Hello fellow travelers, the first time I went to my first Europe trip a few years back, this community helped me out tremendously! But going back on topic, I am planning a trip to Egypt this summer if everything sounds reasonable. I have travel credit from last year ( like a lot of people in here do ), and will Love to use that for my trip to Egypt! Plan on going for 16 days, two days of travel of course! so technically 14 full days in Egypt. Plan on visiting Cairo (3 days) , Hurghada ( 4 days ) Luxor and Aswan both two days. Train to Hurghada from cairo, than another Train to Luxor, and from Luxor a train to Aswan, and fly back to Cairo from Aswan. I will love to skipped Hurghanda and Add Jordan to the trip for a few days. And visit Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead sea. But notice you need a negative covid test, to enter Jordan of course. But I heard the test for covid in Egypt are about $120 dollars . Which I do not want to pay that twice to renter Egypt from Jordan, and also once I return back the Us ( which is required ) . I notice the flights from Cairo to Amman are kind of pricy ( $400 ). I was looking going to Dahab and taking a boat from Taba to Aqaba. I think I seen that a round trip in a boat cost you about $90, and sail a few times out of the week ( and the boats will not go until is full ) not sure if that's true but other than that did not see much information. Was wondering if anyone has experience the boat trip from Taba to Aqaba before . And also has travel to Egypt during this pandemic, and how's Egypt. Notice everything is pretty much open there. Will love to hear feedback, to see what y’all think of my route in Egypt, or if y’all recommend. Other options. And places to see, done some research but so much more that I haven’t read, or from y’all’s personal experience . ( I am also fully vaccinated, not that it matters for either country ) . Once again thanks in Advance.
Posted by
Atlanta, GA
697 posts
Egypt is amazing! As far as I can tell, most sites are open.
I haven't ridden trains in Egypt and I have never been to Jordan, and so I can't comment intelligently there.
A few random thoughts:
My first question: do you really want to go to Egypt in the summer? It's hot. Really hot. In Aswan, for example, you should expect temperatures about 100 degrees every day June through September. Of course, the flip side of that is that prices will be cheap.
Rapid PCR tests might be more that $120 in Egypt. I checked into it a few months ago, and I was thinking they were more in the $200 range. Keep in mind that you pay more if you need results quickly --- and you will need the results quickly if you are flying. Whether you need a PCR test or can get by with an antigen test depends on your destination. Turkey, for example, requires a PCR test; the US lets you get by with an antigen test.
3 days in Cairo sounds about right.
Have a great trip!
You need at least two full days to see the main sites. I would recommend an extra day or so. We stayed four days in Luxor: 2 days for the main sites (Karnak, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habu, etc.), 1 day for Abydos and Dendera, and one day for miscellaneous fun stuff --- balloons, feluccas, camel rides, souks, etc.
Posted by
Chicago
7833 posts
I went in January and the weather was perfect. I would not go in summer.
The only drawback with trains is that they are slow. We took a sleeper from Cairo to Luxor and then to Aswan. We did a day trip 3 hours to Abu Simbel in a motorcade two lane highway.from Aswan and then a train back to Cairo.
Posted by
7661 posts
I did Egypt and the Nile cruise in 1985 and loved it. Did the train down to Luxor and it was a nice French train, very clean. We then flew back to Cairo from Aswan.
My wife hasn't been to Egypt and we are looking at going there. I want to see Abu Simbel, that I didn't see before.
Gate 1 has some fantastic tours of Egypt, Jordan and Israel, all reasonably priced.
Posted by
585 posts
Given what you plan on doing and how you want to travel you might want to contact a travel agent in Cairo who can provide you with the information you need re traveling by train and boat. They might be able to arrange a reasonably priced trip to Jordan from Cairo. There have been a couple mentioned on this site recently.
What do you want to see and do in Egypt? You seem to be short changing yourself in Luxor with only 2 days if you want to visit the monuments...at least 3 days and you will be there in the middle of summer so you need to pace yourself. Why so long in Hurghada? Unless you are an underwater enthusiast I don’t think there is much there but resort hotels.
Unfortunately the Egyptian train service has deteriorated over the years and has a bad safety record due to poor maintenance - at least two major crashes this year with many killed.
Posted by
OP
72 posts
Thank you for the feedbacks, I will not mind the heat . That much I know is different from the Texas heat we get in the summer.
I have a question, since Greece just open back up . And is a lot cheaper flying into Athens from here. I will not mind doing Greece islands for a week and heading to Egypt for 9 days. Do y’all think is the basic procedure flying from, Athens to Cairo . Just required a negative test ? Been researching it but can not find anything . Thanks once again
Posted by
OP
72 posts
Guys I booked my trip to Athens! I am supper excited! Mostly likely doing 6 days in Greece and 8 in Egypt! Skipping Hurghanda now for sure! Is for June! I know, Egypt will be hot but still looking forward to it! Doing 3 in Cairo, 2 Luxor and Aswan. Still up in the air . But so ready to fly overseas!
Just not sure when to test before leaving Athens, to Egypt! Will look into that!