Egypt
Discover Egypt
Egypt (Arabic: مصر, Miṣr or Maṣr) is known for its world-famous pyramids, mummies, temples, art, churches, mosques, bustling cities, friendly people, and hieroglyphics, Egypt is considered a cradle of civilisation and has one of the longest histories of any country in the world. Egypt may perhaps have the oldest tourist industry in the world; Egypt has been visited by millions of people since ancient times. There is a lot to do for the foreign traveller in Egypt. Apart from visiting and seeing the temples and artefacts of ancient Egypt, there is also much to see within each city. In fact, each city in Egypt has its own charm of things to see with its own history, culture, activities, and people who often differ in nature from people of other parts of Egypt.
What to Experience in Egypt
Taste of Egypt...
Egypt can be a fantastic place to sample a unique range of food: not too spicy and well-flavoured with herbs and aromatic spices like parsley, cilantro, dill, cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom. For a convenient selection of Egyptian cuisine and staple foods try the Felfela chain of restaurants in Cairo. Some visitors complain, however, that these have become almost too tourist-friendly and have abandoned some elements of authenticity. A more affordable and wider-spread alternative is the Arabiata restaurant chain, Arabiata is considered by locals to be the number one destination for Egyptian delicacies as falafel and fūl too. Beware of any restaurant listed in popular guidebooks and websites. Even if the restaurant was once great, after publication, they will likely create a "special" English menu that includes very high prices. As in many seaside countries, Egypt is full of fish restaurants and markets so fish and seafood are must-try. Frequently, fish markets have some food stalls nearby where you can point at specific fish species to be cooked. Stalls typically have shared tables, and locals are as frequent there as tourists. McDonald's has food which you may not find in your home country like the McFalafel and the long-streched Chicken Fillet. Be aware that hygiene may not be of the highest standards, depending on the place. The number of tourists that suffer from some kind of parasite or bacterial infection is very high.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Egypt into what it is today.
The regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose around 3200 BC and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 BC, who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. The Arabs introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks, took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Egypt gained partial independence from the UK in 1922, but the British continued to use Egypt as a base for influence in the region. Egypt saw fighting during World War II, such as the famous battle at El Alamein. In the constitution of 1923, Egypt was a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system. In 1952, riots protesting against the British led to a coup d'état by the military. Egypt was declared a republic, but soon with all civilian parties banned....
Climate
Egypt's climate is generally classified as desert. It is an extension of the great Sahara that bands North Africa, and except for the thin strip of watered land along the Nile River, very little could survive there. As the ancient Greek historian Herodotus stated: "Egypt is the gift of the Nile". Beware that from March till May, sand storms may occur, particularly during daytime. These storms not only make the air sandy and very dry, but also temporarily raise the temperature. Sand storms at other times of the year can still erupt but rarely and in winter, usually they won't raise the temperature. Generally, the summers are hot, rainless and extremely sunny, but the air can be humid at the coasts and very dry at the south, away of the coasts and away of the Nile Delta. The winters are moderate. November through March are definitely the most comfortable months for travel in Egypt.
Essential Information
Best Time to Visit
Year Roundbest time to do this is at night when you can see all the stars shining together in the sky and capture the magical feeling of the place....
Getting There
Multiple OptionsEgypt's economy depends a great deal on tourism; therefore, most people can enter the country without a visa. Unlike neighbouring Libya and Sudan, Egypt allows Israeli citizens to visit Egypt. As a major tourist destination whose economy is dependent upon tourist money, Egypt is relatively easy to enter and obtain visas for. There are three types of Egyptian visa: e-Visa (or online visa) is available for many countries; check with your government website for clarification. Entry visas may be obtained from Egyptian diplomatic and consular missions abroad or from the Entry Visa Department at the Travel Documents, Immigration and Nationality Administration (TDINA). Non-Egyptians are required to have a valid passport. Visa on arrival is available for many western countries; see below....
