7 days of fun - Egypt travel information guide

I am often asked this question through my travel website "7 days of fun" which I use to promote both cheap and luxury holidays to Egypt online. People who ask this question are usually concerned about how much does it cost to enjoy a cheap holiday to the full extent while paying as less money as they can. The answer of this question is not easy as the cost depends on many things like which part of Egypt you would like to visit, where you would like to stay (3, 4 or 5 star hotel, motel or a rented apartment), what you are going to eat and where and many other questions. So I will give you some options for the things you will spend money on when you come to Egypt and an estimated cost you might spend which I will try to do my best to be as accurate as I can.

The first thing that comes to mind when you plan your trip to Egypt is what is the cheapest way to travel to Egypt? is it better to call several travel agents and get the prices and then have of of them make the reservations for you? or search for the best travel deal you could find on the Internet. I would say Internet is far better than calling every agent you know for this, you could even find their websites promoting specific holiday packages you could choose from. There are also travel comparison sites which compares prices from many travel services and let you decide the best deal for yourself. Such online travel services include updated databases of airlines, hotels, car rentals and some tour operators so you will only type basic data about your destination, when you will travel and how many people will take the vacation and so the results will show all available flights, hotels and other services you will need and the prices you will pay including any taxes.

If you would like to calculate your trip cost, you can start by getting a Flight + Hotel deal price: click here

Trip price comparison

Compare between several travel sites for flight and hotels prices. click on the radio button to select the desired service [flight, hotel, car] or select from the drop-down menu [flight+hotel, flight+hotel+car, ..etc], enter the trip details and click [Get best providers] to get prices from several travel sites.

You can book flight, hotel and car here:

Here is a list of some online travel services:

Booking.com: a hotel booking service based in the Netherlands that offers booking facilities to hotels all over the world including most of Egypt tourists destinations.
Hotelclub: You will find Hotel booking as easy as it can be with a show of each hotel aminities in most countries in the world.

Now that you have booked your flight , comes the difficult part, calculating the cost of the holiday you are going to spend in Egypt. To do this you will need to categorize your cost as follows:

Transportation cost.
Food and beverage cost
Tours and museums admission fees
Souvenirs prices

Transportation cost in Egypt

Egypt has its public transportation services which includes buses, trains and other urban methods like tram and metro. The fare for a 10-15km ride is as follows:

Regular Bus: L.E 1.0 - L.E 1.5 ($0.18 - $0.27)
Airconditioned bus: L.E 2.0 - L.E 3.0 ($0.36 - $0.54)
Urban train (Alexandria): L.E 0.60 ($0.10)
Metro (Cairo): L.E 1.0 ($0.18)
Tram (Alexandria): L.E 0.25 ($0.05)

You can also take a taxi to reach your destination, unlike other countries where the fare is calculated by a meter, in Egypt you will have to estimate the price according to your experience and the distance you are moving as taxi drivers do not use their meters because the set fare is quite old and was not changed for years. If you want to use a taxi to go somewhere, it's better to ask at the hotel or a local person about the cost before you go as most taxi drivers in Egypt are dedicated to take as much as they can from passengers especially tourists!

Here is an estimate of taxi fares according to distant, there are other factors influencing the price of a taxi ride like where you are heading (district), where you are staying (If you get a cab at five star hotel you are bound to pay more than fare price) but you might find the following list useful:

2-3km distance: L.E 2 - 3 ($0.36 - $0.54)
5-7km: L.E 6 - 7 ($1.10 - $1.27)
10km : L.E 10 ($1.80)

So it might be a good rule of the thumb to pay L.E 1 per km (1 km = 0.6 mile), but it does not apply for distances longer than 20km, it might be as high as L.E 40. You might even have to haggle the price before you ride.

More on Taxis in Egypt

There are other cheap private transportation services that you can use during your stay in Egypt using Microbus, a 14-15 passenger cab with fixed bus stop covering many parts of Cairo, Alexandria and some resorts like Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. The fare depends on the distance and it ranges from L.E 1 to L.E 2 for long distances.

