What to Know Before Going to Egypt for the First Time

Are you planning to visit Egypt for the first time? Congratulations! You are in for a fantastic time. Do watch out though, Egypt is not like any other place.

To make your first trip to Egypt even more fantastic, we will be sharing what to know before going to Egypt today. In this article, you will find 12 pieces of advice for first-time travellers to Egypt. This is first-hand knowledge that we gathered ourselves during 1+ years of travelling this beautiful country. Without further ado, let’s dig right in.

Key Takeaways

• Get the right visa before you travel and know the differences (Visa on Arrival, Sinai Visa, Multiple Entry Visa).
• The Egyptian Pound (EGP), also known as ‘l.e.’, has lost significant value in recent years, meaning will carry many small bills. ATM withdrawals have limits, often between 4,000 to 8,000 EGP.
• Avoid drinking tap water; always drink bottled water to avoid getting sick. Go for street food options that are freshly boiled or fried.
• Plan your airport arrival carefully, especially if flying into new Egyptian airports like Sphinx International Airport.

Is Egypt Safe to Visit?

While Egypt tends to get a bad rep thanks to past internal instability and recent regional tensions, it is very safe to visit for international tourists. This is especially true for tourist hubs such as Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, but also for more remote destinations like the Siwa Oasis, the Red Sea and the Sinai Peninsula.

There are some regions in Egypt you should avoid, however, such as the North Sinai region and the border region with Libya. Then again, both of these regions are far from any popular tourist site and the chance that you would stumble into there by accident is practically zero.

If you have safety questions, always consult your country’s official travel advisory first. It provides live updates on security questions and makes detailed recommendations for travelers headed to Egypt.

What to Know Before Going to Egypt: 12 Travel Tips for First-Time Travellers

After travelling Egypt from Alexandria in the north to Aswan in the South, from Taba in the East to the Siwa Oasis in the West, we have been able to collect one or the other grain of wisdom about travelling Egypt without stressing too much.

These are 12 travel tips we wish we would have know before travelling to Egypt for the first time:

1. The Egyptian currency works differently than you think.

In Egypt, the official currency is the Egyptian Pound, abbreviated as EGP. In Egypt itself, you will barely see the ‘EGP’ though. There, is much more common to use ‘l.e.’ to refer to the Egyptian Pound. This abbreviation stems from the French term “livre égyptienne”, as in Egyptian Lira.

The Egyptian Currency has lost close to 75% of its value over the last 5 years, meaning that you as a tourist will enjoy much better prices when converting exchanging US dollars or Euros for Egyptian Pounds (EGP), while the locals suffer for their own currency plummeting.

For your trip, this means three things:

1. At many places, you have to pay in foreign currency (US-Dollar), such as the entry visa fee, hotel stays and train tickets. The Egyptian government really needs hard foreign currency.
2. You will be carrying many small bills. The biggest bill, the 200 EGP, is now worth just $ 4 USD, or 3.50 €, while 5 years ago it would have been worth well over $ 12 USD, or 10 €.
3. While ATM withdrawals are generally free at Egyptian banks, there is a withdrawal limit, often set at 4,000 EGP to 8,000 EGP. The lesser accessible the place, the lower the limit (e.g. Dahab).

2. Watch out which airport you fly to.

Egypt is perfectly accessible from the United States and Europe with multiple international airports receiving tourists in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Alexandria, the Red Sea and the Sinai Peninsula. But watch out when flying to Cairo, as there is a new airport in the mix now.

Sphinx International Airport (SPX) is Cairo’s new secondary airport after Cairo International Airport (CAI) that has slowly picked up operations since 2019. While this airport is very enticing thanks to it low-cost connections to and from Europe, there is no shuttle service to Cairo yet.

If you are planning to arrive to Cairo via Sphinx International Airport (SPX), we highly recommend securing a transfer to your hotel beforehand. Onsite, you will only find taxi drivers asking for highly inflated fare and riders on ride-hailing apps usually do the same.

3. Do this to get your Visa on Arrival.

Most travellers arriving from the United States and Europe are eligible for the Egpytian Visa on Arrival (VoA). This entry visa scheme is fairly straightforward and cuts out a lenghty visa application process before your trip.

Simply fill out the passenger arrival card that will be given to you once you get off the plane in Egypt. In Cairo, the Egyptian Authorities have started phasing out the paper cards, replacing them with virtual kiosks that will even process your visa payment process.

If you still get the phyiscal card, head to one of the stalls advertising the ‘$ 25 Visa on Arrival’ and get one of the visa stickers for yourself. Pay cash in US dollars or Euros or use a credit card, head on to the immigration line, hand the immigration officer your passport and the visa sticker and let them do the rest.

4. At this airport you don’t have to pay an entry visa fee.

Did you know that at one airport you do not have to pay $ 25 to enter Egypt. Yes, you read right. At Sharm El-Sheikh Airport, you can get a special Sinai Visa that is completely free. Instead of the VoA sticker, border authorities will simply stamp your passport and you’re good to go.

