A Budget Egypt Vacation

Posted on by Forest in General, Recipes & Food, Saving Money & Finances

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I have lived in Cairo, Egypt now for around 6 months and have seen a reasonable amount of the country as well as found many ways to do things for local price. So I thought it was about time to write a long post on budget traveling to and around Egypt.

Why You Should Visit Egypt

I’ll keep this section short but in brief Egypt has some of the most stunning ancient monuments in the world. This includes The Great Pyramids of Giza, The Temple of Karnak at Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, also at Luxor. There is so much stuff here that you will unlikely ever visit every monument.

As for slightly more modern history the cities are littered with endless medieval mosques and monuments, Cairo being the best place for this with hidden sights such as the Nilometer (which boasts what are possibly the first curved arches ever built) and Many many functional but old religious buildings.

Modern society in Egypt is also very interesting and needs some exploring if you have time. Neighborhoods are generally fairly ugly but interesting and driving on the roads is frightening but something that is an experience in itself. Under and in between the ugly exterior you can find amazing architecture, hidden galleries, amazing restaurants, bars and much much more.

Before You Leave

As far as I know there are no special regulations you need to follow before you go to Egypt, so no medicals or required shots. However Hepatitis is quite high so it doesn’t hurt to get your A+B shots before you leave… You could also do this on arrival in Egypt and get your following shots when you get home (if you want to complete the course).

I think that it’s very important to get yourself a small phrasebook. My little Lonely Planet Egyptian Arabic phrasebook was indispensable when I got here. As a budget traveler you will also greatly benefit from carrying a guide. Again my Lonely Planet guide to Egypt has been awesome but you can also get some excellent options from Rough Guide and National Geographic.

If you are female then it may also pay to get some modest clothing that covers your arms and chest area, so ideally no tank tops. One of the sad things about Egypt is that some locals (although not many) will take it on themselves to harass foreign women, mostly verbal but occassionally they will step over the mark. If you stay in groups and don’t wander too much the chances of this happening are greatly reduced and it’s not always as bad as you may have heard.

Mosquito spray, sun cream as well as medication for bad tummies are also good to bring but all can be found in Egypt if you forget.

Finding a cheap flight to Cairo

Unless you are going solely for a beach holiday Cairo is a great place to start and base yourself. Travel links to the rest of the country are easy from here.

A lot of your budget will often be eaten up by the flights. Direct flights are usually more expensive as are flights booked just a few weeks before (last minute flights may be cheaper). So to be safe you can book in advance or book last minute and hope for the best. I have had great success with a website called Kayak which compares loads of places. It also helps to check Expedia and Priceline as well as the Airlines own websites…. Never rush this process and check every option.

Where to stay around Egypt

This post is about budget travel around Egypt so we have to ignore the big Hilton’s, Sofitel’s and other Luxury Hotels that can be found up and down the country. Instead I always turn to HostelWorld.com. This website has not failed me yet and I have used it to find excellent places to stay in Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Dahab. The trick here is to find a hostel / small hotel with good reviews from avid travelers. These people have been around and know where to stay. My personal recommendations include the Princess Hotel in Luxor and Bish Bishi in Dahab, which both have excellent Hostel World rankings.

As a price guide I have stayed in a Cairo Hostel for around $10USD a night. Princess Hotel in Luxor was $5.50 per night. Similar prices can be found all around the country and these places are often clean with breakfast but obviously lack the excessive luxuries of the more expensive choices.

Travel Around Egypt

I have taken the train, a coach and a plane to get to various places in Egypt. All options are reasonable and can work for your budget travel.

One of the main things you may want to do is travel from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan. You can fly for around $30-$100 one way (price does vary a lot) and this is the quickest / easiest way to get anywhere. With a little time flexibility you can get excellent prices. I recommend booking direct via Egypt Air, one small strange thing is that you get cheaper prices if you select your start country as Egypt!

The other option is Train. This is long to Luxor / Aswan but isn’t a terrible journey. It’s also perfect for getting from Cairo to Alexandria. These trains can be taken from Cairo’s main station called Ramses, a taxi from your hotel or Metro to Mubarak station will take you here.

