Private certified Egyptologist guides, GBP-transparent pricing, and 14 years designing Egypt itineraries for British travellers. Your Egypt trip, done properly.
For British travellers, Egypt holds a special fascination — partly shaped by Britain's deep historical entanglement with the country, from Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb to the British archaeologists who excavated the Valley of the Kings. The British Museum's Egyptian collection gives many UK visitors a foundation of knowledge that our Egyptologist guides can build on immediately.
The flight from London to Cairo is just five hours — shorter than a flight to New York, and with only 2 hours time difference. Unlike UK-based tour operators such as Wendy Wu, Jules Verne, or TUI, we use exclusively certified Egyptologist guides — graduates of Cairo University's Faculty of Archaeology — who deliver commentary on a level British travellers consistently describe as exceptional.
Since 2012, we've guided over 700 British tour groups from across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland — making UK visitors our largest single market. GBP pricing is available on request for all packages.
"British travellers arrive with a sense of connection to Egypt that few nationalities share — the Rosetta Stone, Tutankhamun, Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. They come knowing the story, but seeing Abu Simbel in person still stops them in their tracks every time."
Every tour is 100% private for your group — certified Egyptologist guide included. Customisable to your travel dates and interests. USD prices with GBP equivalents shown.
Discover the wonders of Egypt with an unforgettable journey beginning in vibrant Cairo. Explore the majestic Giza Pyramids, Grand Egyptian Museum, and a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan.
Discover the timeless beauty of Egypt on this budget-friendly tour, exploring the most iconic ancient Egyptian attractions at an affordable price including a 3-night Nile cruise.
An 8-day adventure through Egypt starting with the iconic Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, and the Grand Egyptian Museum, followed by a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan.
Our most popular choice for British travellers. Eight days covering the Pyramids, Grand Egyptian Museum, a 4-night Nile cruise, Valley of the Kings, and the breathtaking Abu Simbel temples.
Nine unforgettable days combining ancient wonders, Nile serenity, and a Mediterranean excursion to Alexandria — the city of Cleopatra and the ancient library.
Experience the magic of Egypt beginning with the iconic Pyramids of Giza before sailing the Nile, then relaxing at a luxury Hurghada Red Sea resort.
A perfect blend of ancient history, cultural immersion, and modern luxury across ten expertly designed days — Cairo, Alexandria, a luxury Nile cruise, and Abu Simbel.
Twelve days combining ancient wonders, desert adventure in the White Desert, and luxury cruising along the Nile — a rarely offered off-the-beaten-track Egypt experience.
An unforgettable 12-day journey through Egypt's history and landscapes from Cairo to Hurghada with a luxury Nile cruise — the ultimate two-week British Egypt holiday.
Looking for a different duration or a fully custom Egypt itinerary from the UK?
Every package at a glance — duration, USD and GBP pricing, inclusions, and which British traveller type each suits best.
| Package | Days | USD Price | GBP (approx.) | Hotels | Nile Cruise | Abu Simbel | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo & 3-Night Cruise by Train | 8 | $1,200/pp | ~£950 | 4-Star | ✓ | — | Budget first-timers |
| Affordable Egypt Tour | 6 | $1,300/pp | ~£1,025 | 4-Star | ✓ | — | Short-leave travellers |
| Budget Nile Cruise | 7 | $1,500/pp | ~£1,185 | 4-Star | ✓ | — | Couples & families |
| Best of Egypt ⭐ Most Popular | 8 | $1,700/pp | ~£1,340 | 4–5-Star | ✓ | ✓ | Most British travellers |
| Cairo, Nile & Alexandria | 9 | $1,750/pp | ~£1,380 | 4-Star | ✓ | ✓ | History enthusiasts |
| Cairo, Nile & Red Sea | 9 | $1,750/pp | ~£1,380 | 4-Star | ✓ | ✓ | Beach + history |
| Cairo, Alex & Abu Simbel | 10 | $2,050/pp | ~£1,620 | 5-Star | ✓ Luxury | ✓ | Premium travellers |
| 12-Day Egypt + Hurghada | 12 | $2,000/pp | ~£1,580 | 5-Star | ✓ | ✓ | Two-week UK holiday |
* GBP prices are approximate based on current USD/GBP exchange rates. All packages priced and charged in USD.
