Ten Days in Egypt
19 August 2022
Unsurprisingly, given the global health crisis, it has been a few years since my wife and I managed to get out of Europe and have a slightly more adventurous trip. This year we decided to set foot on the African continent for the first time and visit a country we have had on our list for a very long time - Egypt. In this post I will share some tips and impressions from our trip in case someone finds them useful.
[!NOTE] Note that everything we experienced during this trip, both positive and negative, is completely subjective. The best way to find out how you feel about a place is to visit it yourself.
Contents
Itinerary
Ten days is certainly not enough time to see everything in Egypt, but it was what we could afford and I believe it is a good amount of time if you just want to check out some of the major attractions. In total we spent 1,870.31 EUR for the two of us including flights, accommodation, food, visas, etc.
We spent our ten days (9 nights) in May of 2022 as follows:
- 1 night in Alexandria
- 2 nights in Giza
- 3 nights in Luxor
- 1 night in Minya
- 2 nights in Cairo
Check out my wife’s Instagram account (LanaInLand) if you are interested in seeing some beautiful photos 📷 and stories 🎬 from our trip to Egypt 🇪🇬.
Visas
There are several different options for obtaining Egyptian visas: from local embassies, upon arrival at certain airports, or an online e-Visa. As I prefer to do most things online, we used the official e-Visa website to get our visas for Egypt.
The visas cost 25 USD (about 25 EUR at the time of writing this post) each and took nine days to be issued. So, if you prefer to go the e-Visa route, make sure you leave enough time before you depart to submit the visa application. I found the web portal a bit of a pain to use. For example, we had to submit the visa applications separately and several fields changed values when moving between sections. In the end, however, everything worked out fine and we were issued our visas before our flight.
Transport
Borg El Arab International Airport
We began our trip by flying into Borg El Arab International Airport, as there were some very cheap Vueling flights from Paris Orly. The airport itself is quite small and basic. When you land you will need to pick up an immigration (landing) card and fill it out before joining the queue for passport control. Be sure to have the details of your first accommodation handy. Once your passport has been stamped you will find another queue to exit the airport as bags are also scanned on the way out. In the main aiport lounge you will find a few cash machines and a taxi stand. That’s about it. Note that if you leave the airport you will have to have your bags scanned again to re-enter.
We could not find any taxis outside the airport and were forced to accept the 400 EGP rate from the taxi stand. Our taxi driver also asked for an extra 20 EGP to pay for the airport parking 🤨. It was about a one-hour drive from the airport to downtown Alexandria.
Cairo International Airport
We had two visits to Cairo International Airport. Both times we took an Uber that cost around 180 EGP from Giza and around 140 EGP from Zamalek. The Google Maps estimates for driving times seemed fairly accurate, taking around 45min or so, most of which was navigating the busy streets of central Cairo.
Our first visit was to Terminal 3 for a domestic flight to Luxor. The terminal is quite clean and well organised, but did not appear to have any cash machines and only had a limited options for food. The Egyptair flight from Cairo to Luxor only takes about an hour and was very pleasant. Be sure to book a window seat so that you can admire the impressive landscape.
Our second visit was to Terminal 2 for a British Airways flight to London. While larger, this terminal did not seem as nice and well organised as Terminal 3. One thing to note is that if you arrive too early for your flight, even if you have checked in online, you will not be able to access the departure gates as you need to get an exit card from the check-in desk for the airline you are flying with. We had to wait an hour for the British Airways check-in desk to open just to get the exit cards, which could just have easily been laid out to pick up upon arrival. The departure lounge has several eating options as well as shops selling Egyptian souvenirs.
Around Alexandria
We were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go in downtown Alexandria. Uber operates in the city and would be my recommendation for going beyond the centre.
After our short stay in the city we walked to the train station to catch a train to Cairo. The roundabout in front of the station is quite chaotic and getting to the station on foot was a bit tricky. You might want to take this into consideration if you are travelling with heavy bags. We bought two first class tickets for the 11:30 express train (912), which cost 70 EGP each, about twenty minutes before departure without any issues. You can expect someone to show you to your seats in hope of getting a tip.
The train was fairly old but air-conditioned and comfortable. The eating options are quite limited onboard, so I would recommend buying something to eat beforehand.
We got into Cairo around 15:20 (i.e. around 35min late).
[!TIP] Check out The Man in Seat 61’s page on Egypt for useful trips and timetables for trains.
Around Cairo and Giza
Cairo is quite a big city with lots of things to see, so the best way of getting around is with Uber. I set up my account with PayPal and that way we didn’t have to haggle with taxi drivers or worry about having the right amount of cash on us. On average we were spending between 30 EGP and 50 EGP per trip to get around the city. For the most part the drivers were polite and friendly. Note that some of the cars do not have seatbelts in the back and be prepared for a lot of honking.
Around Luxor
When we visited in 2022 Uber was not operating in Luxor, however you will find regular taxis in front of most tourist sights. The city centre is small enough to walk most places, but it was 40℃ when we visited so keep this in mind.