Train travel to Luxor and Aswan is normally done via a night sleeper train that is paid in Euro’s or USD and is priced for Tourists…. On a budget DO NOT take this train. The day train is supposedly off limits to Foreigners so you can’t buy tickets from the Station. However this is not true. Get on the train in the first class carriages and pay the conductor. My last journey to Luxor cost 97LE which is approx $17.50 and it took 9.5 hours. They even give Student Discounts so it’s hardly off limits!

Train Travel to Alexandria does not have to be done quite so covertly. You can easily buy a ticket at the station and trains run every few hours. I have tried both first and second class and there is no real difference. Second class tickets are around 30LE-50LE ($5.50-$9) depending on the train and the journey takes around 3 hours.

Coach travel can also take you to all the parts of Egypt from Alexandria to Aswan to Sinai and all places in between. Personally I have only traveled from Cairo to Sharm el Sheik and Dahab. These journeys take 7 and 9 hours respectively. The coaches are mostly very modern although my first time was on an old coach and it broke down leaving us stranded at a crazy coach stop somewhere near the Suez Canal for many hours! Most of these services are run by East Delta Company or Superjet (I have heard Superjet is better) and the best way to get tickets is to go to the Bus station. Most coaches leave from Abbassia Bus Station in Cairo… I recommend you get a Taxi here.

Local Travel in Cairo and other Cities

Minibuses and a Coach on Alexandria's Corniche

In Cairo and most cities in Egypt Taxi is not a terrible choice. A single ride normally never exceeds $5USD (upto around 15km or so) if you take the black and white Taxi’s and insist they use the Meter, sometimes you have to tell them to start the meter, so bear that in mind! In other Tourist places ALWAYS insist on settling a price before setting off, a little Arabic can help here.

Egypt’s public transport is a little chaotic but actually reasonably good. In the cities you can pick up a public bus, mini bus or Metro (in Cairo) for 1 Egyptian Pound (normal rate). That’s only $0.18 per ride! The Metro is self explanatory with the help of a guidebook but the bus systems often take some asking around… This can be very fun and frustrating but definitely a cultural experience!

Food and Drink

Egypt's National Dish. Koshari... Very Very Cheap and Yummy!

One thing I have learned from Egypt is that prices can wildly vary, never sit down and eat / drink without checking out the prices. If you want to eat in American restaurants or exotic cuisine then expect to pay US prices and sometimes more. Avoid McDonalds, Burger King and things like Sushi to keep your budget in one piece.

I recommend you try out Koshari and Falaffel (locally called Taamia). Koshari is Egyptian’s national dish. It sounds like a mish mash or leftovers but tastes delicious. It’s rice, macaroni, noodles, lentils, chickpeas and tomato sauce. Lemon Cumin and Spicy Sauce are served on the side. A very large portion of Koshari can be picked up for less than $1 and will keep you going for most of a day. Falaffel is often even cheaper. When looking for nicer food look for Egyptian restaurants such as Cafe Rich in downtown Cairo.

Things like Soda and Water is picked up cheapest at Supermarkets or even some of the local stalls away from the main streets. A can of Coke for example costs only 2.5LE ($0.45). Two litres of water is about the same price.

No doubt if you drink you will want a beer. Do not visit the hotel bars. A can of Guinness once cost me $9 in a hotel bar! Instead head for the Egyptian restaurants and, if you dare, local bars. Beer in Egypt is mostly lager and tastes ok but not amazing. Stella (not Stella Artois) is the most Common as well as Sakara and Heineken (all three of these beers are owned by Heineken). There is also another stronger beer called Meister. Prices vary from 10Le-30LE ($1.80-$5.50) but try hard not to pay above 18LE ($3.25) if you can help it.

A Few Places of Interest That I Love!