Regions
Explore AreasEgypt is a large, transcontinental country spanning North Africa and the Middle East. It is the world's 29th largest country, with a land area of 1,010,408 square kilometres (390,121 sq mi). It is one…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Overland journeys between cities in Egypt are often long, hot, bumpy, dusty, and not altogether safe. There is a good domestic air network, and advance fares are not expensive, so flying internally is often a good option. Cairo has direct flights to every other major city except Alexandria, including Luxor, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Marsa Matruh, Marsa Alam and Kharga oasis. These run at least daily, and the main cities have several flights a day. There are also daily flights directly between Alexandria, Aswan, Luxor, Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. Most flights are operated by the national carrier, EgyptAir. This is the first place to go looking. Some internet booking sites (e.g. Expedia) don't offer their flights – it'll appear as if you need to fly via Istanbul or similar nonsense. Egyptair doesn't do phone sales, but they have lots of booking offices in the centres (your hotel can point these out), which saves you if you don't have internet access.
Where to Stay
Egypt has a full range of accommodation options, from basic backpacker hostels to five-star resorts. Most major hotel chains are represented in Greater Cairo, Sharm el Sheikh and Luxor, at least. You can reserve most of your accommodation online or contact a local agent who can organise both accommodation and trips. Walk-in rates give you great discounts over online reservations, e.g. half-price in Aswan. Generally, online reservations are more expensive due to it being used by so many tourists. However, in Egypt most hotels do not have their own website and do not have to commit to the agreement with online reservations sites to offer the same price online as offline. Nevertheless, have a screenshot of the actual online price ready, just in case you encounter a hotel that is willing to overcharge you. In high season, it is best to reserve the first night and haggle for the following night(s).
Money & Budget
The local currency is the Egyptian pound (ISO code: EGP), which is divided into 100 piastres. The currency is often written as LE (short for French livre égyptienne, or by using the pound sign £ with or without additional letters: E£ and £E. In Arabic, the pound is called genē [màSri] / geni [màSri] (جنيه [مصرى]), in turn derived from English "guinea", and piastres (pt) are known as ersh (قرش). Wikivoyage uses the "LE" notation for consistency, but expect to see a variety of notations in shops and other businesses. In Egypt, the pound sterling is called, genē esterlīni (جنيه استرلينى). The Egyptian pound was devalued dramatically in 2024 to bring the official rate in line with the black market rate.
Language & Talk
The national spoken and dominant language is Egyptian Arabic – go for this if you want to be understood and perceived as a respectful visitor. The official language of Egypt is Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). There are multiple versions of Arabic, often referred to as "dialects", but effectively different languages, mostly mutually unintelligible. MSA is taught in schools and used in most written and official forms such as TV, newspapers, government speeches, teaching and education, and so is understood by literates, but you won't hear it in everyday speech. So you'd need to learn it to read the Qur'an, or to be a serious scholar of the language, but not for short visits.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Egypt is often labelled as an unsafe country by many foreign governments — a reputation that's not entirely unwarranted — but the average traveller should not be too overly concerned or cautious of their surroundings. Travelling in Egypt is, more or less, similar to travelling in Morocco, Jordan, Palestine or Turkey. Perhaps the biggest safety concern is terrorism. The Sinai Peninsula in particular is a hotspot for terrorist activity. Egyptian men will make compliments to women; do not take offence if they do this to you. Men should not be worried, either; if they do this to your partner or daughter it hopefully won't go any further than that. Be warned that foreign women often attract the attention of Egyptian men. Being overly friendly to or making direct eye contact with an Egyptian man may cause him to think that you're "into" him. Some men may inappropriately touch you.
Glimpses of Egypt
Influences of the past — Stories, desire and a vivid imagination attract people to this place.
person walking near The Great Sphinx
Pyramids
The Mosque of Rifai and Sultan Hassan is truly an architectural miracle
low angle photography of brown concrete building under blue sky during daytime
http://www.flyingcarpettours.com/Egypt/Tour-Packages
Karnak Hypostyle hall columns and clouds in the Temple at Luxor Thebes
@dascalvisual
man in black suit standing on brown wooden door
Pyramid of Giza
Influences of the past — Stories, desire and a vivid imagination attract people to this place.
person walking near The Great Sphinx
Pyramids