Egypt

Entry requirements depend on your nationality, so always confirm the rules for your own passport before you book. Most visitors from Europe, the UK, the US, Canada and Australia need a tourist visa, and the simplest route is the e-Visa applied for online before you travel through the official government portal. It grants a 30-day stay; apply at least a week ahead and print a copy to show at passport control.

Many of the same nationalities can alternatively buy a visa on arrival in cash at major airports — both routes lead to the same 30-day entry, but the e-Visa saves a queue. Travellers from some countries are not eligible for either and must arrange a visa in advance through an Egyptian embassy.

Your passport should be valid for at least six months from your date of entry, with a blank page or two. One important warning: many travellers searching online land on unofficial lookalike 'visa' sites that charge inflated service fees — the only official site is visa2egypt.gov.eg.

The currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP). Cards are widely accepted at hotels, larger restaurants and established tour operators, but Egypt still runs heavily on cash for markets, small shops, taxis and tips. ATMs are plentiful in cities — use ones inside bank branches or malls — though most charge a withdrawal fee.

Tipping — known as 'baksheesh' — is woven into daily life in Egypt, and first-timers should expect it rather than be surprised by it. Small tips are the norm for a wide range of minor services, and requests can be frequent, especially around tourist sites. It is much smoother if you carry a generous stock of small notes in an easy-to-reach pocket.

As rough guidance, restaurants warrant about 10–15% on top of any service charge, and hotel housekeeping and porters a small note each. Tipping is polite but always optional — tip for service you're happy with, and a calm 'no, thank you' is a perfectly acceptable response to persistent requests.

Egyptians are famously hospitable, and a little courtesy is warmly received. A greeting of 'salaam alaykum' or a simple 'good morning' with eye contact goes a long way. Handshakes are common between men; between men and women, wait to see if a hand is offered first. The right hand is used for greeting, giving and eating.

Modest dress matters, particularly for women and especially at religious sites and away from beach resorts — covering shoulders and knees is the practical standard. When visiting mosques, everyone dresses conservatively, shoes come off before the prayer area, and women usually cover their hair with a scarf.

Egypt is a conservative, majority-Muslim country: keep public displays of affection low-key. If you visit during Ramadan, daytime eating, drinking and smoking in public are best done discreetly. Always ask before photographing individuals, and don't photograph military sites or checkpoints.

Most visitors arrive at Cairo International Airport; other key international gateways serve Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Luxor. For intercity travel, the classic route is the overnight sleeper train between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, and domestic flights link the same cities in around an hour.

Between Luxor and Aswan, a Nile cruise is a popular and efficient way to travel, bundling accommodation, meals and guided temple visits. For shorter rides, the felucca (a traditional sailboat) is lovely — agree the price and duration clearly in advance.

For getting around cities, the ride-hailing apps Uber and Careem work well in Cairo and Alexandria, giving fixed, transparent pricing and removing the need to haggle. Elsewhere you'll mostly rely on agreed-fare taxis, so settle the price before setting off. Self-driving is not recommended for most visitors — hiring a car with a driver is the easier choice.

Egypt has good mobile coverage across cities, tourist areas and the Nile Valley. The main carriers are Vodafone, Orange, e& and WE; Vodafone is generally regarded as having the broadest data coverage for travellers. A tourist SIM with generous data is cheap — pick one up at 24-hour carrier desks in airport arrivals or at official shops in town, bringing your passport.

An eSIM bought online before you fly is a convenient alternative for compatible phones. Wifi is standard in hotels and many cafés, though speeds vary. One quirk: app-based voice and video calling can be unreliable or restricted on local networks, so don't count on it for important calls.

Government advisories agree that most of Egypt's well-known tourist regions are visited safely by very large numbers of travellers — but they also single out specific areas to avoid, so the geography matters. Advisories warn against travel to North Sinai, parts of the Western Desert and remote border areas, while the Nile Valley sites — Cairo, Giza, Luxor, Aswan — and the Red Sea resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada sit outside these restrictions. Always check the live official advisory for your own nationality, and for every area on your itinerary, before and during your trip.

Day to day, the bigger issue for most visitors is scams and persistent touts rather than violent crime, especially around monuments like the Giza Pyramids and Luxor. Watch for 'free' gifts that then demand payment, camel or horse rides quoted cheaply then inflated, and unofficial 'guides' who steer you to commission-paying shops. Buy tickets only at official entrances, arrange a licensed guide in advance, and agree every price before you accept a service.

Do not drink the tap water — stick to sealed bottled water, and be cautious with ice and raw produce early in your trip. Check current CDC advice before you go. Emergency numbers: 122 for police, 123 for ambulance.

Power: Egypt runs on 220–230V, 50Hz, using Type C and Type F plugs — the two round-pin style standard across continental Europe. Travellers from the UK, US and elsewhere will need an adapter.

Language: the official language is Arabic. English is widely spoken in tourism — hotels, guides and shops — so communication is rarely a barrier, though a few Arabic greetings are always appreciated.

Best time to visit: Egypt's peak season runs roughly October to April, when temperatures are pleasant for sightseeing across Cairo, Luxor and Aswan. Summer is intensely hot, especially in Upper Egypt — plan early starts, midday breaks and plenty of water.

Time zone: Egypt is on Eastern European Time (UTC+2), observing daylight saving (UTC+3) in the warmer months.