Egypt trip planning checklist: a timeline from 6 months out to departure day

What should be on your Egypt checklist, and when?

Work backwards from departure in ten steps, starting six months out. Passport and dates come first, because they decide everything else, and the last week is for copies, cash and a final look at government advice.

This sequence fits a winter trip. For a summer trip you can compress the first half, since cabins and hotels are easier to find. Our guide to how far in advance to book Egypt gives the booking windows by season.

What should you do 6 months before you go?

Check your passport first. The UK government says your passport must expire at least 6 months after the date you arrive and have at least one blank page, and that you will be denied entry without a valid travel document. The Government of Canada states the rule differently: a regular passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned departure from Egypt. Use the stricter reading for your own nationality, and ask your nearest Egyptian embassy or consulate if the rules are unclear.

A passport renewal can take longer than any other step on this list, which is why it comes first. Then do three things.

1. Pick the travel month. Wikipedia gives October to February as the preferred Nile cruising period, so those months sell first, and Christmas and New Year are the tightest weeks.
2. Decide the length and the style of the trip. The Egypt tour packages are grouped by category and length.
3. Ask for written quotes with the same list of inclusions.

What should you do 5 and 4 months before?

Confirm the Nile cruise category, the hotel nights and the route, then pay the deposit. Because October to February is the preferred cruising period, four months ahead is a sensible point to settle winter cabins before choice narrows. Ask for the deposit terms and the date a hold is released.

If you want the sleeper train for part of the route, ask the company to confirm it now. Seat61, updated on 14 September 2026, says tickets typically open 4 to 5 months ahead, and that at busy times such as Easter the train is fully booked by tour groups.

Save every confirmation by email and as a PDF on your phone. Write down the date the final payment is due and put it in your calendar.

What should you do 3 months before?

Buy your international flights once the cruise and hotel dates are fixed. A cabin that sells out is harder to replace than a flight, so the tour dates lead. Arrive before your first hotel night and leave after the last, and check the baggage rules for any internal flight in your package.

Check the entry route for your passport. Experience Egypt says 78 nationalities can use the e-visa portal, and that over 180 can get a visa on arrival if they hold a valid, used visa for the US, the UK, the Schengen Area, Japan, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. Our guide to the entry visa to Egypt explains the fees and the three routes. This is the moment to choose one.

Think about whether you will apply for the e-visa or pay on arrival:

• The e-visa is applied for online at least 7 days before departure, per the portal, and the UK government says tourist e-visas are valid for up to 3 months.
• The visa on arrival costs $30 in cash at approved kiosks and is valid for up to 30 days.
• A digital visa on arrival at Cairo International Airport costs $36, including a $6 service fee, from 1 August 2026, and is paid by card.

The UK page adds that visa agents often charge more than the official $30 and are not needed.

What health steps should you take 2 months before?

Book a travel health appointment now. The UK government says to check vaccine recommendations at least 8 weeks before travel, and TravelHealthPro says to see a health professional at least four to six weeks before travel, with earlier booking for people with existing conditions.

The CDC page for Egypt, last reviewed on 25 August 2026, recommends the following for discussion with your clinician:

• Routine vaccines, including measles, mumps and rubella, and COVID-19.
• Hepatitis A for unvaccinated travellers aged one year and older.
• Typhoid for most travellers.
• Hepatitis B for unvaccinated travellers under 60.
• Rabies, to be discussed with a provider, since infected dogs are common.

Yellow fever vaccine is not recommended by the CDC for Egypt. A certificate is required only if you arrive from, or spend more than 12 hours in transit in, a country with yellow fever transmission risk. TravelHealthPro and the Government of Canada both say there is no yellow fever risk in Egypt itself.

The CDC lists dengue and sand-fly bites as risks, and advises repellent with 20% or more DEET, long sleeves and air-conditioned or screened rooms. It also says to avoid fresh water such as rivers and ponds because of schistosomiasis. Your clinician decides what applies to you. This page is a checklist, not medical advice.

Check your medicines at the same time. The UK government says some prescribed and over-the-counter medicines are controlled substances in Egypt, that you may need permission from the Ministry of Health, and that you should carry a letter from your GP stating the condition, the amount and that it is for personal use. Allow time for this, because a letter or a permission may take longer than a pharmacy visit.

Pack a small first-aid kit as well: plasters, oral rehydration salts, antiseptic wipes and any usual pain relief, in original packaging. This is our practical advice, not a rule from the sources.

