Resources

Egypt is mostly a cash society. Many of the hotels and restaurants that you’ll be visiting will have the option to pay by credit or debit card but it’s good for you to be aware that it is not prevalent throughout Egypt. Your itinerary will indicate if you will be staying at all-inclusive accommodations which will provide all-you-can-eat meal buffets. You will want to exchange money to buy souvenirs and any snacks or drinks.

It is easy to change money in Egypt. Many Cairo hotels offer exchange services and have comparable rates as banks. There are ATM machines throughout Egypt where you can withdraw Egyptian cash from your bank card. Ask your tour guide if you need any assistance. Before leaving home it is advisable for you to inform your bank and credit card issuer about the dates of your trip to Egypt so that they do not block your debit or credit card(s) on the assumption that your purchases in Egypt are fraudulent. Let them know of your travel dates in advance so you don’t have problems.

Egypt is a society that is extremely reliant on giving and receiving tips and sometimes if a person feels that they are deserving of a tip, they are not bashful about letting you know. Our guides, drivers and the hotel and restaurant staff that you’ll encounter will all have impeccable decorum and won’t solicit for tips but when good service is rendered on your behalf, a generous tip is appreciated.

To give you a general idea of a good tip, your tour guides and drivers are doing the most work to accommodate your safety and provide you an excellent experience in Egypt. A decent (combined) tip for both the driver and the tour guide to share would be $10 per tourist per day. You can pay this amount or more or less in dollars or its equivalent in Egyptian pounds to your tour guide and he or she will split it with the driver. Be sure to thank your driver for navigating through traffic for you!

Mostafa offers to do all the tipping on your behalf for the duration of the trip for a “gratuity fee” of $75 per person for a full week tour which you can give to him in Egyptian currency or dollars. The gratuity fee covers the tips for your tour guide, drivers, bellhops, servers, and restroom attendants. If you prefer to handle the tipping at your discretion you are absolutely welcome to do so. Mostafa has learned through experience that some tourists like to pay their assigned tour guide the gratuity fee at the beginning of the tour and let the tour guides manage all the tipping from then on.

Egypt has always been a bit of a melting pot with millions of people from diverse backgrounds and nationalities making it one of the most cosmopolitan countries in the region. The laws and customs are conservative especially when compared to Western standards. Having said this, attitudes vary a lot depending on the area.

In rural communities the views tend to be more conservative and this should be taken into account. Its society is 90% Muslim and 10% Christian. Egyptians’ sense of decorum simply advises that men and women should dress modestly. As a foreigner, you are not expected to adopt the local dress code, though dressing modestly will demonstrate respect from your side which will be very much appreciated and it will help you avoid unwanted attention.

In Cairo and other large cities, attitudes are much more relaxed and you’ll see a range of Egyptian nationals and international people wearing more western-style clothing. Keep in mind that Cairo attracts tourists from its own rural villages as well as throughout the Middle East.

There will be occasions where people will be very interested in you as they may be a “foreigner” themselves. They may request to take photos of you as part of their experience on their vacation. If you are comfortable being friendly and interacting with others, a kind and understanding demeanor is always appropriate. Please be considerate when you take photos of people. If possible, ask for their permission. A simple gesture can communicate respect.

Egyptians are very warm and friendly and can be described as loud and carefree, especially at parties! Throughout your time in Egypt, it is likely that you will encounter beggars. It is best to treat them with dignity but it is a personal choice whether or not to hand out any money. It can attract more beggars to you/your group, more than you can manage. If you need assistance please alert your tour guide.

It is permissible to engage in conversations about religion, politics and societal norms. As you treat others with respect you will discover that they will open up to you and teach you a lot about their language and culture. Those who work in the tourism industry are especially eager to please and engage with you. Be sure to express thanks for their efforts in offering you genuine hospitality.

Egypt is arid and it is hot, swelteringly hot, and not-so-hot depending on the season. June through August are the super-hot months with temperatures frequently climbing over 110F/45C! You can visit Egypt year-round, and all seasons have some pros and cons. The ideal time to travel throughout Egypt is when the overall temperatures hover just above 70F/20C. The most popular months are from September to April with average temperatures in the 80s. If your vacation time lands you in the hotter months, you can adjust your itinerary to go out to sites early in the morning and later in the evening.