Along the Nile there are countless people relentlessly offering to take you by boat from one side to the other. The cheapest option by far to cross the river is to take the public ferry that goes between the west bank and the Luxor Museum on the east bank for only 5 EGP.
For visiting the Valley of the Kings and other major attractions on the west bank you will need a car for the day. We arranged a private car with a driver and a guide through the owner of the property we were staying at on the day we arrived. This cost us 1100 EGP per person, which included the tickets for all of the sights we visited. Given the amount of things we were able to see and how much the guide was able to inform us about them, I think this was good value for money. You could probably get a better deal if you shop around a bit in advance.
We left Luxor by train heading to Minya. The train station in Luxor is small and easy to reach in the centre of town. Again there are limited food options inside the station so it would be best to buy food in advance. We booked second class tickets online for the 12:40 VIP train (935), which cost 135.20 EGP each. The train was old and a bit dirty, but again it was air-conditioned (possibly too much) and a pretty comfortable ride. We got into Minya around 20:00 (i.e. about an hour late). This was a great way to take in the landscape of central Egypt and appreciate the beauty of the Nile river.
Around Minya
We spent one night in Minya as a stopover between Luxor and Cairo. The city centre is small enough to get around on foot.
On the evening of our arrival two men tried to usher us into the tourist information office in the train station. Since they did not speak English and we did not understand what they wanted, we declined and simply walked through the centre of town to our hotel. The next morning when attempting to walk back to the train station we were stopped by the police who insisted on sending an officer to escort us. This was not much of a problem along the way as he gave us some space and allowed us to stop and take pictures. Once we arrived at the train station, however, we were asked to wait in the tourist information office until our train arrived. The train eventually arrived (2h40min late) and a police officer escorted us to our seats and then subtly demanded a tip of 50 EGP 🤨. We were informed that this is standard practice in Minya and that the local police will be held accountable if anything bad happened to a tourist. That said we did not have any issues on the night we arrived and all the people we encountered seemed quite friendly.
We had booked second class tickets for the 12:20 express train (987) online, which cost 62.40 EGP each. As I mentioned above, the train arrived 2h40min late and was lot more crowded and less comfortable than the other trains we had taken. We got into Cairo around 19:00 (i.e. 3h30min late).
Accommodation
Accommodation is very cheap in most of Egypt and touristy areas usually have many options to choose from.
In Alexandria we stayed at the Downtown Sea View Suites, an apartment on the 13th floor of an old building not far from the statue of Mohamed Ali Pasha. The apartment itself was quite nice, but note that there is no door on the lift in the building, which may be a bit disconcerting for some.
In Giza we stayed at the Pyramids Top Inn. The rooms are fairly basic, but quite comfortable. The staff were very friendly and helpful, breakfast was good, but the standout aspect was the amazing view of the pyramids on the rooftop seating area. Note that the area in front of the hotel is a bit dirty and noisy. There are packs of stray dogs that bark all night long.
In Luxor we stayed at the Sara Guesthouse. This place was really exceptional. It is located on the west bank right next to an enormous banana plantation. The top floor apartment is really spacious and stylish. The only real downside is that there are few good eating options on the west bank.
In Minya we stayed at the Queen Isis Floating Hotel. This is a former Nile river ferry that is permanently moored in the city. The hotel staff were very friendly. There is a restaurant on board that had live music on the night we stayed. Note that Wi-Fi was only available in the main lobby.
Finally, in Cairo we stayed at the President Hotel on Zamalek island. This is a pretty standard professional hotel and more or less what you would expect for the price. The are several restaurants in the building as well as in the surrounding area. Zamalek is a good option for staying in a calmer neighbourhood in Cairo.
Food
Eating in Egypt was surprisingly more complicated than we anticipated. Despite spending several hours doing research prior to our trip, we only managed to have one stand out meal during the ten days. Most of the meals were fine, but other were quite disappointing. I am sure that you can eat well in most places if you know where to go, however finding out where these places are is not so trivial.
By far the best meal we had in Egypt was at Sofra (سفرة) in Luxor. We had a meze platter that included foul, tahina and sambousa along with some fresh guava and tamarind juices. For dessert we had a selection of Egyptian pastries. Everything, including the service, was excellent!
Sights
This is where Egypt really shines! Few countries can boast such a wealth of temples, tombs and artefacts.
Giza Necropolis
If you are going to Egypt for the first time there is no doubt that you will want to see the pyramids in Giza and I can assure you that they do not disappoint.
There are two entrances to the Giza Necropolis, one for cars and one for pedestrians. We entered via the latter, which was a very short walk from our hotel. The entry fee was 240 EGP per person. Note that this price was different on every blog I read before going, so it may fluctuate quite a bit.
From the moment you get your tickets to the moment you leave you will be hassled, so just be prepared. You will be offered horse rides, camel rides, tours, photos, souvenirs, gifts, complements, etc., pretty much non stop. This was pretty tiring over the course of the day. Most of the people we dealt with were very insistent and we had to quite firmly decline whatever they were offering multiple times in order to have a few minutes of peace before the next pedlar came along. However, none of this really took away from the magic of the place.
