Alcohol is legal in Egypt, but it is regulated, concentrated in tourist venues and not part of everyday public life. Visitors who stick to licensed places have no trouble. Problems come from drinking in public, assuming a Western-style bar scene exists everywhere, or arriving during Ramadan without checking what is open.
Rules and enforcement shift, and the sources we checked disagree on some details (especially Ramadan), so confirm anything critical with your hotel and read the UK Foreign Office travel advice for Egypt{target=β_blankβ} before you travel.
Is alcohol legal for tourists?
Yes. Foreign visitors can drink in licensed venues: hotels and resorts, licensed restaurants and bars, nightclubs, Nile cruise boats and licensed shops. Most five-star Cairo hotels, the big Red Sea resorts and the cruise ships all serve beer, wine and spirits as a matter of course. All-inclusive resorts include drinks in the rate, which is the simplest way to drink in Egypt (see our all-inclusive resorts guide).
Outside tourist areas the picture changes. Local cafes, ahwas and most family restaurants do not serve alcohol at all, and in smaller places such as Aswan, Siwa and Luxorβs local restaurants, you will find far less than in Cairo, Hurghada or Sharm el-Sheikh.
Drinking age
The figure most sources give is 21, applied to Egyptians and foreigners alike. Enforcement varies by venue, but resort bars and shops can ask for a passport, and the foreign age of majority is not recognised as an exemption. If you are 18 to 20, plan on not being served and do not argue the point.
Where you can and cannot drink
Fine: your hotel bar, resort pool and beach club, licensed restaurants (look for beer or wine on the menu), Nile cruise lounges, and a drink on your own hotel balcony.
Not fine: the street, a public beach outside a resort, parks, a felucca you hired from the corniche, or anywhere near a mosque. Public drinking is illegal and public drunkenness causes real offence, not just awkwardness. Penalties range from a fine to detention, and a foreigner in that position gets no special treatment.
Even inside a venue, be discreet in conservative districts. In Islamic Cairo, Upper Egypt and rural areas, a visible beer in a local restaurant that happens to serve it can draw hostile attention. Our etiquette and customs guide covers the wider dress and behaviour norms.
Buying alcohol
- Airport duty-free: the arrival halls at Cairo and the Red Sea airports sell to foreign passport holders. Allowances and purchase windows have been reported as limited and vary by operator, so check the current limit at the counter rather than relying on a blog.
- Licensed shops: a few chains and independent shops in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria and resort towns sell beer, wine and spirits. Expect them to be tucked away and to ask for ID.
- Hotel bars and minibars: the easiest source, and the most expensive.
- Local brands: Egypt brews its own lager and makes domestic wine. Both are widely available in licensed venues and are the cheaper choice over imports.
Bringing your own bottle through customs is possible within strict limits, but import rules change, so confirm with Egyptian customs before packing. Declare anything you carry. Our packing list covers what else to leave behind.
Ramadan and religious holidays
During Ramadan many bars, nightclubs and shops outside tourist hotels close or shorten their hours, and rules on sales to Egyptians tighten. International hotels and resorts normally keep serving foreign guests, often more discreetly and with alcohol kept away from public dining areas during the day. Never drink or eat openly outdoors during fasting hours. Plan on a quieter bar scene for the whole month, and ask your hotel about specific holidays. Our Ramadan in Egypt guide explains what the month is like for visitors.
Practical tips
- Keep drinks inside the venue; do not carry a bottle between hotel and beach.
- Heat and alcohol combine badly at desert sites. Skip drinking before a morning at Giza or the Valley of the Kings, and see our health guide.
- Never drink and drive, and use a licensed ride home. A pre-booked transfer or a ride-hailing app is safer than a street taxi at night; see Uber and Careem in Egypt.
- If a bar or tout offers alcohol cheaply off the street, walk away. Unlabelled or illicit spirits are a genuine health risk.
- For a drink with a view, book a Nile sunset sail with a licensed cruise operator rather than a corniche felucca, and browse Cairo tours to match your evening plans.