Quick answer
Alcohol is legal in Egypt and easy to find in hotels, Nile cruise ships, Red Sea resorts, licensed restaurants and specialist bottle shops, though most Egyptians don't drink and it is never consumed in the street. Local Stella and Sakara beers and Egyptian wines are good value; imported drinks are expensive because of high duties. During Ramadan, sales to Egyptians stop and some bars close, but hotels and cruises keep serving foreign guests.
Can you drink alcohol in Egypt?
Yes: alcohol is legal for adults in Egypt, served in licensed hotels, bars, restaurants and cruise ships, and sold in licensed shops, but drinking in public places is not acceptable. Egypt is a Muslim-majority country where most people don't drink, yet it has brewed beer since the pharaohs (the workers at Giza were partly paid in it) and has a long modern tradition of hotel bars and Cairo drinking holes.
The practical rules are simple. Drink in places that are licensed to serve it, carry bottles from the shop in a bag, and don't walk the street, a souq or a beach outside your resort with a drink in hand. Public drunkenness is offensive to most Egyptians and can bring police attention. Licensed venues may ask for ID, and the legal minimum age is generally cited as 21 for buying alcohol, though enforcement for tourists in hotels varies; check before you travel with teenagers.
Alcohol is entirely absent in mosques, in most traditional ahwas (local coffeehouses) and in many Egyptian-owned restaurants, including some very good ones. Many fine places to eat in Cairo serve only fresh juice, tea and soft drinks; that is part of the experience rather than a hardship.
Where is alcohol served in Egypt?
You will find alcohol in international hotels, on Nile cruise ships and dahabiyas, in Red Sea resorts, in some upmarket and tourist restaurants, in a handful of bars in Cairo, Alexandria and Luxor, and at specialist bottle shops.
- Hotels: nearly all four- and five-star hotels have bars and serve wine with dinner, from the rooftop bars of Cairo's Nile-side hotels to the terrace of Aswan's Old Cataract.
- Nile cruises: ships have a sundeck or lounge bar. On standard full-board cruises, drinks are usually extra and charged to your cabin, and many ships don't allow you to bring your own alcohol on board, or charge corkage. Some luxury ships and dahabiyas include soft drinks, local beer and wine; check what your boat includes. See our Nile cruise food and drink guide.
- Red Sea resorts: Hurghada, El Gouna, Sharm el-Sheikh and Marsa Alam are the most relaxed parts of Egypt for drinking. All-inclusive packages commonly cover local beer, wine and spirits, with imported brands extra.
- Restaurants and bars: in Cairo, Zamalek and Downtown have a long-established bar scene; see Cairo nightlife. In Luxor and Aswan, a few tourist restaurants serve beer.
- Bottle shops: chains such as Drinkies, which also delivers in Cairo, sell local beer, wine and spirits. They are not on every corner, so ask your hotel or guide.
Siwa Oasis is conservative and effectively dry in public, and drinking there is best avoided. Islamic Cairo and rural Upper Egypt are also places to leave alcohol in the hotel.
What should you drink: Egyptian beer, wine and spirits
Order local beer and wine for the best value and reliability; be wary of cheap local spirits outside reputable hotels.
- Stella: Egypt's classic lager, brewed locally since the 1890s and no relation to Stella Artois. Light, crisp and best very cold, it is what most travellers drink on cruise sundecks.
- Sakara: the other big local beer brand, sold in several strengths. Heineken is also brewed locally, and non-alcoholic beers and malt drinks are sold almost everywhere.
- Egyptian wine: the industry has improved markedly, with vineyards in the desert west of the Delta and producers such as Gianaclis and Kouroum of the Nile. Labels such as Omar Khayyam and Jardin du Nil appear on many hotel and cruise lists. Quality is variable but the better bottles are perfectly drinkable with Egyptian food.
- Spirits: hotels serve imported brands at premium prices. Local gin, vodka and brandy are cheap but variable. Stick to sealed bottles from licensed outlets and branded drinks in reputable venues, as counterfeit or adulterated spirits are a risk in many countries.
