Flights to Egypt · UK guide
Flights to Egypt from the UK
Five Egyptian airports take UK arrivals. Choose the one that lands you closest to where your holiday actually begins – Cairo for the Pyramids and a Nile cruise, Hurghada or Marsa Alam for Red Sea beach time, Luxor for an Upper Egypt focus, Sharm el-Sheikh for the southern Sinai.
Updated 18 May 2026 · Reviewed by Discovery Tours Egypt editorial team
- Direct routes
- London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Dublin
- Flying time
- 4h 50m – 5h 30m
- Time difference
- +1h GMT (winter), +0h BST (summer)
- Visa
- £25 e-Visa or £30 on arrival
Airlines on this route
| Airline | Routing | Flight time | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EgyptAir (MS) | Direct LHR → CAI | 5h 05m | Daily | Star Alliance; the only daily UK direct to Cairo |
| British Airways (BA) | Direct LHR → CAI | 5h 10m | 6× weekly | Returned to the route in 2023; club-class redemption sweet spot |
| easyJet (U2) | Direct LGW / MAN → HRG, SSH | 5h 25m | Seasonal weekly | Best value for Red Sea beach holidays |
| Wizz Air (W6) | Direct LGW / LTN → HRG, RMF | 5h 20m | Up to 4× weekly | Cabin-bag only fares; checked bag is extra |
| TUI Airways (BY) | Direct from 9 UK airports → HRG, SSH, RMF | 5h–5h 30m | Weekly summer / winter sun | Almost always sold as part of a package |
| Turkish Airlines (TK) | 1 stop LHR → IST → CAI / HRG / LXR | 8h–11h total | Multiple daily | Best one-stop coverage of all five Egyptian airports |
| Lufthansa (LH) | 1 stop via FRA / MUC → CAI | 8h 30m | Daily | Reliable connection for regional UK departures |
Five airports, five different holidays
Egypt has five airports the UK actually flies into. Picking the right one saves a domestic transfer at the far end:
- Cairo International (CAI) – closest to the Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the gateway to almost every Nile cruise (you'll connect onwards to Luxor or Aswan, or join the cruise from Cairo on a longer itinerary).
- Hurghada International (HRG) – Red Sea beach resorts, Marina, El Gouna, Makadi Bay; ~30 minutes by road to the major hotel strips. Also a viable Cairo back-door if Cairo flights are full – 1 hr 10m onward by EgyptAir.
- Marsa Alam International (RMF) – quieter Red Sea south of Hurghada, gateway to the southern reefs and Wadi El Gemal. Best for dive holidays and adults-only resorts.
- Sharm el-Sheikh International (SSH) – South Sinai resorts (Naama Bay, Nabq, Sharks Bay) and Mount Sinai / St Catherine excursions.
- Luxor International (LXR) – direct seasonal charter from a handful of UK departure points; best for a tour built around Upper Egypt without a Cairo stopover.
Direct vs. one-stop: when each makes sense
Direct flights are the obvious choice for Red Sea beach holidays – easyJet, Wizz, TUI and Jet2 all run 5-hour services from LGW / MAN / BHX / EDI to Hurghada and Sharm. The trip is shorter than Tenerife and roughly the same as the Canaries.
For a tour starting in Cairo, your options are slimmer but better than they look. EgyptAir flies daily from Heathrow; British Airways resumed the route in 2023 and now runs 6× weekly. If neither suits the dates, a Turkish Airlines connection via Istanbul is usually the cheapest premium-cabin option and adds a tolerable 3–4 hours to total journey time. We don't recommend connecting via Cairo's domestic terminal for tight inbound transfers – give yourself at least 3 hours.
When to book
Half-term and Christmas peaks book up six months out, particularly for direct Hurghada and Sharm services. Outside school holidays, fares are usually best 8–12 weeks ahead. October–March is high season for Cairo + Nile cruise itineraries; June–September is shoulder for the Red Sea (40°C+ inland is the trade-off for emptier reefs and better hotel value).
For flight-inclusive tour packages we book through, the ATOL certificate is issued in the name of our UK partner agency – your money is protected under the standard CAA scheme. Land-only bookings are protected by our IATA accreditation and the company's UK consumer-law obligations.
What we actually do for you
Discovery Tours Egypt is an Egypt-based tour operator, not a flight broker. We can book flights as part of a packaged itinerary (ATOL-protected, via our UK partner) or you can hold your own flights and we'll handle everything from the moment you land – visa fast-track, airport pickup, the Cairo hotel, the Nile cruise, the Red Sea transfer, and every guide and entry ticket along the way.
Most UK guests book the land package with us and the flights themselves – it's almost always cheaper, and you keep your Avios / BA Holidays / Tesco Clubcard flexibility.
Plan the trip with us
Discovery Tours Egypt is an Egypt-based tour operator with offices across the country – Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm el-Sheikh. Hold your own flights or let us package them; either way we handle every guide, ticket and transfer from the moment you land.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the flight from the UK to Egypt?
Direct flights from London to Cairo take 5 hours 5 minutes; London to Hurghada is around 5 hours 25 minutes. Manchester and Birmingham to the Red Sea is roughly the same. One-stop routes via Istanbul, Frankfurt or Munich add 3–6 hours total depending on the connection.
Which UK airports fly direct to Egypt?
Direct services run from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, East Midlands, Bristol and Dublin – though the mix of carriers varies by season. Cairo direct is essentially London-only (EgyptAir, BA); the Red Sea airports (HRG, SSH, RMF) are served by easyJet, Wizz, Jet2 and TUI from regional UK airports.
Do I need a visa to fly to Egypt from the UK?
Yes. UK passport holders need an Egypt visa, which costs around £25 (US$30). The easiest route is the official e-Visa at visa2egypt.gov.eg, applied for at least a week before departure. Visa on arrival is still available at all five international airports for around £30 in cash (USD, GBP or EUR) – bring exact change to avoid the queue at the bank booth.
What is the cheapest way to fly to Egypt from the UK?
For Red Sea beach holidays, the cheapest fares are Wizz Air and easyJet to Hurghada from Gatwick or Luton – under £200 return outside school holidays. For Cairo, the cheapest option is almost always Turkish Airlines via Istanbul; EgyptAir direct from Heathrow is usually £80–£150 more for the time saved.
Should I fly into Cairo or Hurghada for a Nile cruise?
Cairo. Every Nile cruise itinerary starts (or transitions through) Cairo for the Pyramids and Egyptian Museum, then connects by short EgyptAir flight to Luxor or Aswan to board the boat. Hurghada is a separate beach destination and adds a 5-hour desert drive if you try to combine it with a Nile cruise.
Is it safer to fly direct or use a tour operator that books the flights?
Financially, booking with an ATOL-protected operator is safer – if the airline collapses, you get rebooked or refunded. Practically, holding your own flights gives you cheaper fares and frequent-flyer flexibility. Most of our UK guests book flights themselves and let us handle the land arrangements; we coordinate transfers either way.