Quick answer
The best photographs in Egypt are made in the first and last hours of the day, when low sun rakes across carved stone and the desert turns gold; midday light is harsh almost all year. Inside tombs and temples, shoot without flash using a fast lens or a phone's night mode, and check the current rules on camera tickets and tripods, which differ by site and change from time to time.
When is the light best for photography in Egypt?
Shoot in the first and last 90 minutes of the day; between about 10am and 3pm the sun is high, shadows are black and stone looks flat for most of the year. Egyptian relief carving is shallow, and it comes alive only when light strikes it at a low angle. That happens early and late, or in the reflected light inside courtyards and colonnades.
Winter, from November to February, is the kindest season: the sun stays lower all day, the air is often clearer, and sunrise around 6.30am and sunset around 5–5.30pm are easy to work around. From May to September the sun is close to overhead at midday in the south, haze and dust are more common, and Egypt's daylight saving time (in recent years from late April to late October) pushes sunset towards 7pm or later.
Spring khamsin winds can fill the air with dust, softening light and colours; it can be atmospheric but it is hard on equipment. If light is the reason for your trip, our separate planning guide, Egypt for photographers, explains how to design an itinerary around it. This page is about making the photos once you are there.
The classic shots and when to take them
Most of Egypt's iconic images depend on being in the right place at the right hour, which usually means arriving at opening time or staying until closing.
| Shot | Best time | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Giza pyramids from the desert plateau | Opening time, or late afternoon | The panoramic viewpoint lines up all the pyramids; a short telephoto compresses them |
| Great Sphinx with a pyramid behind | Morning | The Sphinx faces east, so its face is lit in the morning |
| Karnak's hypostyle hall | First hour after opening | Light beams fall between the columns; arrive before the coaches |
| Luxor Temple | Blue hour and after dark | Floodlit stone against a deep blue sky; shoot handheld at high ISO |
| Temple of Hatshepsut | Early morning | The terraces face east toward the rising sun |
| Abu Simbel facade | Sunrise | The colossi face east and turn gold at first light |
| Feluccas in Aswan | Late afternoon and sunset | Silhouette sails against the river; shoot from a boat at water level |
| White Desert formations | Sunset, moonlight and dawn | Stay overnight; the chalk changes colour by the minute |
For the hypostyle at Karnak Temple, one hour at opening is worth three at midday. For an aerial view of the Theban West Bank, the Luxor hot-air balloon is the only legal option for most visitors, since drones are banned. A camp in the White Desert gives the best night-sky and landscape photography in the country.
How do you photograph inside tombs and temples?
Without flash: raise your ISO, open your aperture, brace yourself against a wall or pillar, and let modern sensors do the work. Flash is banned in tombs and many museum galleries because repeated bursts damage ancient pigment, and it produces flat, ugly pictures anyway.
- Cameras: a fast prime (f/1.8 or wider) or a stabilised lens lets you shoot at ISO 3200–6400 and 1/30 second. Shoot RAW to correct the warm, mixed lighting later.
- Phones: night mode does remarkably well in tombs. Hold still for the full exposure and tap to focus on the painted wall, not the lamps.
- Composition: tombs are narrow, so a wide-angle lens (around 16–24 mm full-frame equivalent) helps; ceilings, especially the astronomical ceilings in some royal tombs, are often the best shot.
- Glass cases: in museums, press your lens hood or phone against the glass to cut reflections.
- Courtesy: tombs are small and crowded. Take your photos, then step aside; no one enjoys waiting while one person works the angles.
Camera tickets, tripods and drones
Personal photography with phones and cameras is now allowed at most sites, but some tombs and museums have charged a separate photography ticket, tripods generally need a permit, and drones are banned. Egypt relaxed its rules several years ago so that visitors can photograph most monuments with personal cameras without paying extra, but the details still differ by site and change from time to time. At the time of writing, check whether the site you are visiting sells a photography pass, especially in the Valley of the Kings and at some special tombs.
- Tripods and monopods: assume they will not be allowed inside monuments without a permit for professional photography. Small tabletop tripods may be questioned too.
- Video: casual phone video is generally fine; professional filming needs permits.
- Drones: do not bring one. Drones are banned for visitors without official permission and are likely to be confiscated at the airport.
- Restricted subjects: do not photograph military or police personnel, checkpoints, bridges, dams or other security sites.
Our guide to photography and drone rules in Egypt covers the regulations in full, and the official monuments website lists sites and tickets.
How do you photograph people respectfully?
Always ask first, accept a no gracefully, and expect that some people, especially women, will decline. A smile, a gesture to the camera and the Arabic word mumkin? ("may I?") goes a long way. Many people are happy to be photographed, particularly market traders, boatmen and children with their parents' permission; some will ask for a small tip, which is fair if you have taken their time.
Show people the photo on your screen afterwards, which often opens a conversation. Avoid photographing people at prayer, inside mosques during services, or in situations they would find embarrassing. In villages and Nubian homes, ask your host before raising the camera. And be wary of temple guardians who offer to show you a "secret" angle or let you into a closed area for a photo: it usually ends in a request for baksheesh and may break site rules.
What gear should you bring?
Travel light: one body or a good phone, a wide-to-standard zoom, a fast prime and a few cleaning tools will cover almost everything.
- Lenses: a 16–35 mm or 24–70 mm zoom for temples, a fast 35 mm or 50 mm prime for tombs and street scenes, and a 70–200 mm for the pyramids, felucca details and birds on the Nile.
- Polariser: deepens skies and cuts glare on the water; remove it indoors.
- Dust: change lenses as little as possible outdoors, carry a blower and microfibre cloths, and keep the camera in a sealed bag in desert wind.
- Heat: don't leave cameras or phones in a parked car, and let them warm up slowly when you leave an air-conditioned bus to avoid condensation.
- Power: Egypt uses Type C and F sockets at 220 volts, so Australians need an adapter. Carry spare batteries; night photography and cold desert nights drain them fast.
A small, unobtrusive camera also draws less attention in markets and makes asking permission easier.
Back up every evening. Card failures, theft and dropped phones happen on every long trip, and hotel Wi-Fi is often too slow to upload large RAW files, so carry a second card or a small portable drive and copy the day's images before dinner. On a Nile cruise, the sundeck at dawn and dusk is a moving vantage point for riverbank life: keep a camera ready rather than packed away in the cabin.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a camera ticket in Egypt?
Personal photography is allowed free at most sites, but some tombs and museums have charged a separate photography ticket, and the rules change. Check at the ticket office or on the official monuments website at the time of your visit.
Can I use a tripod at Egyptian temples?
Generally not without a permit. Assume tripods and monopods will be refused inside monuments and use high ISO, a fast lens or a phone's night mode instead.
Can I bring a drone to Egypt?
No. Drones are banned for visitors without official permission and are commonly confiscated at airport customs. The Luxor balloon is the legal way to get an aerial view.
Can you take photos inside the tombs in the Valley of the Kings?
Photography without flash has been allowed, sometimes with a separate photography ticket. Rules have changed several times, so check the current arrangement when you buy your entry ticket.
What is the best time of day for photos at the pyramids?
Opening time and the late afternoon, when the light is low and warm and crowds are thinner. Midday light is harsh and flat.
