Travel Tips

Things to know, Before you go

Egypt is a fantastic travel destination, but the society, culture, and climate are different than yours, for good preparations for your travel you find for this reason here some practical travel information about Egypt.

Visa

Non-Egyptian visitors arriving in Egypt are required to have a valid passport.

Entry visa may be obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic Bodies abroad or from the Entry Visa Department at the Travel Documents, Immigration and Nationality Administration (TDINA), it is however possible for most tourists and visitors to obtain an entry visa at any of the Major Entry Ports of Egypt upon arrival.

Please check with the nearest Egyptian Consulate for specific details and regulations relevant to your nationality.

Customs

How to go through the Egyptian Customs?

- If you have more than the duty-free allowances or if you have prohibited or restricted goods, go into the RED channel and declare them to an officer in the customs declaration.

- If you have nothing more than the duty-free allowances and no prohibited or restricted goods go straight through the Green Channel unless asked to stop by an officer.

Your Exemptions

- Personal Effects.

- New partial items of value not exceeding 100 Egyptian pounds.

- One liter of alcoholic drinks, Plus 200 grams. Cigarettes or 25 Cigars or 200 grams. Of Tobacco.

- Medals, rewards, and the like that have been won in international sporting events.

- Furniture, equipment, personal effects, and cars, which have been temporarily exported from Egypt if the owner's original locations are in Egypt.

- Photographic machines, typewriters, calculators, radios, cassette recorders, video, tape players, video cameras, personal jewelry, and ornaments ...etc, which are usually accompanied by tourists or Egyptian immigrants for use during their tours. Customs officers have to register the accompanied items in their passports on arrival.

Climate

A warm & dry country, the temperature of Egypt varies from North to South.

Most tourists visit the country from September to April. Summer is warm to very warm, especially in Upper Egypt in June and July.

In the winter as soon as the sun has set it can feel very cold because of the contrast in temperature.

Rainfall is quite rare in Upper Egypt, but you can expect a little rain in the winter months in Cairo and the Delta.

A strong dry wind known as the Khamsin blows in March or April from the Western desert, spreading fine particles of sand over everything it touches.

The winters in Egypt remain warm allowing pleasant travel all year round.

Food & Water

In the hotels and the Nile Cruise, the food is generally served in an open buffet, Eating in the hotels is not the typical Egyptian food; there are however sufficiently good restaurants that have a wide choice, for this you get tips from our employees in Egypt.

Always drink bottled mineral water it is available everywhere, tap water for showering & brushing your teeth is ok, drink a little bit fine, but not glasses of it.

Alcohol

Egypt has good quality beers such as Stella and Sakkara, and reasonable white and red wines, such as Omar Khayam and Obelisque, which come from the delta. Egyptian beers and wines are available everywhere.

Health

Upper Egypt can get pretty hot in the summer months. Exposure to high temperatures can leave you vulnerable to heatstroke. You should avoid excessive alcohol or strenuous activity when you first arrive in a hot climate.

Don't rely on feeling thirsty, drink nonalcoholic beverages and especially water as much as possible to avoid heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Beware of salt deficiency, as well. Use a hat and sunscreen with as many factors as possible. Also please beware of diarrhea.

Do not purchase the food that is sold on the streets, do not drink tap water, and Always drink bottled water.

Bring good antibiotics with you against tourist diarrhea.

Regarding the vaccinations, you must consult your country on current vaccinations needed for Egypt.

Language

Arabic is the official language spoken by all Egyptians.

When Arabic is spoken in the streets, it's like a dialect & differs a great deal from classical Arabic.

Although English is very widespread, people will appreciate your taking the time to learn a few words and phrases. In Sharm and Hurghada, many other European languages are spoken such as French, German, Italian, and Russian.

Money

Sufficient funds are required to cover your expenses such as the meals which are not included in your tour package, beverages, and entrance fees if it is not included in your package, laundry, phone calls, and souvenirs and shopping.

Visa and MasterCard can be used for cash withdrawals from ATMs.

Outside the main cities cash advances are often impossible, so keep some cash handy to suit your expenses.

Photography

Egypt is full of opportunities for great photography.

It is allowed in many of the historical sites; however, flash is banned in most of the tombs.

At an increasing number of historical sites, the government charges fees for photography and taking videos.

It is forbidden to photograph bridges, railway stations, anything military, airports, and other public works.

Ask first if you want to take photos of people and respect their decision

Shopping in Egypt

Egypt is fabulous for shopping and offers a wide collection of shopping such as: Papyrus, Perfume, Gold, Silver, Spices, Cotton products, Galabaya's, Handicrafts, Hand made Carpets, and Souvenirs.

Time

Egypt time is (+2 hours) ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

And operates Daylight Savings Time (+3 hour) from the last Friday in April until the last Friday in September.

Tipping

Tipping (baksheesh) is a way of life in Egypt and is often an essential way to supplement very low wages.

Tipping is usually expected in restaurants and should be around 10% of the meal.

Tipping for service is dependent on the service provided, and how well it is performed, and also you usually tip the housekeeping, porters, helpful site guards, the tour guide & the representatives.

Remember; if you are not happy with the service provided to you don't tip.

Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend and advise that you obtain travel insurance.

Policies are available to cover loss or damage to luggage, medical emergencies that your regular insurance might not cover when you are overseas, travel interruption, trip cancellation, and unforeseen expenses if you have to cancel your trip.

Voltage & Electricity

The electrical current is 220 volts AC, single phase, and 50 hertz. Wall sockets are the round, two-pin European type (though for some strange reason, the socket holes are often too narrow to accept European plugs), Bring adapter plugs and transformers if necessary.

What to bring with you

- Hat.

- Sunglasses.

- Scarf for head and shoulders for the ladies.

- Comfortable clothing.

- Sweaters, jackets, coats, and umbrellas for winter travel (Alexandria, Cairo, and the nighttime desert can be quite cold and rainy in winter months such as December, January, and February).

- Your prescription medications.

- Good walking shoes.

- Swimsuits if you are planning to swim.

- A sleeping bag is required for the Felucca between Aswan and Luxor - White desert if those are included in your tour.

Dress

Do not wear shorts and sleeves attire to religious places in Egypt.

Dress quite conservatively during your visits to mosques, churches, and synagogues.

Especially women should be more careful about that.