There are air-conditioned restaurants, museums, shops and art galleries that you can visit midday. During the winter months in Cairo, you will occasionally experience “foggy” (smoggy) mornings but that tends to dissipate as the daytime temperatures warm up. It does rain a few days of the year during the winter months, though the annual rainfall is minimal, less than .08 inches/2mm. If you do get lucky enough to experience rain while in Egypt, you’ll get to see the reaction of the locals. They don’t have street gutters and it does make everything temporarily muddy, but their reactions to rainstorms tends to be a bit over the top.

There are occasional sandstorms in the springtime between March-May. The wind carries fine powdery sand from the Sahara Desert and causes temperatures to soar. It’s impossible to predict the timing, severity, and duration of any storm but we always strive to keep our clients informed and safe. Most days are full of clear sunny skies and wide open for adventure!

You will see a wide variety of clothing worn, especially by foreigners. The best standard to follow is to wear clothing that truly covers your body. Your arms and legs need to be covered as well when touring mosques and other holy sites. Wearing loose-fitting, light-colored, cotton clothing is probably the most comfortable. Some people like to wear their favorite shorts/spaghetti straps/tank-tops/low-cut/sleeveless/midriff/see-through outfits. Just be aware that what you are wearing can draw unwanted attention.

Sexual harassment is unfortunately a common occurrence in Egypt. It is usually perpetrated by males towards females. The government is trying to protect its citizens and guests from harassment. Among other measures, they have produced and aired radio and TV ads identifying and denouncing this type of behavior. Our tour guides, drivers, hotel staff and servers will do all that they can to help mitigate encounters of harassment. Our sincere recommendation is for you to be wise in your choices of style and clothing and public behavior.

Wearing expensive jewelry and watches is discouraged. You can of course wear swimsuits and beach-attire along Egypt’s shores and at pools and resort hotels, though you will find that many devout Muslims will most likely be dressed in more modest swimwear. Even in the hotter months of the year, we recommend that females bring (or buy) a lightweight scarf to cover your hair when entering mosques and other holy sites.

Everyone must wear comfortable walking shoes! Some people will prefer sandals while others will prefer sneakers or leather-type casual shoes with good soles. You will be doing a lot of walking out in the desert to the various pyramids, and to other ancient world heritage sites. Sometimes you’ll be walking over rocky dusty terrain and along crowded city streets. It’s up to you to decide what’s best but you’ll definitely want to keep your feet happy! Lastly, don’t forget to bring along hats, sunglasses and sunscreen.

Egypt’s electrical outlets operate at 220 volts, 50 Hz (the USA uses 120 volts). Their plugs are designed with two round metal pegs. To use your laptop chargers, cell phone chargers, electric shavers, curling irons and straighteners etc you will need to bring an adapter and converter. (Many hotels have hairdryers so you don’t have to pack one for the trip.) An adapter is a small attachment that will fit on the tip of your USA electrical cord so that you can plug it into the socket. However, sometimes a converter is also needed because the 220 volts sends in a much stronger electrical current than what your appliance or device can handle. Therefore, you may also need a converter to level down the amount of energy flowing to your device. Be sure you read the details of the type of adapter/converter you will need.

It’s best to purchase what you need in advance and bring it in your carry-on luggage but they can also be purchased at international airports and electronics stores. You may want to consider bringing a portable battery charger for your phone especially if you are going to travel to rural areas.

Our guides are rigorously selected for their high level of decorum, English comprehension, knowledge of history and customs, their smart appearance, and overall friendliness. During your tours, the guide will give you advice and help you know where to shop to get the best selections and prices.

Please let them know if there is something specific that you are hoping to buy. If you find something that you are very interested in buying, even if the guide knows that you can get something similar, potentially for a better price, you are of course welcome to buy anything that interests you. There’s no guarantee that you’ll find exactly what you are looking for at a later time. While there are plenty of stores with fixed prices, you’ll definitely encounter shops where “haggling” for a lower price is the norm, especially in the Khan and with souvenir hawkers. If you would like to do some shopping in the traditional markets, bear in mind that some shops might be closed on Fridays (Muslim holy day).

