Egypt is one of those bucket list countries that seemingly every traveler has dreamed about. Ancient wonders, buzzing souks, and golden desert sunsets - Egypt can sound like an ambitious destination with kids, but with the right planning, it becomes one of the most rewarding family adventures out there. Its rich and exciting history is on display in its ancient wonders, such as Abu Simbel and the Great Pyramids of Giza. Egypt is dusty, stressful, and magical.
Family travel in Egypt can be challenging. The country can be messy, both politically and figuratively. I’ll never say that Egypt is one of the most accessible places to travel with kids. But it’s worth all of the effort that goes into planning a trip to the country.
Here are a few things to help you plan a family trip to Egypt, from what money they use, to how to navigate the country safely.
Planning Your Trip
Planning a trip to Egypt requires some work. While a DIY Egypt trip is possible, for our visit, we partnered with Traveline Egypt to help us get around both comfortably and safely while we were in the country. To get started, I highly recommend that you read through our trip-planning resources.
Egypt strikes the perfect balance between adventure and accessibility. The cities are vibrant but manageable, distances between key sights are short, and the culture is welcoming to families. Many hotels cater to children, and private tours or guides can be tailored around naptimes and snack breaks.
Read also: Egyptian Adventure
Want to dive even deeper into the wonders of family travel in Egypt? You can check out our YouTube channel, which has all of our Egypt family travel videos. This is done by remembering your preferences on repeat visits.
Caption: Exploring the wonders of Egypt with family.
Essential Information
- Currency: Egyptian currency is the Egyptian Pound. The average value of the Egyptian Pound is approximately $0.065 USD.
- Capital: The Capital of Egypt is Cairo.
- Electricity: Egypt uses C & F type 220V sockets. The C type uses two round pins and the F type uses two round pins and ground.
- Cell Phone Service: Cell phone service is readily available throughout the urban areas of Egypt. Sim chips are cheap and can be added to unlocked phones. Access in rural areas or smaller islands can be spotty, and wifi is often unreliable.
- Driving: Consider avoiding driving in Egypt if you are not exceptionally comfortable in stressful situations. Driving in Egypt can be chaotic. Mass transit is not readily available in most Egyptian cities.
Cultural Considerations
Family travel in Egypt is wonderful. The country may not be the easiest to navigate with children. But Egyptians (and Middle-East countries in general) are especially welcoming of families. Touching children’s faces is very common in Arabic cultures. This may often be done without asking a parent first.
Like many Middle Eastern countries, the main language in Egypt is Arabic.
Staying Connected
Most major cities throughout the African countries have excellent cellular service. There are many companies that offer this service. I have used Airalo for years. It has been seamless in over ten countries. They have World, Regional, and Country-Specific eSims available. The price goes down the more specific you get.
Read also: Learn Arabic in Egypt: Guide
Safety and Practical Advice
Egypt has had some troubles over the last couple of decades which has dented the tourism industry. There are regular check points on main roads and high police presence in most tourist areas. There are even some areas where they do not allow tourists to enter. You’ll often get police escorts as well during some transits. It’s nothing you won’t have experienced in tourist places before if you’re a frequent traveller. Don’t be afraid to call on the other locals if it gets too much.
Western families are a regular occurrence in Egypt and so we didn’t experience too much over-attention with our kids. But other than this, we would say Egypt is no less safe than any other country we’ve visited.
There are regular check points on main roads and high police presence in most tourist areas. There are even some areas where they do not allow tourists to enter. You’ll often get police escorts as well during some transits. It’s nothing you won’t have experienced in tourist places before if you’re a frequent traveller.
Suggested Itinerary
The vast majority of the population and sites are clustered up and down the River Nile or over by the Red Sea Coast. Below is our suggested 3 week Egypt itinerary for families. It covers the Nile area and Red Sea area.
- Hurghada
- Marsa Alam
- Aswan
- Luxor
- Faiyum
Due to it being a popular holiday destination, there are many flights in and out of Hurghada. Whilst it doesn’t have any Ancient Egyptian sites nearby, it has countless beaches and areas to swim. Tondoba Bay, was an absolute paradise for our eldest. Here you can do snorkelling and diving courses.
Read also: Clothing in Ancient Egypt
Aswan
At the southern tip of the Nile lies Aswan. You can cruise around Elephantine Island, one of the Nubian areas in Aswan. The High Damn is a little bit of a tourist trap in our opinion, with not much there and a bit of a high entry price (for Egypt) at around 150-200 EGP per person. The Philae Temple is a beautiful one, and it is situated out on a small island. Because of this yo will need to take a boat, which can be costly.
