Overview

For centuries Egypt has attracted visitors and for good reason. The world-renowned treasures of this fabled country, from iconic pyramids to medieval bazaars, almost defy description. But take a look beyond the obvious archaeological treasures, and a country rich in natural beauty and vibrant in contemporary culture is easily revealed.

World's longest river

Reflecting on a spate of graffiti-writing on Egyptian monuments, a 19th-century journal writer commented peevishly: "No one can now pretend to have seen the world who has not made one of a party of pleasure up the Nile". And indeed the draw of that magnetic slither of water continues to this day. The Nile defines Egypt as it inundates the delta in the north, slips by rich suburb and impoverished allotment in the capital Cairo, brings life to the settlements of the Nile Valley and delivers visitors in floating palaces to the great archaeological wonders of the ancient world.

Surviving world wonder

And who can dispute the magnificence of Egypt's fabled archaeological sites? The pyramids at Giza, the sole survivors of the world's seven ancient wonders, are almost too engaging for their own good. The lotus-columned Temples of Luxor and Karnak, the beauty of sunrise across the Valley of the Kings, or the sound-and-light show at the mighty tombs of Abu Simbel all thrill legions of modern tourists today as they have since the Greeks first visited in Alexander's time.

Wild desert landscapes

So potent is Egypt's archaeological heritage that it's easy to overlook the country's physical beauty, from the wind-polished rock formations of the white desert to the iron-clad mountains of the Sinai. Nor does  the beauty of the country end at the shore: the underwater landscapes of the Red Sea are one of Egypt's most precious treasures.

Modern Arab state

Part of what makes Egypt one of the world's great travel destinations is the pulsing and influential modern Arab state that throbs beneath the surface. Ultimately, the best of the country is understood not so much under the shadow of its great monuments, splendid though they are, but in the call to prayer at sunset, in the chatter of hooves on tarmac in a rural village, or tea and talk with Egypt's garrulous residents in a random coffeehouse.

Key Facts

Location

Middle East, North Africa.

Time

GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Friday in April to last Thursday in September).

Area

1,002,000 sq km (386,874 sq miles).

Population

81.7 million (2008 estimate).

Population Density

81.5 per sq km. 

Capital

Cairo (El Qahira). Population: 18.3 million (2008 estimate).

Geography

The Mediterranean Sea forms Egypt's northern border, bringing cooler weather to the seaboard city of Alexandria and providing a coastal getaway for Cairo's burgeoning city dwellers. To the east, lies the historic and mountainous Sinai Peninsula, significant to all three ‘religions of the book' - Judaism, Christianity and Islam; Sinai borders Israel and the Palestinian Territories, including the troubled Gaza Strip. To the south, beyond the great Aswan Dam and the now-tamed cataracts of the Nile River, the deserts of Egypt quietly roll

Weather

The summer, which falls between April and October, is hot and dry. The winter months are mild with cold nights. You will be surprised to learn that there is virtually no rain in this country. The best time to visit is between November and March, outside the intolerable summer season. Beware of the khamsin, the hot dry wind that blows from the Sahara around April. This treacherous wind creates dust storms that can reduce visibility to less than 30 metres. In terms of weather, the Red Sea coast is most favoured and it is pleasant year round. In Cairo, winter temperatures range from lows of 9 C at night to highs of 25 C, while summers vary between 9 C and 35 C.

Distances between Egypt Main Cities

Entry Visa to Egypt

Passports

Passport valid for at least six months from the date of travelling required by all nationals referred to in the chart above .

Citizens of the following countries should have a pre-arrival visa

Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chechnya, Croatia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, India, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Lebanon, Macao, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, The Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Sri-Lanka, Tadzhikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and All African countries .

Passport Note

Visitors from all countries, except nationals of the EU and the USA, must register with the police within one week of arrival in Egypt, although this service is normally undertaken by hotels .

Visas 

Required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except the following :
(a) 1. EU nationals travelling to Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Newiba or Taba resorts for up to 14 days, who will receive entry permission stamp on arrival ;
(b) Those continuing their journey to a third country within 24 hours and remaining in the airport, provided holding confirmed onward tickets .

Visa Note

(a) Those in possession of a residence permit to Egypt are not required to obtain an entry visa if they leave Egypt and return within the validity of their residence permit or within six months, whichever period is less .
(b) Visitors of Egyptian origin or married to an Egyptian are entitled to obtain a multiple-entry visa free of charge .
(c) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the consulate/embassy to check visa requirements.

Types of Visa and Cost

Tourist and Business (single and multiple entry ). Cost varies according to nationality. For UK nationals: Tourist: £15 (single-entry); £18 (multiple-entry). Business: £53 (single-entry); £91 (multiple-entry). Processing fees for other nationals vary considerably; nationals are advised to contact the consulate/embassy to check cost .

