Planning Your First Trip to Egypt: A Complete Guide

Egypt is one of those rare places where the brochure undersells the country. The pyramids are bigger in person, the Nile is wider, the food is better, the people friendlier. This guide is the short version of what we tell every first-time traveler before they fly in.

When to go

October through April is the sweet spot — daytime highs sit in the low-to-mid 20s°C and the desert nights are pleasant. May to September is hot, especially in the south; that's when prices drop and the crowds thin, if you can take the heat.

How long to stay

Ten days is the minimum that doesn't feel rushed. A common shape:

1. Cairo (3 days) — pyramids, museums, Khan el-Khalili.
2. Luxor (2-3 days) — Karnak, Valley of the Kings, west bank villages.
3. Aswan + Nile cruise (3 days) — Philae, Abu Simbel day trip, sailing felucca.
4. Red Sea or White Desert (2 days) — beach time or Sahara silence to close the trip.

Visas, money, and getting around

• Most nationalities can buy a tourist visa on arrival at Cairo airport for $25, or apply online via the e-visa portal. Check your country's specifics before you fly.
• Cash is still king at street level. ATMs are everywhere in cities; smaller towns less so. Card acceptance is improving but spotty.
• Domestic flights between Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan are cheap and save a long overnight train.

Booking smart

Use Rafiky for hand-vetted local providers — guides, drivers, hosts — who know the country at the level a guidebook can't. Avoid inflexible packaged tours; the magic of Egypt is in slowing down, not in checking 14 sites in 5 days.

One last thing

Egyptians will offer you tea. Always say yes. The conversation that follows is, more often than not, the part of the trip you'll remember when the photos have faded.