Egypt has had a quiet decade, but 2026 changes that. The Grand Egyptian Museum finally opened in November 2025 after roughly twenty years of delays, EgyptAir has expanded its UK routes, and the country is already gearing up for the 2027 total solar eclipse. If you have been putting the trip off, now is the moment to go, before the rest of the world catches on. Here is what to do, where to go, and what to know before you book.
The Grand Egyptian Museum
This is the headline. The GEM sits on the Giza Plateau, a short drive from the pyramids themselves, and bills itself as the largest museum in the world devoted to a single civilisation. It houses more than 100,000 artefacts across twelve galleries, including the entire Tutankhamun collection of around 5,000 pieces, displayed together for the first time anywhere. The Grand Staircase, lined with colossal statues of pharaohs and gods, climbs towards huge windows that frame the pyramids in the distance. The architecture alone is worth the trip.
Pyramids and the Sphinx
The Pyramids of Giza remain the main event. Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure stand on the same plateau as the Sphinx, all within walking distance of one another. Going inside the Great Pyramid costs extra and involves a hunched climb up a low passage, which is not for everyone; the views from outside are really the point. Camel and horse touts work the area hard, so agree on every price before you climb on anything, and walk away if the number shifts. The redesigned sound and light show is worth the evening trip.
Luxor and a Nile cruise
Luxor is the open-air museum the brochures keep promising. The Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple, and the Colossi of Memnon all sit within an hour of the town centre. A three or four-night Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan is still the most efficient way to see Upper Egypt; the boats stop at Edfu and Kom Ombo en route, and you wake up to a different temple every morning. Feluccas at sunset, the small lateen-rigged sailing boats that have worked the river for centuries, cost a fraction of the bigger cruises and feel properly timeless.
Aswan is quieter and prettier than Luxor, with the Nubian Museum, Philae temple, and the High Dam all within easy reach. Abu Simbel, a few hours south, deserves the early start; the twin temples of Ramesses II are arguably the most impressive single sight in the country after the pyramids. Stringing it all together independently is doable but fiddly, and packaged Egypt tours that cover Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel in one go take care of the internal flights and Egyptologist guides for you.
The Red Sea coast
For diving and snorkelling, the Red Sea is among the best on the planet. Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh are the two main hubs, both with direct flights from the UK. Hurghada is generally cheaper, with newer resorts and easy access to dive sites like Giftun Island and the Abu Nuhas shipwrecks; local operators bundle reef trips, quad safaris, and a Luxor day excursion into packaged Hurghada Tours that work well if you only have a week to play with. Sharm has Ras Mohammed National Park on its doorstep, with sheer walls dropping into deep blue water. Dahab, ninety minutes up the coast from Sharm, is the quieter, scruffier alternative that backpackers and serious divers have favoured for years. The Blue Hole at Dahab is famous, and for experienced divers only.
Cairo beyond the pyramids
Khan el-Khalili, the medieval bazaar, is still the place for spices, lanterns, and inlaid boxes. Bargain hard, and expect to be offered tea. Islamic Cairo, the warren of mosques and madrasas around Al-Azhar, is best on foot in the early morning, before the heat and the crowds. Coptic Cairo holds the Hanging Church and the Ben Ezra synagogue, both worth an hour. The old Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square is no longer the main draw, but it still houses pieces that did not make the move to the GEM.
Practical bits
British passport holders need a visa. The e-visa system has been overhauled for 2026 and now covers all major entry points; apply through the official portal at visa2egypt.gov.eg rather than third-party sites that quietly add a markup. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
Check FCDO guidance before you book. The Foreign Office does not currently advise against travel to the main tourist areas (Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, and Sharm el-Sheikh). Current guidance lives at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt.
The best months to visit are October through April. Summer in Cairo and Upper Egypt is brutal, with temperatures regularly over 40°C; the Red Sea coast stays manageable thanks to the sea breeze. Ramadan in 2026 runs from mid-February to mid-March. Tourist sites stay open, but daytime restaurants in non-resort towns will often shut, and the atmosphere is calmer.
Carry small notes for tipping, which is expected and constant. The Egyptian pound has weakened sharply against sterling over the last two years, so prices feel genuinely cheap to British visitors. Cards work in resorts and proper restaurants, but cash rules everywhere else, especially with taxis, drivers, and guides. If you would rather not piece an itinerary together yourself, established operators like Touriesta cover bookings, transfers, and guides end to end, which is worth the saving in faff for first-timers.
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A final thought
Egypt rewards the curious traveller. The big draws have not really changed in five thousand years, but the country around them has, and the Grand Egyptian Museum has finally given those treasures the setting they deserved. The infrastructure is sharper than it has been in a generation, the flights are cheap, and the crowds have not yet caught up with the reopening. Go before they do.
Last Updated on May 18, 2026