While saving $ 25 sounds amazing and all, this does come with three caveats:

1. The special Sinai Peninsula is only valid for the Sinai Peninsula. You should, therefore only get, if you plan to spend your entire trip to Egypt in the Sinai, and not visit Cairo and the Pyramids.
2. As opposed to the Visa on Arrival, which is valid for 30 days, the Sinai-only stamp is only valid for up to 15 days.
3. Once the Sinai Visa runs out, there is a grace period of 14 days in which you can leave the country without being find. If you wish to stay longer, pay a visit to the Sharm El-Sheikh Visa Office.

Consider before arrival, which visa works best for you. If you are planning a short diving or resort vacation on the Sinai Peninsula, the Sinai-only stamp its enough. For anything else, ask the immigration officials for a full Visa on Arrival.

5. Tap water or bottled water?

When travelling in Egypt, avoid drinking any tap water, especially if you do not travel outside of the United States and Europe regularly. While using tap water to brush your teeth should be fine, we recommend only drinking bottled water.

The same goes for drinks that have been prepared with tap water or such drinks that contain ice cubes that were made from tap water. If you know that you have a sensible stomach, avoid drinks with ice cubes altogether.

If you feel ill after drinking tap water in Egypt, consider getting one of the following medications from an Egyptian pharmacy:

• Antinal
• Nanazoxanide
• Rehydran / ORS

6. Is street food safe to eat? Our take.

With street food, things are a bit more complex. Street food is generally safer than tap water, especially when it is served hot. Anything served directly after being boiled or fried is safe to eat as bacteria don’t survive the heat. Picture falafel straight from the deep fryer or koshary straight from the pot.

A good indicator for safe street vendors are long queues and high turnover. The faster the street vendor sells the food, the short it sits on the counter possibly attracting bacteria. Long queues are your guarantee that your food will be prepared fresh to order.

When ordering street food safely, skip the raw garnishes and condiments. These are often prepped in bulk in advance and stored without proper refrigeration. If you are unlucky, your side will have been sitting in the heat for hours already and might not have been washed properly in the first place.

7. This is how to navigate major cities.

When visiting Cairo, you will quickly learn that your experience of the city is mostly down to how you navigate it. In some neighbourhoods, you can walk. Others are connected with the Cairo Metro. For others, taking an Uber is by far the best option.

In the neighbourhoods Downtown Cairo, Zamalek and Maadi, you can easily get around by walking. When transferring in between neighborhoods, however, you will want to take public transportation and/ or an Uber. In the center, the Cairo Metro is a good and cheap option, beyond Uber is the way to go.

In other cities, public transportation is much less accessible. While Alexandria has a tram system, other major cities such as Luxor and Aswan mainly run on informal bus lines that are almost impossible to understand as a foreigner. Here, using ride-hailing apps and negotiating with taxis is imperative.

8. Avoid stress, book a tour.

Independent travel in Egypt is possible, absolutely. We traveled Egypt independently for well over a year. But still, we have to admit that it’s not for everyone. Finding your way around places, figuring out transfers and communicating with locals can be tiresome, especially if you don’t understand any Arabic.

With time, you will find your way around, there is no doubt about that. It took us about three weeks to get used to how things work in Egypt – or not. If you don’t have three weeks of running around cluelessly to spare, however, you should set your independent traveler’s pride aside for a second and book a tour.

In Egypt, group tours to popular tourists attractions are extremely common, meaning that you can easily find plenty of affordable offers at your hotel, online and simply on the spot. Make sure to compare tour guides before booking and try to favour established tour companies, even if they cost a little more. More on that later in the article.

9. Learn to say no. Really.

Here’s one hard truth about travelling Egypt that barely anyone tells you. Online, you will see lots of videos about Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, exposing tourist scams such as photos, camel rides and overpriced souvenirs. This has made people wary of visiting Egypt and quite frankly, it’s a shame.

We won’t act like these scams don’t exist. In fact, they are very common. In Egypt, there are millions of people living in extreme poverty in Egypt. To them, harassing a tourist for money is a way to make a living, perhaps their only way to make a living.

Whenever you encounter one of these scams, you will notice that a friendly ‘no’ with a smile, won’t be sufficient. Street vendors often stay persistent, try to get you to stop by waving their products in front of you, or even follow you.

There is, however, a very simple solution to this. Learn to say no.

• Are you not planning to buy anything? Do not stop for street vendors. Do not even make eye contact.
• Are you not looking to book a tour? Do not listen to the offer in the first place. Do not justify why you are not interested.
• Did you say no nicely, but the vendor did not leave?Save yourself the smile firmly refuse again, and again, if necessary.

Do not feel obligated to entertain street vendors, if you didn’t ask for their service or products yourself. And more importantly, do not feel obligated to pay someone money to leave you in peace. Your are in the right, they are not.

10. Got in trouble? Tourist police will help.

Throughout our travels in Egypt, we have gotten into one or the other scam and, quite frankly, in the moment they can be scary. Whether you accepted a camel ride before asking for the price, got a taxi for an inflated fare or are being asked to pay extra for a simple photo, there is always a way out of a scam.

