Egypt

Weather

• Sunlight in Cairo
  • Sunrise: 5:54am - 5:57am
  • Sunset: 7:51pm - 8:00pm

Timezone

• GMT+2 current time

Travel Visa

• BN(O) (reference)
  • eVisa / Visa on arrival for 30 days
• HKSAR (reference)
  • Visa not required for 3 months

Places

• map
• Baron Empain Palace, Cairo - map
• Pharaonic Village, Cairo - map
• Al-Azhar Park, Cairo - map
• Giza Necropolis, Cairo - map
• Great Sphinx of Giza, Cairo - map
• The Egyptian Museum, Cairo - map
• Khan el-Khalili, Cairo - map
• Abu Simbel Temples, Aswan - map
• Karnak, Luxor - map
• Valley of the Kings, Luxor - map
• Luxor Temple, Luxor - map
• Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, Luxor - map

Videos

• EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS | Top 11 Tips for Visiting the Pyramids of Giza
• EGYPT OVERNIGHT TRAIN | Cairo to Luxor in “First Class”
• LUXOR TEMPLE & VALLEY OF THE KINGS | Egypt Travel Vlog
• BEST WAY TO TRAVEL EGYPT | Nile River Cruise Day 1
• WE’RE SAILING! Egypt River Cruise Day 2
• SWIMMING IN THE NILE | Egypt River Cruise Days 3 & 4
• DUST STORM & CROCODILES! Nile River Cruise Day 5

Tours

• Egypt & Nile River Cruise

Food

• map
• Egyptian cusisine

Local laws and customs

• Egypt is predominantly an Islamic country. It is illegal to encourage conversion to the Christian faith.
• Dress modestly, especially in rural areas, mosques and souqs (markets). Public displays of affection are frowned on. What may be acceptable in the tourist resort areas may not be in other areas.
• Police regularly carry out ID checks. Keep valid photo ID with you at all times.
• You are not allowed to take or share photographs that could be considered damaging to the country’s image. You can only take photographs of Egyptian citizens can if you have their written permission. Do not photograph officials without their consent. Taking pictures of children is not allowed.
• Drinking alcohol anywhere other than a licensed restaurant or bar is illegal and can lead to arrest.

Money

• Currency
  • EGP Egyptian pound - rates
• You are allowed to bring in or take out up to 5,000 Egyptian pounds. There is no limit to the amount of hard currency that you can bring in, but you must declare it when you arrive if it’s worth more than 10,000 US dollars.
• You must also declare certain valuables, including electrical equipment or video cameras, when you arrive.

Transportation

Taxis

Trains

Data SIM cards (Giza Mobile via Airalo)

Electrical sockets

• Egypt

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News

• The Guardian

History and politics

Other topics

• Languages
  • Standard Arabic
  • Sa’idi Arabic (southern Egypt)
  • Nobiin (far-Southern Upper Nile Valley, including Aswan)
  • most educated people in Egypt study English at school

Safty and security

• Egypt travel advice from gov.uk

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  • FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, except for:
    • Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings
    • the Governorate of Faiyum
    • the coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh
    • the Marsa Matruh-Siwa Road
    • the oasis town of Siwa
    • the Giza Governorate north-east of the Bahariya Oasis
    • the road between Giza and Farafra (but we advise against all but essential travel on the road between Bahariya and Siwa)
    • Bahariya Oasis, Farafra, the White Desert and Black Desert
  • A number of demonstrations have taken place in Egypt and protests have been planned, including after Friday prayers. Demonstrations could take place at short notice, with a heavy security presence in place. You should avoid large gatherings, demonstrations and protests.
  • South Sinai
    • On 27 October, an Egyptian Armed Forces spokesperson confirmed that an unidentified drone fell near a medical facility in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Taba next to the Israeli border, injuring six people.
    • An additional unidentified drone also struck outside the town of Nuweiba, though no casualties have been confirmed. The authorities are conducting ongoing investigations.
  • Alexandria
    • On 8 October 2023, an Egyptian police officer is reported to have shot and killed two Israeli tourists and an Egyptian tour guide in Alexandria. A third tourist was injured
  • Terrorism is a risk across Egypt, particularly in North Sinai.
    • Recent attacks include:
      • in 2022, an attack to the west of the Suez Canal targeting security forces within the city of Ismailiyah
      • in 2019, at least 20 people killed by a car bomb in Central Cairo’s Manial district
      • in 2019, at least 16 people injured after an IED attack on a tourist bus near the Giza pyramids
      • in 2019, 3 security personnel killed by a suicide bomber in Central Cairo’s Darb al-ahmar district
      • in 2018, a roadside blast killed 4 people on a bus near the Giza pyramids
      • in 2018, gunmen opened fire on a bus carrying Coptic Christians in Minya province killing 7 people. Daesh (formally ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack
    • There is a heightened threat of terrorism in and around religious sites and during religious festivals
      • Egyptian public holidays
  • There are reports that personal electronic devices are being checked by security personnel, particularly around places of public gathering, such as Tahrir Square.
  • There are reports that personal electronic devices are being checked by security personnel, particularly around places of public gathering, such as Tahrir Square.
  • Sexual assaults and harassment
    • The majority of cases that have been reported took place in tourist resorts in the Red Sea region, often committed by someone the victim had already met, including hotel workers and excursion staff.
  • Dial 123 to ask for an ambulance.
  • Dial 122 for police
  • Dial 180 for fire
• List of English-speaking doctors and medical facilities in Egypt
  • Access to specialised treatment for psychiatric illness is limited and may not be available outside major cities.