How much alcohol can you bring to Sharm el-Sheikh and is it worth buying at the airport duty-free?

If you only need one bottle in Sharm el-Sheikh, a suggested alternative to travelling to Manko Market or Fix is the Omar Omar pharmacy in the Soho area.

Under updated rules, the duty-free purchase limit at Egyptian airports (including Sharm el-Sheikh) has been raised to 2 liters of alcohol per person (up from 1 liter), plus two cartons of cigarettes. Purchases are subject to a 1% customs tax, with a minimum of $13 per liter. Alternatively, you can take 1 liter of spirits plus a pack of canned beer equal to 1 liter in volume.

In Sharm el-Sheikh, alcohol can only be purchased (both at the airport and in city shops) within the first two days after arrival (based on the passport entry stamp), with a tax of about $13 applied.

Buying alcohol after arrival in Sharm is also poor value: at a liquor shop near Manko Market, spirits such as Captain Black were about $10 per bottle, and 0.75L wine was also around $10, roughly the same as hotel prices. Reports also say the duty-free in Soho has a very limited selection, so it’s better to bring alcohol with you.

Sharm el-Sheikh airport has a scanner at the exit. If you're carrying 4 liters, split them into 2 liters per bag — this typically gets through without any issues.

Buying alcohol at the Egyptian duty-free on arrival is not cost-effective — there's roughly a $13 surcharge per bottle, and you're limited to 2 bottles. It's better to bring alcohol from your home country's duty-free or in checked luggage.

The official alcohol import limit for Egypt is 2 liters. In practice, 4 liters are usually allowed through without any questions.