Validity

Single- and multiple-entry visas are valid for six months from date of issue for a maximum stay of three months. Visas cannot be post-dated. Extensions are available from the ministry of foreign affairs in Egypt .

Applications to

Consulate (or consular section at embassy).

Working Days Required

Postal applications will be processed within seven days. Applicants should allow 2-3 working days. One person may apply on behalf of others

Egyptian Embassies, Consulate and Tourist Offices

Money

Currency

Egyptian Pound (EGP; symbol E£) = 100 piastres. Notes are in denominations of E£200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 1, 50 piastres and 25 piastres. Coins are in denominations of 25, 20, 10 and 5 piastres .
British pounds sterling, Euros and the US Dollar are accepted everywhere although change may be given in Egyptian pounds .

Currency Exchange

Available at banks, official bureaux de change and most hotels. Banks often have better exchange rates than bureaux de change or hotels. All common international currencies are accepted .

Credit/Debit Cards and ATM

American Express, Diners Club, Master-Card and Visa are widely accepted in all but the smallest hotels and restaurants throughout the country, except in the Western oases .

Traveller's Cheques

These are becoming less useful now that international ATMs are prevalent throughout the country. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars, Euros or Pounds Sterling .

Currency Restrictions

Restrictions apply .

Banking Hours

ExSun-Thurs 0830-1400.change Rate Indicators

May 2009
£1.00= 8.25 LE
$1.00= 5.52 LE
€1.00= 7.47 LE

Duty Free

The following goods may be imported into Egypt without incurring customs duty : 

1. 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 200g of tobacco.
2. 1l of alcoholic beverages.
3. 1l of perfume or eau de cologne.
4. Gifts up to the value of E£500.  

Note: Persons travelling with valuable electronic equipment such as cameras, video cameras or computers may be required to list these in their passports to ensure that they will be exported on departure. All cash, travelers’ cheques and gold over E£500 should be declared on arrival .

Prohibited Imports

Narcotics, firearms, cotton, gold and silver purchased locally unless for personal use only and in small quantities; for a full list, contact the Egyptian Commercial Office, 23 South Street, London W1L 2XD (Tel: (020) 7499 3002).

Health

Vaccinations

Inoculation regulations can change at short notice. Please take medical advice in the case of doubt. Where 'Sometimes' appears in the table above, precautions may be required, depending on the season and region visited .
* A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travelars over one year of age coming from infected areas. Those arriving in transit from such areas without a certificate will be detained at the airport until their onward flight departs .

Food and Drink

Use only bottled water for drinking and brushing teeth and check the seal of the bottle is intact. Avoid unbolted beverages and ice except in top hotels and restaurants. Milk is unpasteurized and should be boiled. Avoid uncooked vegetables and peeled fruit that may have been washed in tap water .

Other Risks

Immunization against polio is advised because of the persistence of polio in Egypt. Precautions against hepatitis E should be considered. Immunization against hepatitis B and tuberculosis is sometimes advised. Bilharzias (schistosomiasis) is present in the Nile Delta and the Nile Valley; avoid swimming and wading in fresh water .

Health Care

Public hospitals are open to tourists. The standard of care is good in Cairo and Alexandria but is of varying standard in other parts of the country. Health care provision and standards of hygiene is lacking in remote rural areas, particularly in the Western Desert oases. Health insurance is strongly advised.

Going Out  

Food and Drink

Egyptian cuisine combines many of the best traditions of Middle Eastern cooking. There are both large hotel restaurants and smaller specialist ones throughout the main towns. Some of the larger hotels in Cairo and its environs have kitchens serving top-quality cosmopolitan dishes. In the centre of Cairo, American-style snack bars are also spreading. Restaurants have waiter service. Although Egypt is a Muslim country, alcohol is available in cafe-style bars and good restaurants.

National Specialties

• Foul (bean dishes) .

• Stuffed vine leaves.

• Grilled aborigines.

• Kebabs.

National drinks:

• Kahwa (thick, strong coffee) .

• Shay bil na'na' (mint tea) .

• Karkaday (clear, bright red drink made from hibiscus flowers).

• Aswanli (dark beer made in Aswan) .

• Zibib (alcoholic aniseed-flavored drink) .

Legal drinking age: 21.

Tipping: 10 to 12% is added to hotel and restaurant bills but an extra tip of 5% is normal. Taxi drivers generally expect 10%.

