Egypt Excursions from Hurghada, Sharm and Cairo, How Not to Overpay

Popular excursions from Hurghada

From Hurghada people mostly go to sea and to Luxor. Listings for trips around the city are collected on the Hurghada page.

• Boat trips with snorkelling, for example to the Giftun Islands. This is a protected area, so tourists pay a national park fee, sometimes on top of the trip price.
• Luxor in one day: Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut. The road is long and trips usually leave before dawn, so many people stay overnight.
• Cairo and the Giza pyramids. From Hurghada this is a very long day, so a two day trip or a flight is more comfortable.
• Desert safari on quad bikes or in jeeps, often with dinner in a Bedouin village.

Excursions from Sharm El Sheikh and from Cairo

From Sharm people go to the reefs of Ras Mohammed National Park, to Saint Catherine's Monastery and to Dahab. But with a Sinai only stamp you cannot travel to Cairo, Luxor or Hurghada, such a trip has to be planned with the right visa. More in restrictions in Sharm El Sheikh.

From Cairo it is easy to visit the Giza pyramids, Saqqara and the Grand Egyptian Museum, which officially opened in November 2025, or spend a whole day in Alexandria or Fayoum.

How much entrance tickets cost

Tickets to archaeological sites are often not included in the excursion price. Since 2023 major sites sell them only by bank card and do not accept cash at the ticket office. You can also buy tickets in advance on the official website egymonuments.gov.eg or in the Experience Egypt app. Prices change, so check the official website before the trip.

Prices for foreigners according to the official website of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities as of October 2026:

• Giza plateau with the pyramids and the Sphinx: 700 pounds for an adult, 350 for a student. Entry inside the pyramids is paid separately.
• Valley of the Kings in Luxor: 750 pounds for an adult, 375 for a student.

What the price should include

Before paying, ask and keep in the chat what the price covers:

• Transfer from your hotel or flat and back.
• Entrance tickets and fees, such as the national park fee on a boat trip, or whether you pay them separately.
• The guide and the language of the tour, and whether a Russian speaking guide is available.
• Lunch, water and drinks, snorkelling gear.
• Group size and whether there will be stops at papyrus, perfume oil and alabaster shops.
• Cancellation and refund terms.
• Documents. Take your passport or a copy on boat trips, operators often ask to see them.

How not to overpay

• Compare prices from the hotel guide, a travel agency in town and listings. The same trip can cost quite differently.
• A very cheap safari or boat trip often means old equipment, no helmets and no insurance.
• A group trip is cheaper than a private one, and a group of friends can share one car with a guide.
• If you go to Luxor or Cairo for several days, compare the excursion price with travelling on your own by bus or plane and hiring a guide on the spot.
• Compare ticket prices with the official website so you do not pay a markup on them.
• Do not pay the full amount in advance to strangers from social media. Confirm the deposit and the balance with a receipt.
• Students should ask about the student rate and check at the ticket office which document is required.

How to check a travel agency and a guide

Travel companies in Egypt operate under a licence from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. In September 2026 a member of the Egyptian Travel Agents Association, warning about pilgrimage tour scams, advised checking the company in the list of accredited firms on the ministry's official website, visiting the office where the licence is clearly displayed, and getting an official contract and receipts. This advice works for ordinary excursions too.

Guides at archaeological sites are licensed as well. Since June 2026 the ministry has been issuing smart licences to guides, and electronic gates check them for authenticity.

The British Foreign Office advises booking excursions through approved agents and tour operators. Before a hot air balloon flight in Luxor ask about safety separately: some British tour operators stopped selling such flights because they could not verify safety standards.

Safety at sea and in the desert

• Choose reliable boat trip operators: in March 2025 the tourist submarine «Sindbad» sank off Hurghada and six people died.
• If you plan to dive, make sure your insurance covers diving and rescue, and do not dive deeper than its limit.
• On a boat, ask for a safety briefing before leaving and check the life jackets.
• Always wear a helmet on a quad bike.
• Take water, a hat and sunscreen, and do not touch corals or sea animals.
• Keep your phone with the guide's contact and your hotel address with you all day.

Excursions on Tullab

In tours and excursions Russian speaking guides and agencies offer trips from Cairo and Hurghada, and in transfers and taxis you can find a car with a driver. Before paying, ask the author of the listing the same questions as a travel agency.

Are you a guide or do you organise trips? Post a free ad and state the route, what the price includes and the language of the tour right away.