How Much Does a Trip to Egypt Actually Cost in 2026?

Egypt is one of the better-value destinations in the world, but the headline tour price is rarely the whole story. Here is what a ten-day trip actually costs once you include everything.

The costs itineraries usually exclude

Entry visa: USD 25 on arrival for most nationalities, or a little more online.

Tipping: budget USD 8–12 per day for your guide and USD 4–6 for your driver. This is not optional in practice and it is a real line item.

Optional tickets: going inside the Great Pyramid, the tomb of Nefertari, the Royal Mummies Hall. These add up quickly and are almost never included.

Drinks with meals: many "lunch included" itineraries, ours among them, do not include drinks.

Budget: around USD 900–1,300 per person

Three-star hotels, the sleeper train instead of internal flights, and group tours rather than private ones. This is a perfectly good way to see Egypt and it is how a lot of experienced travellers do it.

Mid-range: around USD 1,600–2,400 per person

Four-star hotels, internal flights, a four- or five-night Nile cruise, and private guiding. This is where most of our bookings land, and it is the level at which Egypt stops being tiring.

High end: USD 3,500 and up per person

Five-star Nile-view rooms, a dahabiya rather than a cruise ship, private everything, and a senior Egyptologist rather than a general guide.

Where it is worth spending more

The guide, every time. The difference between a good Egyptologist and a mediocre one is the difference between a fascinating day and a hot walk past some old stones.

The Nile cruise boat. You are living on it for four nights and the gap between a three-star and a five-star is enormous.

Internal flights over the train, if your time is short. You buy back most of a day in each direction.