Most Americans planning a high-end trip to Egypt have the same three questions: how do I get there, what does it actually cost, and who do I trust on the ground. This page answers all three before you look at a single itinerary.
Flying to Egypt From the United States
Cairo International Airport (CAI) is your entry point for nearly every itinerary.
Nonstop options. EgyptAir flies nonstop from New York JFK and Washington Dulles (IAD) to Cairo. Eastbound flights run roughly 10 to 11 hours and typically depart in the evening, landing in Cairo the following afternoon.
One-stop options. From anywhere else in the US — Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta — you’ll connect through a European or Gulf hub. Common routings go via London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Doha, or Dubai. Total travel time runs 15 to 20 hours depending on your layover.
Time difference. Egypt sits about 7 hours ahead of New York and 10 hours ahead of Los Angeles. Egypt observes daylight saving time, so the gap holds steady across most of the year.
We build every itinerary with a light first day for exactly this reason. You arrive, transfer privately to your hotel, and rest. Serious sightseeing starts the next morning, when you can actually enjoy it.
What’s Included — and What Isn’t
Every package includes:
- Private airport transfers in air-conditioned vehicles
- 5-star hotels and luxury Nile cruise ships, in two tiers — Diamond (ultra-deluxe) and Elite (luxury)
- A private licensed Egyptologist guides
- All entrance fees to temples, tombs, and museums
- Domestic flights between Egyptian cities where the itinerary requires them
- Daily breakfast and dinner at the hotels
- Lunches at a local restaurants
- Full board on the Nile cruise ships
- Direct support from our offices for the length of your trip
International airfare is not included. Our quoted prices are land-only, starting from the moment you land in Egypt. We can arrange your flights from the US on request, and we’re glad to advise on routings — but the price you see on each tour page covers Egypt, not the transatlantic ticket. We’d rather be clear about that now than have you discover it at booking.
Also excluded: your Egypt entry visa, travel insurance, personal spending, and gratuities.
What a Luxury Egypt Trip Really Costs From the US
Our land packages run from $1,140 per person in a triple room for a 4-day Cairo trip up to $5,350 per person for a 15-day comprehensive vacation, based on three people sharing a room.
To budget honestly, add these:
| Cost |
Typical range per person |
| Land package |
$1,140 – $5,350 |
| Round-trip airfare from the US |
$900 – $1,800 |
| Egypt entry visa |
$30 |
| Travel insurance |
$100 – $250 |
| Gratuities |
$150 – $400 |
A realistic all-in figure for a couple on a 10-day trip lands somewhere between $5,000 and $7,500 including flights. Solo travelers should expect a single supplement, since hotel and cabin pricing assumes double occupancy.
How Long Should You Go?
Most American travelers underestimate this. Given that you’re already spending a full day in transit each way, short trips get expensive per day of actual vacation.
- 4 to 6 days — Cairo and the Pyramids, possibly with Luxor or Alexandria. Workable if you’re extending a business trip.
- 8 to 10 days — the sweet spot. Cairo, a Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan, and time at the major sites without rushing.
- 12 to 15 days — everything above, plus Abu Simbel and several days on the Red Sea at Hurghada or Sharm El-Sheikh.
Every itinerary covers the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Longer trips add the Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Philae, and Edfu.
All of our private Egypt luxury tours from USA are exactly that — private. You never share a guide or a vehicle with strangers, and the pace is yours.
When to Travel
October through April is the comfortable window, with daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s Fahrenheit. May through September gets genuinely hot in Upper Egypt, regularly above 100°F in Luxor and Aswan — manageable with early starts, and rewarded with lower prices and thinner crowds.
For American schedules specifically:
- Thanksgiving week — excellent weather, and one of our busiest US booking periods
- Christmas and New Year — peak season, and our festive packages include the compulsory gala dinner in the quoted price, so there’s no surprise supplement on your bill
- Spring break, March — warm but not yet punishing
- Presidents’ Day week — quieter at the sites, cool mornings
Book 3 to 6 months ahead for peak dates. Dahabiya sailboats and the best cruise cabins sell out first.
Entry Requirements for US Passport Holders
US citizens need a visa. You have two routes: apply for an e-Visa online before you fly, or buy a visa on arrival at Cairo airport. Both cost $30 for a single-entry tourist visa.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date. Check this now — it’s the single most common reason Americans get turned away at check-in.
Our all inclusive Egypt luxury tours from USA include a representative meeting you at the aircraft door in Cairo to walk you through immigration, which removes most of the friction from arrival.
Why Book Directly With a Egypt-Based Operator
I’m Essam Ali, a professional Egyptologist and the owner of Egypt Best Vacations. I’ve guided in Egypt for years, and I still guide.
That matters in practical ways. When you book a US-based agency, your itinerary is passed to an Egyptian operator you never chose and can’t reach. Book with us and you’re dealing with the company that owns every part of your trip — the guides, the vehicles, the hotel contracts, the cruise cabins.
We’ve won the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award three years running, in 2024, 2025, and 2026. Our reviews name our guides personally, which is the review I’m proudest of.
Every itinerary below can be adjusted — extend a stay, add a site, upgrade a cabin, change the pace. Tell us what you want and we’ll build it. Browse our full range of Egypt luxury tours, or start a custom trip