A much bigger drive from Aswan is also Abu Simbel, one of the most popular Ancient Egyptian temples to visit in Egypt.
Caption: The magnificent Abu Simbel temple.
Faiyum
We would definitely say to stay a good few days and maybe even make it the biggest chunk of your trip. Faiyum is an oasis just south of Cairo. Valley of the Whales is one of the more unique things we came across in Egypt. One of the usual stop off spots n the tours is Tunis Village. But this is a great place to actually stay so you can really explore this pottery village.
Cairo and Giza
Cairo has people on top of people on top of people. It’s a crazy and busy city and one that not all are a fan of. Although this is technically in Giza not Cairo. Some people opt to stay in Giza for some or all of their time, but other than the Pyramids there isn’t much other than overpriced tourist restaurants. Here, you can visit numerous Mosques, the biggest being the Mosque of Muhammad Ali (not the boxer!). There’s also the National Military Museum. The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities is also a must.
Food and Accommodation
Getting around Egypt is a fairly simple and you have a good few options for doing it as a family.
Egyptian food is cheap, fresh and delicious. With lots of different cuisines to try it can be a taste bud treat for families in Egypt. We’ve been used to having Arabic food in our family, with the Yemini influence at home. Ful is a hearty breakfast meal packed with protein as a beans based meal. You’ll find numerous types of Tagines meals to eat.
For the budget travellers it is very cheap for food in Egypt. Street food is common. You’ll see falafel stands regularly and they are absolutely delicious. We pretty much lived off the falafel sandwiches, and we never get bored of them.
For self catering you might need to hit a few shops when doing your groceries. Such as a convenience store for the essentials, then the fruit and veg shop, then the spice shop, then the bakery etc. You do get larger supermarkets in some places as well.
Accommodation varies widely by area. The more touristic areas have the big hotels. Camping can also be done in a lot of areas. Camping in the dessert or on the beach is a great way to spend one or two nights. There’s various types of camping within Egypt. Some camping is only allowed if you have the resident permit. But there are plenty that will accommodate the short term tourists as well.
Kid-Friendly Activities and Attractions
Contrary to what some people believe, visiting and exploring Egypt with kids can be an immensely rewarding experience. In fact, if you want to take your kids on a truly unforgettable vacation, Egypt really is a perfect choice.
While you would be forgiven for thinking that Egypt is all about ancient relics and timeless tombs and temples, the reality of the matter is that Egypt has plenty more to offer apart from its magnificent archaeological attractions. There are also some pristine islands not far from Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh. If your kids are old enough to snorkel, they will be for a real treat. You literally only need to go a few meters from the shore to witness an incredible variety of marine life. Parents just need to warn their kids not to damage any coral. The Egyptian authories take the preservation of Egypt’s coral reefs extremely seriously.
A visit to the Valley of Kings near modern-day Luxor also always seems to go down well with kids. Most kids, and even very young kids have heard about King Tutankhamun or at least seen picture of the gold funerary mask.
For those who want to provide other exciting entertainment for their kids, the larger cities, such as Cairo for example, have an abundance of attractions that are able to keep young minds amused, including places like the only indoor ski slopes on the African continent.
Caption: Ski Dubai offers a unique experience in the heart of the desert.
Health and Safety
The Egyptian government requires the citizens of many African and South American countries to be vaccinated against Yellow Fever. Yellow Fever is a highly contagious disease which is spread from one person to the next by mosquitoes. Epidemics can quickly occur if infected people enter heavily populated area where mosquitoes are present, and where many inhabitants have not been vaccinated. The disease can mostly be treated successfully, but some people develop severe symptoms.
While it is not a strict requirement, the Egyptian government also recommends that all visitors should be immunized against Polio and Typhoid Fever. Additionally, the government warns about the potential risk of contracting malaria and/or West Nile Virus.
Tips for Traveling with Kids
When it comes to feeding young mouths in Egypt, kids are never a problem because you are literally surrounded by tasty snacks and treats, many of which prove to be irresistible for most kids. Not only are there tons of different snacks, but there is also an abundance of proper meals of every description, both local and western varieties.
While virtually all hotels are child-friendly, this is definitely something you might want to pay attention to if you are planning on traveling to Egypt with children. After all, there is a difference between a hotel or resort that tolerates kids, and a hotel or resort that has a reputation of being child-friendly.