Everything British travellers need to know — flights, visa, best season, currency, packing, and safety.
| Departure City | Airport | Flight Time | Type | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow | LHR | ~5 hrs | Direct nonstop LHR–CAI | EgyptAir, British Airways |
| London Gatwick | LGW | ~5 hrs | Direct or 1 stop via hub | EgyptAir, various charter |
| Manchester | MAN | ~6–7 hrs | 1 stop via London or Doha | British Airways, Qatar Airways |
| Birmingham | BHX | ~6–7 hrs | 1 stop via London or Dubai | British Airways, Emirates |
| Edinburgh | EDI | ~7–8 hrs | 1 stop via London or Amsterdam | British Airways, KLM |
| Glasgow | GLA | ~7–8 hrs | 1 stop via London or Doha | British Airways, Qatar Airways |
Cairo is only 2 hours ahead of the UK (GMT+2 vs GMT+0, or 1 hr ahead during BST). Virtually no jet lag — you arrive ready to explore from day one.
Return direct flights from Heathrow or Gatwick typically range from £350–£700 per person depending on the booking window. Book half-term and Christmas departures 4+ months ahead.
Egypt uses Type C and Type F sockets at 220V — incompatible with British Type G plugs. The voltage is compatible, so any standard UK-to-Type C/F travel adapter will work.
Apply at visa2egypt.gov.eg before departure. Cost: USD $25 (~£20). Processing: 3–5 business days. Valid 90 days from entry. British passport holders fully eligible.
Available at Cairo Airport for British citizens. Cost: USD $25 cash (GBP not accepted at the visa desk). Single-entry tourist visa valid 30 days. Bring USD as backup.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises Exercise Normal Precautions — the lowest advisory level — for Egypt's main tourist regions including Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and the Nile Valley.
Every confirmed British guest receives a step-by-step UK visa guide, FCDO advisory summary, and hotel confirmation letter for their application after booking.
22–30°C. Perfect for families. October half-term is our most popular British window — comfortable temperatures and manageable crowds. Book 3+ months ahead.
15–22°C. Ideal weather. Christmas school holidays are our busiest British departure window — book 4–6 months ahead.
20–28°C. Outstanding weather, popular for families. Good availability if booked 3–4 months ahead.
16–22°C. Fewer crowds, better pricing. Good choice for flexible British travellers avoiding peak rates.
28–34°C. Warming quickly. Open-air sites manageable with early starts; museums and indoor sites ideal.
38–45°C. Extremely hot at desert sites. Summer school holidays unfortunately coincide with Egypt's harshest conditions.
Egypt's currency is the Egyptian Pound (EGP). Our packages are priced in USD with full GBP quotes available. USD is widely accepted at tourist sites and 4–5-star hotels. GBP is generally not accepted in Egypt — exchange to USD or EGP on arrival.
An Egyptian SIM card (Vodafone or Orange) at Cairo Airport costs around £6–12 with 10GB data — far cheaper than UK international roaming from EE, Vodafone UK, or O2.
Cover shoulders and knees when visiting mosques, temples, and religious sites. Loose cotton or linen is ideal in the heat. Beach wear is fine at Hurghada or on the Nile cruise deck.
Cairo is UTC+2. The UK is UTC+0 (GMT) in winter and UTC+1 (BST) in summer. Cairo is only 2 hours ahead in winter, 1 hour ahead in summer. Jet lag is negligible in either direction.
Every Egypt package for British travellers covers these defining monuments. Here's what awaits — and what our Egyptologist guides reveal that no guidebook or BBC documentary ever quite captures.
Cairo · All packagesThe last surviving wonder of the ancient world. Built 4,500 years ago, the Giza complex captivated Victorian explorers and modern travellers equally. Our Egyptologist guides explain what the British Museum's collection can only hint at — the engineering, the ritual, and the still-debated construction mystery.
Giza · All packagesThe world's largest archaeological museum, at the foot of the Pyramids, houses the complete Tutankhamun collection — over 5,000 objects including the solid gold funeral mask. Howard Carter's discovery finally displayed as it deserves. Plan at least 5 hours; one day is better.
Luxor · 6-day packages+Carved into the desert cliffs west of Luxor, the Valley holds the tombs of 60+ New Kingdom pharaohs — including Tutankhamun and Ramesses II. The painted murals inside remain vivid after 3,000 years. Our guides read the hieroglyphics in real time.
Luxor · 6-day packages+2.5 square kilometres. 30 pharaohs. 2,000 years of continuous construction. The Great Hypostyle Hall — 134 sandstone columns, some 24 metres tall — is one of humanity's most extraordinary architectural achievements. British travellers consistently call it more impressive than they expected.
