Safety First: What the Advisory Means for Couples
Level 2 asks Americans to exercise increased caution. The Do Not Travel areas inside the country are the part to take most seriously. For Egypt the main concern is terrorism. Attacks have happened in cities including Cairo. The advisory also warns that demonstrating without a permit is illegal and that Americans have been detained over protests and critical social media posts.
In practice, most honeymooners who go stay on the well-policed tourist circuit: Cairo and Giza, Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel and resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh. Police checkpoints are common on highways and at hotel gates. Don't drive yourselves between regions and skip any trip into the Sinai beyond Sharm el Sheikh or into the Western Desert. Stay away from crowds gathering around political events.
Three habits help a lot. Enroll in the State Department STEP program so you get alerts. Buy travel insurance that covers medical evacuation. Book through an established operator with licensed Egyptologist guides, who handle transfers and know which roads and sites are open that week.
Why Egypt for a Honeymoon
Most honeymoons are about rest. Egypt is about awe, then rest. Walking into the hypostyle hall at Karnak, with its columns thick as old oaks, is the kind of moment couples still talk about at their twentieth anniversary. So is the quiet of a tomb in the Valley of the Kings when the color on the walls is still bright after more than three thousand years.
The Nile gives the trip a romantic rhythm. Cruise boats and smaller sailing dahabiyas move slowly between Luxor and Aswan, stopping at temples by day and mooring under date palms at night. Dinners happen on deck. Nobody needs to check a train time.
Then there is the sea. The Red Sea has some of the clearest, warmest diving water within reach of Europe. Resort hotels make an easy place to decompress after a week of early starts. Egypt also stretches a budget further than most dream destinations, so a splurge night at a historic hotel is realistic.
Best Time to Visit
Go between late October and early March if you can. Daytime highs in Luxor and Aswan sit in the 70s and low 80s Fahrenheit in winter, skies are almost always clear and evenings on deck can call for a sweater. December and January are the busiest months, with higher cruise prices and bigger crowds at Giza and the Valley of the Kings, so book cabins and hotels months ahead.
Spring warms up fast. By April the south is hot. From May through September average highs in Aswan climb above 100 degrees. Some couples still travel in summer for lower rates, but you will be touring at sunrise and hiding by noon.
The Red Sea runs on a slightly different clock. Spring and autumn are ideal for snorkeling, while winter brings cooler water and a stiff north wind. Ramadan shifts about 11 days earlier each year. It changes restaurant hours and slows government offices, yet sites stay open and the evening atmosphere after sunset is a real highlight.
Where to Go
Cairo is the gateway and deserves at least two nights. The pyramids and Sphinx at Giza are on the city's western edge. The Grand Egyptian Museum next door now holds the full Tutankhamun collection. The old Islamic quarter around Khan el Khalili is best explored on foot at dusk.
Luxor is the richest open-air site in the country. Karnak and Luxor Temple line the east bank, while the west bank hides the Valley of the Kings and the terraced temple of Hatshepsut. Dawn hot air balloon flights rise over all of it.
Aswan is where couples tend to slow down. The Nile narrows around granite islands, feluccas glide past Nubian villages and Philae Temple sits on its own island. Most visitors also make the trip to Abu Simbel from here.
Sharm el Sheikh, at the southern tip of Sinai, is the classic beach finale. It is a fly-in resort town with reefs at Ras Mohammed National Park and good snorkeling straight off many hotel jetties.
Sample 10-Day Itinerary
- Days 1 and 2: Arrive in Cairo and stay near the pyramids. Visit Giza early, then spend an afternoon at the Grand Egyptian Museum. On day two see Saqqara and the Step Pyramid, then dine in the Islamic quarter.
- Day 3: Fly to Luxor. Walk Karnak in the late afternoon and see Luxor Temple lit up after dark.
- Day 4: Balloon over the west bank at sunrise, then the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple before the heat.
- Days 5 to 7: Board a cruise or dahabiya south, stopping at Edfu and Kom Ombo on the way to Aswan.
- Day 8: Philae, a felucca sail around Elephantine Island and a night at a riverside hotel.
- Day 9: Predawn trip to Abu Simbel and back, then an evening flight to Sharm el Sheikh, usually via Cairo.
- Day 10: Snorkel, sleep late and fly home via Cairo.
With 12 or 13 days, add three full nights on the Red Sea.
Budget and Costs
Egypt can be good value, though the honeymoon version is not cheap. These figures are approximate and move with the exchange rate.
A comfortable trip with private guides, four or five star hotels and a good Nile cruise often runs roughly $350 to $700 per day for two, not counting international flights. Sailing dahabiyas with only a handful of cabins and the grand historic hotels in Luxor and Aswan push that well higher. Sharm el Sheikh resorts span a wide range; all-inclusive deals can be surprisingly affordable outside holiday weeks.
Site tickets add up. Major monuments each charge their own ticket. Special tombs and the Grand Egyptian Museum cost extra, so budget a few hundred dollars per couple for entries alone over ten days. Tipping is woven into daily life: cruise crews, guides, drivers and attendants all expect something. Many couples set aside a tipping fund in small notes on day one so it never becomes a running negotiation.
Getting There and Around
Cairo International (CAI) is the main gateway. EgyptAir has run nonstops from New York JFK, with other US routes appearing in recent schedules. Connections through European hubs or Istanbul are easy. Confirm current flights before you book, since regional conflict has disrupted some routes.
Inside the country, domestic flights save the most time. Cairo to Luxor is about an hour in the air and Cairo to Aswan closer to an hour and a half; Cairo to Sharm el Sheikh is about an hour. Abu Simbel has its own small airport, though many visitors go by road from Aswan in a few hours.
The overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan is a fun alternative, with dinner and breakfast served in a private cabin. Between Luxor and Aswan, the river itself is the best transport: a three or four night cruise covers the main temples on the way. Avoid self-driving. Use hotel cars, licensed guides or ride-hailing apps in Cairo and Luxor.
Culture and Etiquette
Egypt is a mostly Muslim country with a large Coptic Christian minority. Its tourist zones are used to foreign visitors. Still, a little care goes a long way. Shoulders and knees covered is the norm in cities. Both of you should cover arms and legs to enter a mosque, where women will also need a scarf. Beachwear belongs at the resort.
Holding hands is fine. Kissing in public is not, even on a honeymoon.
Bargaining is expected in markets but not in fixed-price shops or hotels. A smile and a firm la shukran, meaning no thank you, handles most touts. Ask before photographing people. Never photograph police, soldiers or checkpoints.
Alcohol is served in hotels, on cruise boats and in licensed restaurants. Local beer and Egyptian wine are easy to find. During Ramadan, avoid eating or drinking on the street in daylight and expect a festive mood once the sun sets.
Quick tips
- Leave the drone at home, since Egyptian customs routinely confiscates them at the airport.
- Carry a stack of small pound notes for baksheesh: tomb guards, restroom attendants and porters all expect a tip.
- In Cairo use Uber or Careem instead of street taxis, which rarely run the meter.
