Egypt

The US State Department lists Egypt at Level 3 — "Reconsider Travel". Reconsider travel to Egypt due to terrorism. The Sinai Peninsula (excluding Sharm el-Sheikh) is particularly dangerous.

US passport holders get a visa on arrival in Egypt — $25 for 30 days. Or e-visa at visa2egypt.gov.eg.

Budget: $30–55/day — budget hotels, koshary and ful for meals, second-class trains, taxi (Uber works in Cairo).. Mid-range: $110–180/day — boutique Cairo hotels, dahabiya nights, Egyptologist guides at the temples, internal flights.. Luxury: $600+/day — Four Seasons Cairo, Old Cataract Aswan, private dahabiya, Sunrise hot-air balloon over Luxor.

Plan 10–17 days in Egypt to cover its main regions without rushing. We map 5 distinct regions — Cairo & Giza, Luxor & Karnak, Aswan & Abu Simbel alone justify a full week. First-time visitors can do a tighter loop in 10–12 days by focusing on two regions.

Domestic flights (EgyptAir, Air Cairo) are essential — Cairo–Luxor 1h, Cairo–Aswan 1h30. The overnight Watania Sleeping Train Cairo–Luxor is a classic ($100). Use Uber in Cairo; ride Talgo trains or Uber within Luxor and Aswan. Hire a private driver-guide for the Pyramids and Saqqara day trips.

Start with: Cairo & Giza (Pyramids of Giza and the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM, fully open since 2025), Coptic Cairo, Khan el-Khalili bazaar, Old Cairo's Islamic monuments. Three days minimum; book the Pyramids first thing in the morning); Luxor & Karnak (Karnak and Luxor temples, Valley of the Kings (Tutankhamun, Ramesses VI, Seti I), Hatshepsut's mortuary temple, the Colossi of Memnon. Two nights — base on the East Bank, ferry to West Bank tombs at dawn); Aswan & Abu Simbel (Felucca cruises on the Nile, Philae temple, Nubian villages, and the colossal rock-cut temples at Abu Simbel (worth the 4am bus or the short flight from Aswan). Two nights). We cover 5 regions in total — the rest are listed below.