What's an average trip to Egypt cost?
A one-week trip for two to Egypt, focusing on comfort and sightseeing, may cost around $3,300, covering accommodation, flights, daily expenses, and transportation.
Additional costs may arise from entrance fees and hiring guides for attractions. Consider a Nile cruise, which ranges from $500 to $1,000 per person, as it can replace some food and accommodation expenses.
If you’ve ever thought about a trip to Egypt, be assured that you’re on to a great idea. Furthermore, it can be surprisingly inexpensive.
All that Egypt has to offer – the Nile, the pyramids, the rich culture, the vibrant cities, the cheap and delicious North African food – is readily accessible to the budget visitor as well as the person who wants to travel in luxury.
Visiting Egypt is much less costly than a trip to Europe, Japan, Australia or New Zealand. It can be as inexpensive as Southeast Asia, though most visitors might spend a bit more in Egypt.
It’s a huge country with many options, but even the budget traveler can see and do a lot. If, on the other hand, luxury is your thing, you can enjoy that kind of trip without spending what you would to visit a North American city.
The costs cited in this article are aimed neither at the high end or the low end, but rather at something in between. We’re assuming you’ll stay in nice hotels, eat most of your meals in restaurants and sample a wide variety of the attractions that make Egypt a fascinating country.
Bear in mind that you can choose to spend a lot more or a lot less. For many people, a vacation in Egypt is the trip of a lifetime. Let’s get started!
Average Trip to Egypt Cost in 2024
A one-week trip to Egypt for two in 2024, traveling in comfort and seeing lots of sights, may cost about $3,300.
- Average Accommodation Cost: $75 per night
- Average Flight Cost: $800 per person
- Food, Drink & Activities: $60 per person, per day
- Transportation: $400
- Total Cost: $3,300
One thing to remember is that Egypt is a big country. If you want to see more than a little of it, you’ll need to do some traveling, by bus or train or even by plane.
Another potential expense: most of the museums and other attractions have a fee, and you’ll get more out of the experience if you hire a guide. This estimate takes these factors into account. One option that we haven’t included is a Nile cruise.
These might be $500 – $1,000 per person for a three or four day cruise. While this increases your entertainment budget, it’s usually an all-inclusive trip that will replace several days of your food and accommodation expenses.
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Accommodation Costs
Accommodation costs in Egypt can be incredibly cheap. For backpackers staying in hostels, they might be as low as $5 per night outside of the major destinations.
On the other hand, a luxury hotel in Cairo can cost hundreds of dollars, almost as much as in a North American city. If you use one of the major travel sites and book in advance, you can find a room for two in very nice hotels in the $50-$100 range.
A survey of 700 hotels in Egypt found a median price of $72. Budget hotels are in the $30-$40 range and even luxury accommodations average under $200 per night.
No matter what kind of accommodations you’re used to when you travel domestically, you’re likely to find a similar room in Egypt for less than you’ve been accustomed to paying.
Flight Costs
Egypt can be an amazingly inexpensive country once you get there, but getting there is the one part of the trip that’s hard to do on the cheap.
Your plane tickets will be the most expensive part of your vacation, representing as much as 50 percent or more of your overall costs, so it pays to plan well ahead. Flight costs vary by season. September through November are good times.
It’s not the absolute peak season and the weather is reasonable. As with most destinations, flights at Christmas, New Year’s and Easter are high. Per-person ticket costs can run from $600 to $1,200, depending on where you fly from.
Travelers who are flexible about specific dates and times may be able to do a little better. If you plan to incorporate a Nile cruise into your vacation plans, you may wish to schedule your cruise before you book your flight.
These cruises don’t leave every day of the week, so you will do well to plan your flight, and indeed the rest of your trip, around the cruise dates.
Food, Drink & Activity Costs
Food is amazingly cheap in Egypt. If you buy snacks from street vendors or eat at local markets, food will be a minuscule part of your budget. For example, you can buy a falafel wrap at a street cart for about 25 cents.
If you’re a vegetarian, there are tasty options everywhere. At family restaurants, local dishes such as falafel, fava beans and shawarma can be had for a few dollars.
If you’re staying at a hotel, breakfast is likely to be included. A sit-down lunch in a nice restaurant might cost $10, and a dinner may run about $18.
You will need to buy drinking water. In most parts of Egypt, tap water is unsafe, and you can plan on a couple dollars a day for bottled water.
All in all, you can eat well for $30 a day or less, or for as little as about $5 if you’re willing to eat on the fly from outdoor vendors. You’ll want to budget some money to see the sights.
In many American and European cities, you can just wander around with a map and a guidebook and take in quite a bit. To get the most out of an Egyptian adventure, however, you should engage a guide.
You’ll learn history and local culture, and you’ll discover things you might otherwise never have learned about. Many guides will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. As an added bonus, people who are looking to take advantage of tourists will leave you alone.
Day trips to destinations such as the pyramids, the Cairo Egyptian museum and the highlights of Cairo are in the range of $30-60 per person. They may include lunch.
