairo

You don’t need a huge amount of time at Abu Simbel as it’s a stand-alone attraction but we can’t stress too strongly that you MUST go, it’s mind-blowing. We have a full post on how to get there and what it’s like towards the end of this post.

You can go by plane or bus from Aswan and we’ve done it both ways, and both were fine. The bus ride is long and they drive fast, but there is hardly any traffic on this road so we didn’t feel too unsafe. See the bus trip here, the plane trip with Egypt Air here.

Both involve a very early start as you need to, ideally, be there around dawn. There is also the option of going to Aswan by private car with driver here. If you’re only getting as far as Cairo, you can take a trip to Abu Simbel by plane, here. Be aware that some prices are each and some per vehicle, please check your details carefully and be sure of what private means.

Egypt Travel and Transportation – Getting Around Egypt Independently

Buying train tickets in Egypt
Buying train tickets in Egypt. It’s not straightforward, we’ll write a full post soon. Scarves are essential, for the sun, for sand, or as here, for flies.

We did the following.

  • A taxi pick up from the airport in Cairo to our Luxor hotel by people carrier ( much less hair raising than taxis)
  • Day trips in and around Cairo by taxi. (easy but the traffic and fumes are bad)
  • 1st class VIP train to Luxor. (excellent)
  • 1st class non-VIP train to Aswan. (terrible)
  • Minibus to Abu Simbel (OK)
  • 1st class VIP train back to Luxor. (Excellent)
  • Bus/ coach to Hurghada (good)
  • Bus/ coach to Cairo. (Excellent)
  • Train to Alexandria (terrible)
  • Bus to Cairo. (excellent)

Getting around Egypt has been incredibly cheap and mostly a good experience. The 1st class VIP trains are fantastic, the non-VIP train was gross. The coaches and minibusses were of a good standard. Traffic congestion in Cairo is horrendous and driving can be crazy, we were lucky to find an older, steady driver and stuck with him. On the long, straight desert roads buses zip along at breakneck speed. It can be hair-raising.

Heat, Dust, Sand, and Weather in Egypt

Heat and weather in Egypt in April, melted chocolate
If I were chocolate I’d be a puddle. Egyptian heat.

We were in Egypt at the start of summer, April into May. Cairo and the Red Sea Coast were bearable, and Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel were inferno hot. Some days would reach 42ºC, that’s 107ºF.

It’s best to get to the big attractions early and enjoy them in the cool of the morning. We weren’t hot at all at the Valley of the Kings or Karnak Temple and the 6 am starts meant we had them to ourselves. Arrange a taxi pick up the night before. In the desert, the temperatures dip pleasantly at night, but on a previous visit in February, I remember being really cold from around sunset.

What to Wear in Egypt

Stay covered, to show respect and to keep the sun off your skin. You’ll need a hat or large scarf to protect your head, maybe face, from sun, dust and sometimes flies. On the Red Sea in big hotels, normal holiday wear is fine.

Can You Get Alcohol, Wine & Beer in Egypt?

Getting a beer near the pyramids alcoholic drinks in egypt
A rooftop dinner and a cold Egyptian beer as we watched the nightly sound and light show at Giza. We had the best guest house!

Egypt produces its own beers and wines and is by no means dry. Restaurants that will give you a beer or glass of wine with dinner are hard to find but do exist, they are normally Christian-run. The higher the ratio of Christians: Muslims in an area, the better your chances. There are off-licenses to buy your own. Look for the Drinkies chain of bottle shops. Big hotels serve alcohol.

Finding Hotels, Hostels, Apartments or Guest Houses in Egypt

All the usual methods of finding accommodation work in Egypt.Use Agoda and  Booking.com , whichever you prefer. You would be wise to always pre-book for Egypt or else fall victim to the touts.

We’d particularly recommend AirBnb, we rarely use them, but for Egypt, it works. We rented a spacious, cool, well-equipped apartment in Luxor to take a break, relax and catch up with laundry and work.

We had great deals with Marriott, you can get 30% off Red Sea and Egypt hotels with Marriott rewards currently. We used Marriott Hurghada Beach (click through to see more) and can give it a big thumbs up.

