After my two visits to Egypt, I prepared reports that list 97% of the expenses associated with my trips. My first trip was from October 30th through November 7th in 2010, a few months before the Egyptian Revolution. On that trip, the exchange rate of the US Dollar ($) to Egyptian Pounds (LE) was approximately $1 to 5.8 LE. For my second journey, January 6th through the 21st 2018, the exchange rate was $1 to approximately 17.6 LE. Egypt has always been an inexpensive destination but now with the devaluation of the currency, travel is a lot more affordable. During my 2018 trip, we lodged at two 5 star hotels and dinner at both was less than $10.
As a guide, as of May 19th, 2018, 100 LE is the equivalent of $5.60.
As a guide, as of May 19th, 2018, 100 LE is the equivalent of $5.60.
NOTE This post will just provide a general sense of expenses associated with a trip to Egypt. I will not be providing extensive reviews concerning the sites, tour companies, hotels, flights, etc. Those reviews can be found in blog posts I have published and ones that I will be publishing in the coming weeks. However, I will provide some feedback on certain activities that don’t merit a full blog post.
NOTE The black, white, and red colors used in the tables are a reference to the Egyptian flag.
MAJOR EXPENSES
When traveling to Egypt, the biggest expenses will be associated with the tour, flights, and lodging. Most tours include accommodations; however, if you arrive before the start of the tour or decide to stay a few days after, those additional nights will be an extra expense.
First Trip with Contiki (2010)
The tour price included 2 nights of lodging at a mediocre hotel, 4 nights onboard a Nile cruise, 2 evenings onboard the overnight train from and to Cairo, the majority of meals, 12 admission tickets, and ground transportation. Since I was traveling to Alexandria after the tour, I needed to pay for an additional night at the Victoria Hotel. My flight was with Delta Airlines departing from Miami International Airport with a connection at JFK International Airport in New York City. I flew ‘economy’ and there were no extra charges for selecting your seats prior to the travel date.
NOTE In 2010, I paid $217 to renew my US Passport. It was that expensive since I had to pay additional fees for “expedited passport services” and the overnight delivery charge. According to the US Department of State website, for adults, the cost of a passport is $110 with first time applicants having to pay a $35 execution fee. The expedited service fee is $60 and does not include the cost of overnight delivery.
NOTE In 2010, I paid $217 to renew my US Passport. It was that expensive since I had to pay additional fees for “expedited passport services” and the overnight delivery charge. According to the US Department of State website, for adults, the cost of a passport is $110 with first time applicants having to pay a $35 execution fee. The expedited service fee is $60 and does not include the cost of overnight delivery.
Second Trip with Trafalgar (2018)
The Trafalgar tour was more expensive but it was 4 days longer, included much better hotels and a nicer Nile cruise boat, the internal flight to and from Luxor, more admission tickets, and ground transportation. On this trip, I decided to arrive a day before the tour started so I needed to pay the extra night at Le Meridien in Giza. That was the downside in selecting Trafalgar, the better hotels meant an expensive extra night of lodging.
The first airfare listed was for the international flight with Lufthansa from Miami International Airport to Egypt connecting in Frankfurt, Germany. The flight itself was $1,219.13 but I paid an additional $92 in order to reserve my 4 seats prior to departure. The $282 airfare was for the flight out of Gainesville Regional Airport to Miami and since it is a domestic flight, American Eagle charges $25 for luggage, or $50 roundtrip. I booked the flights 4.5 months in advance which may have contributed to the airfares being ‘more expensive than average’.
SPECIAL ADMISSION TICKETS AND PHOTO PASSES
Some activities, such as entering a pyramid or King Tutankhamun's tomb, are an extra fee as are the photo passes for certain museums. The following are the extra activities I did during my two trips to Egypt.
I discussed the Solar Boat Museum and entering the Pyramids in the “Pyramids at Giza” post and I will be sharing more information on the Royal Mummies Hall at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and Valley of the Kings in a later post.
Extra Tickets - 2010 Trip
Extra Tickets - 2018 Trip
NOTE The 2010 extra tickets today will be worth $15.73 because of the devaluation of the Egyptian Pound.
NOTE When visiting the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, I highly recommend that one purchases the museum camera ticket. During my 2010 trip, pictures were not allowed so I was very happy when I found out that the museum was now offering photography passes. The only two areas that do not permit photography are the Royal Mummies Hall and the Treasures of King Tut exhibit, the room that houses his golden mask, jewelry, and other more valuable artifacts. Right outside the Treasures of King Tut there are tons of other items belonging to the boy king - sarcophagi, golden throne, sandals, chariot, canopic jars, etc.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES
Most tour companies offer additional excursions that are not included in the package price with the most popular optional tour being the journey to Abu Simbel. This optional tour includes a flight to Abu Simbel from Aswan International Airport via EgyptAir, shuttle ride to the site, and an admission ticket to enter the temples.
