Do you need a separate visa for excursions outside the Sinai zone when staying in Sharm el-Sheikh (e.g. Petra, Cairo)?

For travel outside Sinai, a full Egyptian visa can be obtained independently through an Egyptian consulate before departure; another option is arranging it through the tour operator.

On arrival at Sharm el-Sheikh airport, travelers are offered an extra visa for excursions outside Sinai (e.g. to the pyramids) for $30 — if you're not planning such trips, you don't need to get it.

The visa rule discussed for excursions like the pyramids mainly applies to Russian citizens — for citizens of other countries, such as Kyrgyzstan, the conditions for getting a visa on arrival in Sharm may differ (no confirmed answer was given in the chat).

One traveler asked specifically about the Petra excursion from Sharm — some say no extra visa is needed, but the chat gave no confirmed answer, so it's worth double-checking with the specific tour operator before booking.

The rule depends on your arrival airport: flying into Sharm el-Sheikh gives you a Sinai-only entry stamp, so excursions outside Sinai (mainland Egypt) require a separate visa. Flying into Hurghada instead gives a visa on arrival valid for the whole country.

The original question was whether to buy a visa in advance if the excursion plan isn't decided yet — the answer: a visa is only needed for specific trips outside Sinai, and it can be arranged through local travel agents once you're already in Sharm.