You might be wondering: Can you actually travel Egypt independently? And the short answer is yes, you absolutely can! Despite everything we heard and read online we decided to go for it anyway and we loved it!
Things do work a little differently in Egypt compared to other countries which are more frequently visited by independent travelers, but with the tips in this Egypt travel guide you’ll have all the information you need for a successful independent trip, even if you’ve never been before.
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Table of Contents - How to Travel Egypt Independently: Complete Guide for First-Timers
- The Basics: Weather, visa & more
- Choosing your route & picking sites to visit
- How to get around Egypt independently
- How to book tours and guides without a package
- Money matters
- Scams & safety
- Animal welfare in Egypt
- What to pack for Egypt
- Final thoughts about traveling Egypt independently
- FAQ about traveling Egypt independently
The Basics: Weather, visa & more
The best time of year to visit Egypt
Egypt is hot year-round. The best time to visit weather-wise is winter (December-February), when temperatures are lower. However, winter is also the peak season. Expect crowds at major sites and significantly higher prices. Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Easter are especially packed.
We visited in November, which was a pretty good balance I’d say. This is shoulder season and temperatures are bearable. It was quite hot in the very south, but in Cairo we put on a light jacket in the evenings. Even in November the temples got very crowded, so I wouldn’t want to visit in a busier period, despite the temperatures being a bit lower. I’d even suggest looking at visiting in October despite the higher temperatures just to have less people around. Just make sure to avoid the school holidays.
Egypt's geography
Most of Egypt is a desert, except the area close to the Nile. So this has naturally always been the place where people would choose to settle and all the main sights of Egypt are located close to the Nile.
The old kingdom, who built the pyramids, had their capital in the north. So this is where you’ll find the pyramids: around Cairo.
The new kingdom didn’t build pyramids anymore, but built hidden tombs and temples. Their capital was where modern day Luxor is located now. This is also where the Valley of Kings and the Valley of the Queens are located. The main temples are located along the Nile between Luxor and Abu Simbel, the very south of Egypt.
So any trip to Egypt focused on seeing the archeological sights of ancient Egypt will visit these places. In order to visit the main sights here you need at least a week. If you want to visit the red sea as well, I’d recommend at least 10 days in Egypt.
Visa
Most nationalities require a visa in order to visit Egypt. You can apply for the visa online↗ or get one on arrival at the airport. The list of countries who can apply for an eVisa is available here. A single entry tourist visa costs 25 USD (at the time of writing), this is the same for eVisa and Visa on arrival. Note that you can only pay for your visa on arrival in USD in cash or by card.
SIM cards
You can buy a SIM card directly at the airport, which is what we did. The SIM card was quite expensive ($23 USD for a lot more data than we needed for a week), but the guy activated it for us and this way we could communicate with the hotel in Luxor who was organizing our transfer without problems. In Cairo you’ll want to book an Uber, so you’ll also want to have mobile data right when you leave the airport.
Language
English is widely spoken in tourist areas, hotels, and by guides. You’ll have no trouble getting around the main sites without Arabic, though learning a few basic words or phrases (shukran for “thank you”) is always appreciated.
Choosing your route & picking sites to visit
The best route to pick if you want to travel Egypt independently depends on how much time you have. I’d say the minimum time you need is one week. This gives you enough time to cover the main sites of Cairo, Luxor and Aswan. If you have a few extra days, you can easily combine a trip of ancient Egypt with a relaxing stay at the Red Sea.Â
Seasoned travelers might be interested in getting further off track and visiting places like the Western Desert oases or remote islands in the Red Sea. We didn’t make it there this time, so I’m sticking with the places I know about for now. But they’re on the list for trip two, so hopefully I can tell you more about them in a future article.Â
Cairo
Being home to the Giza Plateau, with the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, Cairo is a must-see for any trip to Egypt. But Giza is not the only reason to visit Cairo. There are more sites with pyramids around Cairo, like Saqqara and Dahshur.
