Details
Important
Before you decide to travel with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the program information on this page. Our programs are quite adventurous, and we find that travelers who review the full trip details are happier with their experiences.
Trip Notes & Expectations
WINTER TRIPS
Some sites, museums, and restaurants may be closed over Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. It is recommended that you check the operating hours of any sites or establishments that you plan to visit to avoid disappointment. It is also common for prices for meals and other services to increase during peak tourist seasons or holidays, including Christmas and New Year’s. Additionally, we may need to alter the itinerary on and around these holidays to maximize your time during your trip. Hopefully, you will be able to experience some local customs and traditions and see how people in other parts of the world experience the holidays. Traveling over Christmas and New Year’s can allow you to see a destination in a different light. You may be able to attend local festivals, try traditional foods, see special decorations, and participate in cultural activities that can add an extra layer of festivity and cheer to your trip. Overall, traveling over the holidays can be a fun and rewarding way to learn about and experience another culture.
ACCOMMODATION
Our program fees are based on double-occupancy accommodation (see "Single Travelers" below if you do not have a travel companion and would be interested in a private room). Our accommodations are chosen to provide a safe, conveniently located place to sleep. While you may be pleasantly surprised, please don't expect luxury, as we prioritize keeping our programs affordable. The hotel in Alexandria (an 18th-century building with classical European decor) may feel a little dated to some people, while others will have a more regal atmosphere with scenic views of the Nile.
TRANSPORTATION
We use a mix of transportation that gets our guests from location to location safely. Sometimes you will have full days of transportation as our trips tend to cover a lot of ground. The transportation will often be an adventure in itself.
ACTIVITY LEVEL & PACE
This trip includes plenty of walking and some light hiking, and requires at least an average level of fitness. On the more active days, expect to walk quite a bit. The heat and sun during the summer can be very taxing. We recommend always carrying water and snacks with you, as meals can sometimes be far apart.
EXCURSION RECOMMENDATIONS
Tourists often face overcharging when buying excursions from street vendors or at the airport. If you arrive early and want to book excursions, it’s best to wait until you reach the joining hotel and consult the local staff for reliable options. You can also use websites like TripAdvisor or Viator. Throughout the trip, G Adventures can arrange optional activities through your tour leader, which is generally the safest and simplest method. However, this might cost more than using other local suppliers, and we cannot guarantee the safety and quality of activities not booked through G Adventures. Please note all optional activities and entrance fees will need to be paid by card only as per a new change implemented by the ministry of tourism in Egypt.
HAGGLING & VENDORS
As you explore Egypt, you should expect to be approached by vendors offering everything from souvenirs to taxi rides. This is a very normal part of the local culture and your travel experience. While it can feel a little overwhelming at first, most of these interactions are friendly and harmless. A simple, polite "no thank you" is often all you need to move on.
Haggling is also an expected part of the experience, and it can be a lot of fun. We encourage you to embrace this cultural practice with a sense of humor and a relaxed attitude. Your tour leader is an expert at navigating these situations and will be a great resource for tips on pricing and what to expect. This can be a memorable and exciting part of your adventure.
MONEY & TIPPING
Use ATMs to obtain local currency for purchases and individual tipping. U.S. dollars must be in pristine condition—no tears or markings. Your tour leader will collect a "tipping kitty" contribution from each traveler on Day 1 to handle tips for group services. You can contribute USD (crisp bills only) or local currency, though local currency is typically preferred. The tour leader will specify the amount needed.
NILE CRUISE
Our Nile cruise boat is modern with many of the amenities of our comfortable hotels. Cabins are twin/double with air-conditioning and private bathrooms. Facilities onboard include a large single-sitting restaurant, lounge with bar, and sun deck with a small pool. Often, our cruise boats are referred to as “floating hotels,” as the actual sailing distance covered is not great and Egyptian law requires that all boats dock overnight.
INTERNAL FLIGHT
All local flights are included in the cost of your tour. It is important that we have your passport information as soon as possible in order to process these tickets. Internal flight tickets are issued locally, and you will receive your boarding pass at the airport. Domestic carriers for internal flights will be Egypt Air or Nile Air. Flight information will not be available until a couple of days prior to departure. The maximum luggage allowance on the domestic flights is 20 kg for a checked bag, plus a carry-on and personal item. You must be able to easily carry or roll your luggage, so do not over-pack.
HEALTH
It is advisable to drink only bottled water in Egypt. Smoking is more prevalent in Egypt than in the United States, so be sure to pack medicine if cigarette smoke is an allergen/respiratory irritant.
GROUP LEADER
All GEEO/G Adventures trips are led by a Chief Experience Officer (CEO), whose role is to take the hassle out of travel and help you get the most from your trip. They’ll share information about the places you visit, suggest activities and restaurants, and introduce you to our local friends. While not traditional guides, CEOs have broad knowledge of the region’s history, culture, and daily life. On some excursions, local guides are used for deeper insight—giving you the best of both worlds.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Single Travelers
Traveling solo? You’re in good company—about half of our participants do the same.
Shared room by default. The program fee covers one person in a twin room. We’ll pair you with a roommate of the same gender if you don’t have a travel companion.