What should you arrange 1 month before?

Four things belong at this stage: timed tickets, money, phone and clothes.

Timed tickets. The Grand Egyptian Museum sells entry by timed slot on its official website, and the tickets are valid only for the date and time chosen. If your package includes the museum, ask the company which slot is held. If you buy yourself, use only the official site, which the museum calls the only official place to buy.

Money. Experience Egypt says Egypt is still a cash-based society, with cards accepted in major cities and tourist destinations. Exchange offices are in nearly every major hotel, tourist destination and airport, and commercial bank ATMs offer exchange all day, every day. The UK government says you must declare foreign currency over $10,000 and sets a separate limit on local currency. Bring US dollars in cash if you plan to pay for a visa on arrival.

Phone. Experience Egypt says you can get a temporary tourist line with minutes and data at a mobile network shop, and you need your passport. Ask your own provider about roaming charges before you decide. Declare high-value electronics on arrival if you bring them, and know that satellite phones and radio equipment are likely to be confiscated without prior clearance.

Clothes. Dress modestly. The UK page asks visitors to dress modestly, especially in rural areas, mosques and souqs, and Experience Egypt recommends light, loose cotton, a light-to-medium jacket in the cooler months, and a headscarf and covered shoulders and legs for places of worship. The World Weather Information Service, which publishes Egyptian Meteorological Authority averages for 1981 to 2010, gives January mean lows of 9.7 °C in Cairo and 8.8 °C in Aswan, so winter evenings need a layer.

What should you do 2 weeks and 1 week before?

Finish the paperwork two weeks out, and check the news and government advice one week out. Apply for the e-visa now if you use it, since the portal requires at least 7 days. Pay any final balance and confirm the arrival transfer in writing: name, flight number and meeting point.

Make copies. The UK government says police check ID regularly, and you may be detained if you cannot show your ID and visa, or a digital or paper copy. Keep photocopies of the passport, visa and flight ticket apart from the originals. If your passport is lost or stolen, get a police report, which you need to transfer visa stamps to a replacement passport.

Re-read your government’s travel advice. The Government of Canada page, updated on 26 May 2026, advises a high degree of caution nationwide, with regional restrictions. Do this check twice, once a month out and once in the last week.

Set up your phone for the trip:

• Download your documents, tickets and confirmations so they open without a signal.
• Sort out local transport. Experience Egypt lists taxis and ride-hailing cars among the common ways for tourists to get around, so ask your hotel which options it recommends and how to pay for them.
• Save the numbers: ambulance 123, tourist police 126 and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities hotline 19654.
• Tell your bank which dates you travel to, in case cards are blocked abroad. This is our practical advice, not a rule from the sources.

Leave drones at home unless you have permission. The UK government says you must not import, use or produce drones without prior permission from the Egyptian Ministry of Defence, and that unauthorised use or import can bring up to 7 years in prison or a fine. Professional photography or film equipment needs a permit to enter.

What should you pack?

Pack for early starts, sun and modest dress. Karnak and the Valley of the Kings open at 6:00, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, so plan an early start. A short list covers it.

• Passport, printed copies and your visa confirmation.
• Light cotton clothes that cover shoulders and knees, plus a scarf.
• A warm layer for winter evenings and early mornings.
• Comfortable closed shoes for long days on foot.
• Sun protection and repellent with at least 20% DEET.
• Your medicines in original packaging with the letter from your doctor.
• Small notes in local cash for tips and small shops.

Women travelling alone should note the UK advice to take care when travelling alone by taxi, especially at night, and to share the driver’s details and live location with a friend.

What should you do on departure day and on arrival?

On departure day, check passport, visa plan, cash, medicines and the phone before you leave home. On arrival, the visa is the first task if you did not apply online. Visa on arrival kiosks are before immigration, according to the UK government, and you pay $30 in cash or $36 by card for the digital option at Cairo.

1. Keep your passport and visa confirmation in your hand baggage, not in a checked bag.
2. Declare anything over the cash limits or any high-value electronics.
3. Meet your guide at the arrival hall, where the airport meeting is part of the standard package.
4. Check the cruise rules on boarding day: check-in is from 12:00 and check-out is at 8:00 a.m.
5. Tell someone at home your first hotel and your schedule.

If something goes wrong, call your tour company first, then the tourist police on 126 for a serious matter, or the Ministry hotline 19654 for a complaint. When your list is ready, send your dates through the plan my trip form and we will check the route against it.