Egypt: Independent Trip or Escorted Tour?
What's the best way to travel to Egypt? Go it alone and plan everything independently, or book an escorted package tour to save yourself time and effort? Explore the pros and cons...
Even for well-seasoned travellers, an independent trip to Egypt can be overwhelming, not to mention the safety risks that the country potentially poses. However, we understand that some people prefer to go it alone!
Package tours of Egypt
Unusually, depending where you live, it can be cheaper to book an all-inclusive package trip to Egypt than to purchase flights, accommodation and all your tours separately. Big travel agencies often use charter flights meaning they can offer lower prices, and make up their profits adding on additional excursions.
You can find some really good deals on package holidays online, although most all-inclusive trips seem to be to the Red Sea resorts of Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. While these destinations offer lots of fun activities, if you're looking to immerse yourself in Egypt's incredible history, flying into a city like Cairo is probably more up you're street.
There are plenty of tours available that don't include flights. Purchase those yourself, get picked up from the airport of your choice and be whisked on a journey around the main sights and monuments of Egypt. These usually include an English-speaking guide, all internal transfers, entrance fees and guided tours and often a cruise on the Nile too. If you want to see the best of the country without having to worry about haggling with taxi drivers or not knowing what you're looking at in the Valley of the Kings, this is an excellent option for you:
Independent trips
Others may feel confident booking flights, hotels and transfers yourself, as well as visiting the sights at their own pace, however, from our research, many people seem to enjoy a mixture of guided tours and independent bookings. For those who want the ease of guided tours but the flexibility of independent travel, we recommend booking the flights and accommodation that work for you, then reserving your activities online to save time and money when you arrive in each destination:
So...independent or inclusive?
It depends on your budget and your level of comfort faced with the craziness of Egypt! If you're still on the fence, the best thing to do is to work out how much you're willing to spend and where you want to go, then compare the prices of package tours with our destination and monument guides, and see which works out cheaper!