Egyptians love great food and many menus carry a wide array of choices to appeal to their international guests. We hope that you will take the opportunity to try new cuisine, but there will always be familiar options to choose from. Egyptian cuisine is characterized by the use of a plethora of spices, including coriander, cinnamon, cumin, saffron, dried ginger and paprika. Some dishes lean more Mediterranean in flavor while others taste similar to Indian cuisine.

Egyptian food is typically not hot (spicy). You can find a lot of options that incorporate rice, chicken, vegetables and bread along with hummus and other dipping sauces. Fruit is often eaten after a meal, along with a glass of mint tea. If you get the opportunity, you should try their “unofficial” national dish called Koshari. Falafel is also very popular in Egypt. You might also want to try their cold lemon mint drink.

As for their desserts, you’ll encounter Om Ali (Egyptian bread pudding) Basbousa cake, Kunafa which is a pastry-cheesey-sweetened-condensed milk sort of treat, and of course, Baklava. It’s nutty and flaky and syrupy-sweet. Though Egypt is getting better at this, you’ll discover that menus do not always identify foods that are vegetarian, gluten-free, nut-free or dairy-free. If you have dietary restrictions, please ask questions and read the ingredients carefully and ask for help from your tour guide.

Ramadan is the most notable religious observance in the Muslim world. Ramadan literally means “the hot month.” It is a month-long time period for Muslims to pray and fast and increase their personal faith and devotion to God. Adherents fast from sun up to sun down abstaining from food and drink and smoking during that time. It is a time for families to gather together and for the faithful to focus on charitable giving and generosity.

Also incorporated into this and other Islamic holidays is the gifting and eating of dates which is the fruit from date palm trees which has significant meaning to the faith. During Ramadan, non-Muslims are not expected to fast but it is best for you to be discrete in your eating and drinking to show respect to those who are fasting. Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar and revolves around a shortened 354 day calendar which slowly cycles through different seasons.

There are two associated celebrations that go along with Ramadan. Eid al Fitr, the feast of sweets, commemorates the end of Ramadan. Eid al Adha, which marks the climax of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca, is the feast of the sacrifice and honors the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ismail. The miracle of the story of Abraham is that God provided a ram “in the thicket” to be sacrificed instead of his son therefore adherents perform their own sacrifice of a ram and divide up the meat to share with family and friends. On the days leading up to Eid al Adha, you’ll notice makeshift pens of rams throughout city streets to be sold for this feast of the sacrifice. During both of these feasts families gather for special meals, gifts are exchanged, people wear fancy new clothes and charitable donations are given.

Consider yourself lucky if your travel dates carry you into Egypt during these notable celebrations. It’s interesting to experience these holidays while in the Middle East. Whether or not your trip coincides with Ramadan and its associated holidays, your trip to Egypt will surely give you an opportunity to hear the daily “Call to Prayer.” It is projected over loudspeakers, five times a day, from every mosque minaret reminding everyone of the religious ideologies that permeate the land.

It is always smart to travel with medication for an upset stomach, just in case. We urge our guests to be especially careful for the first few days. Although many travelers use the local tap water to brush their teeth, it is our advice to avoid drinking it. Bottled water is available everywhere as is the ubiquitous mint tea. Our tour guides will take you to highly reputable places but there are still general precautions that you should take to help avoid stomach aches and diarrhea. During the first few days, even if you love salads, avoid uncooked vegetables and fruits, unless they can be peeled.

Definitely use caution buying food or fresh drinks sold from street vendors. Take time to observe the sanitary conditions and use your best judgment. Freshly squeezed juices are readily available and inexpensive but they can be risky if the fruits have not been washed properly. Milk is not always pasteurized outside of the hotels, and in general local sanitation may be questionable.

If you are prone to car sickness, bring medication to help with that. Many expats recommend a medicine available over the counter in Egyptian pharmacies called Antinal 200 (Nifuroxazide). Bring any medication you might need. Keep it in your carry-on bag, in case your luggage is delayed or lost. Pharmacies are everywhere and are usually very well stocked, though they may not have the name with which you are familiar.

Prior to your trip, talk to your doctor regarding your specific requirements, and recommended vaccines before departure. If he or she asks you whether you will be traveling outside of the large cities, the answer is yes. You will, however, be eating in four and five-star hotels and restaurants. If a serious problem arises, we will do our very best to make sure it is remedied as soon as possible. Please inform us ahead of time if you have a medical condition or need some special accommodations.