Want a private room? Most trips offer a
“My Own Room” (single-supplement) upgrade. Check the price in the
Extra Services section, then email travel@geeo.org to reserve it. You pay the single-supplement only if you request it.
Emergency Contacts
If you need urgent help during your trip,
call the local G Adventures office first. If no one answers, leave a detailed message with your name and contact information so they can return your call as soon as possible.
AIRPORT TRANSFER
Your arrival transfer will be arranged based on flight information provided to G Adventures. If you are advised of a flight schedule change within 48 hours of your scheduled arrival time, they will do their best to rearrange your arrival transfer, but they cannot guarantee this. If your arrival transfer does not arrive within 30 minutes after you have exited the arrivals area, please take a taxi to your hotel.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS:
G Adventures regional office emergency contact number: +44 1858378000
G Adventures local contact emergency phone number: +20 100 000 3945
If you are unable for any reason to contact G Adventures’ local office, they have a toll-free line which will connect you directly with their Toronto office:
Toll-free, North America only: 1 888 800 4100
Calls from UK: 0344 272 0000
Calls from Germany: 0800 365 1000
Calls from Australia: 1 300 796 618
Calls from New Zealand: 0800 333 307
Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999
Packing List
See our blog post of
staff recommended gear to help you pack for your upcoming travels. You must be able to carry your own luggage—up stairs, on and off of transport, and during 15 to 20 minute walks. Bring
one small or medium backpack or rolling bag (22-30lb) and
one daypack for daily items. Space is limited on transportation, so oversized bags cannot travel.
As you prepare your packing list, we recommend checking average weather conditions for your destination on a site like
Weather Spark for the time of year you will be traveling.
SuggestedOptionalDocuments
- Sun hat
- Shawl to cover shoulders at religious sites (women)
- Personal clothing for hot weather: shorts and t-shirts (there are multiple opportunities to do laundry affordably, so do not overpack!)
- One or two nicer outfits for dinners
- Daypack
- Sturdy walking shoes
- Sport sandals or flip-flops (e.g., for the pool)
- Plenty of sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Watch or alarm clock (or use your phone)
- Flashlight or headlamp (or use your phone)
- Toiletries – your hotels will provide soap and shampoo
- Camera (or use your phone)
- Electrolyte powder for bottled water
- First-aid kit, including: lip balm, aspirin, bandaids, anti-histamine, Dramamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, insect repellent, extra prescription drugs you may be taking
- Lightweight silk sleep sheet
- Travel pillow
- Money belt
- Phone/tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi, but you will also want an eSIM when WiFi is not reliable (we recommend Airalo)
- Chargers for electronics as well as converters/adapters, if needed
- Portable phone charger
- AirTags or Tile trackers
- Packing cubes
- Earplugs
- Snacks – packing a few granola bars is a good idea; you can buy snacks locally, so don’t go crazy here
- Ziplock bags (e.g., for wet clothing)
- Reading/writing material
- Hand sanitizer/baby wipes
- Cooling towel and/or handheld fan
- Tissue packets or toilet paper (public toilets rarely have toilet paper, but you can purchase some from attendants)
- Passport (with photocopies)
- Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
- Travel insurance ID card
- Flight itinerary/boarding pass(es)
- USD/EUR cash
- Credit/debit card
- G Adventures vouchers
- GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent a few days before departure
: Laundry facilities are offered by several of our hotels for a charge, or you can ask your tour leader where the nearest laundromat is located.
Passports and Visas
Travelers are responsible for securing all required travel documents and meeting the entry requirements for every country on their itinerary, including applicable transit/layover countries.
PASSPORT
All travelers must have a passport valid for
at least 6 months beyond your trip dates with enough blank pages for stamps.
Need to apply or renew? Start here.
ENTRY/VISA REQUIREMENTS
Visa rules change frequently—always verify the latest requirements on the
U.S. State Department Country Information Pages. Non-U.S. passport holders should verify requirements with your country's official government resources. Use the tool below to see entry requirements for your specific itinerary.
Entry information below is provided by Sherpa, a third-party service and trusted G Adventures partner. You must search each of your destination countries separately; “Add connection” solely searches transit visa requirements. Additional fees apply if you choose to purchase any services through Sherpa.
Money Exchange
Currency: The local currency in Egypt is the
Egyptian Pound (EGP). For current exchange rates, visit
www.xe.com.
Credit/Debit Cards: Credit cards (especially Visa and Mastercard) are accepted at many hotels, shops, and restaurants, but not everywhere. Some vendors may also charge an international transaction fee, so check with your bank before you travel.
Cash: For small purchases, tipping, or places that don’t take cards, we recommend using ATMs to withdraw local currency while traveling. If you bring U.S. dollars to exchange, the bills must be new, unmarked, and in excellent condition—damaged or older notes are often rejected.
Emergency Funds: Bring
at least $200 USD (or the equivalent in local currency) in cash for emergencies in case of ATM or card issues. Always carry more rather than less to avoid feeling short of funds while traveling.
See the Estimated Trip Costs section at the bottom of this page for budgeting guidance.