Optional Activities - 2010 Trip
Optional Activities - 2018 Trip
The Sound and Light show is an evening show where the Sphinx narrates the history of Ancient Egypt while various scenes are displayed on the surface of the pyramids with color lasers. The sound quality and light displays are not the best but I do recommend attending as it is awesome seeing the pyramids light up against the dark desert sky. During my first trip to Egypt, I had to pay for the ticket to attend this show; however, in my recent trip, my tour mates and I did not have to pay to attend. I am assuming that since we were such a small group, only 8 people, that Trafalgar/Spring Tours paid for our tickets. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were not able to attend the Sound and Light show at Karnak.
The West Nile Village tour unfortunately was not worth the $20. Essentially, my tour mates and I rode either camels or donkeys into a village where we then walked through a dirt road and visited a local family. It was interesting in that we got to enter the home and see how some Egyptians live but overall it was not worth the cost. I have noticed that several companies offer this additional tour while the Nile cruise boat is docked in Luxor. Trafalgar offered this activity during my 2018 trip but no one in my group was interested in it.
Most travel companies seem to offer excursions to Alexandria as an extra activity before or after a tour. I have come across very few tours that include the trip to Alexandria as part of the itinerary. When I traveled to Egypt in 2010, I stayed an extra day after the tour to take part in Contiki’s trip to Alexandria with the $99 cost covering ground transportation, tour guide, and 5 admission tickets. The trip was rather rushed, just 6 hours in Alexandria, and to be honest, I wasn’t that impressed with the sites. The only site I enjoyed was the museum and unfortunately, we only spent about 40 minutes there. Also, three of the sites were Roman - catacombs, an amphitheater, and a pillar - with only the catacombs being a bit interesting.
The camel caravan was worth it since the group got to ride into the desert which afforded the opportunity to take a beautiful panoramic picture of the Pyramids, the three great pyramids with those of the queens in front. In the “Pyramids at Giza”, I provide more information on camel rides at Giza. Trafalgar does offer this as an optional activity; however, the camel ride from 2010 was enough to last a lifetime.
I did not find the group picture or the resort dinner to be worth the money. The group picture is nice in that all 40 plus tour mates are in the same photograph but it is not worth the cost. During my first trip to Egypt, our tour guide Sherif took us to this “resort” before boarding the overnight train; however, it was not a “resort” and the food was questionable (that was the meal that got me beyond sick). I paid $11 for a slice of pita bread, two pieces of falafel, rice, french fries, and some veggies.
MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES
The majority of miscellaneous expenses stem from souvenirs and random food purchases and activities.
IMPORTANT NOTE Egypt is a country where tipping is not only highly encouraged but at times, feels mandatory. I have no issue tipping drivers, guides, and any other individual that provide assistance especially since I know many are living in poverty. However, I do have an issue with the bathroom attendants constantly asking for tip when many do not provide a service. As for how much to tip, your tour guide will constantly provide guidance on who to tip and how much. I am a generous tipper, particularly in Egypt, so I tend to give more than the suggested amount.
All my 2010 miscellaneous expenses were paid in Egyptian Pounds while during my recent trip I used a mix of Pounds and American Dollars. In 2010, my miscellaneous expenses totaled $411.10; however, using today’s currency exchange rate, those expenses will equal $133.63.
The best souvenir you can purchase in Egypt is a papyrus painting and between my two trips, I have bought 3. Both my tours stopped at the Isis 2 Papyrus Museum and Store in Luxor which has an amazing selection of paintings. Be careful when purchasing papyrus paintings from street vendors since they were probably created using banana leaves, not papyrus.
If you enjoy books, the American University in Cairo has an outstanding store in Aswan at the site of the Unfinished Obelisk. Between both trips, I have purchased 10 books both in English and Spanish. And some of the books sold at the store are only available in Egypt.
The best souvenir you can purchase in Egypt is a papyrus painting and between my two trips, I have bought 3. Both my tours stopped at the Isis 2 Papyrus Museum and Store in Luxor which has an amazing selection of paintings. Be careful when purchasing papyrus paintings from street vendors since they were probably created using banana leaves, not papyrus.
If you enjoy books, the American University in Cairo has an outstanding store in Aswan at the site of the Unfinished Obelisk. Between both trips, I have purchased 10 books both in English and Spanish. And some of the books sold at the store are only available in Egypt.
Miscellaneous Expenses - 2010 Trip
Miscellaneous Expenses - 2018 Trip
Well done
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