Local knowledge
Egypt travel tips from the team who runs the day
Timing, distances and everyday practicalities, as we explain them to our own travellers. Use them alongside the tour catalogue and the destination guides.
Timing the day in Egypt
Most disappointing days in Egypt are timing problems, not itinerary problems. Heat, light and crowds all move on a predictable schedule.
- May to September is genuinely hot in Upper Egypt. Do outdoor sites in the first hours of the day and keep afternoons for museums, the river or a rest.
- The Giza plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum are two separate half-days when done properly. Squeezing both plus Saqqara into one day means walking past most of it.
- Luxor's West Bank tombs open early. Being at the Valley of the Kings at opening gives you cooler air, better light and far fewer people in the chambers.
- Karnak is best early morning or late afternoon; midday flattens the light and fills the hypostyle hall.
- Balloon flights inflate in darkness and land soon after sunrise. Plan a slow breakfast afterwards, not a museum at eight.
- During Ramadan, days slow down and evenings come alive. Trips still run well, but expect different traffic patterns and adjusted mealtimes.
Distances, flights and what a day trip really costs you
Egypt is large, and the long transfers are what quietly ruin itineraries. These are the decisions we discuss with almost every traveller.
- Cairo to Luxor or Aswan: fly. The flight is about an hour; the road and rail alternatives take the better part of a day.
- Luxor deserves at least one night. Day trips from Hurghada or Sharm mean many hours in a vehicle around a few rushed hours at the sites.
- Abu Simbel is around a three-hour drive from Aswan each way, or a short flight. Early departures exist because of heat, not tradition.
- A Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan is a slow, sociable way to cover that stretch, and its sailing days are part of the experience rather than lost time.
- The White Desert is an overnight, not an afternoon. It is a long drive from Cairo through Bahariya, and the landscape is at its best at dusk and dawn.
- Red Sea snorkelling and diving days depend on wind. A calm morning boat beats an ambitious afternoon one.
Practical local knowledge
Small things that make the difference between coping with Egypt and enjoying it.
- Carry small Egyptian pound notes. Tipping — baksheesh — is normal and expected for small services, and it is easier when you have change.
- Dress light and cover shoulders and knees at mosques and churches; women may want a scarf for head covering at mosques.
- Closed shoes with grip beat sandals in tombs and on temple stone. Sun hat, sunglasses and more water than you think you need.
- Photography rules vary by site and change: some tombs need a separate ticket for a camera, some interiors allow none.
- Most visitors need a visa; requirements depend on nationality and change, so confirm yours with your own authorities before travelling.
- Drink bottled or filtered water, and be selective rather than fearful about street food — hot, freshly cooked and busy is the rule.
- Friday and public holidays change opening patterns and traffic. Your guide will reshape the order of the day rather than cancel it.
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