Due to limited time, we had to skip Saqqara if we wanted to make it to Dahshur. The reason I wanted to prioritize Dahshur was not only economically, Dahshur is much cheaper to visit, but also because it’s much quieter. This site is a bit further away from Cairo and many tours won’t make it there. Especially when combined with Giza, time is tight. There are two pyramids at Dahshur: the bend pyramid and the red pyramid and both can be entered with your entrance ticket! We only did one and I loved the experience.
Other popular places to visit in and around Cairo are Memphis, the Khan el-Khalili market and the Muhammad Ali Mosque. But we skipped all of these and spent our last day in the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) which was absolutely amazing. I don’t normally enjoy museums that much, but the GEM is amazing. Even if you just go for Tutankhamun’s treasure, it’s 100% worth it.Â
đź’ˇ Insider Tip: Enter a Pyramid at Dahshur, Not Giza
Should you enter a pyramid in Egypt? I wrestled with this question. The crowds at Giza didn’t sound appealing, and there are no hieroglyphs or other images inside to look at. But leaving Egypt without going inside one of the pyramids felt wrong.
Then I discovered Dahshur. It’s farther from Cairo center, so barely anyone goes and the pyramid entry is included in your ticket (no extra fees like at Giza).
Climbing inside the 5,000-year-old Red Pyramid with only a handful of other people there? Absolutely amazing. Yes, it was hot and steep, and the burial chamber smelled far from good, but experiencing that ancient space without crowds made all the difference. At Giza, I know I would’ve been miserable. We’d already dealt with crowded tombs in the Valley of the Kings, so I knew Dahshur’s peaceful atmosphere was exactly what I wanted for my pyramid experience. And it did not disappoint!
Luxor
The pharaohs living in Luxor built hidden tombs instead of pyramids, and lots of temples.
Two famous temples are found in the middle of modern-day Luxor: Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple. These temples are connected by the Avenue of the Sphinxes, which is almost 3 km long (almost 2 miles).
Besides these temples, the Valley of the Kings is another must-visit, just outside of Luxor. This is where the kings built their hidden tombs, including Tutankhamun.Â
On our tour of the Luxor West Bank we also visited Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple and the statues of Memnon. Unfortunately, this was all we had time for on our trip, but there are many more interesting sites in the area. Think the Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu Temple, Ramesseum and many more if you venture out a little further.
đź’ˇ Entering the tombs in the Valley of the Kings
The tombs in the Valley of the Kings are much easier to enter than the pyramids. The entrances are bigger and not nearly as steep. Some are almost flat. Contrary to the plain pyramid walls, the walls of these tombs are decorated inside with images and hieroglyphs.
With the entrance ticket to the Valley of the Kings you can pick 3 tombs to enter, free choice out of the 8 that are open at the time, excluding Tutankhamun’s tomb. The latter requires an additional ticket.
Since Tutankhamun died so young, his tomb is relatively small and the decorations are not as abundant as in other tombs, except for the burial chamber. But, it’s the famous one most people will want to see and the only tomb with the pharaoh’s mummy still inside.Â
Aswan
The most famous temple near Aswan is actually 280 km (175 miles) south: Abu Simbel. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the busiest, although most tour groups seem to visit in the morning (so did we, since it was part of our cruise). It could be better in the afternoon!
Other places to visit around Aswan are the Philae temple, high dam, Unfinished Obelisk and a Nubian Village. Personally, I only found the Philae temple worth it among these stops, but the High Dam does have huge importance. So some might find it worth it just for that.
Kom Ombo and Edfu are a little further away from Aswan and are often visited as part of a Cruise between Luxor and Aswan, but can both be visited from Aswan as well.Â
If you want to get off the beaten track, there are many more temples to visit around Aswan, like the Kalabsha Temple and Beit el‑Wali just beyond the high dam and the Temple of Derr and Amada Temple on the way to Abu Simbel.
🌊 Visiting the Red Sea
We didn’t make it to the Red Sea this time, but if you want to add a few days of beach time to our independent Egypt trip, check out Hurghada. Yes, it’s a touristy resort town, but there are plenty of options for budget travelers too. The fact that it handles a lot of tourism makes it an easy place for independent travelers and it’s not far from the Cairo to Aswan route.