As an indicative guide at the time of writing, a local beer costs far less in a bottle shop than in a five-star hotel bar, where a beer can cost much the same as in an Australian pub; imported wine in a hotel restaurant can be eye-wateringly expensive. If you drink wine with dinner every night, budget for it or choose a cruise that includes drinks.
Can you buy duty-free alcohol on arrival in Egypt?
Yes: arriving international passengers can buy a limited quantity of duty-free alcohol at shops in the arrivals area, before customs, which is the cheapest way to get imported spirits or wine into Egypt. This is unusual and worth knowing, because imported alcohol inside Egypt carries heavy duties.
Look for the Egypt Free Shops counters in the baggage hall at Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh airports. You will need your passport and boarding pass, and quantities are limited per adult passenger; the commonly quoted limit has been a few bottles, but rules and allowances change, so confirm on the day. Historically, travellers could also buy a set allowance at Egypt Free Shops in town within a short window after arrival by showing their passport; check whether this still applies at the time of travel.
Bringing alcohol from home or your transit airport is the other option, within Egypt's customs allowance, which is covered with tobacco and other limits in our customs and duty free guide. Remember that bottles bought in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi must stay in their sealed tamper-evident bag if you connect onwards.
How does Ramadan affect drinking in Egypt?
During Ramadan, shops and many bars stop selling alcohol to Egyptians, some bars close for the month, and hotels and cruise ships generally continue to serve foreign guests, sometimes only to passport holders or at set times.
In practice, a visitor staying in a five-star hotel or on a Nile cruise will notice little change beyond a more discreet atmosphere: drinks may be served in the restaurant or bar but not around the pool at lunchtime, and individual hotels may tighten their rules on particular days, such as the eve of Eid. Bottle shops may sell only to foreigners showing a passport, or close entirely. Red Sea resorts run largely as normal.
Similar restrictions can apply on major Islamic holidays and occasionally on election days, when the government sometimes bans alcohol sales. Because the details vary by venue and year, ask your hotel or guide if a drink with dinner matters to you. For everything else about travelling in the holy month, see travelling Egypt during Ramadan.
How do you drink safely and respectfully in Egypt?
Pace yourself in the heat, drink plenty of bottled water alongside alcohol, keep drinks out of public view, and buy only sealed, branded bottles.
- Heat: a few beers in the afternoon sun on a cruise sundeck dehydrate you fast, especially before a 5am start for the Valley of the Kings or a balloon flight. Alternate with water and read our heat safety tips.
- Ice: ice in hotel and cruise bars is made from purified water; in basic places, skip it.
- Balloons and diving: balloon operators can refuse passengers who appear intoxicated, and drinking before diving is dangerous.
- Company: if your guide or driver is Muslim, don't offer them a drink or insist they join you, and avoid drinking in front of fasting staff in Ramadan.
- Gifts: don't take alcohol as a gift to an Egyptian home unless you know your hosts drink.
Many travellers find they drink less in Egypt than at home and don't miss it, thanks to fresh mango, sugar cane and lemon-mint juices, hibiscus karkade and endless glasses of tea.
Frequently asked questions
Is alcohol legal in Egypt?
Yes. Adults can drink in licensed hotels, bars, restaurants, cruise ships and resorts, and buy alcohol from licensed shops. Drinking in public places such as streets and markets is not acceptable.
Is alcohol included on a Nile cruise?
Usually not on standard full-board cruises, where drinks are charged to your cabin. Some luxury ships and dahabiyas include local beer, wine and soft drinks. Many ships don't permit you to bring your own alcohol, so check the policy before you pack bottles.
Can tourists drink alcohol in Egypt during Ramadan?
Generally yes, in hotels, on cruise ships and in Red Sea resorts, which keep serving foreign guests, though some limit times and places. Bottle shops may sell only to foreigners with a passport, and some bars close for the month.
What is the local beer in Egypt?
Stella, a light local lager brewed in Egypt since the 1890s and unrelated to Stella Artois, and Sakara. Both are widely available in hotels, cruise ships and bottle shops.
Can you buy alcohol at Cairo airport on arrival?
Yes. Duty-free shops in the arrivals area sell alcohol to arriving international passengers within a per-person limit, on showing a passport. Allowances change, so check on the day.
