How much does it cost to travel to Egypt? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but I can tell you exactly what my trip cost, item by item, and what the flights, tickets, tours, trains and cruises cost now, so you can work out your own budget.
Egypt is a truly magical destination that you must visit at least once in your lifetime. The good news? It doesn’t have to break the bank.
While you can certainly go all out and splurge on luxury hotels, private tours and Nile cruises, there’s equal possibility to see the country on more of a budget. Either way, you’re in luck. I kept a record of everything I spent on my trip, from the group tour and the flights to the cash I took out along the way, and I’ve set it all out below, alongside what things cost today.
What my nine days cost, item by item
I spent nine days in the country, from the end of May into early June, travelling from Cairo and Giza down to Aswan, Abu Simbel and Luxor on Intrepid’s eight-day Egypt Adventure, my first ever group tour. I flew from London with British Airways and added a final night at the Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo at the end. Here’s every cost I recorded:
| What I paid for | Cost |
|---|---|
| Intrepid Egypt Adventure, eight days | £769.25 |
| Return flights with British Airways | £781.96 |
| Wi-fi on the flight | £5.95 |
| E-visa | £20.03 |
| Tour costs payable in cash | £750.65 |
| Entry to the inside of the Great Pyramid | £18.83 |
| Starbucks | £10.70 |
| One night at the Kempinski Nile Hotel Garden City | £173.47 |
| Total | £2,530.84 |
That’s just over £2,500 for nine days, flights included, or about £1,750 once you take the flights out. I also got £100 back as a travel bonus on my credit card for booking with BA, which brought my total down to £2,430.84.
The Intrepid trip covered my hotels for the eight days, the night on the felucca, the overnight sleeper trains to Aswan and back from Luxor, the transport in between, some of the meals and a professional local guide for the whole trip. Part of the tour cost was payable in cash, so I took out just over £750 in Egyptian pounds over the course of the trip to cover it.
Prices have moved a lot since my trip. The Egyptian pound has lost around two thirds of its value against sterling, and ticket prices have gone up to match, so in pounds the big sights cost about the same or a little more. The ticket inside the Great Pyramid that cost me £18.83 now costs 1,500 EGP, or about £22. Intrepid’s Egypt Adventure now starts from about £984.
First up, is it expensive to travel to Egypt?
On average, not really.
Of course, it depends on where you’re travelling from, how long you’re spending in the country and how crazy your itinerary is, but you certainly won’t need thousands upon thousands of pounds in spending money. That is, unless you’re planning to hit up the designer shops.
The main costs are your flights, your accommodation and the tours and tickets for the sights. Food and local transport are cheap. As a rough guide, budget travellers can get by on about US$30 to US$50 a day, mid-range travellers on about US$80 to US$150 and luxury travellers on US$300 a day or more, not counting international flights.
How much does an Egypt trip cost now?
Here’s what to budget for each part of the trip. In October 2026, £1 bought about 69 Egyptian pounds (EGP) and US$1 about 52.
Flights
Flights will be your biggest single cost. EgyptAir and British Airways fly direct from London to Cairo in about five hours, and other airlines, such as Turkish Airlines and Emirates, fly via their hubs. Return fares start at around £190 if you book ahead for a quiet month, and they’re at their highest in August. Set price alerts, book early and stay flexible on dates to get the best deals.
Visa
Most visitors, including those from the UK, the EU and the US, need a visa. A single-entry e-visa costs US$30 on the official portal, visa2egypt.gov.eg, and a visa on arrival also costs US$30, in cash, at the bank kiosks before passport control. From 1 August 2026, Cairo airport also sells a digital visa on arrival, paid by card, for US$36. My Egypt travel tips explain how it works.
Accommodation
Prices vary depending on the city and the time of year. Peak season runs from December to February, so expect prices to be higher then, and lower from June to September, when it’s hottest. It’s worth checking and comparing prices on Booking.com, as it has a wide range of places to stay.
- Budget: hostels, guesthouses and simple hotels start at about US$20 a night. In Cairo, I stayed at the Pharaohs Hotel in Dokki, a reasonable budget option: the rooms are a bit tired, but it’s well located and the staff are friendly.
- Mid-range: three and four-star hotels on the Nile, such as the Obelisk Nile Hotel, where I stayed in Aswan, are where you’ll get the most for your money.