How to get around Egypt independently
You can travel Egypt independently using planes, trains, buses and boats. We used planes and did a cruise to travel between the different cities we visited and did guided tours to visit the sites around the cities.Â
For more info about train and bus travel in Egypt, I found this blogpost↗.
Planes
Domestic flights↗ are a great way to travel bigger distances in Egypt. When visiting Cairo, Luxor and Aswan (the standard Egypt itinerary for first timers), flights are the most convenient and comfortable way to travel the distance between Cairo and Luxor or Aswan.
Trains
It’s also possible to travel between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan by train. We looked into this to save of on the domestic flight, but the overnight sleeper trains↗ are actually more expensive. So we decided to save both money and time and opted for a domestic flight.Â
Day trains are cheaper, but they take a long time as it is, and are often delayed on top of this. From what I read, they aren’t very comfortable either.
Buses
Buses↗ are the cheapest way to travel between Cairo and Luxor, but as with trains they take a long time and delays are common. Other travelers report that GoBus is the best company, so while buses are still not the most comfortable or efficient way of traveling Egypt, if you are considering it you might want to check this company out.
Cruises
The cruise from Luxor to Aswan was my favorite mode of transport in Egypt, but also the most expensive and time consuming one. But if you have time and your budget allows it, then I can definitely recommend doing one. Our travel agent booked us on this one↗, which was great.
How to book tours and guides without a package
We thought it would be easy to shop around for tours or guides, since Egypt is such a touristic destination and most things are visited with a guide. But we were wrong. While it’s easy to contract a tour or guide on the spot, it’s not so easy to shop around and compare options.
Let me explain what I mean with this. When we arrived in Luxor, the hotel owner also owns a travel agency, so he offered us a package for visiting Luxor + Nile cruise. Easy! But comparing was much less easy. There were no tour agencies in the center, or we didn’t see any at least. A lot of people working with tourists have a contact so you can inquire about options, but there are virtually no official flyers, prices, or physical agencies where you can just walk in.
In Cairo it was the same. The hotel owner organized a tour for us combining the places we wanted to visit, but we couldn’t really shop around to compare options.
The best way to go about this if you want to travel Egypt independently is to have a rough idea of fair prices and what is normally included in tours from online research, then book through your hotel while being ready to negotiate. It’s not ideal for comparison shopping on the spot, but this way you do have something to compare your offer with. And another option if you don’t like it.
🏨Booking accommodation
Booking your accommodation if you travel Egypt independently works the same as anywhere else. We found good prices via Booking.com↗, and when one of them didn’t work out, we got quotes on walking in as well. Booking had better prices though and at least we knew what we got by reading the reviews and looking at the pictures. Other apps like Agoda↗ and hostelworld work too.
Money matters
Budgeting
When budgeting for your trip to Egypt, whether you travel Egypt independently or on a package tour, it’s important to realize that tips and entrance fees add up! Count on at least 5 USD/EUR per day for tours. Restaurants often already include them in your bill. If you let locals take pictures of you or help you at touristic places expect to have to tip as well.Â
Before we arrived in Egypt, we thought we’d save on food and have street food. However, in the end we opted for much more comfortable restaurants. We found the street food scene quite chaotic and it was nice to relax after a busy day of sightseeing and chat. It was worth paying a little more for.
Cash vs cards
Generally speaking cash is king in Egypt! Many (touristic) places also accept card, but often charge a fee of 3%-5%. ATMs don’t charge this fee and banks offer great exchange rates if you prefer to bring Euros or USD. Although many places also accept USD ( Euros are less commonly accepted).
Having said that, you cannot pay for the entrances of temples with cash, only by card. You can pay your visa on arrival either in cash in USD or by card (also charged in USD).
I found my Wise card super helpful in Egypt, the conversion fee is very low and you get 2 free withdrawals (up to 200 EUR or equivalent) per calendar month. So I took some cash EUR to exchange and pulled the rest out of the ATM.Â
Scams & safety
I’ll start this section with a clarification: while scams are common in Egypt, the country is safe for tourists, including solo female travelers. Egyptians like to talk you into giving them money, but robberies and violence are not common. At least not against tourists.
