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Preparation checklist

Egypt Packing List

Pack for the trip you are actually taking: Cairo museums and Giza, Luxor temples, Red Sea boats, Sinai mountains, a desert night, a Nile cruise, Ramadan timing, or a simple beach week. This guide favors decisions over a huge product list.

Last checked: 2026-08-12. Power facts and medical-equipment caveats are source-labelled below.

Essentials

Pack the things that protect the trip first

  • Passport, visa or entry-route proof where applicable, onward or return booking if your airline asks, hotel or first-night address, and copies stored offline.
  • Travel-insurance details, assistance phone number, policy number, and activity cover for diving, desert travel, boats, ballooning, hiking, or quad-bike use if relevant.
  • Payment backup: more than one card, a small emergency cash reserve, bank contact details, and a plan for ATM or exchange access that does not rely on one wallet.
  • Phone and connectivity: eSIM or roaming plan if needed, offline maps, charger, power bank, important contacts, and saved hotel or pickup details.
  • Prescriptions and medicine: original labelled packaging where possible, prescription or doctor documentation, generic names, and enough supply for delays after checking legality through Egypt travel health.

Climate

Match clothing to season and region

  • Hot weather: breathable clothing, sun hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, refillable water bottle where safe to refill, and a plan for electrolytes or oral rehydration if your clinician recommends them.
  • Cooler evenings and winter: light jacket or fleece for Cairo evenings, desert nights, Nile cruise decks, early balloons, and pre-dawn Sinai or temple starts.
  • Sun: long-sleeve sun layer, lip balm with SPF, and clothing you can wear at exposed archaeological sites without relying only on sunscreen.
  • Dust and desert: sunglasses, scarf or buff, closed shoes, spare contacts or glasses if needed, moisturizer, and protective bags for camera or medical equipment.
  • Timing check: use Best Time to Visit Egypt to adjust layers for Cairo/Giza, Alexandria, Luxor/Aswan, Red Sea, Sinai, and desert conditions.

Culture and religious sites

Bring one practical respectful layer

Respectful clothing expectations vary by setting. Do not treat a preference as law unless the site publishes a rule, but make it easy to adapt at mosques, churches, monasteries, family neighborhoods, and formal spaces.

  • Carry a lightweight layer that covers shoulders and knees when needed.
  • For mosques, plan shoes you can remove easily and socks if you prefer not to be barefoot.
  • For churches, monasteries, and rural or conservative areas, choose modest, comfortable clothing before arrival instead of negotiating at the door.
  • During Ramadan, avoid making food or drink timing the center of a public daytime visit; see Ramadan in Egypt for practical caveats.

Activities

Add the right extras only for your itinerary

  • Archaeological sites: grippy walking shoes, shade layer, hat, water plan, small daypack, and fewer midday stops in hot months.
  • Walking cities: comfortable shoes, small cash, offline map, modest layer, and secure day bag.
  • Red Sea, beach, diving, and snorkeling: swimwear, cover-up, reef-safe sun coverage, sandals for hot surfaces, dry bag, seasickness plan, and exposure-suit guidance from the dive or boat operator.
  • Desert: closed shoes, dust scarf, warm night layer, headlamp if the operator asks, personal medicine, power bank, and no remote route without current operator, access, vehicle, water, and communications proof.
  • Nile cruise: smart-casual outfit if your vessel expects it, deck layer for evenings, soft luggage if space is tight, and medication or mobility items kept accessible during transfers.
  • Sinai or mountains: layer for cold pre-dawn starts, supportive shoes, and route-specific guide instructions. Do not use beach resort weather as your mountain packing list.

Carry-on

Keep arrival-day essentials with you

  • Passport, visa or entry proof, boarding passes, insurance, first-night address, pickup contact, and emergency contacts.
  • Medicine, medical documents, glasses or contacts, essential medical devices, and temperature-sensitive supplies according to airline and clinician instructions.
  • Phone, charger, power bank allowed by your airline, adapter if needed on arrival, and offline copies of route details.
  • One change of clothing, basic toiletries within airline liquid rules, and anything needed for the first 24 hours if checked baggage is delayed.

Power

Check plug shape and voltage before you go

Electrical Safety First lists Egypt plug types as C and F and Egypt supply as 220 V, 50 Hz. Bring the correct travel adapter for your plugs, and check each device label before using it. Many phone and laptop chargers support a range such as 100-240 V, but single-voltage devices from lower-voltage countries may need a converter or should be left at home.

  • Do not assume a plug adapter changes voltage. It usually only changes the plug shape.
  • Check high-power items such as hair tools, shavers, medical devices, and battery chargers carefully.
  • For CPAP, oxygen, refrigerated medicine, batteries, needles, or other medical equipment, check airline, accommodation, insurer, and customs guidance before travel.

Baggage

Use the operating airline, not a universal limit

Do not rely on a universal baggage rule for Egypt. Weight, size, cabin-bag, sports-equipment, dive-gear, batteries, liquids, medical-equipment, musical-instrument, and domestic-connection rules vary by operating airline, fare, route, and aircraft.

  • Check the operating carrier for every flight, including domestic legs and code shares.
  • Confirm dive gear, camera equipment, batteries, drones, tripods, and professional equipment before packing; see photography and drone rules in Egypt.
  • Keep arrival-critical items out of checked baggage when possible.

Trip-specific help

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Sources

Sources checked for this page