Egypt All-Inclusive Holidays: What You Get, What It Costs and Where to Go

Egypt is one of the cheapest places in the world for an all-inclusive beach holiday, and it is also one of the easiest to get wrong. The headline price can hide the transfers, the bags, the visa, and the extras, and the word all-inclusive means different things at different hotels. This guide explains what the term covers, what it costs, where to go, and when to go.

Two kinds of all-inclusive exist in Egypt, and they are often confused. A Red Sea resort stay is a beach holiday in one hotel, with meals and drinks included. A tour package is a trip across the country, with hotels, a Nile cruise, guides, and entry fees in one price. Both are sold as all-inclusive, and they suit different trips. This guide covers both, and says which one fits which traveller.

Figure 1: An all-inclusive beach resort in Hurghada, on the Red Sea coast of Egypt. The cover photo shows the pool, the sun loungers, and the hotel buildings.

What all-inclusive means in Egypt

At a Red Sea resort, all-inclusive usually covers the room, buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner, snacks at set times, soft drinks, and locally produced alcoholic drinks. Pools, sun loungers, and some non-motorised water activities are often included. What usually costs extra: premium imported spirits, a la carte restaurants, spa treatments, scuba diving, and motorised water sports. The exact terms differ by hotel and by board contract, so read the hotel page before you book, not the headline.

On a tour package, all-inclusive usually covers airport transfers, 4- and 5-star hotels with daily breakfast, internal flights or sleeper-train tickets, a full-board Nile cruise where the trip includes one, every entry fee to the temples, tombs, and museums, an Egyptologist guide for every site visit, and ground transport in private air-conditioned vehicles. International flights, tipping, personal drinks, and optional extras such as a hot-air balloon are usually quoted separately.

Where to go

• Sharm El Sheikh: on the Sinai Peninsula, with coral reefs, private beaches, pools, and organised entertainment. The strongest choice for nightlife and resort activity, and the most polished package-holiday strip in the region.
• Hurghada: the biggest Red Sea hub, with the widest spread of star ratings and price points, and the shortest flight time from most UK regional airports. The best choice for value and for families, with large water parks at several hotels.
• Marsa Alam: quieter and further south, with direct access to Dolphin House reef and the Fury Shoals. The best choice for serious divers who want fewer crowds and more marine life.
• El Gouna: a purpose-built resort town with no touts, marina restaurants, and a more relaxed feel than the package-heavy Hurghada strip. The upmarket option on the Red Sea.
• Makadi Bay and Soma Bay: resort-focused bays south of Hurghada. Makadi Bay suits families, and Soma Bay is calmer and more polished.
• Cairo and the Nile: for the history. Cairo and Giza hold the Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened fully in November 2025 with the complete Tutankhamun collection. A Luxor to Aswan Nile cruise covers the temples at a slow pace.

What it costs: three trips, compared

A 7-night summer all-inclusive stay at a Red Sea resort is advertised from about 600 pounds per person. A published July 2026 example was a 7-night stay at the 4-star IVY Cyrene Island Hotel in Sharm El Sheikh from 678 pounds per person, with flights from London, Birmingham, or Newcastle, transfers, one carry-on bag, and a 20 kg checked bag. The price is date-sensitive, and the same hotel costs more on other dates.

A 5-star Red Sea resort runs broadly from about 130 to 450 dollars a night in published comparisons, and wider comparisons list about 40 to 350 dollars a night in Hurghada, 80 to 600 dollars in Sharm El Sheikh, and 60 to 280 dollars in Marsa Alam. These are category guides, not live quotes, and they do not include flights, transfers, bags, or excursions.

A tour package costs more and covers more. A 7-day Cairo with Nile cruise package starts from about 1,524 dollars per person, and an 8-day Cairo and cruise package from about 1,446 dollars per person, with hotels, internal transport, entry fees, and guides included, and international flights and the visa separate. A 5-star 4-night Nile cruise alone runs about 900 pounds per person.

Figure 2: Pools and hotel buildings at a Hurghada resort, with the Red Sea behind.

Best time to go

October to March is the peak season for Egypt, with cooler days and blue skies. The Red Sea stays warm all year, with sea temperatures of 24 to 28 degrees, so swimming is possible in every month. Summer is hot, with Red Sea resorts averaging about 35 degrees in July and August, and the heat is stronger inland. Book 4 to 6 months ahead for October to March travel, as the Nile cruise boats fill fast.

Before you book: the checks that save money

• Read the board basis: check whether buffet meals, snacks, drinks, and a la carte dining are included, and which drinks are local only.
• Add the extras: transfers, bags, visa, and excursions can add hundreds to a 600 pound headline. Price the whole trip, not the room.
• Check the beach: some cheap hotels are inland, a drive from the beach. A low price can mean a 7-minute drive to the sand.
• Check the protection: a package with flights from a UK provider carries package protection. A room-only booking does not.
• Check the travel advice: government travel advice, airline notices, and the hotel terms change. Check them shortly before you travel.
• Check the visa rules: UK travellers need a visa for Egypt. Check the current rules and fees on the official Egypt visa site before you book, as they change.

Sources: Egypt Planners 2026 season page for the 1,446 to 1,968 dollar tour packages and the inclusions; JetMeAway Egypt Travel Guide 2026 for the Red Sea areas, the 24 to 28 degree sea temperatures, and the 900 pound Nile cruise; MyBestLists for the 600 pound summer packages, the 678 pound July example, and the 130 to 450 dollar nightly ranges. Prices are published examples, not live quotes. Check the provider before you book.

Frequently asked questions