✈️ What to pack and plan before your trip to Sharm El Sheikh

A complete checklist for your trip to Sharm El Sheikh - whether it's your first visit or you just want to make sure you've covered everything. 🌴

🛂 Documents

📌 Valid passport (at least 6 months' validity beyond your return date)

📌 Hotel booking confirmation

📌 Flight tickets (a screenshot on your phone is fine)

📌 Travel insurance

📌 Visa: most EU, UK and US visitors can get a visa on arrival for $25, or purchase an Egyptian e-visa in advance. Planning Cairo or Petra? You'll need a full Egyptian visa, not just the free Sinai Permit. Ask us when you book and we'll advise.

💵 Money

📌 USD in cash - the most useful currency for tours, excursions and tips

📌 EUR is widely accepted; GBP can be exchanged at Banque Misr or NBE

📌 Visa and Mastercard work at most ATMs, which dispense Egyptian pounds (EGP)

📌 ATM fees: expect around $3-5 per withdrawal from the Egyptian bank (your own bank may charge more on top)

📌 Best exchange rates in Sharm: Banque Misr or National Bank of Egypt - avoid the hotel desk

👕 Clothing

📌 Swimwear (at least 2 sets - one dries while you wear the other)

📌 Light clothing: shorts, t-shirts, summer dresses

📌 Modest clothing for Cairo - bare shoulders and knees are not appropriate at mosques and historic sites 🕌

📌 A light layer for evenings - it can get breezy on boats after sunset 🌬

📌 Comfortable closed shoes for excursions and desert tours 👟

🌞 Sun protection

📌 Sunscreen SPF 50+ (minimum - the Egyptian sun is intense year-round)

📌 Sunglasses

📌 A hat - essential, not optional

📌 Aftersun lotion or aloe vera gel for any overdone days

🤿 For the sea

📌 Reef shoes / water shoes - essential on rocky beaches and coral reef shallows

📌 Your own mask and snorkel - hire on our yachts is $5 per item, but your own is more comfortable

📌 Beach towel (most hotels provide one, but handy to have a spare)

📱 Tech

📌 Portable charger - your phone will run down on long excursions

📌 Plug adaptor (Egypt uses European Type C/F plugs - same as continental Europe)

📌 Camera with a good zoom - useful for dolphins and wildlife

📌 GoPro or a waterproof phone case for snorkelling

💊 First aid kit

📌 Something for an upset stomach (Imodium, Dioralyte, charcoal tablets)

📌 Plasters and antiseptic

📌 Eye drops - eyes can get irritated after sea swimming

📌 Any regular personal medications you need

🍽 On excursion days

📌 Packed lunch from the hotel for long day trips to Cairo or Luxor (we'll let you know which tours need this)

📌 A water bottle

📌 Snacks: nuts, biscuits, fruit

💡 Insider tips from our team

✨ Always agree prices before any service starts and confirm the final amount - unexpected extras are common

✨ Tipping is expected: $3-5 per person for a guide, $1-2 for a driver, $1 per day for hotel housekeeping

✨ Hotel shops charge 3-5x market prices - a short walk into town is always worth it

✨ A cotton scarf costs around $1-2 in town but $5+ at a desert camp - grab one before you go

✨ Always book excursions directly - hotel reps and resort guides typically charge 2-3x the real price

📞 Any questions before your trip - message us on Telegram @SunTrip_egypt. We're real people and we reply in minutes. 🤍