If you want to go on your own, most museums, temples and archaeological sites have fees, but they’re not high. Some people think that a trip to Egypt is incomplete without a balloon ride in Luxor, which will run around $60.
Be aware that Egypt is a culture where tipping is expected. It’s customary to tip not only servers and housekeepers but also bathroom attendants and people who snap your picture on the street.
Just about anybody who renders a service expects a tip. You’ll want to carry around a supply of small bills whenever you go out. Also, if you shop at the outdoor markets, most vendors prefer cash, and many don’t take cards at all.
Favorite souvenirs include papyrus, necklaces and alabaster figurines. Always negotiate before you buy. Vendors will start at a price as much as 10 times what they’re willing to take.
Transportation Costs
If you don’t leave Cairo, transportation costs will be low. You’ll need to get from the airport to your hotel. Many hotels offer pickup service for $10-$30.
Taxi drivers at airports tend to be aggressive and charge more than they should. If you use a taxi anywhere in Cairo, negotiate the rate before you ride and make sure the meter is turned on. If you do that, prices are very reasonable.
Uber is an option in major cities at a cost even lower than taxis, as little as a few dollars for a 30 minute ride. Cairo is a great city, but Egypt is a huge country, and most visitors will want to get out and about.
There are lots of options, including trains, boats and buses. Overnight trains and buses are available, but you may not get much sleep.
Prices between destinations such as Cairo, Alexandria, Dahab and Siwa are in the $10-$25 range. If you want to save time, flights between major cities are reasonable, in the $50-$100 range.
And, of course, a Nile cruise is the ultimate way to travel from Cairo to Luxor. There are boats that make the trip quickly as well as the multi-day sightseeing cruises.
Considerations
Alexandria, Egypt – December 18, 2018: Street view of Alexandria, auto rickshaw is on the street, ordinary people walk the street/Evannovostro/Shutterstock
Safety
When we talk about countries that aren’t part of the first world, some of the first questions people have concern safety. Egypt is not a particularly dangerous destination, but you have to exercise caution and be aware of scam artists and pickpockets.
If you stick to areas frequented by tourists and travel with groups or guides, you’re unlikely to run into trouble. However, single women have reported difficulties. If this is you, you might consider visiting Egypt as part of a group tour.
In fact, the U.S. issued a level 3 travel advisory stating that you should not travel to Egypt, primarily due to its proximity to Israel.
Alcohol
For the most part, Egyptians are Moslem and do not drink alcohol. However, it’s available in hotels and restaurants, and there are places to buy beer, wine and bottles.
Unless you’re at a hotel or a restaurant that caters to foreigners, you probably won’t be able to get alcoholic beverages with your meal. Drinking in public is illegal. Also, alcohol is not sold during Ramadan.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is Egypt very expensive to visit?
No! Budget-minder travelers can spend very little once they’ve paid for airfare. Visitors who choose to travel in luxury will find the costs less than most other world destinations.
Those with middle-of-the-road budgets can stay at nice hotels, eat well, travel to different parts of the country and see the most famous sights for a price lower than similar vacations in other countries.
Is one week enough for Egypt?
In one week, you can visit the main attractions, travel about the country and still have time to absorb the local culture or just relax.
You probably wouldn’t want to spend less than a week, but seven days are enough to make the voyage worth it. As you fly home, however, you might find yourself planning to come back.
Is Egypt travel-friendly?
Egypt welcomes tourists and has the accommodations and attractions to support their visits. Egypt is a reasonably safe country for visitors, but travelers need to take precautions, pay attention to advisories and use common sense to keep themselves safe.
What are the top attractions in Egypt?
The must-see list includes the Pyramids of Giza, the Karnak Temple, the Philae Temple, the Abu Simbel Temple, Siwas Oasis and the Valley of the Kings.
You also should consider a boat ride on the Nile, even if you don’t opt for the full-blown cruise. And no trip is complete with one or more visits to local markets for souvenirs and street food.
How many days do you need to see the pyramids?
Most visitors will devote one full day to the pyramids. You can comfortably explore the Giza complex in four or five hours.
If you visit the cemeteries, tombs and other pyramids, many of which require separate tickets, you could spend seven hours or more. Avid pyramid buffs may wish to add a second day to this exploration.
So, What Is the Average Cost for an Egypt Trip?
| 🛎️ Average Accommodation Cost | $75 per night |
| ✈️ Average Flight Cost | $800 per person |
| 🍽️ Food, Drink & Activities | $60 per person, per day |
| 🚕 Transportation | $400 total |
| 💲 Total Cost | $3,300 |
This is the approximate cost of a comfortable but not luxurious seven-day trip to Egypt for two people. Once you have your plane tickets, it’s possible to stay, eat and travel for considerably less than the other stated costs.
So, with so much to see and do, and a relatively affordable trip cost, what are you waiting for — book your trip today and experience for yourself all that Egypt has to offer. Happy travels!