Egypt needs no introduction and is at the top of every bucket list. The capital city of Cairo (CAI) is the starting point for most travelers from the US.
Is Egypt’s travel safe?
The U.S. Department of State advises U.S. citizens to reconsider travel to Egypt due to potential for terrorism. This blanket warning is not going to change for this region and is not a reason to postpone your tip. I recommend staying at well reputed hotels and asking the hotel concierge to arrange for a guided tour or a personal taxi/driver. It may cost a little more compared to doing it on your own, but it will be much safer.
Award Booking business class flights to Cairo
Award booking the Egypt Air is easy with either Aeroplan or LifeMiles and a nonstop business class can be booked for 70K points and low taxes.
Aeroplan
LifeMiles
ANA Mileage Club
Roundtrip ANA Booking for Egypt Air and Turkish Air will save points but cost more in taxes ($500-700 taxes for roundtrip). Based on the new ANA award chart (effective April 18th 2024), the redemptions listed below will cost 130K miles.
Accommodation in Cairo
Hyatt
Hyatt has a few low-cost accommodations in Cairo.
Hilton
Hilton has several high-end hotels in Cairo and we stayed at Conrad during our trip to Egypt.
IHG
We asked the hotel to arrange for a personal driver and car to go and see Gaza pyramids, Sphinx and the Cairo museum. There are several available guided tour options that are available from the hotel concierge.
Giza pyramids
The three large pyramids of Giza are Egypt’s most-visited tourist attractions and I highly recommend going early in the day to avoid all the tourist buses bringing large groups of travelers.
Sphinx and the great pyramids of Giza
Cairo to Luxor Award Flights
We used Aeroplan miles to book economy award flights from Cairo to Luxor (15K for round trip).
Luxor Accommodations
I highly recommend staying at Hilton Luxor Resort which has incredible water views along with a great service and free breakfast for Hilton Gold members.
From the Hilton Luxor, you can arrange for a private driver/taxi for <$50USD as a day trip to explore all the historic sites.
Karnak Temple
Karnak temple was constructed over centuries and contains a diverse mix of ruins, columns and obelisks.
Luxor Temple
Luxor temple is the most recognizable landmark that exists in the middle of Luxor city.
The Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings has been constructed over the course of nearly 500 years and contains a series of tombs dedicated to ancient Egyptian leaders.
Aswan
Egypt trip can be extended to visit Aswan and Abu Simbel temple, which we did not have time during our last trip.
Temple of Ramesses II, Abu Simbel Temple, Aswan
Conclusion
Egypt is easy to visit with transferable points which can be used for award booking on both flights and hotels. I enjoyed staying at Hilton properties while in Egypt and would like to return again to check out the Waldorf-Astoria property.