First, assume that everything has a price in Egypt. If you are exploring a tourist site and a local man comes up to you offering a small courtesy or a special service of some sort, he will charge you for it – even if he first claims it’s for free. Why else would he be bopping around a historic sites at midday?

If it’s already too late, however, and the scammer is asking for a crazy amount of money or even threatening you, call for tourist police. The Egyptian Tourist Police was made exclusively for protecting international tourists and is present at all tourist sites. They will help you out of the situation.

11. Respect local customs. You are the visitor.

All scams, tours and travel hacks aside, the vast majority of Egyptians are incredibly welcoming people, that will make you want to return to Egypt again. Don’t let one bad experience with a street vendor determine that way you see – and treat – all other Egyptians.

As a guest in Egypt, it is important that you respect local customs. While many of these customs are not enforced around tourist attractions, we think it is a matter of respect to follow them anyways.

One of main cultural differences is dressing modestly. Egypt is a conservative Muslim country where people use much less revealing clothing in public than in Western countries. As a rule of thumb, try to cover your shoulders and knees and take along a scarf for visits to mosques and churches.

Besides, loose clothing also helps protect you from the intense sun a circulates are more effectively than short clothing, effectively keeping your cooler.

12. A note on travelling Egypt as a solo female traveler.

Travelling abroad as a woman often comes with its own set of rules and I made sure to get some first-hand insight from my fiancée. She has traveled Egypt several times already, two of them solo. This is what’s she’s got to say about visiting Egypt as a solo female traveler:

Firstly, travelling Egypt solo as woman is not dangerous. There is, however, a good chance that you will get unwanted attention in major cities. In busy streets, staring and catcalling happens, as men feel safe doing so anonymously. In smaller towns, this is not an issue as this behaviour is socially unacceptable.

These are three pieces of advice for travelling Egypt as a solo female traveler:

1. Make friends. Travelling solo can be a liberating experience, but having friends to rely on is a must. Try to connect with other travellers in hostels and get in touch with locals through activities and meet-ups to organise group trip to places you’d not be comfortable travelling to alone.
2. Be clear about your intentions. When talking to Egyptian men, a simple smile, a compliment or even staying around a little longer than usual can easily be misunderstood as flirty. Always be clear about your intentions and do not leave room for interpretation.
3. Do not be afraid to speak up. Do you feel unsafe, or even slightly uncomfortable, because of an Egyptian man setting after you. Tell them person of and let your friends know. If you still feel unsafe, contact local authorities.

Is Egypt Expensive to Visit?

In terms of budgeting, Egypt is what you make it. During our first visit to Egypt, we traveled low-budget. We took local buses, stayed at hostels, ate street food and couchsurfed with local hosts. We visited archaeological sites solo and saved money on day trips, spending as little as $ 10 per person and day.

Honestly, we had a blast! But since, we have learned that there are also other, more comfortable or more immersive ways to travel Egypt. If you spend a more on experiences, you will learn more about Egyptian history and if you splurge on a nice hotel every now, you will be less exhausted by the end of it.

Are you looking for exact numbers? Check out this separate article where we answered the question ‘Is Egypt Expensive to Visit?’ in depth.

5 Tours to Book When Your First Visit Egypt

Don’t worry, you don’t have to book a tour for every single activity in Egypt. In fact, many sites can be visited with any tour at all, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), for instance.

For some archaeological sites, however, joining a group tour could save you a lot of time and street along the way.

These are five Egypt tours we recommend doing on your first visit to Egypt:

• The Cairo Pyramids: If you are only planning to visit the Giza Pyramids, going solo is absolutely fine. If you would also like to see the Pyramids of Saqqara and Dahshur, booking a tour will save you a lot of time and nerves in transfers.
• Luxor Temple & Karnak Temple: This is a huge temple complex in the center of Luxor that is connected by the so-called Sphinx Avenue. While you can totally do it solo, you will quickly feel lost between all the ruins. Joining a tour for the Luxor temples will give you much more context.
• The Valley of the Kings: The Valley of the Kings is not only far way from Luxor, but it also by far not the only archaeological site in the area. Save a spot on a tour to the Valley of the Kings and enjoy other stops along the way such as the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
• Philae Temple: Originally, we visited the Philae Temple solo, but honestly, it’s just not worth it. When visiting solo, you end up paying more your the boat to take you to the temple island, than if you just joined a Philae group tour in the first place.
• Abu Simbel: Thanks to its remote location, Abu Simbel might be one of the only historic sites in Egypt that are almost impossible to visit on your own. If you book just one tour for your upcoming trip, it should be an Abu Simbel tour.

The Bottom Line

Going to Egypt for the very first time can be daunting. After all, it is a place with different culture, a different religion and in a different part of the world. Considering the videos flying around online exposing all sorts of scams in Egypt, one might think that a visit to Egypt is actually dangerous. But all the opposite is true.

We can assure you that Egypt is not only completely safe to visit, but that you will even have a fantastic time there. To make your time in Egypt even more fantastic, make sure to keep in mind our pieces of advice. They will save you lots of time, nerves and money along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions