Egypt Travel Tips
Time Zone
Egypt standard time is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) + 2 hours.
Egypt Visa
90% of visitors to Egypt need Visa. It is very easy as you can obtain a Visa on Arrival at the airport. In all airports, and mostly before passport control, there are bank windows where you can purchase your Visa. It costs $25 USD and you should pay in cash. Take your visa and the officer will add the visa and stamp your passport.
Language
The official language in Egypt is Arabic. However, English is widely spoken almost everywhere, with French, German, and Italian sometimes. Rarely do tourists face problems with communications.
Religion
Egypt is an African, Asian, and Middle Eastern country where both Muslims, and Christians are living side by side. The majority are Muslims about 70 million and the Christian minority around 30 million. Both Muslims and Christians are conservative. When visiting mosques, churches, or synagogues, please dress in comfortable clothing covering knees and elbows, in order to respect the local culture.
Currency
The unit of currency is the Egyptian Pound (LE), which is divided into 100 piasters. Pounds are issued in notes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200. Coins are issued in denominations of LE1 and 25 and 50 piasters. The currency has two sides, one written in Arabic and the second one in English, Read the number carefully and check if it’s pounds or piasters.
ATM
The Egyptian currency in Egyptian the Egyptian Pound (EGP). All the entrances of all the sightseeing should be in Egyptian pounds.so, please have enough cash with you if you will pay for your tickets yourself. You can withdraw Egyptian pounds from any ATM machine in the streets, airports, and banks. Please note that 1$ equivalent to 15.6(2021), 1 euro equivalent 18.6(2021). Most of the ATMs will allow you a maximum of 5000 EGP per transaction. You can use the ATM multiple times in order to have enough cash if needed. ATM limits set depend on how much cash your bank allows you to withdrawal a day.
Tipping
Tipping is not compulsory in Egypt but it is appreciated. How much you tip depends on the service provided. Bear in mind that tipping often makes the experience a little easier.
SIM CARDS
As long as everybody needs a WIFI connection, so not it is very easy to have a SIM card for your stay in Egypt. In all airports now there are kiosks selling SIM cards like Orange, Etisalat, Vodafone. It takes few minutes, shows your passport, makes sure your phone is unlocked, and let them activated for you. There are 10 Gigas + 10 Gigas free for about 10 euro. There are 27 Gigas+27 Gigas free for about 22 euro. Please be sure they activated it for you or you will be forced later to go to one of the branches to activate it as it is not possible through the phone.
Tickets & Student’s Card
All kids till 05.99 years are free, no tickets for them. Children ages 6-11.99 years get a 50% discount. Adults 12+ are full tickets but those aged 12-30 can obtain a student discount of 50% if they have a valid International Student Identification Card. That discount goes for all tourist sites like Museums, temples, tombs, Pyramids, and mosques. You must bring a plastic card because copies or photos are not accepted.
Photoshoots in the sightseeing
Now it is allowed to take photos with your phones in all the sightseeing for free. So, it is recommended to have a high-quality phone camera. For normal cameras, the photography pass costs 50 EGY at the Egyptian Museum.
Health
Concerning Covid 19 and the PCR tests, those who took one dose of Johnson’s vaccine and 15 days passed, can enter Egypt without the PCR test. Those who took Astra Zeneca or Pfizer or the Chinese or even the German, must have taken two doses and 15 days have been passed, they can enter Egypt without the PCR test. In other words, no tests are required for tourists who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Tourists are required to make the PCR test 48 hours before they leave. For other vaccinations, no vaccinations are currently needed for visitors to Egypt, unless arriving from countries where yellow fever is endemic.
Using Drones in Egypt
It is not allowed at all for Visitors and locals alike to fly Drones anywhere in Egypt. According to the Egyptian Aviation Act under Article 46, sentence 8:
“No unmanned aircraft are allowed to fly or to work in the territory of the State unless upon permission of Civil Aviation Authority. In all cases, using unmanned aircraft is prohibited as per Rules of the Air and Air Traffic set forth in this respect.”
is bargaining common in Egypt?
90% of the places in Egypt do not have fixed prices. Bargaining and haggling over prices is a fundamental part of shopping in the markets and bazaars of Egypt. Vendors put in their minds that you will bargain, so they will often inflate their prices, after hard bargaining, a final price will be agreed on that suits both parties. Show no interest in whatever you buy and put a maximum amount in your mind and work your own way to get it.