Nile · 6-day packages+The Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan is the Egypt that Agatha Christie wrote about — temple banks slipping past the boat windows, desert silence broken only by the call to prayer from riverside villages. Evenings on deck are deeply peaceful and utterly unforgettable.
Aswan · 8-day packages+Carved from Nubian sandstone cliffs and physically relocated in the 1960s to save it from Lake Nasser — one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century. Twice a year, sunlight penetrates the inner sanctuary to illuminate the pharaoh's face. 3,200 years on, it still works.
Three of our most-requested Egypt itinerary structures — each a starting framework we customise to your exact travel dates and interests.
Every Egypt Tours by Locals package is all-inclusive on the ground in Egypt. One price covers everything — no hidden extras on arrival.
💰 Complete GBP Price Transparency
Fully itemised cost breakdown in GBP and USD before any payment. No surprises on arrival in Cairo.
There are many Egypt tour operators. Here is what makes Egypt Tours by Locals genuinely different for British travellers.
Our guides hold degrees in Egyptology from Cairo University — not tour guide licences. The depth of commentary is immediately apparent, especially for British travellers with a foundation from the British Museum or school.
Every itinerary starts from a blank page, designed around your UK departure dates, school holiday windows, and your group's specific interests.
USD prices with GBP equivalents provided upfront. No exchange rate surprises. No hidden fees. We've worked with British travellers for 14 years and understand what GBP transparency means to UK buyers.
Private tours depart on any date. We schedule around UK school holidays — October half-term, Christmas, Easter, summer — and your personal calendar.
Tell us your requirements and we send a complete custom Egypt itinerary with full GBP pricing within 24 hours.
From the day you book, direct WhatsApp access to your Cairo-based trip coordinator. No call centres. No hold music.
Six simple steps — from first inquiry to landing in Cairo. Most British guests complete the booking process in under a week.
Browse our packages above or contact us for a custom itinerary recommendation based on your available leave, school holiday window, and budget.
We send a full itemised quote in USD with GBP equivalent within 24 hours — covering all inclusions, hotel options, and domestic flight details.
A 30% deposit secures your dates. We accept all major UK credit and debit cards and bank transfers. Balance due 30 days before travel.
We send a UK-specific step-by-step visa guide. The Egypt e-Visa takes 10 minutes to apply at visa2egypt.gov.eg, costs USD $25 (~£20), and is approved in 3–5 days.
We advise on optimal Cairo arrival times that align with your package itinerary. EgyptAir and British Airways operate direct from Heathrow — approximately 5 hours.
Your Egyptologist guide and private transfer meet you at Cairo Airport. From this moment, every detail of your Egypt journey is fully managed.
Real reviews from British travellers — verified on TripAdvisor and Google Reviews.
"We visited Egypt after years of reading about it — the British Museum had given us the foundation, but nothing prepares you for the scale of the actual sites. Our Egyptologist guide had a PhD and it showed. The Nile cruise was extraordinary. We've already recommended Egypt Tours by Locals to our entire book club."
"Our children had studied ancient Egypt at school so this was a dream trip. Our guide connected everything to what they'd learned — Tutankhamun, hieroglyphics, mummification — and made it real. The flight from Manchester was only five hours, which was a revelation. We'll be back."
"I came to Egypt partly inspired by Agatha Christie's 'Death on the Nile' and was not disappointed. The Nile cruise was every bit as magical as I imagined. Our guide was exceptional — knowledgeable, funny, and endlessly patient with my questions. The best travel decision I've ever made."
"We had been trying to plan our Egypt trip for 6 months and kept getting overwhelmed by the options. Egypt Tours by Locals asked us five questions and came back with a proposal that solved every problem — how to connect Edinburgh to Cairo efficiently, which nights on the cruise were worth which sites, and how to fit Abu Simbel without a terrible early departure."
"The British Airways direct from Heathrow took 5 hours and we arrived in Cairo at practically the same body-clock time as home. No jet lag at all. Our guide's commentary at the Valley of the Kings far exceeded anything we'd seen at the British Museum or watched on BBC documentaries. The Grand Egyptian Museum is simply astonishing — plan at least 5 hours."
"I travelled solo from Manchester — one connection via London, then direct to Cairo on EgyptAir. Egypt Tours by Locals matched me with a guide who understood exactly what a solo British woman travelling for the first time in Egypt would need. Abu Simbel was worth the entire trip. I felt completely safe throughout."
Tell us your travel dates, group size, and interests — we'll have a complete custom Egypt itinerary with full GBP pricing in your inbox within 24 hours.