In Cairo

Giza Pyramids:

When in Cairo I really advise you to visit the Giza Pyramids (as if you wouldn’t!) which are really awesome. Don’t take a guide and take a metered Taxi there (don’t let your hotel organise it). Prices vary depending on whether you want to enter any Pyramids but base entry is 60LE or 30LE for Students ($11/$5.50). Once inside I advise you explore the ruins and areas around the pyramids as much as possible. At one point I even jumped in a hole and found some hieroglyphs and some statues… I was caught by a policeman riding a camel though and had to pop over a hill to stop him from taking my camera!

It’s also worthwhile taking a short trip down the Nile to visit the Stepped Pyramid which is the earliest pyramid they have found.

Nilometer:

You will find this in the guidebooks but not many people know about it or visit it. It’s an old Islamic structure that used to be used to used to meaure the height of the Nile and was preceded by an Ancient Egyptian Structure.

Islamic Cairo:

This area of Cairo is littered with ancient mosques, the oldest being around 1000 years old. Your guidebook will be particularly helpful in navigating and finding places of interest here.

Coptic Cairo:

Situated at Mary Girgis Metro stop this part of Cairo is home to some amazing early Christian Architecture. Whilst visiting Ben Ezra Synagogue here I was invited to see Moses Basket for some small change (I kindly refused ).

In Alexandria

At the point where the Nile Delta meets the Mediterranean sea you find Alexandria. This beach town is a hive of restaurants, bars and home to many sights.

Catacombs:

The great thing about the catacombs (found when a donkey fell into them 100 years or so ago) is that they show some great examples of what happened when Roman / Greek Culture mixed with Pharonic Egypt. One stunning tomb has protection from Egyptian Falcon’s and Cobra’s as well as Medusa and also has Greek style statues of the Tombs owners and raised Hieroglyphs.

Alexandria Library:

Sadly the original burned down thousands of years ago but the new version finalized in 2002 is a stunning piece of architecture. Well worth a visit.

In Luxor

Luxor really just had too much stuff for one short trip, I need to go back before I leave Egypt. You have so many Temples, tombs and endless artifacts that it’s quite frankly overwhelming, I love this place!

Karnak Temple:

This temple blew me away! It’s the largest religious temple in the world and is an endless sea of Ancient Egyptian statues, hieroglyphs,  columns, sphinxes and more. Some interesting little extras include carved graffiti dating back 100′s of years. Also, not advised, but I paid a worker a little tip and he (illegally) took me into some locked rooms and up some scaffolding to the top of some pillars that were being cleaned.

The Valley of the Workers:

The people who built the also awesome Valley of the Kings were skilled artists and tradesmen. The Valley of the Workers is where they lived. It includes some stunning little tombs and a complex of excavated mu buildings as well as a well decorated Egyptian Temple that shouldn not be missed (even though it’s pretty small).

Luxor has tons of other great things such as Luxor Temple, The Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens and Hatshepsut’s Amazing Temple…. Just see as much of it as you can!

In Dahab

Dahab is on the East side of the Sinai peninsula facing Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea. I enjoyed idling the evening away and sipping a beer surround by palm trees and the gentle sound of the sea…. Awesome times!

The Blue Hole:

I have never been snorkelling before but I took a 40LE ($7.25) trip which included transport and snorkel hire. When I swam over the ledge and was met with the reef I was stunned! An awesome array of exotic fish, eels and sometimes turtles awaits. You can also dive here if you want but it’s less of a budget option. Although I have been told that the diving courses in Dahab are the cheapest anywhere in the world!

Mount Sinai:

Although not in Dahab you can easily book a tour guide for around 100LE ($18) which includes transport to the mountain and a guide as part of your group. The mountain is fairly easy and shouldn’t take more than 3 hours to climb. I did the walk up during the day to see the sunset but am keen to do the night hike to experience the sun rise.

Other Notes

Egypt is an amazing country but can be shocking and people will often try and rip you off. Theft and crime is generally extremely low and I Cairo is probably the safest city I have ever been in. However it pays to stay vigilant and don’t so something if it does not feel right. Also as a female lone travel is possible but you may face some unwanted attention and if you don’t like that it helps to travel in a group.

There is still plenty that I need to see in this crazy country and I can’t wait to do more but I have seen a fair amount. If you need any advice or help don’t hesitate to contact me. Inside info is priceless!

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