Best tourist sim card to buy in Egypt

I’ve been to Egypt three times in the last five years or so, and as someone who travels a lot, their WiFi is up there with some of the worst I’ve encountered. 

I’ve been to a number of places around the country (Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, Dahab etc.), and it’s just not reliable. The bigger cities are better, but writing this from Dahab, it is a real struggle. Here’s my on the ground report of what the WiFi is like from Dahab, and yeah, it’s not great

Regular readers of the blog will know that I have jumped on the eSIM craze recently, but unless you want to spend all the monies, it makes much more sense to purchase a physical sim card on the ground. Here are the prices for an eSIM for Egypt, and as you can see, it’s not cheap.

I do like to make sure I’m covered at the start of my trip so I have internet when I land, and for the following few days, until I have time to get an Egyptian sim card,  

If you want to do what I do and make sure you are covered, I’d recommend Airalo for ease of use. I purchased one for Egypt before flying over here, and it’s easier than ever to set up and get connected. 

You can use the following code DAVID8186 at checkout to get $3 off your first purchase (or the equivalent in your local currency). Alternatively, click this link, sign up, and you’ll get that discount so you can make sure you’re covered on arrival.

So the WIFI isn’t great, which Egypt sim card do you recommend?

I’ve also written about which local sim card I use in Dahab, updated for 2026, and my recommendation for your trip to Egypt, is Etisalat. 

eSIM’s might be expensive for Egypt, but the good news is, on the ground local sim cards are MUCH cheaper. I had to buy a bigger sized sim (50 GB), and I paid 810 Egyptian Pounds, which as of January 2026, equates to £12.70/$17.09/€14.64.

Full disclosure, I didn’t do much shopping around and check prices, as Etisalat was open, and closer to my place. You might be able to get a better deal if you look around, but I’ve been really happy with the service Etisalat provides, so they get my recommendation. 

How long does it take to get a tourist sim card in Egypt?

It’s not as simple as just rocking up to a phone shop, picking a sim card, and heading out. It takes a little longer in Egypt, so I’d recommend allocating around 30-45 minutes to get it all done. I was with a friend when we got ours, which added to the time, but they need to check things, take scans of your passport (reminder to bring yours with you) and activate the sim etc, so just be mindful it takes a little bit more time.

What are the speeds like?

As mentioned above, I’m writing this from Dahab, a small beach town, so whilst speeds will probably not be as fast as the bigger cities, I’ve been really impressed with the coverage here. Pages are quick to load, and most importantly for me, I’m able to watch videos as live, and download and post content. 

I’ve also used Etisalat for video calls and meetings etc, and it’s been fine for that, and things have held up well. 

I've found uploading is a struggle, even with a fast sim card, so I’d recommend making plans for that (I had to ask colleagues to upload for me here), but for the majority of tasks, you’ll be fine using your Etisalat sim card.

Here are the speed test results for my Etisalat sim card in Egypt, and as you can see, it is VERY quick. Even the upload speeds look promising here, but when I have tried previously, I didn't have much luck and I gave up. Also, uploading will take a lot of data, so just be mindful if you do attempt it.

The Etisalat sim card speeds are very high

There are a couple of places in Dahab where the coverage isn’t as strong, but as mentioned, this is a small beach town, so I’m hoping if you’re in a bigger city, you’ll have pretty constant connection.

Any other reasons why you want to recommend Etisalat?

Their app is SO good, and you’re able to access it just by entering your phone number post download. So with that in mind, make sure you get your Egypt phone number (either by asking the rep in store, or by looking at the sim card card they should give you) so you can easily access your information.

The main reason why I like the app so much is it tells you how much data you have left, so you don’t have to live in fear of suddenly running out. There are also a lot of offers available when you access the app, including the ability to pick three apps to use for free. Here’s a list of what you can choose from:

Here are the apps you can choose from to use for free on the Etisalat app

In addition, every day you log in, you also get the chance to claim free social media browsing data. These usually range in size from 25mb to 75 mb, so we’re not talking huge amounts, but they’re free, and will let you browse a bit, so no complaints at all.

When you do purchase your sim card, make sure you ask about the free double up option Etisalat has. I didn’t get this on my first purchase, but when I topped up I was given 50GB for free which was massively appreciated on my end. 

There are also lots of Egyptian freebies offered for music, TV services etc, which didn’t feel relevant for me, but be sure to have a browse as there are lots of things for you to claim.

The only slight issue I had was not being able to top up my data via the app. I tried using a number of cards (maybe it only works if you have an Egyptian bank card), but each time I got an error message, so I had to head back to the store and top up in person. Not a huge deal, and I did get the aforementioned double up on data, but something to be aware of.

How much did you pay for your Egyptian sim card?

I mentioned it above, but I went for a 50GB sim card, and I paid 810 Egyptian Pounds, which as of the 27th of January 2026, equates to £12.57/$17.22/€14.49. 

My top up for the same amount of data came in cheaper at 750 EGP, and this time I got the double up (the double up data lasted a week on my phone), so essentially I got 100GB of data for £11.64/$15.95/€13.42. 

This feels like insanely good value, especially when compared to the cost of eSIM’s in the region. The speeds have been great, I’m able to handle heavy lifting online, and the app is excellent. 

So, Etisalat is your choice for the best tourist sim card to buy in Egypt?

It is! As mentioned, I didn’t shop around during my latest Egypt stay, but honestly, I’ve been super impressed with Etisalat. It’s fast, cheap and does everything I need. Topping up via the app would make this whole experience even better, but for me it wasn’t too much of a bother going back to the shop to do it in person,

It’s also a lot quicker topping up than the initial set-up process, so you should hopefully be in and out in ten minutes or so. 

If any reader has found a great deal on a different network, feel free to share in the comments or via message, but for me, Etisalat has been great, and being able to track my real-time data via the app is a huge bonus.

Any questions, as per, feel free to get in touch, and thanks for reading.