What to budget for your Egypt adventure
For this trip to Aswan, we decided to fly, and hired a private driver for our two days there. This allowed us to maximize our time sightseeing (and relaxing at the beautiful Sofitel Legend Old Cataract), but it also made our trip much more expensive than taking the train and using public transportation.
A question we are often asked is how much a trip to Egypt should cost, and like many questions about travel to Egypt, there are a lot of different answers!
Instead of giving a flat number, it is better to think about what type of trip a traveler expects and then what budget is realistic for providing the accommodation, service, and experiences necessary to make it happen. One of the best things about travel to Egypt is it can be done on almost any budget, as travelers have access to different levels of hotels, restaurants, transportation, and experiences that can range from very affordable to extremely expensive, providing quality and services commensurate with the price.
We will go over budgeting for three types of trips: budget, mid-range, and luxury, providing examples of what types of restaurants, hotels, service, and experiences each would involve.
Budget trips ($100-300 per person, per day)
We offer a lot of free how-tos, like this one on taking the train from Cairo to Alexandria (only costs about $5!). Our YouTube channel and blog can help you DIY when traveling to Egypt, saving a lot of money, but adding time in the planning and traveling process.
A budget trip to Egypt involves a lot of legwork for the traveler, both in the pre-trip stage (booking hotels, airfare, and transport independently and researching restaurants and sightseeing opportunities), and during the trip itself (traveling without a guide, using public transportation and walking, and navigating independently). Some travelers love this DIY approach and relish the chance to take complete control of their experience. Other travelers simply want the cheapest way to experience Egypt, and are willing to put in the work to make it happen.
We wrote a blog post on our tips and tricks for budget travel in Egypt, which you can read here.
One way Egypt Adventures Travel can help is consulting with you on your trip, providing guide, restaurant, hotel, transportation, and sightseeing recommendations that will fit within any budget. We can even craft your entire itinerary for you and give you the links and resources you need to book everything on your own, saving you lots of time and money, while giving you control over what you do and how much you spend.
Interested? Shoot us an email today at egyptadventurestravel@gmail.com.
Mid-range trips ($300-500 per person, per day)
Most sights in Egypt cost between $4-20 to visit, so if you visit 3-4 sites in a day, you can expect to spend an average of $20-60 on sightseeing tickets per day alone.
A mid-range trip is what most travelers to Egypt are looking for, and there are many options for hotels, guides, restaurants, and more to fit within middle-of-the-road budgets.
At Egypt Adventures Travel we can help by either offering fixed budget and itinerary group trips, or group trips that we book for you through our Egyptian travel partners. Let us know if either of these options sound like a good fit for you!
Hotels: travelers can expect to stay at high-quality hotels like the Hilton Ramses in Cairo, the Paradise Inn Le Metropole in Alexandria, Eco Nubia in Aswan, or Skyrock in Dahab. Stays in these properties range between $50-150 per night for a double room.
Restaurants: eating from a mix of local, street-food vendors, chains like Gad, and higher end sit-down restaurants will ensure travelers spend between $20-50 on food per day.
Guide/sightseeing: Egypt Adventures Travel can recommend guides who would accompany travelers every step of the way on their Egypt trip for between $40-80 per day. Travelers can expect to pay an additional $20-60 per day on tickets to various sights.
Transportation: hiring a private driver for the day would cost between $20-40, plus an additional $5 per day tip.
Coming in at just over $300 per person per day, our Highlights of Egypt tour happening this November, 2021, is a great mid-range option for travel to Egypt.
Luxury trips ($500+ per person, per day)
On the luxury level, anything is possible. Want to eat a home-cooked meal in the apartment of an Egyptian family? Ride a hot air balloon at sunrise over the Valley of the Kings? Sail on a five-star cruise line down the Nile River? All of that is possible, and more.
Egypt Adventures Travel is proud to offer customized, tailor-made itineraries for luxury travelers, including Gus from EAT accompanying you every step of the way on your Egypt adventure.
Fine-dining restaurants in Egypt, like the 1902 in the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract, are a wonderful experience, but are expensive. Dinner here can cost anywhere from $40-80 per person.
Hotels: The Four Seasons Nile Plaza in Cairo, Sofitel Legend Old Cataract in Aswan, or Adere El Melal in Siwa Oasis are among the top hotels in all of Egypt. Rooms usually are a minimum of $250 USD per night, but the ultimate experience in luxury these properties provide is priceless.
Restaurants: From cutting-edge takes on Egyptian cuisine in downtown Cairo to seafood feasts along the Mediterranean in Alexandria, there are restaurants in Egypt that provide the best in food, service, and atmosphere. Entrees usually range from $15-50 at the most expensive restaurants we bring travelers to.
Guide/sightseeing: Having a guide with you every step of the way who speaks Arabic and is extremely knowledgeable about Egypt and its culture will provide unique opportunities not possible with independent travel like being invited into the homes of local Egyptians, going to a contemporary Egyptian art gallery, or taking Oud lessons in Islamic Cairo.
Now that you have an idea of what to budget for your Egypt adventure, you can start planning the trip of a lifetime! What type of trip do you want to do? Leave us a comment below!