Here are a few tips for making the most of your visit. Make sure to put on plenty of sunscreen and bring water as there is not much shade available. There are several security guards wearing white uniforms with berets. They mainly ignore the tourists unless you try to climb on the pyramids. Feel free to walk wherever you like and get as close to the pyramids as you want. If anyone other than a security guard comes up to you, you can safely assume they want something. You can easily walk between all of the pyramids, so ignore anyone who says it’s too far.
Valley of the Kings
Another essential stop on a visit to Egypt is the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. Here you will find the tombs of Ramses II and Tutankhamun among many others. The basic entry ticket allows you to visit three tombs, but you can pay extra to visit some of the larger tombs.
We decided to hire a driver and a tour guide for the day as it was the easiest way to visit several of the west bank temples and tombs in Luxor. As mentioned above, we paid 1100 EGP each, which included the following:
- Pick up and drop off from our accommodation in a private car
- Transport to all the sights
- A knowledgable tour guide
- Basic entrance (i.e. 3 tombs) to the Valley of the Kings, including the tram ride to/from the ticket office
- Entrance to the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, including the tram ride to/from the ticket office
- Visit to an alabaster workshop
- Entrance to Medinet Habu (tomb of Ramses III)
- Stop at the Colossi of Memnon
At the Valley of the Kings our tour guide selected the tombs of Merenptah, Ramses I and Ramses III for us to visit. We obviously can’t compare these to the tombs we did not see, but all three were amazing. The tomb of Ramses III in particular stood out and might be a good choice if you are undecided.
Overall, this felt like good value for money as we saw and learned a lot of things that we probably would not have on our own. One thing to note is that the alabaster workshop is a bit of a tourist trap as it is primarily a gift shop for tourists. Also, you are expected to tip the tour guide and driver. Note that at all of the sights you can easily buy water and snacks.
Karnak Temple Complex
One of the must-see attractions in Luxor is the Karnak Temple Complex. Weaving around the impressive pillars in the Hypostyle Hall will make you feel like you have been transported back to the Middle Kingdom.
Karnak is much easier to reach than many of the other sights in Luxor. It is only about a 10min taxi ride from the city centre or a 25min walk from the Luxor Museum. The entrance fee was 220 EGP each and we were quite happy to visit without a guide as it is a great place to simply wander around. Thanks to the shade provided by the massive columns there are plenty of places to hide from the sun, which helped as it was 40℃ on the day we visited. I would recommend getting there early to avoid the crowds and the heat.
Egyptian Museum
Last, but certainly not least, if you visit Cairo you absolutely have to leave half a day to see the Egyptian Museum. This museum is home to over 100,000 artefacts including mummies, sarcophagi, statues, canopic jars and of course the iconic gold mask of Tutankhamun.
The entrance fee was 200 EGP each and we didn’t have any problem getting tickets on the day.
Getting By
Here are some tips for getting by in Egypt.
Language
Overall we didn’t have any problem communicating on our trip. Almost everyone we had to deal with had a very good level of English. Some useful things to know are شكرا (shokran), which means ‘thank you’, as it always pays to be polite, and some basic Arabic numerals.
This is particularly helpful for identifying things like train carriages.
Internet
Most of the hotels we stayed in had pretty good Wi-Fi, but you may want to invest in an Egyptian SIM card, especially for things like Uber. I paid 355 EGP for a tourist SIM card with 25GB of data at the Vodafone shop in Ramses II Railway Station. In the end, we only used a few GB during the ten days, but it made getting around Cairo a lot easier and we also felt more comfortable knowing we could communicate with people if needed. Note that you will need your passport to purchase the SIM card and you may have to wait for quite a bit as the Vodafone shops can get quite busy. We waited for over an hour in Alexandria before giving up and waiting to pick up a SIM card in Cairo.
Tipping
Tipping seems to be expected from almost anyone who offers you any service of any kind, even if it is not solicited. We were not there long enough to figure out exactly how much you should tip in each interaction. For most of the trip we tipped around 10% for taxis, Uber rides, meals and tours, which didn’t cause any obvious upset, so we assume that this was acceptable. For the random guys that grabbed our bags and moved them a few metres or simply pointed out things we didn’t ask for we just gave whatever small change we had on us, usually around 5 EGP.
No, Thank You
When being hassled by pedlars, saying ‘No, thank you’ and smiling ☺️ didn’t really do the trick. This simply lead to questions like ‘Where are you from?’ and haggling like ‘For you, half price’. Answering any of these questions seemed to increase their hope that you would eventually cave in. By the end of trip the best tactic was simply to say ‘No, thank you’, somewhat severely, without smiling 😑 and moving on without engaging in any follow up questions. While I was not really comfortable with this type of interaction it did give us more time to actually enjoy the things we had come all that way to see.
Safety
We did not have a single experience during our whole trip where we felt unsafe. This is obviously somewhat subjective, but overall the people we interacted with were friendly and welcoming. Some seemed to be genuinely happy to welcome foreigners to their country, others were probably hoping to profit in some way from our visit. In either case, we had the impression that no one wished us any harm and that everyone would have been very happy to help us in any way had we needed any assistance.