Egypt Travel Tips, From a Team That's Been Doing This Since 1988

Visas and getting through the airport

Most visitors need a visa, and it's far simpler to sort before you fly than on arrival. The Egypt e-Visa portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg) is the official government system — apply directly there rather than through a third-party site charging a mark-up. It typically clears in a few working days. Print a copy and keep it with your passport; immigration staff ask for it more often than you'd expect.

• Apply for the e-Visa at least 7 days before you travel.
• Your passport needs at least 6 months' validity from your date of entry.
• Visa-on-arrival (roughly $25 USD, cash only) is still available at Cairo, Hurghada, Luxor and Sharm El Sheikh airports if you arrive without one — but it's the slowest part of arrival.
• When we arrange your holiday, we confirm your visa status before departure, so it's one less thing to think about the week you travel.

Weather month by month — and why layers matter

Egypt splits neatly into two seasons: a long, hot summer (May to September, when Luxor and Aswan regularly pass 40°C) and a milder winter (October to April), which is when most UK travellers go. What catches people out isn't the daytime heat — it's how sharply it drops after dark. Desert air holds no humidity to trap warmth, so a 35°C afternoon at Abu Simbel can fall to single figures by 9pm.

What to actually pack

Egypt doesn't call for specialist kit — it calls for the right basics, and leaving out what won't earn its space in your case.

• Wide-brim hat and proper UV sunglasses — midday sun at Karnak or Abu Simbel isn't the same as a beach sun.
• SPF50, reapplied more often than feels necessary. Reflected light off sand and limestone burns faster than open sky.
• Comfortable, broken-in closed shoes — temple floors are uneven stone, and desert sites mean sand in sandals within minutes.
• One warm layer, even in high summer, for a sunrise balloon flight or an evening felucca sail.
• A scarf or shawl for shoulder cover at mosques and some temple interiors.
• A dry bag or zip pouch for phones and passports on river crossings and desert trips.

Money — what works, and where

Egypt runs on a dual system that surprises a lot of first-time visitors: cards work almost everywhere that matters — hotels, restaurants, shops in tourist areas — but cash, specifically small Egyptian pound notes, is what daily life outside those settings actually runs on.

Tipping — baksheesh — is a genuine part of the local economy here, not an optional extra. Guides and drivers are usually tipped per day, and it's worth budgeting for as part of the holiday cost rather than an afterthought at the airport.

Staying comfortable and sensible

Egypt's tourist regions — Cairo's major sites, Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea coast — are well used to international visitors. The things that actually derail a trip tend to be more mundane than most people expect: heat exhaustion, dehydration and stomach upsets from tap water, rather than anything more dramatic.

• Stick to bottled or filtered water, including for brushing your teeth in budget accommodation.
• Where you can, plan outdoor sightseeing around the midday heat — most desert and temple sites are at their best, and coolest, at sunrise.
• Use transport arranged through your hotel or operator rather than hailing unmarked vehicles at tourist sites.
• Check that your travel insurance covers activities like felucca sailing and desert excursions before you book.

Guided or independent?

You can see Egypt independently, and plenty of travellers do. But the sites here reward context in a way few destinations do: the Valley of the Kings has almost no on-site signage, and the gap between wandering Karnak alone and having an Egyptologist explain exactly what you're standing in front of isn't a small one. A guide also handles the practical friction — ticket queues, timing around coach parties, and knowing which gate actually moves.

For travel agents and tour operators

If you're building Egypt into a client's itinerary rather than travelling yourself, the questions above are usually the ones your clients will ask first — worth bookmarking this page to send them directly. As a licensed Egyptian DMC (IATA #90255546, ETAA #718), we work with UK agents and operators on net rates, ground handling, and tailor-made itineraries, including multi-supplier packages where we handle the Egypt leg end to end. Get in touch through our trade enquiries channel and we'll respond from our Cairo office within one working day.