For more advice, see our post,
Smart Travel Finances: Your Guide to Money, ATMs, Fees, and Safety Abroad
Tipping
Tipping (also widely referred to by its Arabic term, “baksheesh”) is a way of life in the Middle East. It is customary and even expected to tip small service providers such as restaurant and bar waiters, hotel staff, cleaning staff, luggage porters, and taxi drivers. In many cases, people depend on the tips they receive to supplement low salaries/wages.
A guideline for budgeting for tips is approximately $5-10 USD per day.
Tipping KittyTo make things as easy as possible and avoid awkward situations, G Adventures utilized a tipping kitty system in which your tour leader will collect a contribution from each traveler at the start of the program and use these funds to tip anybody who provides services to the entire group. On
Day 1 of your tour, the tour leader will be able to advise on the amount to contribute to the tipping kitty (
likely around $100 USD). You can contribute USD or the equivalent local currency, but the local currency is typically preferred.
At the end of your program, if you felt your
G Adventures tour leader did an outstanding job, a tip would be appreciated. The amount is entirely your personal preference, but as a guideline,
$6-9 USD per person per day would be appropriate.
Vaccinations
GEEO cannot provide any medical advice, so it is very important to consult your doctor or a travel clinic about which vaccinations you will need for your trip. We recommend contacting
Passport Health, which has travel clinics located throughout the United States. You can also check the
CDC's recommended vaccinations for your destination. Please take this seriously!
Flights
Wait for official trip confirmation via email from GEEO before booking your flights. Prices tend to be lowest 90–120 days out, but that window varies by route and year. Neither GEEO nor G Adventures bear responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed.
This program begins and ends in Cairo. Please double-check our itinerary for the date by which you must arrive in Cairo. You may want to arrive in Egypt one or more days early in case you have flight disruptions. You can arrive at any time you choose, but try to make it in time for our 6:00 p.m. Welcome Meeting on Day 1. You can depart from Cairo any time on the final day of the program, or stay longer to see more of the city.
Plugs and Converters
Egypt uses European-style
Type C plugs and the voltage is
220V. To use your electronics safely, you’ll need to consider:
1.
Adapter (plug shape)
Adapts your U.S. plug to fit another type of socket. See our recommended
all-in-one travel adapter in our Gear Recommendations post.
2.
Converter / transformer (voltage)
Steps the outlet voltage down to 120V for U.S. appliances that can’t handle higher voltage.
How to know which you need: Look at the fine print on the plug or power brick. An
“Input 100-240 V” means the device is dual-voltage and works worldwide with only an adapter—phones, laptops, and most camera chargers fall into this category. If the label shows
“Input 120 V” (hair dryers, curling irons, some shavers), it could be damaged on high voltage. Pack both an adapter and a travel voltage converter. Converters are inexpensive and sold online or in the travel aisle of many stores.
Weather
December is a great time to visit Egypt. Mostly sunshine with very little rain with temperatures typically in the 50s and 60s. However, our winter Egypt groups have told us it was a lot colder than expected. Please make sure you have warm clothes, including a winter coat, hat and gloves.
Advice from Past Participants:
From GEEO staff member Josh Barber:
- Most days start very early to avoid the heat. Pack plenty of sunscreen, a hat, and cooling gear like a handheld fan or cooling towel.
- You'll drink a lot of bottled water—unavoidable in Egypt. You can buy it on the bus (3 bottles for $1 USD).
- Great pools at most hotels! The cruise and Luxor pools were particularly enjoyable. Any swimwear is fine for women at hotel pools.
- Vendors can be aggressive. Practice saying "shokran" (thank you) and avoid eye contact if you're not buying.
- Brush up on Ancient Egyptian history beforehand—you'll get so much more out of the experience.
From Teacher and GEEO Board member Maddie Hunt:
- I traveled in summer—much less crowded but VERY hot (~120°F in Southern Egypt).
- Bring a water mister and long-sleeved light layers (required for holy sites anyway).
- Pack toilet paper in your bag—not always available and you may have to pay.
- Don't drink anything with ice. Bottled water is a must.
- My favorites were the Nile cruise and Nubian village. Get some henna!
- The food was tough on my stomach, so I stuck to vegetarian options.
- Afternoon naps are built in and necessary!
From other GEEO travelers:
"Get a prescription for diarrhea before you go. Everyone had rough days and Imodium won't cut it."
"I hand-washed clothes every night since laundry was expensive. Bring quick-dry shirts—my REI moisture-wicking tee was a lifesaver."
"A cooling gel bandanna worked better than cooling towels, which dried too fast in that heat."
"Currency exchange is picky—they won't take bills with the slightest flaw. Get new bills from your US bank if you plan to exchange cash."
"ATMs give big bills (100-200 Egyptian pounds) that many shops can't break. Try to find bank ATMs for smaller denominations."
"Try the big bill first to see if they can make change, then save small bills for water and bathrooms."
"My Visa credit card never worked at ATMs, but my debit card did fine."
"The heat messed with several of our cycles, so bring extra feminine supplies regardless of timing."