- High-end: the five-star hotels on the Nile in Cairo, such as the Nile Ritz-Carlton, or resorts like the Hilton Luxor, cost several times as much. My one night at the Kempinski Nile Hotel cost £173.47.
Tours and guides
Group tours are one of the best-value ways to see the country, as they bundle your hotels, transport and a guide. Intrepid’s eight-day Egypt Adventure now starts from about £984, not including flights, and its optional extras are priced separately: about US$110 for Abu Simbel by road, from about US$596 by air and about US$120 for a balloon flight over Luxor.
If you’re travelling independently, day tours are good value. A half-day private tour of the pyramids and the Sphinx is a great way to make sense of the Giza Plateau, an Abu Simbel day trip from Aswan starts from about US$40, and a sunrise hot air balloon ride in Luxor costs about US$95 to US$120.
On the river, a three or four-night Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor starts at around US$450 per person, including meals and guided visits, and an overnight felucca trip from Aswan starts at about 800 EGP per person. My guide to the Nile river cruise compares the options.
Entry tickets
Entry tickets add up, especially if you pay extra for the famous tombs. The ticket offices at the major sites are now cashless, so you’ll need a card. Here’s what the big ones cost for a foreign adult:
| Sight | Price (EGP) | Approx. (GBP) |
|---|---|---|
| Pyramids of Giza (site) | 700 | £10 |
| Inside the Great Pyramid | 1,500 | £22 |
| Grand Egyptian Museum | 1,450 to 1,600 | £21 to £23 |
| Egyptian Museum, Tahrir | 550 | £8 |
| National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation | 550 | £8 |
| Cairo Citadel | 550 | £8 |
| Philae Temple | 550 | £8 |
| Abu Simbel | about 820 | £12 |
| Karnak Temple | 600 | £9 |
| Luxor Temple | 500 | £7 |
| Valley of the Kings (three tombs) | 750 | £11 |
| Tomb of Tutankhamun | 700 | £10 |
| Tomb of Seti I | 2,000 | £29 |
| Valley of the Queens | 220 | £3 |
| Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut | 440 | £6 |
Students with an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) pay about half price at most sites.
Getting around
Local transport is cheap. In Cairo, a metro ticket costs 10 to 20 EGP, and ride-hailing apps like Uber and Careem cost a few dollars for most trips across the city. They’re a little more expensive than a street taxi, but you won’t need to haggle.
Between cities, the overnight sleeper train from Giza to Aswan or Luxor costs about US$95 per person in a double cabin or US$137 in a single, with dinner and breakfast, and it saves you a night in a hotel. I took it both ways. Domestic flights with EgyptAir are quick and reasonably priced if you book ahead, and a return flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel costs about 5,500 to 8,000 EGP.
Food and drink
Food is where Egypt is cheapest, as long as you eat like a local. THE FALAFEL. Drool. A falafel sandwich from a street stall costs next to nothing, and a bowl of koshari (rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas under a spicy tomato sauce) costs about US$1 to US$3. A meal at a mid-range restaurant costs about US$10 to US$20 per person, and more at hotel restaurants and anywhere with a Nile view.
SIM cards, tips and extras
Budget a little for the extras. An eSIM is the easiest way to stay connected: mine from Airalo cost $56 for 6GB over 14 days, but its Egypt plans now start at about $5.50, with 5GB for 30 days at around $20.
Tipping (baksheesh) is part of everyday life. Leave 10 to 15% in restaurants, around US$5 to US$10 per person per day for guides and drivers, and keep small notes for porters and toilet attendants. As I learnt on my trip, nothing in Egypt is free: camel photos and “gifts” come with a price tag.
Daily budgets at a glance
Not too sure what to budget? Here’s a quick guide to the average daily cost per person, not counting international flights.
| Travel style | Daily budget per person | What it gets you |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | US$30 to US$50 | Hostels or simple hotels, street food, trains and shared tours |
| Mid-range | US$80 to US$150 | Three and four-star hotels, restaurant meals, guided day tours |
| Luxury | US$300 or more | Five-star hotels, private guides, flights and Nile cruises |
Exchange rates change quickly, so check them before you plan your budget.
Is it a good idea to take an Egypt tour?
Yes. You can, of course, visit many sites on your own, but nothing beats travelling with a local guide. My trip was the first ever group tour that I took, and I’ll tell you why.