I’ll give some examples of common scams and scams that we encountered by category. Most are easy to avoid once you know what to watch for. Now before you get scared off by this rather long looking section, it really wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be.
We did our research well and knew what to expect. So I didn’t find it as intimidating as other people may have experienced it. In fact, it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be! After reading all the stories, I thought it might be so bad that it would affect the trip, but it didn’t. Now that I’m back, I remember all the amazing temples we’ve seen, gliding along the river Nile and standing inside a 5000+ year old building and seeing more gold in one room than I’ve ever seen in my life.
At the airport
We didn’t encounter any scams at the airport, but one I’ve heard of is people dressed in red, looking like officials, asking for your passport and not giving it back unless you pay them.
The only thing we did see was staff at the bathrooms holding on to all the paper towels and handing it over to you, asking for a tip after. Despite the bathroom being full of signs saying don’t tip the staff… But I just said I didn’t bring my money with me into the bathroom and left without problems.
Transportation
No Uber service at the airport – We ordered an Uber to get us from Cairo airport to the hotel since it was less than half the price of the “best price” of the hotel. When we made our way outside taxi drivers were saying that there was no Uber service at the airport. Just ignore them and walk a little further out so your Uber driver can reach you. Ours arrived without any problems.
Different Uber prices than the app – When we ordered an Uber to bring us to the GEM from our hotel and at arrival the driver asked another price. Just double check the app for the correct price and give that. Our driver just tried I guess and when we said no, the price in the app is 100 EGP, he said ok.
We also ordered an Uber to get us from the GEM to the airport. The first guy that accepted us said there was an airport surcharge of 300 EGP. This is not true. Uber rates include Airport fees in the rate when relevant and the airport fee is much less than that. We cancelled him and got another one who charged the price in the app.
Expensive hotel shuttles – Ubers are only available in and around Cairo. In Luxor and Aswan we used hotel shuttles. They are much more expensive in comparison to the Ubers, so try to negotiate the price as always in Egypt.
“Cheap horse cart rides” in Luxor – When we walked around Luxor there were some very persistent horse carriage drivers who offered us very cheap rides. As little as 1 USD. But we genuinely didn’t want to take one but walk, so we kept refusing until he got tired (and we crossed the road so he couldn’t follow us as easily). The next day our guide told us about this and said they give you a very cheap price to get on, but won’t let you get off until you pay a lot more.
Tours
Wrong exchange fee – We were offered a private tour in Cairo for $25 each. However, when it was time to pay, the hotel owner we booked it through used the EUR exchange fee to calculate how much we needed to pay in EGP. When I confronted him about this, he said oh sorry and used another rate, which was still too high. So I said that that was incorrect again and showed him the actual, current exchange rate. Of course it was “no problem” and he would accept that rate. Like he was doing me a favor.
Pay for included lunch – This same tour was including lunch, but after we ate the guide tried to charge us for the food. She had asked what kind of Egyptian food we liked earlier in the day and said we would have that for lunch. Then after she took us to a tourist restaurant close to Saqqara, where she tried to charge us for the food. But when we made it very clear to her that the food was included in our tour she quickly backed down and said ok, so only the drinks then. Which was what we had agreed on.Â
Pay for included sites – In Aswan the guides tried to take us to only 2 places and not the 4 that were included. We didn’t care so much about the unfinished obelisk, but some of us wanted to visit the Nubian Village. They made a call and we could go. When entering the boat they tried to charge us for the tour. Again we stood our ground and said that it was included. They backed down immediately and even when I thought we did have to pay for the drinks at the local house, they said it was fine and covered.
“Cheap” and “official” shops – Guides will take you to “official” shops like the “Papyrus museum” or the “artisanal village”. These are just overpriced shops which give you a demonstration and then sell you the same looking souvenirs you can buy at other shops for much less. Many guides also have friends who have the “best” shops where you should definitely buy your souvenirs because it’s the best quality for the best price. But honestly, it’s just where they get their commission. This doesn’t mean that you should buy from these “friends”, but do negotiate as you would at any other shop.
