Banks are open Sundays to Thursday from 8:30 to 14:00 and are closed on Fridays and Saturdays. ATM's are available round-the-clock outside all banks and in most commercial areas. Most embassies take a two-day weekend, either Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday. Shops generally operate from 9:00 to 21:00, and some close on Sundays.
Advisable attire is light cotton in the summer and woolens in the winter. In the evenings, a jumper or an overcoat may be required. With respect to Egyptian culture, where semi-conservative clothing is the norm, it is wise to generally avoid very brief clothing. In all seasons, light walking shoes and a hat are essential. Sunglasses can be quite useful.
The Egyptian Pound (LE) is divided into 100 Piastres (PT). For guidance on currency exchange rates, please refer to any bank or foreign exchange bureau.
Passports and Visas
All visitors must have visas and passports valid for six months. Visas can be arranged through Egyptian embassies worldwide and they can also be authorized at airports of entry. Visitors must register with tourist police within 7 days of arrival. Hotels take care of this service upon check-in. In any case, contact the nearest Egyptian embassy or consulate in your home country before making your travel plans. Visitors from the US, Canada, EU and GCC countries may be able to purchase a visa stamp upon arrival at many large airports. One-month visitor's visas can be extended.top
ATMs
It’s possible to travel in Egypt now relying solely on plastic as ATMs are becoming more and more widespread. Tourist-friendly cities such as Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada are saturated with cash dispensers, and you’ll also find them in Alexandria, Dahab, Nuweiba and Aswan. Where you will be hard-pushed to find ATMs is anywhere between Cairo and Luxor (the towns of Minya and Asyut have just the occasional one) and out in the oases (there’s just one each in Siwa and Kharga).Of the numerous types of ATM in Egypt, the vast majority are compatible with Visa, MasterCard and any Cirrus or Plus cards. ATMs at Banque Misr, CIB, Egyptian American Bank (EAB), National Bank of Egypt and HSBC are particularly reliable. top
Credit cards
Amex, Visa, MasterCard and Diners Club are becoming ever more useful in Egypt. Generally speaking, they are accepted quite widely in foreign-friendly hotels, shops and restaurants, though away from tourist establishments, they are far less common, and in remote areas they remain useless. In many places you will be charged a percentage of the sale 3% to use them.Visa and MasterCard can be used for cash advances at Banque Misr and the National Bank of Egypt, as well as at Thomas Cook offices.To report lost cards in Egypt, call Amex (02-870 3152); MasterCard (02-797 1179, 796 2844); Visa (02-796 2877, 797 1149); or Diners Club (02-578 3355). top
National Holidays
April 25 – Liberation of Sinai Day
May 1 – Labor Day
July 23 – Anniversary of the 1952 Revolution
October 6 – Armed Forces Day
February 7 - Coptic Christmas top
Electricity
220V, 50 Hz top
Internet
Most major hotels will have a Business Center where you can purchase online time to check email, etc. WIFI capabilities are spreading. All major cities will have Internet cafes. top
Tipping
“Bakshish” is the Arabic word for tips that could be solicited from outsiders. Even if service charge is included tipping is expected and appreciated. It is not a rule but an international custom and 15-20% added to total, is generally recommended. top
Ful Medames |
Falafel |
Koshari |
Tehina Salad |
Warak Enab |
Mixed Mahshi |
Kahk El Eid |
Ramadan Oriental Sweets |
Meshabbek |
Shisha Pipe |
Temperature in the different cities
Month |
Cairo |
Alexandria |
Luxor |
Aswan |
Hurghada |
Sharm El-Sheikh |
|
Jan |
C |
9/19 |
9/18 |
8/23 |
8/23.8 |
24/18 |
24/21 |
Feb |
C |
9/21 |
9/19 |
8/25 |
9/26 |
25/18 |
25/20 |
March |
C |
11/23 |
10/21 |
11/27 |
12/28 |
26/20 |
25/21 |
April |
C |
13/26 |
12/23 |
15/32 |
16/32 |
31/25 |
31/22 |
May |
C |
19/28 |
17/26 |
20/34 |
20/34 |
35/26 |
28/24 |
June |
C |
20/34 |
20/28 |
22/38 |
22/39 |
37/28 |
32/25 |
July |
C |
21/36 |
21/30 |
23/40 |
24/42 |
40/28 |
37/26 |
Aug |
C |
21/36 |
21/32 |
23/41 |
24/41 |
42/29 |
38/28 |
Sept |
C |
19/30 |
21/29 |
21/38 |
22/39 |
38/27 |
34/29 |
Oct |
C |
18/29 |
17/27 |
17/35 |
19/36 |
32/25 |
30/27 |
Nov |
C |
15/25 |
14/24 |
12/29 |
13/30 |
26/23 |
27/25 |
Dec |
C |
10/20 |
11/19 |
8/24 |
9/24 |
26/19 |
23/23 |
Cairo |
Cairo |
Cairo |
||||||||||||||
Fayoum |
110 |
|
Suez |
134 |
|
Hurghada |
460 |
|||||||||
Minyeh |
247 |
|
Ismailia |
140 |
|
Safaga |
520 |
|||||||||
Assyout |
373 |
|
Ein Sokhna |
120 |
|
Quseir |
600 |
|||||||||
Abydos |
480 |
|
Ras Sudr |
180 |
|
Marsa Alam |
731 |
|||||||||
Dendeah |
600 |
|
St.Catherin |
392 |
|
Halayeb |
1159 |
|||||||||
Quena |
610 |
|
Nueiba |
670 |
|
|||||||||||
Luxor |
670 |
|
Dahab |
610 |
|
Luxor |
||||||||||
Esna |
725 |
|
Sh. Sheikh |
510 |
|
Hurghada |
280 |
|||||||||
Edfu |
795 |
|
Taba |
400 |
|
Safaga |
220 |
|||||||||
Kom-Ombo |
855 |
|
Rafah |
369 |
|
Quseir |
300 |
|||||||||
Aswan |
900 |
|
Arish |
306 |
|
Marsa Alam |
433 |
|||||||||
Abu Simbel |
1180 |
|
|
Halayeb |
861 |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
Alex |
Alamein |
Sidi A.Rahman |
Matruh |
Siwa |
Cairo |
|||||||||||
Alexandria |
0 |
110 |
154 |
288 |
578 |
220 |
||||||||||
Alamein |
110 |
0 |
44 |
178 |
478 |
292 |
||||||||||
Sidi A Rahman |
154 |
44 |
0 |
134 |
434 |
336 |
||||||||||
Matruh |
288 |
178 |
134 |
0 |
290 |
512 |
||||||||||
Siwa |
578 |
478 |
434 |
290 |
0 |
752 |
||||||||||
Cairo |
220 |
292 |
336 |
512 |
752 |
0 |
||||||||||
Cairo |
Bahareya |
Farafra |
Dakhla |
Kharga |
Luxor |
Siwa |
||||||||||
Cairo |
0 |
380 |
582 |
739 |
602 |
670 |
752 |
|||||||||
Bahareya |
380 |
0 |
180 |
410 |
610 |
855 |
350 |
|||||||||
Farafra |
582 |
180 |
0 |
230 |
430 |
675 |
530 |
|||||||||
Dakhla |
739 |
410 |
230 |
0 |
200 |
445 |
760 |
|||||||||
Kharga |
602 |
610 |
430 |
200 |
0 |
245 |
960 |
|||||||||
Luxor |
670 |
855 |
675 |
445 |
245 |
0 |
1205 |
|||||||||
Siwa |
752 |
350 |
530 |
760 |
960 |
1205 |
0 |