Night life

At times it seems as if Egypt sleeps by day and wakes up at night. In any town, from around sunset until the small hours of the morning, people start spilling onto the streets, congregating in coffee shops and restaurants or just strolling in the company of their fellow citizens. Go to any water front - along the Nile in Cairo and Luxor, or the seafronts in Alexandria and Sharm el Sheikh - and you'll find the corniche humming with the chatter of friends cruising arm in arm to catch the breeze.  Street vendors selling kebabs, chi-sellers shouldering giant urns and trinket merchants with the latest colourful imports vie for the attentions of passers¬by. For the visitor, this is the place to meet the locals, gauge the national mood and share in the jubilations of a local football success.

The chief night-time attractions are undoubtedly the sound and light shows that are held in spectacular fashion in many of the country's archaeological sites. There is nothing quite like coming face to face with the spot-lit Sphinx at Giza or watching the entire Temple of Karnak unfold to music at Luxor. The best of these shows is held at the Temple of Ramses II in Abu Simbel where the history of this once-buried treasure is brought to life in a pageant of images projected onto the temple walls.

For those with temple fatigue, there are plenty more contemporary entertainments. Sophisticated nightclubs, discos, casinos and restaurants can be found in Cairo, Alexandria and most large towns. The nightlife in Luxor and Aswan often includes barbecues along the Nile or dinner cruises. In fact, the cruise boats are often the best place to see the whirling dervishes or that quintessential nightlife of Egypt - the belly dance. Refined into a gymnastic display of muscle-rippling beauty, belly dancing is usually accompanied by Egypt's famous Arab pop musicians who universally seem to sing about unrequited love.

To find out what's on where, buy the Egyptian Gazette (Egyptian Mail on Saturdays), the English-language edition of Al-Ahram Weekly (www.ahram.org.eg/weekly), or the monthly magazine Egypt Today (www.egypttoday.com).

Shopping

The most interesting shopping area for tourists in Cairo is the old bazaar, Khan-el-Khalili, specializing in reproductions of antiquities. Jewellery, spices, brass, copper utensils, cotton goods and Coptic cloth are some of the many special items. There are also modern shopping centres available, particularly near Tehrir Square. Haggling is expected, and usually encouraged: goods do not have a fixed price, but are worth whatever the vendor feels happy selling at in balance with whatever the buyer is happy purchasing for at any given moment in time. External factors therefore play their part - including the mood the buyer is in, a row the vendor may have had with his wife in the morning, sales - or lack of sales - made earlier in the day. Whatever factors impinge on the sale, it is important to enjoy the process of agreeing a price and the human interaction it brings, and not feel that it is a device employed by the vendor for charging above the going rate. There are people, however, who are out to cheat the unsuspecting tourist in Egypt, selling fake goods or charging for bogus services. Their hard sell, particularly around the pyramids at Giza, can be highly intrusive and upsetting: if you take photographs of any man on a camel, for example, expect to pay even if you didn't plan on having the person in the frame.

Shopping hours: Winter: Tues, Wed, Fri and Sat 0900-1900, Mon and Thurs 0900-2000. During Ramadan, hours vary, with shops often closing on Sunday. Summer: Tues, Wed, Fri-Sun 0900-1230 and 1600-2000.

Travel Advice

Egypt

Developments in the region may trigger public unrest. Travellers should take care to avoid demonstrations, which can turn hostile, and be particularly vigilant in public places .
Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in Egypt have resulted in twelve human fatalities. As a precaution, travellers should avoid live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where contact with domestic, caged or wild birds is possible; and ensure poultry and egg dishes are thoroughly cooked .
The crime rate in Egypt is low but visitors should safeguard valuables including passport and money .
Egyptian society is conservative and women should dress modestly .
Travellers should carry some form of photographic ID at all times. A copy of your passport is sufficient.

Climate

Egypt is a very large country - when it is chilly and wet in Alexandria, it can already be ravishingly hot in Awan .
The best time to visit the majority of sights, including the pyramids and the Valley of the Kings, is from February to April and October to November, when it is hot enough to know it's the ‘Land of the Sun', but not too hot to be enjoyable. At this time, the skies and sea are a perfect blue. The downside is that the weather is a poorly kept secret and these are the most popular times of the year for visitors .
In April, the hot, dusty Khamsin wind blows from the Sahara, making the touring of sights troublesome: during an intense sand storm, vision may be reduced to a few meters .
The intensely hot, dry summers carry the threat of dehydration and heat exhaustion, confining the visitor indoors for much of the day. The winter, on the other hand, is mild and often overcast, leaving the desert and its ancient monuments looking lacklustre. Rainfall is negligible except on the coast.

Required Clothing  

Loose, lightweight, modest cottons and linens with warmer clothes for winter and cooler evenings are culturally and climatically suitable .