At touristic sites
Pay to get off the camel – One scam we heard about but didn’t encounter (or see), is being allowed on a camel to take your picture either free or very cheap, but they won’t let the camel go down to let you off unless you give them (a lot) of money.Â
Pay to get your phone back – At some touristic sites you’ll find locals offering to take your picture with your phone, or taking your phone into closed off spaces to take a picture in exchange for a tip. I’ve heard they don’t give your phone back unless you give them an exaggerated amount, but I didn’t notice this. I did see locals offering this, especially the tombs at the Valley of the Kings are full, but I didn’t hear anyone arguing about a price. Also most tourists declined the offer since it’s such a common scam and guides often warn you for it as well.
Double charged the horse carriage at Edfu – We were 4 people traveling together, so we needed two horse carriages, which we wanted to pay together. The guide assured us this was no problem. However, on the way back a local hopped on our cart for a free ride home which was on the way. Our friends and the guide continued and arrived at the ship earlier than us. When we arrived some people told us they had already gone to the ship. So we paid our cart ourselves since there was no central place to pay, just the carriage driver. But when we entered the cruise ship the guide told us they had given the other driver the money for both carts…
I 100% blame the guide for this, since he should have waited for us either with or without our friends, but at least with the money to pay for our cart. But according to the driver we should have just walked off without paying and told the boy to go find his money…
Food & drinks
“Courtesy coffee” – This one probably bothered me the most, because I walked right into it! Upon check in the hotel owner kept going on about how much he valued friendships and didn’t want to scam his guests because recommendations and returning guests are so much more valuable in the end. Which is true! So we were like, finally someone who gets it! Well, not… While we were arranging a tour for the next day, we were offered coffee which we accepted. When we were about to head out for lunch, a guy came waving a bill with the most expensive coffee and water we’ve had in Egypt (and we went to a Starbucks kind of cafĂ© in Awan) plus a service fee which almost doubled the bill.
More service fees – The same hotel owner also told us he could get us beers if we wanted, much cheaper than in the grocery stores. We thought why not have a beer on this beautiful terrace overlooking the pyramids so we accepted. It was on the expensive side, but we figured it included the service as well. They came back with small bottles of beer instead of the big bottles we had paid for (yes, yes we call these 330ml bottles 1 liter in Egypt) and tried to charge us an additional fee on top of it. We paid for the beers, not the additional fee. That was supposedly because we weren’t allowed to drink on the terrace and a neighbor saw us. However, they drank a beer with us and had told us it was fine so we didn’t pay.
Including additional items on the restaurant bill – At one restaurant a cheeky staff member tried to charge us waters on top of our breakfast. The funny thing is that it should have included water, but we never got it. However, they did add it to the bill. He also charged us both a service fee and taxes, while one was included in the prices. Pointing at a taped off text on the menu that that is where it used to say. But if it ever did, it didn’t anymore. He took both items off the bill.
Animal welfare in Egypt
I will start this section on a positive note: I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the animals used for the rides (camel rides, horse rides and carriages) looked! With a rare exception all the horses looked well fed, energetic and had a shiny coat. The camels all seemed very relaxed as well. We saw plenty of them resting and eating from our hotel and also when we visited Giza, most of the camels were resting while some of them did the short 20-30min slow paced tourist route. They have camels on both sides, so they don’t need to cross the area. They seem to just stretch their legs a bit before they are brought back and get to lie down again. Yes, they were in the sun, but don’t forget they are desert animals, so that is their natural habitat.
I can’t be 100% sure that all animals are treated well, but I didn’t see any indication that they weren’t. As a matter of fact, I only saw indications that they were treated well.
However, this was not the same in other places like Edfu and Luxor. Unfortunately here the well-looking horses were the exception and most looked underfed. I didn’t see any horses with open wounds or other signs of them being treated poorly in that way. But they were skinny and their coats weren’t as shiny as they should be. Again, I’m not an expert on this topic, but this is what I saw and noticed.
What to pack for Egypt
A lot of travelers are wondering what to pack for Egypt, and this mainly refers to what to wear in Egypt. So besides the normal travel stuff to bring, here are some useful tips for when you’re ready to pack your bags!
