Egypt recommendations?
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Anonymous
| Thinking of going to Egypt next June. Two late teens. Any recommendations/things to avoid? Almost everyone i know who has been has ended up with stomach problems, so I am not excited about that aspect… |
Anonymous
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We had no stomach issues in our group of 9. The food was great.
If you know other people who want to go, if you get to about 8 people you can create a private tour group with a custom itinerary for a very affordable price. You will want a guide with you unless you speak Arabic. We used Memphis Tours. This sahara tour was the highlight and best part of our trip: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/travel/egypt-white-black-deserts.html |
Anonymous
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- only bottled water
- do not attempt anything in Cairo without a guide - June is arguably too late and too hot for a cruise through Luxor and Aswan although those are the best things to see in Egypt - I have heard nice things about those desert excursions- not my thing - Old Cairo is worth a tour |
Anonymous
Oh, I meant to say, I am Egyptian |
Anonymous
| Skip Cairo and spend your time along the Nile seeing antiquities! Cairo is very crowded and unpleasant. The rest of Egypt is delightful. We did not get sick, but use bottled water for everything. The food is really good but the FRUIT is AMAZING! The best fruit I ever had consistently. |
Anonymous
| If you go to Hurghada, go horse riding in the desert/ocean. It's amazing! They let me gallop an Arabian stallion flat out on the sand, then cool us both off in the water. 10/10 |
Anonymous
| We went December 2024 and I wrote up our trip. Feel free to message me if you have questions. https://famventure.substack.com/p/exploring-the-middle-east-egypt |
Anonymous
DP, but wrt bottled water - many people don't think about brushing their teeth and washing face/getting water in their face during a shower etc. I have had a lot of luck acting like a princess and brushing my teeth and washing my face with bottled water in multiple countries where many people get sick. That plus no raw food and limited meat works really well for me. |
Anonymous
| Assume that everyone is always trying to scam you and be cautious. |
Anonymous
| The sights were amazing, especially in the valley of the kings, and the food was okay (not very special). I felt like a lot of people were trying to make money off me, aggressively, though. I would go again with my kids for the history, but didn’t love the experience compared to other places. |
Anonymous
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As someone with a sensitive stomach that has spent a lot of time working in Egypt, I’d encourage you to take a probiotic. Start before you leave and be consistent taking it on your travels.
If you have girls keep them close and give them a heads up: men cat call in Egypt. A lot. It is constant and obnoxiously over the top in a way I’ve never experienced anywhere else. |
Anonymous
I agree that trinket sellers and people wanting to “help” you in exchange for money are very aggressive. You will be glad to have a guide who can help discourage this at least to some degree. |
Anonymous
This is changing a bit… Egypt changes very rapidly and in the 30 years I have been going it feels like I visited 15 different countries. Interestingly now that I am middle aged with children men there treat me with a bizarre amount of deference. They open doors, assist me, smile, call me madam. It’s really weird especially compared to the catcalling and hissing of my youth. |
Anonymous
Why Egypt? It's a really shitty country for most travelers, especially women and girls. Cairo is sad and noisy and filthy and very aggressive. Go anywhere near a tourist site and the vultures will descend. The harassment is endless. Egypt is not a fun time. If you want to go the Middle East with teenagers, I'd suggest Oman. Or if you want to see Arabia lite, go to Jordan. Lots to see in both countries and very nice people. Egypt is a nightmare for most tourists and no one wants to go back. |
Anonymous
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Been 10 years for what it is worth.
Old Cairo was fascinating and the old Islamic mosques and other sights were special to see. Loved seeing the valley of the kings and Luxor. Food is mediocre everywhere and we really tried to find good places through blogs and online reviews, but concluded Egyptian food is simply dull across the board. Your best bet are Lebanese restaurants. Tours are very annoying and difficult to escape. Sharm was tacky but the Red Sea is wonderful and we had amazing snorkeling right off our hotel's beach. |