Egypt Travel Guide 2026: Pyramids, Nile Cruises & Red Sea Diving

Egypt isn't one holiday. It's five different ones sharing the same passport stamp. The country you fly into depends entirely on what you want — ancient history, desert silence, underwater coral, Mediterranean beach, or the slow motion of a Nile cruise.

Most UK travellers default to Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada, book a package, and never leave the hotel complex. That's fine — but it's one-fifth of what Egypt actually offers. Here's the Scout's breakdown of all five.

1. Cairo & Giza: The Ancient Capital

The Draw: The Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and as of November 2025 — the fully opened Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest archaeological museum in the world.

Stay: A rooftop room at the Marriott Mena House with direct pyramid views, or The Nile Ritz-Carlton for a Tahrir Square base close to the Egyptian Museum.

How long: 3 nights minimum. The Grand Egyptian Museum alone takes a full day, and Saqqara (the step pyramid) is often missed but is arguably more impressive than Giza up close.

Scout Tip: Book the sunrise pyramid visit slot (6am entry). By 9am the tour coaches arrive and the magic evaporates.

2. Nile Cruise: Luxor to Aswan

The Draw: A four-night sail down the Nile, with temple stops at Karnak, Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Philae. You sleep on the boat; the scenery rearranges itself overnight.

Vibe: Slow, historical, social. Dinners are communal. You will make friends with retired Germans and 30-year-old Australian backpackers in the same week.

Best for: First-time visitors who want the "greatest hits" version of ancient Egypt without arranging their own logistics.

Top Scout Picks:

• Oberoi Zahra — the most refined cruise on the river, 27 cabins only, oil-painting interiors.
• Sanctuary Sun Boat IV — a balance of luxury and scale, with the best guide team on the Nile.
• Mövenpick MS Royal Lily — mid-tier price point, excellent food, popular with UK guests.

2026 Update: Most cruises now include the fully restored Avenue of Sphinxes walk at Luxor — a 2.7km ceremonial path reopened in 2021 and finally fully lit at night.

3. Red Sea: Hurghada, Marsa Alam & El Gouna

The Draw: All-inclusive beach resorts, 28°C sea temperatures year-round, and some of the best diving in the world.

El Gouna is the upmarket option — a purpose-built resort town with no touts, marina restaurants, and a different vibe to the package-heavy Hurghada strip.

Marsa Alam is quieter and further south, with direct access to Dolphin House reef and the genuinely remote Fury Shoals.

Vibe: Beach-and-pool with excellent diving on the doorstep. Flight time from the UK is around 5.5 hours, making it one of the warmest short-haul destinations you can reach without a long flight.

Top Scout Picks:

• Steigenberger Aldau Beach, Hurghada — reliable 5-star, excellent reef access from the beach.
• The Chedi El Gouna — boutique luxury, private beach, the most stylish room on the Red Sea.
• Marsa Shagra Village, Marsa Alam — eco-diving resort, no TV, ideal for PADI-certified divers.

4. Sharm El Sheikh: The All-Inclusive Beach Holiday

The Draw: Reliable sun, short flights, Sinai Peninsula backdrop, and some of the most aggressive all-inclusive pricing anywhere in the Mediterranean.

Vibe: Family-friendly, package-holiday territory. Naama Bay for nightlife, Nabq for quiet, Ras Um Sid for the best reef.

Best for: Families, first-time Egypt visitors, and anyone who wants zero holiday logistics — just pay once, fly, collapse onto a sun lounger for seven days.

Top Scout Picks:

• Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh — the premium option, terraced gardens, private reef.
• Rixos Premium Seagate — all-inclusive done well, 13 pools, 18 restaurants.
• Baron Resort Sharm El Sheikh — mid-tier, consistently 4.5+ star reviews, excellent kids' clubs.

5. Alexandria & The North Coast

The Draw: Mediterranean Egypt — cooler, whiter, and dramatically different to the Red Sea. Alexandria has the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Roman catacombs, and the best seafood in the country.

Vibe: Low-key, cultured, and largely un-touristed by Western travellers. This is where wealthy Cairenes go for the summer.

Best for: Second-time Egypt visitors who've done the pyramids and want something quieter.

Scout Tip: Stay at the Four Seasons Alexandria San Stefano for the beach, or the Paradise Inn Le Metropole in the old quarter for the heritage experience.

Cost Comparison (Mid-Range, 2026)

• Cairo 3-star + guide: ~£80/night including pyramid excursions.
• Nile cruise 5-star (4 nights): ~£900 per person, all-inclusive with excursions.
• Red Sea all-inclusive 5-star: ~£110/night including food and drinks.
• Sharm El Sheikh 7-night package from UK: ~£550 per person flights + hotel.
• Alexandria 4-star: ~£70/night.

Egypt is one of the strongest value destinations in the world for 2026 — the Egyptian pound has weakened significantly against sterling, which means your £100 goes further than in almost any Mediterranean alternative.

Scout Verdict: Combine two. Fly into Cairo for 3 nights, take an internal flight to Luxor for a 4-night Nile cruise, then finish with 3 nights in Hurghada. That's the canonical 10-day Egypt trip — and you'll see more of the country than 80% of package tourists manage in a week.

Practical 2026 Notes

• Visa: UK passport holders need an e-visa (£20-25) issued online before departure. Takes 3-5 working days.
• Currency: Egyptian Pound (EGP). Cards accepted in hotels; cash preferred in markets and for tipping.
• Tipping (baksheesh): Expected everywhere. Budget £20-30 per person per week in small notes.
• Best months: October to April. Summer in Upper Egypt hits 45°C; avoid June-August for Luxor and Aswan.
• Ramadan 2027: February 7 - March 8. If you're planning ahead, restaurants outside resort complexes may have reduced daytime hours during this period.

Book Smart

For Egypt, we recommend booking flights and hotels separately rather than as a fixed package:

• Flight flexibility. Midweek flights to Hurghada and Sharm are often 30-40% cheaper than weekend departures.
• Hotel choice. Package operators push a small pool of pre-contracted hotels. Booking direct opens up the Nile cruises, boutique Cairo stays, and El Gouna properties that never appear in package brochures.
• Live pricing. Our Nuitee partnership passes wholesale hotel rates with no package markup.

Scout Trust Signal: JetMeAway Egypt bookings use live flight pricing from Duffel and direct hotel rates from Nuitee. No package operator in the middle, no hidden resort fees bolted on at checkout.

Search Egypt Flights • Browse Egypt Hotels