- Protective and breathable clothing. In Egypt it’s normal to cover everything from your shoulders to your knees, both for men and women. This dress code isn’t strictly enforced at touristic sites, we saw a few tourists who wore shorts, tank tops and strappy dresses. However, it’s respectful to dress in line with local culture. Headscarves are not required at ancient sites, but women should wear them when visiting a mosque.
- Bathing suit. I was surprised to see a lot of tourists on the Nile cruise had brought their swimsuits. It seems to be completely accepted and many men and women were sunbathing in their swim shorts or bikini. I didn’t miss mine, since the pool was way too cold for me to swim in and I was actually quite happy to get out of the sun between sightseeing, but you might want to bring one if you’re doing a cruise and like to swim and/or sunbathe.
- Adapter. Egypt uses the European style plug, so if your electronics have different plugs, bring an adapter.
- Camera if you have one. No fees are charged at any of the sites that we visited to bring cameras. So if you have a camera, don’t hesitate to bring it. Leave your drone at home though, Egypt has very strict rules regarding drones and unless you have a very special permission they won’t let you take a drone into the country. They do check this, we had to put our bags in scanners before leaving Luxor airport.
Final thoughts about traveling Egypt independently
After all the warnings we read online, I expected Egypt to be overwhelming and stressful. Especially since we wanted to travel Egypt independently. But honestly? It wasn’t nearly as bad as we feared. Yes, the scams and constant negotiating got annoying at times, but they’re just part of the experience and now they’re mostly funny stories we tell friends. What really sticks with me are the incredible moments: standing inside a 5,000-year-old pyramid, cruising down the Nile, seeing the insane amount of gold in Tutankhamun’s collection. Those experiences absolutely outweigh the hassles.
Would we do it independently again? Without question. The freedom to customize our itinerary, to spend an extra day where we wanted, and to experience Egypt on our own terms made the trip so much better. If you’re considering independent travel in Egypt, don’t let the scary stories stop you. With the tips in this guide and a bit of confidence, you will have an amazing time. Egypt is incredible, and experiencing it independently is totally worth it.
| Guide | What You'll Find |
|---|---|
| Egypt Tour Package vs DIY | Wondering whether to book a package tour or plan independently? This guide breaks down costs, pros and cons to help you decide. |
| Egypt Itinerary Without a Tour | Our complete 9-day DIY Egypt itinerary covering Luxor, Nile cruise, Aswan, Cairo, and Giza with detailed costs and practical tips. |
FAQ about traveling Egypt independently
Yes, Egypt is safe for independent travelers, including solo female travelers. While scams and hassle are common, violent crime and robberies targeting tourists are rare. The main “danger” is people trying to overcharge you or talk you into buying things. It’s annoying, but not unsafe.
It’s not required, but highly recommended. The sites are incredible but without context, you’ll miss a lot. We booked guides through our hotels for each area and it made the experience so much better. Even though they can’t always go with you (e.g. inside the tombs) the context they’ll give you outside and the questions they can answer on the spot really add to the experience.
Yes, but it requires more planning. Be prepared for shorter opening hours at restaurants during the day, and some sites may have adjusted schedules. On the plus side, it’s less crowded and you’ll experience a unique cultural aspect of Egypt. Just be respectful and avoid eating/drinking in public during daylight hours.
Yes, but it’s not as readily available as in other countries. Hotels, cruise ships and some restaurants serve alcohol, but many local places don’t. It’s also expensive, expect to pay tourist prices.
ATMs are widely available in Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan, so don’t stress about exchanging everything at the airport or taking out a big sum out of the ATM if you are charged a lot for it.
We had some USD in cash with us to pay for the things we couldn’t pay by card and we took out cash from an ATM in town after checking into the hotel.
No, Uber only operates in and around Cairo. In Luxor and Aswan you’ll need to rely on hotel transfers, taxis, or negotiate with drivers. Always negotiate the price, but expect to be paying more than for Cairo’s cheap Ubers.
Yes, at all the sites we visited you can bring cameras for free. Just make sure to switch off your flash when required.