Firstly, I am a geek. There is no niche historical fact that I don’t want to know, so there was no way I was going to Egypt, the home of one of the most important ancient civilisations, without a guide. Given that I was going to hire a guide in pretty much every place I visited, it made sense to book a group tour that came with a professional local guide leading the whole trip. My guide was professional, knowledgeable and fricking hilarious, and provided lots of local insight that it would have been difficult to pick up otherwise.
I opted for the Intrepid Egypt Adventure because it had a lot of free time that I could fill with optional add-ons or whatever I wanted: I added Abu Simbel (it felt like a no-brainer) and went to the Botanical Garden and the Nubian Museum in Aswan on my own. Read my Intrepid Egypt review for the full picture.
How to travel on a budget
If you’re travelling on a budget, here are the best ways to cut your costs.
Compare accommodation costs
The cheapest way to stay is in a hostel, where you’ll usually share a dorm, though for a little extra you can get a private room with a shared bathroom.
Private rooms in guesthouses are another great option, and they’re usually cheaper than the bigger hotels in Cairo and Luxor. Prices are normally listed per room rather than per person, so you can split the cost if you’re travelling with a friend. Look out for places that include breakfast or dinner, which often works out cheaper than eating out.
If you’re staying for more than a few days, an apartment with a kitchen makes it easy to cut costs by cooking some meals, as groceries are cheap.
Save money on food
One of the best ways to save on food is to eat at local restaurants and street stalls rather than Western chains. Egyptian falafel (ta’ameya), made with fava beans, is sold hot from street stalls for a few pounds, and a shawarma or a stuffed falafel sandwich isn’t much more.
Don’t be afraid to try the street food, especially where the vendors cook in front of you. Chances are, if there’s a crowd of locals at a stall, you’re in for a tasty meal. If you’re a little tentative, try a koshari restaurant: small, local places serving hearty bowls of rice, lentils and pasta.
Book the big things ahead
Some things are worth booking before you go, because they sell out or need a fixed time: the sleeper train, timed tickets for the Grand Egyptian Museum, your Abu Simbel trip and a balloon flight. Booking them early also means you can compare prices and reviews, rather than taking whatever’s on offer when you arrive.
For everything else, there’s plenty of room to be flexible. Local guides, felucca rides and boat trips across the Nile can be arranged on the spot, and they’re always open to a bit of haggling. Ask at your hotel what a fair price is before you start.
Get travel passes to attractions
If you’re planning to see a lot of sites, the Cairo Pass and the Luxor Pass could save you money. Both are valid for five days and cover most of the archaeological sites in each area. The Luxor Pass costs US$130, or US$250 for the premium pass, which adds the tomb of Seti I, and it’s sold at the ticket offices at Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. The Cairo Pass doesn’t cover the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, so check what’s included against your plans. Bring a passport photo and a copy of your passport.
Use local transport
Taxis are an accessible and cheap way to get around, but always agree the fare before you get in, or use Uber or Careem in Cairo so you pay a fixed price in the app. Not sure what’s fair? Ask at your hotel, then start your bargaining at about half the first price you’re quoted.
If you’re travelling longer distances, hiring a car with a driver can be good value, as the cost is the same however many of you there are. The trains between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan are a cheap way to cover the long distances, and the overnight sleeper saves you a night’s accommodation. I took it from Giza to Aswan and back from Luxor: I enjoyed it, but once you’ve done it one way, I’d recommend flying for the other. Read my guide to the Giza to Aswan sleeper train.
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So, how much is a trip to Egypt?
In short, a trip to Egypt doesn’t have to cost the earth. My nine days cost just over £2,500, including my flights, an eight-day group tour, a night in a luxury hotel and the cash I took out along the way. The biggest costs will be your flights and, if you choose to splash out, your hotels.
How much should you budget? Going by the daily budgets above, a mid-range week to ten days, including flights from the UK, comes to roughly £1,000 to £2,000 per person, and you can spend much less if you travel independently, stay in guesthouses and eat like a local. Follow the tips in this guide and you’ll still see the very best the country has to offer.
Read next
- Things you should know before your Egypt trip
- The ultimate Egypt packing guide
- 10 days in Egypt: an Egypt itinerary by train and felucca
- Unmissable things to do in Egypt
- The ultimate Egypt travel guide
- Things to do in Cairo (not just pyramids)
- How to choose a Nile river cruise
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