Depending on how old your kids are, there is always the possibility of them becoming bored with the sort of sightseeing you enjoy. However, this sort of scenario can easily be avoided, particularly in places like Cairo because there are many tourist attractions which can be enjoyed and appreciated by people of all ages, including young kids. In fact, many people who travel to Egypt as a family with kids end up choosing customized Egypt tours for this exact reason.
Egypt family vacations are definitely best enjoyed when children are a little older, and able to really engage with the history and politics of the country, as well as fully immerse themselves in its natural wonders too. Family adventure vacations in Egypt really do not mean having to do the all inclusive Sharm thing. They can combine pyramids with doing their PADI, Philae Temple with fun on a felucca and the Sphinx with snorkelling; all at a great price right now as tourism picks up slowly again.
Snorkeling and Marine Life
Not only is snorkelling nearly always on the agenda on a family trip to Egypt, so are dolphins. Between March and November, dolphins come here to feed in and around the country’s reefs.
Unique Experiences
Sharing a sleeper train cabin all the way down through Egypt from Cairo to Luxor or Aswan, with air conditioned rooms where the seating turn into clean, comfy beds, is a wonderful family experience. Meals are served and, like all sleepers, there is a lively atmosphere.
The museums in Egypt are the real thing. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo houses the treasures of the boy King Tutankhamun as well as the ‘Mummy Room’ where pharaohs faze and freak just a little.
Ralph Foulds from our partner Encounters Travel, our leading Egypt family vacations expert: I love visiting Wadi Rayan and the Valley of the Whales. This is a World Heritage Site in the desert a couple of hours outside Cairo. It is one of the best places in the world for seeing ancient whale skeletons and seeing how whales evolved. You can see various fossilised whale skeletons on the surface of the sand, including some that clearly still have short legs.
Egypt is a great place for families with children to visit. The people are welcoming and very friendly, and there is a huge amount to see and do. Nearly all children will cover Egypt at school and have their imagination stoked by the stories and pictures they see. The good thing then is that when they get to Egypt, nothing disappoints. Everything is BIG, and the guides are great at bringing the ancient Pharaonic stories to life. So, kids don't get bored or have to be dragged around places; they're not just seeing arrow heads and pottery in a museum.
WOW Trip Experience
People from all corners of the globe want to see the last remaining wonder of the ancient world, so Egypt’s sights are notoriously crowded.
We contacted Egypt specialist Jim Berkeley via The WOW List. He timed our trip for Thanksgiving week, so that Zeke would miss only four days of school.
Jim handpicked private, English-speaking, special-access guides for us who knew how to get around many of the crowds. At Cairo’s Egyptian Museum, for instance, our guide got us there as soon as the doors opened and made a beeline for the second-floor galleries containing King Tut’s treasures, while most other visitors started on the first floor. At the Pyramids, she took the opposite route that most tours take-letting us have the Sphinx completely to ourselves.
Jim also found ways to add physical activity that would be fun for the whole family: We sandboarded down dunes in Aswan one day. We rode bikes early one morning from Luxor to the Valley of the Kings.
Caption: Sandboarding near Aswan.
Our 4-night Nile cruise on a dahabiya. A dahabiya is a crewed sailing vessel that had won over even my boat-averse colleague Billie last year. Unlike the larger, Western-style cruise ships on the Nile, our 12-passenger dahabiya was able to stop at smaller sites the larger ships couldn’t navigate.
For instance, we pulled up beside an ancient sandstone quarry; it was fascinating to walk amongst the cliffs from which stones had been cut and then rafted downriver to build the very temples we’d visited earlier in the trip. We strolled around a village where Zeke shared photos and Frisbee throws with local kids. We even stopped at a sandy shoreline where we could swim in the Nile (our captain chose a spot where the water was moving briskly enough to keep it clean, and crocodiles are rare north of the High Dam in Aswan).
A dahabiya is by nature a communal experience (the cabins are small, so we spent most of our free time on the sun deck, and all meals are shared), and we were fortunate to join a fabulously interesting group of fellow travelers.
The millennia-old tombs in the Valley of the Kings-and even more so, in the less crowded Valley of the Queens-are exquisitely well preserved, with vibrant colors, visible brushstrokes, and everyday scenes that suggest they could have been painted just last week.
Just before boarding our dahabiya in Esna, we visited the local temple. The ruins are below ground level but have been fully excavated; you take a tuk-tuk through the streets of this unassuming town 35 miles south of Luxor, walk down a flight of stairs, and enter one of the most impressive sites in all of Egypt-at least to my eyes.
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