Egypt travel guide
Money, phones, transport, etiquette and the everyday know-how that makes an Egypt trip run smoothly.
PracticalIn Egypt, wear loose, breathable clothing that covers your shoulders and knees: linen or cotton trousers, midi or maxi skirts and light shirts work…
PracticalTipping (baksheesh) is expected for almost every service in Egypt. As an indicative guide, tip a private Egyptologist guide around US$10–20 (AUD…
PracticalThe essentials for a first trip to Egypt: carry Egyptian pounds in small notes for tips while using cards in hotels; buy a local SIM or eSIM on…
PracticalMost Egyptian souvenirs can come home to Australia or New Zealand, but anything made from plants, wood, animal products, seeds or food must be…
PracticalEgypt's currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP), and the easiest approach for Australians is to withdraw pounds from bank ATMs, pay by Visa or Mastercard…
PracticalMost visitors either install a data-only travel eSIM before leaving Australia or buy a local SIM from Vodafone, Orange, e& (Etisalat) or WE at the…
PracticalEgypt uses European-style type C and type F sockets with two round pins, at 220 volts and 50 hertz. Australians need a plug adaptor but not a voltage…
PracticalNo vaccinations are compulsory for Australians travelling to Egypt unless they arrive from a yellow fever risk country, but travel doctors commonly…
PracticalTravel insurance for Egypt should include unlimited or very high overseas medical cover, emergency evacuation and repatriation, cancellation cover…
PracticalVisitors should not drink tap water in Egypt; drink sealed bottled water or filtered water supplied by your hotel or cruise ship, which is cheap and…
PracticalStomach upsets, nicknamed Pharaoh's revenge, are the most common health complaint in Egypt, but you can cut the risk a lot by eating freshly cooked…
PracticalFor a typical 10 to 14 day Egypt trip, pack light, modest clothing in layers, comfortable walking shoes, strong sun protection, a type C/F plug…
PracticalEgypt's heat is intense and dry: Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel often pass 40°C from June to August, and UV levels are high even in winter. Stay safe by…
PracticalHaggling is expected in Egypt's bazaars and souqs and for unmetered services such as feluccas, horse carriages and camel rides, but not in…
PracticalMost scams in Egypt are about steering you to a shop or squeezing an extra tip, not about violence or theft. The common ones are touts at the…
PracticalUber and Careem both work well across Cairo, including to the pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the airport, with upfront fares and card or cash…
PracticalThe Cairo Metro has three lines and is the fastest way across the city centre, beating the traffic to Coptic Cairo, Tahrir, Ramses Station and the…
PracticalEgypt's trains, run by Egyptian National Railways, are a practical way to travel Cairo to Alexandria and Luxor to Aswan, and an inexpensive if slow…
PracticalThe overnight sleeper runs between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan in both directions, leaving in the evening and arriving in Luxor early the next morning and…
PracticalDomestic flights are the fastest way to cover Egypt's long distances: Cairo to Luxor or Aswan takes about an hour, and Cairo to Hurghada or Sharm…
PracticalVisitors can legally drive in Egypt with their licence and an International Driving Permit, but most shouldn't: traffic is chaotic, road rules are…
PracticalThe Cairo Pass and Luxor Pass are official multi-site tickets from Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, giving entry to most state-run…
PracticalYou can travel Egypt in English, but twenty or so words of Egyptian Arabic change how people respond to you. Start with salamu aleikum (hello),…
PracticalEgyptian etiquette rests on warmth, modesty and respect for religion. Greet people before getting down to business, use your right hand to eat, pay…
PracticalAlcohol is legal in Egypt and easy to find in hotels, Nile cruise ships, Red Sea resorts, licensed restaurants and specialist bottle shops, though…
PracticalLeave your drone at home: flying or even importing a drone into Egypt requires prior approval from several government bodies, which tourists almost…
PracticalEgypt's internet works well enough for maps, messaging, rideshare apps and social media, but hotel and especially Nile cruise Wi-Fi is often slow and…
PracticalEgypt has good private hospitals in Cairo and Alexandria, adequate private clinics in Luxor, Aswan and the Red Sea resorts, and excellent,…
PracticalMost toilets tourists use in Egypt, in hotels, cruise ships, restaurants, museums and major sites, are Western-style sit-down toilets, usually with a…
PracticalEgypt has about a dozen public holidays a year: fixed national days such as Revolution Day on 23 July and Armed Forces Day on 6 October, Coptic…
PracticalEgyptian customs allows visitors to bring in personal belongings plus a limited duty-free allowance of alcohol and tobacco, commonly cited as about…
PracticalCairo International Airport (CAI) is Egypt's main gateway, on the north-eastern edge of the city near Heliopolis, and it is where almost every…
PracticalSphinx International Airport (SPX) is a small, newer airport west of Giza, about 30–40 minutes by road from the Giza Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian…
PracticalHurghada International Airport (HRG) is the gateway to Egypt's mainland Red Sea coast, sitting between the town and the southern resort strip, 15–30…
PracticalLuxor International Airport (LXR) is a single-terminal airport about 20 minutes east of the town centre, with flights from Cairo taking about an hour.…
PracticalSharm el-Sheikh International Airport (SSH) lies just north of the main resort bays, 10–20 minutes from most hotels and about 1–1.5 hours from Dahab.…
PracticalFor most first-time visitors, the best plan is to split Cairo: two nights in Giza for the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then one or two…
PracticalStay on the East Bank if you want to walk to Luxor Temple, the Corniche, restaurants and the Luxor Museum; stay on the West Bank if you want quiet,…
PracticalIn Aswan, stay on the Corniche for walkable restaurants, the souq and easy boat departures; on an island such as Elephantine for resort calm in the…
PracticalFor a beach finish after Luxor, stay on the mainland coast: El Gouna for walkable variety, Hurghada for value and choice, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh or…
PracticalFor a first visit of one or two nights, stay downtown on the Eastern Harbour Corniche around Saad Zaghloul Square and Raml Station, where you can walk…
PracticalMost visitors are happiest on Hurghada's southern resort strip along Village Road, or in the self-contained bays of Sahl Hasheesh, Makadi and Soma Bay…
PracticalStay in Naama Bay if you want to walk to restaurants and a sandy beach; choose Sharks Bay or Ras Um Sid for clifftop resorts with house reefs reached…
PracticalStay around Masbat and the Lighthouse if you want to walk to dive sites, cafés and restaurants; Mashraba for a slightly calmer seafront with the same…
PracticalIn Marsa Alam you choose a stretch of coast rather than a neighbourhood: Port Ghalib and the airport area for the shortest transfers and a marina, the…
PracticalSiwa's most memorable places to stay are its eco-lodges built from kershef, the traditional salt-and-mud building material, either in palm gardens…
PracticalStay at Abu Tig Marina or Downtown if you want to walk to restaurants and bars every evening; choose a lagoon resort for gardens, pools and quiet; and…
PracticalEgypt's great historic hotels are the Marriott Mena House at Giza, the Sofitel Winter Palace in Luxor, the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract in Aswan and…
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