Photography rules at Egyptian sites

Taking photos with a mobile phone is free of charge at the sites and museums run by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; filming for commercial, TV or cinema use needs permission first. The Grand Egyptian Museum allows personal photography except in designated areas of its Tutankhamun Galleries. Drones need Ministry of Defence permission, and you should ask before photographing people.

The rules, place by place

Phones and other cameras

The Ministry's rule names mobile phones. Our checked facts carry no rule or fee for other cameras, tripods or flash at Ministry sites, so check at the gate or ask when you book rather than rely on a phone rule for a camera.

The Grand Egyptian Museum

The Tutankhamun Galleries are at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, and standard admission includes them. Personal photos are allowed through the museum, but look for the designated areas in the Tutankhamun Galleries where they are not. Many of our tours include the museum, among them all four Cairo days by plane from the Red Sea resorts, and the half day Grand Egyptian Museum with a guide spends the whole visit there, from the Grand Hall to the Tutankhamun Galleries. How it compares with the older museum in Tahrir Square: Egyptian Museum or Grand Egyptian Museum.

Tombs in the Valley of the Kings

On the Luxor West Bank tour, the entrance fees to the sites are included, but two kinds of ticket are not: entry to special tombs such as Tutankhamun's, Seti I's or Ramses VI's, and camera tickets inside the tombs. Our checked facts carry no price for the camera ticket. The tomb tickets are explained in Valley of the Kings: tickets and tombs, and the site itself on the Valley of the Kings page.

People, villages and markets

The advice to ask before photographing people applies on several of our tours: the Nubian village by boat from Aswan, the Bedouin village with tea on the quad safaris from Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh, Khan El Khalili, the Cairo bazaar, on the Cairo days by plane from Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh and on the Khan El Khalili walk; and the Old Market on Old Sharm by evening.

Where the tours leave room for photos

Some tours name a stop for views. The Luxor hot-air balloon flight looks over the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and the Nile. The Marsa Alam quad safari includes a panorama stop and the sunset view. The day trip from Aswan to Luxor ends its sightseeing with free time for shopping or photos.