Summary
A trip to Egypt is easier to plan than most people expect. This page collects everything to sort out before you go: when to travel, your visa, safety, insurance, money, staying online, what to pack, how to get around and how to fit in. Each section links to a full guide.
When to Go
October to April is the best time for sightseeing, with warm, sunny days; December and January are the busiest. Summer is very hot inland but cheaper, and the best time for the Red Sea. Read the best time to visit Egypt, or see each month: January, April, July, October.
Visa and Passport
Most visitors need a visa: an e-Visa online ($30 single entry) or a visa on arrival ($30 cash). Your passport must be valid for six months after you arrive. Everything is in our Egypt visa guide.
Safety
The main tourist areas are open and widely visited; government advice warns against North Sinai, the Libyan border and parts of the Western Desert. Read Is Egypt safe? for the latest official advice, scams and tips for women and solo travellers.
Travel Insurance
Not required for entry, but essential: medical care is paid for up front, and evacuation is expensive. Make sure your policy covers diving or a balloon flight if you plan them. See travel insurance for Egypt.
Money and Tipping
Bring a card and some cash; you need Egyptian pounds for markets, taxis and tips. Tipping is part of daily life. See money, cards and tipping in Egypt.
Phone and Internet
A tourist SIM, bought with your passport at the airport, is the cheapest way to stay online; an eSIM is the easiest. See SIM cards and internet in Egypt.
8-Day Cairo, Siwa and White & Black Desert Adventure
Planning the trip itself? Start here.
View This TripWhat to Wear and Pack
Dress modestly away from the beach: cover shoulders and knees, and bring a scarf for mosques. Read what to wear in Egypt, our packing list for women, the summer and winter packing lists, and what to pack for a Nile cruise.
Getting Around Egypt
- Domestic flights link Cairo with Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh in about an hour.
- Trains, including overnight sleeper trains, run along the Nile from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan.
- A Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan is transport, hotel and sightseeing in one.
- Private drivers and transfers are the most comfortable way to cover the roads; in cities, use Uber or Careem.
Language and Etiquette
Arabic is the official language, and English is widely spoken in hotels and tourist areas. A few words go a long way: shukran (thank you), la, shukran (no, thank you), salam alaikum (hello). Use your right hand to give and receive, ask before photographing people, and respect prayer times and Ramadan customs.
Health
Drink bottled water, protect yourself from the sun, and take a small first-aid kit. No vaccinations are required for most visitors; ask your doctor about routine travel vaccines. Pharmacies are everywhere.
Plan Your Itinerary
A first trip usually combines Cairo and the pyramids with Luxor and Aswan, often by Nile cruise, and sometimes a few days on the Red Sea. Start with our Egypt tour packages, or ask for a tailor-made trip.
Before You Go FAQ
Plan Your Egypt Trip
- Best time to visit Egypt
- Egypt visa: e-Visa, visa on arrival & cost
- Is Egypt safe? Travel advice & tips
- Travel insurance for Egypt
- How much a trip to Egypt costs
- Money, cards & tipping
- SIM cards, eSIM & internet
- What to wear in Egypt
- Packing list for women
- Summer packing list
- Winter packing list
- What to pack for a Nile cruise
