The Red Sea, a True Holiday in Egypt

Red Sea Holiday Egypt
Need a holiday after touring all those ancient sites? The Red Sea is fantastic, affordable, and a bus away from Luxor.

The Red Sea is a paradise for divers and snorkellers. This is our first time on Egypt’s coast and we’re impressed by the cool clear waters, marine life, and excellent hotels. We’re delighted by the low prices (see above 30% off deal). More on holidaying in Egypt coming soon and we now have a post on Egyptian beaches, see below.

We have absolutely loved our time in Egypt, give or take a few difficult days. Chef and I visited many years ago on a small group adventure tour and that was a great experience too, but this time, as independent travellers, backpacking, if you prefer, it’s been better. We’ve seen more, we’ve been able to adjust our trip to suit us and our needs and we’ve got in touch with the real Egypt instead of just seeing the tourist sites.

We’ve felt safe (other than the time we were almost hit by a run-away tanker…long story) and it’s been an incredible educational opportunity for the kids. We hope you can encourage you to visit Egypt, these guys are great and they need their western tourists back.

Egypt travel blog and guide 2017

To bookmark to Pinterest

Other Egypt Travel Blog Posts

More Egypt content from our website, for you, below.

Learn About Egypt Before You Travel

We highly recommend the Lonely Planet guide books for learning about the history and culture of a country before you leave home. You can use it to figure out where in Egypt you want to go and learn the basics of the language, a few pleases and thank yous are always welcome. It’s also a good idea to learn numbers 1-10 in Arabic, we’ve found this very useful. Also, read the educational post my kids wrote about Egypt here, their own Egypt travel blog. Have a great trip!

If you'd like to hire a car during your stay, use this car rental comparison tool to find the best deal!

We also suggest you take a look at this company to get a quote for all kinds of the more tricky adventure or extended travel insurance.

Try Stayz / VRBO for an alternative way to find rentals on homes/apartments/condos in any country!

Redrose Tours

Monday 3rd of January 2022

Experience fantastic Easter tours in Egypt by enjoying the breath of spring on a luxury Nile Cruise across the Land of Pharaohs.

MUSCLECAKES

Sunday 25th of July 2021

First and foremost, I admire your blog; I carefully read your article and find your content to be really informative. I hope you enjoy this site as much as I do. I hope you obtain more experience with your knowledge; this is how people learn more.

Jannymorag

Friday 23rd of July 2021

Egypt was #1 on my list of wow! factors. Nile River Cruise is one of the most beautiful places. Its beauty naturally attracts the tourist from the worldwide. Egyptian peoples are known as innovators, they invented many new things which many of us are unaware of.

jordan tour

Friday 29th of January 2021

Hi! I loved your post. I t is really inspiring for me as well as other people. The way you post helps us a lot and it is nice work by you. Keep posting such posts. I also have a website that is about travel. We have a nice amount of tours in the dazzling lands of Egypt. Also, we give Jordan tours at affordable prices.

TERRY KAISER

Sunday 18th of October 2020

Thank you for all the fabulous information. I would like to go next week but am a bit concerned that they are not reporting the true number of Covid cases. I also believe they are not wearing masks. Do you have any input on that. Also, money isn't the main concern however I would like to stay in hotels that are not only safe but clean yet feel like Egypt not just some big hotel. Can I find this type of hotel and have it be excellent?

Alyson for World Travel Family

Sunday 18th of October 2020

I know Egypt opened to tourists quite a while ago (although they may have closed again). I doubt any country is reporting a true number of cases as nowhere is testing 100% of its population daily and the tests aren't fully accurate, so an accurate number is a gold-plated unicorn. (With my former medical scientist hat on there). We stayed in a variety of hotels, like you, we try to avoid the big chains and resort hotels, but to find Egyptian and clean, modern etc. is a big ask. Maybe if you found one of the old historic hotels like the one where Agatha Christie stayed (which we visited, it's lovely). There must be some grand old hotels in Cairo. On the coast, it's wall-to-wall resort hotels. We stayed in a Marriott. Everything is very modern in Hurghada although I know less developed places exist. Your problem will be finding flights and I have no idea what entry requirements Egypt has now with regards to negative tests, quarantine etc. As we're stuck in Australia and not allowed out, at all, I'm very envious of anyone allowed to go anywhere.

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