Food and beverage cost in Egypt

Food in Egypt is cheaper than many countries in the world including neighbouring countries but restaurants vary a lot as there are expensive and cheap restaurants that serve many varieties of different cuisines. A meal cost will depend on the food you will eat as well, for example a sea food meal is more expensive than meat which in turn costs more than a beans or Koshary meal.

The cost of an average meal at a medium level restaurant that serves chicken, rice and a drink is approximately L.E 50 for one person, a meat meal might cost L.E 60-70 per person while the same chicken meal can cost around 25% - 30% higher in a 4 star restaurant and around 50% in a 5 star luxury restaurant. Although you can view the menu outside restauants in Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada (and some restaurants in Cairo), it's not usual for most restaurants in other parts of Egypt to put a stand with menu prices outside their restaurant. By all means it's cheaper to book a bed an breakfast room than a half board or an all inclusive hotel.

Here is a list of sample meals in some restaurant in Egypt:

Abu Shakra (4 star): 1/4 kg of Kebab & kofta + soup + rice with nuts dish + salad + dessert
Cost = L.E 70 per person ($12.70)
Tekka (4 star): Tekka 1/2 chicken, vegitable, bread + rice + Pepsi + dessert
Cost = L.E 60 ($11)
Tekka: kebab & kofta, rice + salad + pepsi + dessert
cost L.E 65 ($11.80)

Pizza:

Pizza Hut: stuffed crust super supreme medium size pizza + salad + Pepsi
Cost: L.E 55 ($10)

Fast food:

Wesaya: plate of mix grill, rice, potatoes, salad + Pepsi
Cost 30 ($5.45)
KFC: Combo chicken meal + salad
Cost 30 ($5.45)

Cafe

You could get a drink in a cafe for L.E 7 - 15 ($1.27 - $2.7) although some cafes set a minimum charge of around L.E 25 per person ($4.5) but if you sit at a low cost cafe you could pay only L.E 3 ($0.54) for a drink or Shisha.

Note: Above prices include sales tax and are only shown as an indicator and may differ from actaul prices if you order the same items. We are not affiliated with any restaurant mentioned in this article.

Egyptian Museums admission fees

Museums in Egypt charges foreign tourists higher admission rate than Egyptians. There are many museums in Egypt but one that is must to visit is the "Egyptian Museum" which is the main museum in Cairo and contains 120,000 exhibits of which are 9 royal mummies.

Tickets are sold at the following prices:

Entry: 20 L.E ($3.60) for adults 10 L.E ($1.80) for children

Mummies Rooms: 40 L.E ($7.25) for adults 20 L.E ($3.60) for children

Photographing prices:From 9:00AM-2:00PM Photographic camera (without flash) for amateurs:10 L.E ($1.80)Photographic camera (without flash) for professionals:175 L.E ($32) Video camera: 100 L.E ($18)

Other museums charge similar entry fees.

Shopping for Souvenirs in Egypt

I will give you some tips when you buy a souvenir in Egypt:

It's not recommended to buy gifts from the souvenir shop at the hotel you are staying as it's ususally more expensive than other shops in the street.
When you go buying souvenirs do not take a guide with you
Visit several shops and ask about prices before buying
Make sure the souvenirs are made in Egypt as you will find many items made in China

Following prices are only indicators:

Papyrus size 30x40cm: L.E 2 to 15 ($0.36 - $2.70)
Statues: large L.E 30-40, small L.E 15 -20 ($2.70 - $3.60)
Leather wallets: L.E 15-20 ($2.70 - $3.60), purses L.E 70-80 ($12.7 - $14.5)
Silver cartouches: L.E 60-70 ($11 - $12.7)
Gold cartouches: L.E 300 400 ($54.5 - $72.2)

A final note about tips: It's a custom to pay tips at restaurants, cafes and hotels. Depending on the cost of the service they offer an average tip would be L.E 5 -10 (around $1 - $2 equivalent)

Conclusion: Average cost of a holiday in Egypt

Egypt is a cheap country to stay in. I would say that you could enjoy a holiday n Egypt for around 150-200 Egyptian pounds a day (approx. USD $30 - $50 a day) so a 7 days holiday in Egypt would cost $210 - $350 per person (excluding souvenirs and accommodation fees). So book your cheap holiday to Egypt now and enjoy your vacation to the full extent.