In Jan. 2021 as a healthcare professional I had the oppurtunity to become vaccinated and then knew I wanted to go some where for spring break (April.) Once I decided I was going to travel I had three priorities: visit somewhere that my money would go far, support the locals directly as much as possible, and do 1:1 tours. So after researching what countries were open to Americans I stumbled upon Egypt.
Egypt is home to one of the earliest civilizations and one of the 7 World Wonders of the Ancient World. Archaelogists are literally discovering findings daily. For example, while I was there the Lost Golden City was discovered. But to be honest Egypt wasn’t in my top 5 or even 10 places to visit. After researching Egypt including listening to podcasts, watching tons of YouTube videos, and reading varrious blogs I decided to make the long trip to Egypt.
My itinerary included 2 nights in Cairo, 3 in Luxor, and 2 in Hurghuda as the Red Sea.
So how far did my money go in Egypt?
My flight from Seatle, WA to Cairo was $900 USD through Delta. I stayed 7 nights between The Great Pyramid Inn, Hilton Luxor, and Steigenberger Pure All Inclusive. All together my hotels totaled $800 USD. I definitely could have stayed cheaper but opted for more luxurious hotels and or rooms with the best views. My private day tours ranged from $50- 80 USD. I chose private tours, as one of my favorite parts of traveling is getting to know the locals and a group setting often feels like you’re just a number. I also did 3 excursions; a hot air ballon ride in Luxor for $90 USD, a private cruise on the Nile River at sunset for $40 USD, and a private snorkeling trip on a speedboat for $110 USD. Again, I could have probably found a cheaper snorkeling excursion but I wanted to avoid crowds as I’ve never really enjoyed groups and even less with COVID-19.
How can you support the locals?
Tourism is one of the largest sources of income in Egypt. In 2019 over 13 million tourists visited Egypt compared to roughly only 3 million in 2020. Supporting the locals was a priority for me. I booked my tours in Cairo and Luxor with Mr. Brown Sugar , who was suggested to me by numerous people in various travel groups. Mr. Brown Sugar and his team were amazing. I consider them “brothers from another mother.” I ate at three locally owned restaurants that I highly recommend; Cafe& Restaurant Maratonga, El Hussein Restaurant, and White Elephant Thai Restaurant. Egypt is a very tip centered county and I tipped graciously. For example at El Hussein my meal including soup, salad, soda, chicken skewers, potato, and bread totaled $12 USD. The service was great and the food was delicious, I tipped the server $12 USD.
What do tourists need in order to visit Egypt during COVID-19?
As of Spring 2021 Egypt is open for tourism without qurantine. In order to avoid qurantine US tourists are required to show negative PCR test resultes dated within 72 hours of departure. In order to re-enter the US you need an additional negative PCR test result dated within 72 hours. Most hotels either have the option for a lab to come to your hotel room for testing or coordinate transportation to a nearby testing site. I opted for a lab employee to come to my hotel for $85 USD and received my results in less than 24 hours.
Egypt was amazing and I can’t wait to share more content about Egypt! Have you been to Egypt? What questions do you have about Egypt?
