What to wear

Egypt is a conservative country and visitors should respect this attitude. No topless or nude bathing is permitted.

On the practical side, leave your synthetics at home as they will prove to be too hot in summer and not warm enough in winter - bring materials that breathe. It is advisable to wear cotton in summer as the heat can be like a furnace. In winter wear layers that can be taken off during the heat of the day and put back on for cool evenings.

Wear loose and flowing garments, which are not only modest, but practical in a hot climate. Have you ever wondered why the Bedouin wear layers of flowing robes? Why they cover their heads and the back of their necks? Centuries of living in desert climates have taught them that loose garments keep one cooler and layered garments allow wind to enter and circulate, creating a natural ventilation system. Protecting the head and neck from loss of moisture prevents heat stroke.

Bring comfortable shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking and temple floors are far from even. In summer, wear a hat to protect yourself from the heat of the Egyptian sun.

What to bring

Above all travel light. Get wheels for your luggage and leave heavy items at home. If you don’t bring a camera you will be sorry. Sunglasses are a must as the sun is very strong in Egypt.

Getting here

By air

Egypt Air is served by international airports at Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, and Hurghada on the mainland, and at Sharm el Sheikh on the Sinai peninsula. The largest and most active airport is in Cairo.

There are non-stop flights from most major African, Asian, North America and European cities. Most major airlines have offices at the Cairo International Airport and downtown in and around Midan Tahrir.

In recent years Cairo International Airport has expanded into a first-class facility. Despite the fact that it is located to the north of the city, most airlines from Europe approach the airfield from the south. In daylight passengers are offered a spectacular view of Cairo, the Nile, and the Giza pyramids. 

Terminal 1: Egypt Air domestic and international flights.

Terminal 2: International Airlines.

Terminal 3: Saudi Arabia Airlines.

Terminal 4: International cargo.

English language information, tel: 291-4255, 291-2266.
Quarantine: tel: 666-688

Alexandria airport is served by Olympic Airlines and Egypt Air. Luxor Airport now has direct flights from several European cities via Air France and Lufthansa. Hurghada Airport is also serviced by Lufthansa while Sharm el Sheikh Airport receives charter flights from Germany and France.

Other airports in Egypt are Asyut, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Al Arish, St. Catherine’s, Kharga Oasis, Siwa Oasis.

By land

With some restrictions all borders are now open.

From Israel: Private vehicles are not permitted to enter Egypt from Israel; however may use public transport and enter Egypt via Rafah on the northern coast of Sinai or from Eilat o n the Red Sea. Buses run regularly from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to the border at Rafah. The border passengers disembark from the Israeli vehicle, go through customs, and take an Egyptian bus or taxi. There are no facilities for issuing visas at the Rafah border. In Eilat, Israeli buses are permitted to enter Egypt and travel as far as Sharm el Shaykh at the southern tip of the Sinai.

From Sudan: There is a twice-weekly steamer that ferries cars the length of Lake Nasser, from Wadi Halfa in the Sudan to Aswan in Egypt. Information is available from the Nile Navigation Company Limited, Ramses Square ( in the train station), and Nile Maritime Agency, 8 Quasr el Nil, both in Cairo; and the Nile Company for River Transport, 7 Atlas Building, Aswan. All arrangements to enter Sudan, including visas, must be made in Cairo. You must have a valid passport and either a transit or tourist visa to Sudan. If you plan to pass through Sudan you must have a valid visa for your next destination.

By sea

Alexandria and Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea, and Suez and Nuweiba on the Red Sea are ports of entry for visitors, but sailings have been reduced of late.

 

Culture

Egypt is a Middle Eastern country and has Middle Eastern customs. Whether Muslim or Copt, the Egyptians are deeply religious and religious principles govern their daily lives. Combined with religious belief is commitment to the extended family. Each family member is responsible for the integrity of the family and for the behavior of other members, creating an environment that would be envied by many people in the West. Certainly, the result is that the city of Cairo is safer than any western metropolis.

Yet when westerners visit Egypt they are often apprehensive. Their views of Egyptians and Arabs, fomented by unkind and untrue media stories, often bear no relation to reality. Travelers are often surprised by their friendly, hospitable reception and take home with them good feelings about Egypt and its population.

Egyptians have been raised in a social environment steeped in Islam, a background that can color their decision-making in a way difficult for foreigners to understand. Yet it is precisely this training that makes Egyptians some of the most charming and helpful of hosts. By understanding the culture and with consideration for your hosts, you can be a welcome guest in Egypt.

Visiting mosques

Major tourism mosques are open to the public unless services are in progress (the main service is on Friday at noon). Other mosques are not. Keep in mind that a mosque differs from a western church in that Christian churches are considered houses of God, while mosques are more a gathering place for the faithful of Islam. Unless otherwise posted, tickets to some that have been restored are sold by the caretaker for about LE3-6. All visitors to mosques, mausoleums, and madrasas must remove their shoes. Most Muslims walk around in their stockings but those mosques that are major tourist attractions have canvas overshoes available; a tip of 50PT to LE1 is in order for the people who put them on for you. Women must cover bare arms and should also have a hat.

Climate

Throughout Egypt, days are commonly warm or hot, and nights are cool. Egypt has only two seasons: a mild winter from November to April and a hot summer from May to October. The only differences between the seasons are variations in daytime temperatures and changes in prevailing winds. In the coastal regions, temperatures range between an average minimum of 14° C in winter and an average maximum of 30° C in summer.

Temperatures vary widely in the inland desert areas, especially in summer, when they may range from 7° C at night to 43° C during the day. During winter, temperatures in the desert fluctuate less dramatically, but they can be as low as 0° C at night and as high as 18° C during the day.

The average annual temperature increases moving southward from the Delta to the Sudanese border, where temperatures are similar to those of the open deserts to the east and west. In the north, the cooler temperatures of Alexandria during the summer have made the city a popular resort. Throughout the Delta and the northern Nile Valley, there are occasional winter cold spells accompanied by light frost and even snow. At Aswan, in the south, June temperatures can be as low as 10° C at night and as high as 41° C during the day when the sky is clear.

Egypt receives fewer than eighty millimeters of precipitation annually in most areas. Most rain falls along the coast, but even the wettest area, around Alexandria, receives only about 200 millimeters of precipitation per year. Alexandria has relatively high humidity, but sea breezes help keep the moisture down to a comfortable level. Moving southward, the amount of precipitation decreases suddenly. Cairo receives a little more than one centimeter of precipitation each year. The city, however, reports humidity as high as 77 percent during the summer. But during the rest of the year, humidity is low. The areas south of Cairo receive only traces of rainfall. Some areas will go years without rain and then experience sudden downpours that result in flash floods. Sinai receives somewhat more rainfall (about twelve centimeters annually in the north) than the other desert areas, and the region is dotted by numerous wells and oases, which support small population centers that formerly were focal points on trade routes. Water drainage toward the Mediterranean Sea from the main plateau supplies sufficient moisture to permit some agriculture in the coastal area, particularly near Al Arish.

A phenomenon of Egypt's climate is the hot spring wind that blows across the country. The winds, known to Europeans as the sirocco and to Egyptians as the khamsin, usually arrive in April but occasionally occur in March and May. The winds form in small but vigorous low-pressure areas in the Isthmus of Suez and sweep across the northern coast of Africa. Unobstructed by geographical features, the winds reach high velocities and carry great quantities of sand and dust from the deserts. These sandstorms, often accompanied by winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour, can cause temperatures to rise as much as 20° C in two hours. The winds blow intermittently and may continue for days, cause illness in people and animals, harm crops, and occasionally damage houses and infrastructure.